Jerry DeFuccio
Encyclopedia
Jerry DeFuccio was an American comic book
writer and editor, known primarily for his work at Mad, where he was an associate editor for 25 years. In addition to his work on that magazine, he was closely involved in many of the Mad paperbacks, editing Clods' Letters to Mad and many other reprints and spin-offs. Some of his contributions to EC Comics
appeared under the pseudonym Jerry Dee.
Guests and visitors to Mad usually wound up chatting in DeFuccio's office. As noted by Mark Evanier
:
At EC Comics
during the early 1950s, DeFuccio was an assistant editor and researcher on Harvey Kurtzman
's war comics, Frontline Combat
and Two-Fisted Tales
, research that on one day involved taking a trip underwater in a submarine. He wrote scripts for EC and also contributed one-page text pieces to several EC titles. For Frontline Combat he wrote "War Dance!" and "Belts n' Celts" (both illustrated by John Severin
) and "Wolf!" (illustrated by Wally Wood
). He later wrote scripts for the line of war comics published by DC Comics
, including Star Spangled War and Our Fighting Forces.
DeFuccio teamed with artist Mart Bailey to create a superhero newspaper comic strip
, The Owl
.
DeFuccio's book introductions include Bud Blake
's Tiger (Grosset & Dunlap, 1969). As an expert on comic book history, he contributed to such publications as Squa Tront, Graphic Story Magazine
, The Comics Journal, Wonderworld and The Comic Book Price Guide. He also worked briefly for Mads rival, Cracked, after leaving Mad. DeFuccio died of cancer on August 10, 2001.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
writer and editor, known primarily for his work at Mad, where he was an associate editor for 25 years. In addition to his work on that magazine, he was closely involved in many of the Mad paperbacks, editing Clods' Letters to Mad and many other reprints and spin-offs. Some of his contributions to EC Comics
EC Comics
Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American publisher of comic books specializing in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-1950s, notably the Tales from the Crypt series...
appeared under the pseudonym Jerry Dee.
Guests and visitors to Mad usually wound up chatting in DeFuccio's office. As noted by Mark Evanier
Mark Evanier
Mark Stephen Evanier is an American comic book and television writer, particularly known for his humor work. He is also known for his columns and blogs, and for his work as a historian and biographer of the comics industry, in particular his award-winning Jack Kirby biography, Kirby: King of...
:
- Anyone who visited the Mad offices during his years there probably met and spent time with Jerry. He was the magazine's historian, researcher and unofficial greeter. He was also a devout student of comic book history who was responsible for unearthing much that is today known about vintage funnybooks. He was very nice to me when I first ventured into the halls of Mad, as he was to just about everyone.
At EC Comics
EC Comics
Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American publisher of comic books specializing in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-1950s, notably the Tales from the Crypt series...
during the early 1950s, DeFuccio was an assistant editor and researcher on Harvey Kurtzman
Harvey Kurtzman
Harvey Kurtzman was an American cartoonist and the editor of several comic books and magazines. Kurtzman often signed his name H. Kurtz, followed by a stick figure Harvey Kurtzman (October 3, 1924, Brooklyn, New York – February 21, 1993) was an American cartoonist and the editor of several comic...
's war comics, Frontline Combat
Frontline Combat
Frontline Combat was a bi-monthly, anthology war comic edited by Harvey Kurtzman and published by EC Comics. The first issue was cover dated July/August, 1951. Over a three-year span, the title ran for 15 issues, ending with the January, 1954 issue...
and Two-Fisted Tales
Two-Fisted Tales
Two-Fisted Tales was a bimonthly, anthology war comic published by EC Comics in the early 1950s. The title originated in 1950 when Harvey Kurtzman suggested to William Gaines that they publish an adventure comic. Kurtzman became the editor of Two-Fisted Tales, and with the advent of the Korean War,...
, research that on one day involved taking a trip underwater in a submarine. He wrote scripts for EC and also contributed one-page text pieces to several EC titles. For Frontline Combat he wrote "War Dance!" and "Belts n' Celts" (both illustrated by John Severin
John Severin
John Powers Severin is an American comic book artist noted for his distinctive work with EC Comics, primarily on the war comics Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat; for Marvel Comics, primarily on its war and Western comics; and for the satiric magazine Cracked...
) and "Wolf!" (illustrated by Wally Wood
Wally Wood
Wallace Allan Wood was an American comic book writer, artist and independent publisher, best known for his work in EC Comics and Mad. He was one of Mads founding cartoonists in 1952. Although much of his early professional artwork is signed Wallace Wood, he became known as Wally Wood, a name he...
). He later wrote scripts for the line of war comics published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, including Star Spangled War and Our Fighting Forces.
DeFuccio teamed with artist Mart Bailey to create a superhero newspaper comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
, The Owl
Owl (Dell Comics)
The Owl is a fictional superhero character who first appeared in Dell Comics in 1940; not to be confused with the Marvel Comics villain of the same name or with DC Comics’ Owlman.-Fictional biography:...
.
DeFuccio's book introductions include Bud Blake
Bud Blake
Julian Blake , better known as Bud Blake, was an American cartoonist who created the popular, long running comic strip Tiger, about a group of suburban boyhood pals. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Tiger began May 3, 1965...
's Tiger (Grosset & Dunlap, 1969). As an expert on comic book history, he contributed to such publications as Squa Tront, Graphic Story Magazine
Graphic Story Magazine
Graphic Story Magazine was an American magazine edited and published by Bill Spicer in the late 1960s and early 1970s.As writer and historian Steve Grant describes the magazine's roots,-Artists and writers:...
, The Comics Journal, Wonderworld and The Comic Book Price Guide. He also worked briefly for Mads rival, Cracked, after leaving Mad. DeFuccio died of cancer on August 10, 2001.
Partial bibliography
DC Comics (1970-1972)- G.I. Combat #152
- Our Fighting Forces #124
- Star Spangled War #162
- Tomahawk #134
- Weird War Tales #2