Samm Schwartz
Encyclopedia
Samm Schwartz was an American
comic artist
best known for his work in MLJ and Archie Comics
, specifically on the character Jughead Jones
.
Schwartz was born in Brooklyn
, where he took art instruction at the Pratt Institute
. After working as an apprentice at a New York fashion studio and a part-time male model, he joined MLJ in 1942, shortly after the creation of Archie
.
Schwartz, who pencilled, inked, and lettered most of his own work, specialized in stories featuring Jughead
, and was the lead artist on the Jughead
solo title through much of the '50s and early '60s. His colleague and friend Joe Edwards
recalled that it was Schwartz's work that turned the character from a second banana to a star: "He made Jughead! . . . He put in personality and that's what makes the [characters] live." One of the most popular Jughead supporting characters, Big Ethel
, was designed by Schwartz.
In 1965, Schwartz left Archie Comics to become an artist and editor at Tower Comics
, founded by former Archie editor Harry Shorten. Schwartz helped edit T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents
, but his main project was Tippy Teen, an Archie-style comic about the adventures of a spunky teenaged girl. The comic and its spinoff, Go-Go and Animal, featured many stories drawn by Schwartz, as well as contributions from moonlighting Archie artists like Harry Lucey and Dan DeCarlo
. When Tower Comics folded, Schwartz spent a year at DC Comics
, drawing stories and covers for their teen humor titles, A Date With Debbi and Debbi's Dates.
In 1969 Schwartz returned to Archie Comics and once again became the main artist on Jughead
. He drew most issues of that title from 1970 to 1987, still doing his own inking and lettering, as well as contributing stories to other titles like Reggie and Me and That Wilkin Boy
. In 1987, Jughead was re-launched with new artists, but Schwartz continued to draw Jughead stories for the company, many of which appeared in Jughead digests.
Schwartz's style is distinguished by his loose, rubbery character poses and skinny, simplified designs. One of his favorite techniques was presenting characters in silhouette: "Whenever in doubt, silhouette," he told editor Victor Gorelick
. He also frequently drew without regard for the boundaries of the panels; his characters would stand on the dialogue balloon in the panel below, or their outstretched arms would protrude into the panel beside them. At other times, he would eliminate panel lines altogether and draw the characters in an open white space.
Particularly after his return to Archie, he also liked to draw in his own gags or even silent mini-stories in the background. His scenes in the hall of Riverdale High School often feature explosions, pratfalls and other mishaps by characters who aren't directly involved in the story, and Edwards was particularly fond of a gag where Schwartz made it look like Mr. Weatherbee
was making a rude gesture at a portrait on his office wall. Schwartz sometimes drew himself into his comics as a background character, particularly on posters asking Riverdale residents to "vote for Samm."
Though Schwartz did not usually write his own stories, claiming that "it's much easier for me to draw a person doing something than describe it," he often rewrote the stories he was given, sometimes even including an "additional dialogue" credit for himself. When Schwartz did not like a script, Gorelick would tell him "if you don't like it, see what you want to do with it. If you can make it funny, good."
Schwartz's first name was originally "Sam." He added the extra "m" to his signature to make his name seem more unusual.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comic artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
best known for his work in MLJ and Archie Comics
Archie Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
, specifically on the character Jughead Jones
Jughead Jones
Jughead Jones is a fictional character in Archie Comics who first appeared in the comic in December 1941. He is the son of Forsythe II; although in one of the early Archie newspaper comic strips, he himself is identified as Forsythe Van Jones II...
.
Schwartz was born in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, where he took art instruction at the Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
. After working as an apprentice at a New York fashion studio and a part-time male model, he joined MLJ in 1942, shortly after the creation of Archie
Archie Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
.
Schwartz, who pencilled, inked, and lettered most of his own work, specialized in stories featuring Jughead
Jughead Jones
Jughead Jones is a fictional character in Archie Comics who first appeared in the comic in December 1941. He is the son of Forsythe II; although in one of the early Archie newspaper comic strips, he himself is identified as Forsythe Van Jones II...
, and was the lead artist on the Jughead
Jughead Magazine
The Jughead Comic Book Magazine Series is a spinoff from Archie Comics, featuring Archie Andrews's best friend Jughead in his own stories....
solo title through much of the '50s and early '60s. His colleague and friend Joe Edwards
Joe Edwards (comics)
Joe Edwards was an American comic book artist best known for creating Archie Comics' mischievous little-girl character Li'l Jinx while working in the industry for over 65 years.-Biography:...
recalled that it was Schwartz's work that turned the character from a second banana to a star: "He made Jughead! . . . He put in personality and that's what makes the [characters] live." One of the most popular Jughead supporting characters, Big Ethel
Big Ethel
"Big" Ethel is a fictional character by Archie Comics. She is a student of Riverdale High School, known to her schoolmates by the nickname Big Ethel, though this nickname has virtually fallen out of use since the 1990s...
, was designed by Schwartz.
In 1965, Schwartz left Archie Comics to become an artist and editor at Tower Comics
Tower Comics
Tower Comics was an American comic book publishing company best known for Wally Wood's T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, a strange combination of secret agents and superheroes; and Samm Schwartz's Tippy Teen, an Archie Andrews clone...
, founded by former Archie editor Harry Shorten. Schwartz helped edit T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents is a fictional team of superheroes that appeared in comic books originally published by Tower Comics in the 1960s. They were an arm of the United Nations and were notable for their depiction of the heroes as everyday people whose heroic careers were merely their day jobs...
, but his main project was Tippy Teen, an Archie-style comic about the adventures of a spunky teenaged girl. The comic and its spinoff, Go-Go and Animal, featured many stories drawn by Schwartz, as well as contributions from moonlighting Archie artists like Harry Lucey and Dan DeCarlo
Dan DeCarlo
Daniel S. DeCarlo was an American cartoonist best known as the artist who developed the look of Archie Comics in the late 1950s and early 1960s, modernizing the characters to their contemporary appearance and establishing the publisher's house style...
. When Tower Comics folded, Schwartz spent a year at 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...
, drawing stories and covers for their teen humor titles, A Date With Debbi and Debbi's Dates.
In 1969 Schwartz returned to Archie Comics and once again became the main artist on Jughead
Jughead Magazine
The Jughead Comic Book Magazine Series is a spinoff from Archie Comics, featuring Archie Andrews's best friend Jughead in his own stories....
. He drew most issues of that title from 1970 to 1987, still doing his own inking and lettering, as well as contributing stories to other titles like Reggie and Me and That Wilkin Boy
That Wilkin Boy
This article is about a spinoff series of Archie Comics.That Wilkin Boy is a comic book series about a teenage boy, Bingo Wilkin, who lives in Midville, next door to his girlfriend, Samantha Smythe...
. In 1987, Jughead was re-launched with new artists, but Schwartz continued to draw Jughead stories for the company, many of which appeared in Jughead digests.
Schwartz's style is distinguished by his loose, rubbery character poses and skinny, simplified designs. One of his favorite techniques was presenting characters in silhouette: "Whenever in doubt, silhouette," he told editor Victor Gorelick
Victor Gorelick
Victor Gorelick is an American comic book editor and executive. Currently the Editor-in-Chief of Archie Comics, he has worked for the company for over fifty years in a wide variety of roles....
. He also frequently drew without regard for the boundaries of the panels; his characters would stand on the dialogue balloon in the panel below, or their outstretched arms would protrude into the panel beside them. At other times, he would eliminate panel lines altogether and draw the characters in an open white space.
Particularly after his return to Archie, he also liked to draw in his own gags or even silent mini-stories in the background. His scenes in the hall of Riverdale High School often feature explosions, pratfalls and other mishaps by characters who aren't directly involved in the story, and Edwards was particularly fond of a gag where Schwartz made it look like Mr. Weatherbee
Mr. Weatherbee
Waldo Weatherbee is a fictional character in the Archie Comics universe. Mr. Weatherbee is the principal of Riverdale High School, where Archie Andrews is a student. To Riverdale students and staff, he is commonly called Mr. Weatherbee, due to his authority position. Sometimes, Archie and his...
was making a rude gesture at a portrait on his office wall. Schwartz sometimes drew himself into his comics as a background character, particularly on posters asking Riverdale residents to "vote for Samm."
Though Schwartz did not usually write his own stories, claiming that "it's much easier for me to draw a person doing something than describe it," he often rewrote the stories he was given, sometimes even including an "additional dialogue" credit for himself. When Schwartz did not like a script, Gorelick would tell him "if you don't like it, see what you want to do with it. If you can make it funny, good."
Schwartz's first name was originally "Sam." He added the extra "m" to his signature to make his name seem more unusual.