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Paul Norris

January 01, 1970

For the visual effects artist, see Paul Norris (visual effects).

Paul Leroy Norris (April 26, 1914 – November 5, 2007)[2] was an American comic book artist best known as co-creator of the DC Comics superhero Aquaman,[3] and for a 35-year run as artist of the newspaper comic strip Brick Bradford.

Paul Norris
BornPaul Leroy Norris
(1914-04-26)April 26, 1914
Greenville, Ohio, U.S.
DiedNovember 5, 2007(2007-11-05) (aged 93)
Oceanside, California, U.S.
Area(s)Cartoonist, Penciller, Inker
Notable works
Aquaman
Brick Bradford
AwardsInkpot Award (1993)[1]

Biography edit

Early life and career edit

Paul Norris was born in Greenville, Ohio, the son of Lesta (Arnett) and Leroy Norris.[4][5] Beginning 1934, during the Great Depression, he spent two years at Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, Nebraska at the behest of his cousin, Dr. Emerson Reck, a journalism professor and director of the school's news bureau.[4] Self-described as having been "drawing pictures from the first time I could hold a pencil," Norris became art director of The Warrior, the college yearbook, and also performed in plays, served as president of the campus YMCA, and painted signs for businesses.[4]

After two years, Norris left college in an aborted attempt to pursue a career as comic strip cartoonist. He recalled in 2006,

I left Midland ... to pursue the publication of a comic strip (Hobo Cupboard). Emerson’s brother Myron was in radio in Chicago. He had written a script for a comic strip and I was to draw it, which I did. Myron sold it to a syndicate in Ohio. As was the custom the syndicate wanted six weeks of the strip in advance. I couldn't get that much work done and keep up the chores and studies I had [at] Midland. So I returned to Ohio to get the strip ready for publication. Well, before I finished the six weeks of artwork the syndicate folded. I was out of college and out of work...."[4]

Norris worked on his grandmother's farm before obtaining a job at an electric-motor assembly plant in Dayton, Ohio.[6] He also enrolled at the Dayton Art Institute School, where he met his wife of 61 years, Ann, whom he married in 1939.[6] He went on to become an illustrator and cartoonist for the Dayton Daily News.[4]

Aquaman and Sandman edit

In 1940, Norris and his wife moved to New York City, New York,[4] where he created the features "Power Nelson, Futureman", and "Yank & Doodle" for the comic-book publisher Prize Publications.[7] Historians tentatively identify Norris' comic-book debut as penciling and inking the cover of Prize Publications' Prize Comics #6 (Aug. 1940), with his first confirmed credit the Power Nelson story "Introducing Gene West" two issues later.[8] Norris' first confirmed credit for DC Comics (then National Comics) is the story "The Sandman at Sea", starring DC's original Sandman, Wesley Dodds, in Adventure Comics #65 (Aug. 1941). Norris and writer Mort Weisinger revamped that character in superhero attire and introduced sidekick Sandy the Golden Boy in issue #69 (Dec. 1941).[9]

Norris and Weisinger introduced the undersea superhero Aquaman in the eight-page story "The Submarine Strikes" in More Fun Comics # 73 (Nov. 1941). That same year, Norris began drawing the adventure comic strip Vic Jordan for PM, one of the New York's daily afternoon papers. Norris said in 2007 that he had inadvertently signed an exclusive contract with PM and not realized this for a year, after which he had to give up the "Aquaman" feature.[7] In 1943, King Features Syndicate assigned Norris to write and draw the existing strip Secret Agent X-9, on which he worked for three months before being drafted into the U.S. Army.[6]

World War II edit

Norris said that during his World War II military service as a tech sergeant, "I did a little [comic] strip for the ship newspaper" that came to the attention of Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr. "He saw it and made the order that I be transferred from the 82nd Signal Battalion to JIC POA 10th Army", where Norris illustrated propaganda leaflets to be dropped from aircraft over Okinawa, urging Japanese soldiers to surrender. "I worked with a prisoner of war. We wanted the translations to be authentic".[4] Norris in 2006 recalled the POW as George Totari, formerly a reporter for an English language newspaper in Japan.[6]

While Norris told one interviewer that, "The Japanese came in with these things in their hands and wanted to surrender",[4] he told another that the leaflet, designed to look like a comic-book page, had not yet gone into print when the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan, scuttling the project.[6]

Brick Bradford and Gold Key edit

Following the war, Norris did some covers featuring Buck Rogers for Four Color,[10] including issues 190, 204, and 247. Norris was rehired by King Features Syndicate, and in 1948 began drawing the Sunday edition of Austin Briggs' comic strip Jungle Jim. He continued to freelance for DC Comics through 1953, drawing the detective feature "Captain Compass" in most issues of Star Spangled Comics #106–130 (July 1950 – July 1952), and the super-speedster feature "Johnny Quick" in Adventure Comics #171–186 (Dec. 1951 – March 1953).[11]

In 1952, Norris succeeded artist Clarence Gray on the science-fiction comic strip Brick Bradford, continuing to draw it for 35 years until his and the strip's retirement in 1987. The final daily appeared April 25, 1987.[4]

As well in the 1950s, Norris drew issues of Dell Comics' Tom Corbett, Space Cadet and Jungle Jim, the latter of which he had previously drawn as a newspaper comic strip. The following decade, he drew stories of jungle adventurer Tarzan and science-fiction hero Magnus, Robot Fighter in comic books for Gold Key Comics.[11]

With writer Gaylord DuBois, Norris co-created the Gold Key jungle characters Kono and Tono in the namesake series The Jungle Twins,[12] which ran 17 original issues (April 1972 – Nov. 1975), followed by reprints.[8]

Norris' last known comics story is co-penciling (with Roman Arambula and Scott Shaw) the cover and the 17-page talking animal feature "Now You See Them...", starring Yogi Bear, Scooby-Doo, and a plethora of other Hanna-Barbera animated TV series characters, in Marvel Comics'  Laff-A-Lympics #10 (Dec. 1978). His last comics work was a drawing of Aquaman in DC Comics' multi-artist, multi-character "History of the DC Universe" poster in 1987.[13]

Later life edit

Norris was living in Oceanside, California at the time of his death. Norris and his wife Ann, who died in 2000, had two sons, Michael and Paul Jr. (called Reed).[6] Norris is buried in Glen Haven Memorial Gardens in New Carlisle, Ohio.[14]

References edit

  1. ^ "Inkpot Awards". Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  2. ^ . Newsfromme.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
  3. ^ Co-creator with Mort Weisinger per sources including Don Markstein's Toonopedia: Aquaman, Grand Comics Database: More Fun Comics #73, The Comics Journal (Oct. 6, 1999): "Ripples on the Golden Age Pond: Repercussions in Comic-Book Copyrights", by Darren Hick, and Comic Book Resources (Oct. 28, 2007): "Comics Should Be Good" (section): "365 Reasons to Love Comics #301", by Bill Reed 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine. Beginning with Aquaman vol. 6, #7 (Aug. 2003), DC Comics began including the credit line "Aquaman created by Paul Norris". Writer Julian Darian in an undated article at SeqArt: Aquaman published March 5, 2004 or later, suggests the discrepancy arose from uncertainty over the then-uncredited writer: "Paul Norris is now officially credited by DC as the character's creator, and Norris certainly drew Aquaman's first stories. Some suspect a writer's hand, however, and have pointed to Mort Weisinger, thought to be the writer of Aquaman's first tale, though we will probably never know for certain due to the scarcity of records from the period".
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Midland Lutheran College: "Paul Norris: Minister of Morality" November 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine – biography in conjunction with art exhibition, Feb. 10–24, 2006
  5. ^ "FamilySearch.org". Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Fremont Tribune (Nebraska) (Feb. 11, 2006): "Norris gives new meaning to 'comic book hero'", by Tammy Real-McKeighan.
  7. ^ a b McIntosh, Linda (April 13, 2007). "The San Diego Union-Tribune "Classic comics continue to draw a following of fans"". Signonsandiego.com. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
  8. ^ a b Paul Norris at Grand Comics Database
  9. ^ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 258. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
  10. ^ Fischer, Stuart (March 2018). "Those Unforgettable Super-Heroes Of Dell & Gold Key". Alter Ego (151). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 41.
  11. ^ a b Scott (November 2, 2010). "Scott's Classic Comics Corner: Underappreciated Artist Spotlight – Paul Norris". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
  12. ^ Sacks, Jason; Dallas, Keith (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1970s. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 87. ISBN 978-1605490564.
  13. ^ . Vu.morrissey-solo.com. Archived from the original on December 9, 2009. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
  14. ^ "Paul Norris Obituary". The San Diego Union-Tribune. November 9, 2007. Retrieved December 26, 2010.

Further reading edit

  • Career Retrospective, Gold & Silver: Overstreet's Comic Book Quarterly #6 (December 1994). p. 114. Overstreet Publications.

External links edit

  • Paul Norris at the Grand Comics Database
  • The Lambiek Comiclopedia: Paul Norris
  • ERBZine #1014
  • POV Online (Feb. 6, 2006): "News from Me" (column) - "Paul Norris Honored", by Mark Evanier

January 01, 1970
paul, norris, visual, effects, artist, visual, effects, paul, leroy, norris, april, 1914, november, 2007, american, comic, book, artist, best, known, creator, comics, superhero, aquaman, year, artist, newspaper, comic, strip, brick, bradford, bornpaul, leroy, . For the visual effects artist see Paul Norris visual effects Paul Leroy Norris April 26 1914 November 5 2007 2 was an American comic book artist best known as co creator of the DC Comics superhero Aquaman 3 and for a 35 year run as artist of the newspaper comic strip Brick Bradford Paul NorrisBornPaul Leroy Norris 1914 04 26 April 26 1914Greenville Ohio U S DiedNovember 5 2007 2007 11 05 aged 93 Oceanside California U S Area s Cartoonist Penciller InkerNotable worksAquamanBrick BradfordAwardsInkpot Award 1993 1 Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Early life and career 1 2 Aquaman and Sandman 1 3 World War II 1 4 Brick Bradford and Gold Key 1 5 Later life 2 References 3 Further reading 4 External linksBiography editEarly life and career edit Paul Norris was born in Greenville Ohio the son of Lesta Arnett and Leroy Norris 4 5 Beginning 1934 during the Great Depression he spent two years at Midland Lutheran College in Fremont Nebraska at the behest of his cousin Dr Emerson Reck a journalism professor and director of the school s news bureau 4 Self described as having been drawing pictures from the first time I could hold a pencil Norris became art director of The Warrior the college yearbook and also performed in plays served as president of the campus YMCA and painted signs for businesses 4 After two years Norris left college in an aborted attempt to pursue a career as comic strip cartoonist He recalled in 2006 I left Midland to pursue the publication of a comic strip Hobo Cupboard Emerson s brother Myron was in radio in Chicago He had written a script for a comic strip and I was to draw it which I did Myron sold it to a syndicate in Ohio As was the custom the syndicate wanted six weeks of the strip in advance I couldn t get that much work done and keep up the chores and studies I had at Midland So I returned to Ohio to get the strip ready for publication Well before I finished the six weeks of artwork the syndicate folded I was out of college and out of work 4 Norris worked on his grandmother s farm before obtaining a job at an electric motor assembly plant in Dayton Ohio 6 He also enrolled at the Dayton Art Institute School where he met his wife of 61 years Ann whom he married in 1939 6 He went on to become an illustrator and cartoonist for the Dayton Daily News 4 Aquaman and Sandman edit In 1940 Norris and his wife moved to New York City New York 4 where he created the features Power Nelson Futureman and Yank amp Doodle for the comic book publisher Prize Publications 7 Historians tentatively identify Norris comic book debut as penciling and inking the cover of Prize Publications Prize Comics 6 Aug 1940 with his first confirmed credit the Power Nelson story Introducing Gene West two issues later 8 Norris first confirmed credit for DC Comics then National Comics is the story The Sandman at Sea starring DC s original Sandman Wesley Dodds in Adventure Comics 65 Aug 1941 Norris and writer Mort Weisinger revamped that character in superhero attire and introduced sidekick Sandy the Golden Boy in issue 69 Dec 1941 9 Norris and Weisinger introduced the undersea superhero Aquaman in the eight page story The Submarine Strikes in More Fun Comics 73 Nov 1941 That same year Norris began drawing the adventure comic strip Vic Jordan for PM one of the New York s daily afternoon papers Norris said in 2007 that he had inadvertently signed an exclusive contract with PM and not realized this for a year after which he had to give up the Aquaman feature 7 In 1943 King Features Syndicate assigned Norris to write and draw the existing strip Secret Agent X 9 on which he worked for three months before being drafted into the U S Army 6 World War II edit Norris said that during his World War II military service as a tech sergeant I did a little comic strip for the ship newspaper that came to the attention of Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr He saw it and made the order that I be transferred from the 82nd Signal Battalion to JIC POA 10th Army where Norris illustrated propaganda leaflets to be dropped from aircraft over Okinawa urging Japanese soldiers to surrender I worked with a prisoner of war We wanted the translations to be authentic 4 Norris in 2006 recalled the POW as George Totari formerly a reporter for an English language newspaper in Japan 6 While Norris told one interviewer that The Japanese came in with these things in their hands and wanted to surrender 4 he told another that the leaflet designed to look like a comic book page had not yet gone into print when the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan scuttling the project 6 Brick Bradford and Gold Key edit Following the war Norris did some covers featuring Buck Rogers for Four Color 10 including issues 190 204 and 247 Norris was rehired by King Features Syndicate and in 1948 began drawing the Sunday edition of Austin Briggs comic strip Jungle Jim He continued to freelance for DC Comics through 1953 drawing the detective feature Captain Compass in most issues of Star Spangled Comics 106 130 July 1950 July 1952 and the super speedster feature Johnny Quick in Adventure Comics 171 186 Dec 1951 March 1953 11 In 1952 Norris succeeded artist Clarence Gray on the science fiction comic strip Brick Bradford continuing to draw it for 35 years until his and the strip s retirement in 1987 The final daily appeared April 25 1987 4 As well in the 1950s Norris drew issues of Dell Comics Tom Corbett Space Cadet and Jungle Jim the latter of which he had previously drawn as a newspaper comic strip The following decade he drew stories of jungle adventurer Tarzan and science fiction hero Magnus Robot Fighter in comic books for Gold Key Comics 11 With writer Gaylord DuBois Norris co created the Gold Key jungle characters Kono and Tono in the namesake series The Jungle Twins 12 which ran 17 original issues April 1972 Nov 1975 followed by reprints 8 Norris last known comics story is co penciling with Roman Arambula and Scott Shaw the cover and the 17 page talking animal feature Now You See Them starring Yogi Bear Scooby Doo and a plethora of other Hanna Barbera animated TV series characters in Marvel Comics Laff A Lympics 10 Dec 1978 His last comics work was a drawing of Aquaman in DC Comics multi artist multi character History of the DC Universe poster in 1987 13 Later life edit Norris was living in Oceanside California at the time of his death Norris and his wife Ann who died in 2000 had two sons Michael and Paul Jr called Reed 6 Norris is buried in Glen Haven Memorial Gardens in New Carlisle Ohio 14 References edit Inkpot Awards Retrieved 20 December 2023 POV Online Nov 6 2007 News from Me column Paul Norris R I P by Mark Evanier Newsfromme com Archived from the original on May 27 2013 Retrieved December 26 2010 Co creator with Mort Weisinger per sources including Don Markstein s Toonopedia Aquaman Grand Comics Database More Fun Comics 73 The Comics Journal Oct 6 1999 Ripples on the Golden Age Pond Repercussions in Comic Book Copyrights by Darren Hick and Comic Book Resources Oct 28 2007 Comics Should Be Good section 365 Reasons to Love Comics 301 by Bill Reed Archived 2015 04 02 at the Wayback Machine Beginning with Aquaman vol 6 7 Aug 2003 DC Comics began including the credit line Aquaman created by Paul Norris Writer Julian Darian in an undated article at SeqArt Aquaman published March 5 2004 or later suggests the discrepancy arose from uncertainty over the then uncredited writer Paul Norris is now officially credited by DC as the character s creator and Norris certainly drew Aquaman s first stories Some suspect a writer s hand however and have pointed to Mort Weisinger thought to be the writer of Aquaman s first tale though we will probably never know for certain due to the scarcity of records from the period a b c d e f g h i Midland Lutheran College Paul Norris Minister of Morality Archived November 7 2007 at the Wayback Machine biography in conjunction with art exhibition Feb 10 24 2006 FamilySearch org Retrieved 20 December 2023 a b c d e f Fremont Tribune Nebraska Feb 11 2006 Norris gives new meaning to comic book hero by Tammy Real McKeighan a b McIntosh Linda April 13 2007 The San Diego Union Tribune Classic comics continue to draw a following of fans Signonsandiego com Retrieved December 26 2010 a b Paul Norris at Grand Comics Database Cowsill Alan Irvine Alex Korte Steve Manning Matt Wiacek Win Wilson Sven 2016 The DC Comics Encyclopedia The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe DK Publishing p 258 ISBN 978 1 4654 5357 0 Fischer Stuart March 2018 Those Unforgettable Super Heroes Of Dell amp Gold Key Alter Ego 151 Raleigh North Carolina TwoMorrows Publishing 41 a b Scott November 2 2010 Scott s Classic Comics Corner Underappreciated Artist Spotlight Paul Norris Comic Book Resources Retrieved December 26 2010 Sacks Jason Dallas Keith 2014 American Comic Book Chronicles The 1970s TwoMorrows Publishing p 87 ISBN 978 1605490564 History of the DC Universe poster Vu morrissey solo com Archived from the original on December 9 2009 Retrieved December 26 2010 Paul Norris Obituary The San Diego Union Tribune November 9 2007 Retrieved December 26 2010 Further reading editCareer Retrospective Gold amp Silver Overstreet s Comic Book Quarterly 6 December 1994 p 114 Overstreet Publications External links editPaul Norris at the Grand Comics Database The Lambiek Comiclopedia Paul Norris ERBZine 1014 POV Online Feb 6 2006 News from Me column Paul Norris Honored by Mark Evanier Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Paul Norris amp oldid 1213973817, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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