George Kashdan | |
---|---|
Born | The Bronx, New York City, New York | May 17, 1928
Died | June 3, 2006 | (aged 78)
Nationality | American |
Area(s) | Writer, Editor |
Notable works | Aquaman The Mighty Hercules The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure Tommy Tomorrow |
George Kashdan (May 17, 1928 – June 3, 2006)[1][2] was an American comic book writer and editor, primarily for DC Comics, who co-created such characters as Tommy Tomorrow, Mysto the Magician Detective, and others. He was a screenwriter for such animated television series as The Mighty Hercules and The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure.
Kashdan was born in The Bronx, New York City, New York,[1][3] and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Chicago.[1]
In 1947, after having written two comic book scripts for DC Comics, he was hired as an editor at that publishing company, where his brother, Bernard Kashdan, was a business executive[4] who had joined the company in 1940.[5] George Kashdan's first two recorded comic-book credits, appearing the same month, are writing the "Congo Bill" backup feature in Action Comics #105 (Feb. 1947),[6] and co–creating the Tommy Tomorrow character with co–writers Bernie Breslauer and Jack Schiff and artist Howard Sherman in DC's Real Fact Comics #6 (Feb. 1947).[7][8]
He became a story editor on Action Comics beginning with #106 (March 1947),[6] mostly editing and rewriting the backup features on that anthology title, which headlined Superman, helmed by fellow story editor Mort Weisinger.[1] As Kashdan recalled his start at the company, "There was a small emergency there. One of the editors with whom I had worked was Bernie Breslauer. ... He was in the hospital briefly and Mort called me. He said, 'Hey, we need an editor here.' Bernie came back and I remained, basically as a copy editor. I wasn't buying stories or giving out plots, or giving out assignments of any sort. Bernie died a year or two later, I guess — around 1950. I moved into his desk.[9]
In 1962, Kashdan and artist Nick Cardy launched the Aquaman ongoing series for DC.[10] Kashdan primarily wrote for DC's mystery and war comics series including G.I. Combat, House of Mystery, House of Secrets, The Unexpected, Weird War Tales, and The Witching Hour.[6] A "Johnny Peril" story written by Kashdan for The Unexpected series in 1969 was put into inventory and finally published ten years later in the APA-I fanzine.[11] A rare example of Kashdan working for another comic book publisher is the seven–page story "Who Toys with Terror" in Atlas/Seaboard Comics' Weird Tales of the Macabre #2 (March 1975). His final story "Strange Rescue" was published in Sgt. Rock #421 (April 1988).[6]
From 1963 to 1966, Kashdan was one of the writers of The Mighty Hercules series for Adventure Cartoon Productions.[12] He worked on Filmation Associates' The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure in 1967–1968.[13]