| One of comics' legendary artists and creators | | | | said, 'Come back again and we'll take another look.' |
| was barely 12 years old when he began a career | | | | After a year or so, I got my first work. It was a |
| that would lead to work on some of comics' | | | | six-page story that paid me $5 a page, which was |
| most popular characters. But ask Joe Kubert | | | | a heck of a lot! It was more than my father |
| about the most fulfilling part of his journey and he | | | | made!" |
| won't mention his work on Sgt. Rock, Hawkman, | | | | Over the decades, Kubert would work for DC |
| the Flash, Tarzan, Enemy Ace, or Batman. | | | | Comics, EC, Harvey and Timely, drawing, writing, |
| "The most satisfying work is the work on my | | | | editing, inking and coloring some of the biggest |
| table right now," Kubert, 83, says from his studio | | | | characters in comics. In 1976, he founded the Joe |
| in New Jersey. "The more I can get into the work | | | | Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. He |
| I'm doing, the more satisfaction I get from the | | | | completed the acclaimed graphic novels "Abraham |
| work." | | | | Stone," "Fax From Sarajevo," "Jew Gangster," |
| On cue, Kubert tells how his latest work -- a | | | | and "Yossel: April 19, 1943." He was inducted into |
| graphic novel about a Special Forces team fighting | | | | the Harvey Awards' Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in |
| in Vietnam -- was born, starting with the soldier | | | | 1997, and the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame |
| he met decades ago while working on the Tales | | | | in 1998. |
| of the Green Berets newspaper comic strip to | | | | "Anyone who was a kid from the 1940s through |
| the true Vietnam war stories that "made the hair | | | | the 1980s will recognize Kubert's distinctive style |
| on my neck stand up." The book from DC | | | | at a glance," says Jared Green, vice president of |
| Comics is due in stores in early 2010. | | | | business development at Dallas-based Heritage |
| It's the latest accomplishment in a storied career. | | | | Auctions. "He drew almost every Sgt. Rock story |
| "It's funny," Kubert says, "but I got into this | | | | for decades and the cover to almost every DC |
| business thanks to pure, unadulterated luck." | | | | war comic. Not only is he a favorite among fans, |
| It began with typical classroom drawings. One of | | | | but when other comic book artists talk about |
| Kubert's junior high friends liked the art and said | | | | their influences and whom they admire, his name |
| he should show it to a relative who worked at | | | | is invariably mentioned." |
| MLJ Publications, a pulp and comic book house | | | | Pieces of original Kubert art from his personal |
| whose most successful title would be Archie. | | | | collection are featured in Heritage Auctions' comics |
| "It was an entirely different world and business at | | | | and comic art auction scheduled for Feb. 25-26, |
| that time," Kubert says. "Comics were 10 cents | | | | 2010. Among the items for sale is Kubert's original |
| apiece with 64 pages of material. They needed a | | | | cover art for Star Spangled War Stories #157, |
| lot of stuff coming through, and that gave guys | | | | published by DC Comics in 1971. It has a |
| like me an opportunity. I made some drawings, | | | | pre-auction estimate of $4,000 to $6,000. His |
| pencil sketches, and took the subway into New | | | | cover art for The Unknown Soldier #247, from |
| York went up to MLJ. They were very kind. They | | | | 1981, also is expected to fetch between $4,000 |
| gave me some real art paper to work on and | | | | and $6,000. |