Harry Shorten wrote a book, called How to Watch a Football Game.
19 Facts About Harry Shorten
1.
2.
Harry Shorten began his career as a writer with the pulp magazine publisher Columbia Publications before moving on to MLJ Comics.
3.
In January 1940, with artist Irv Novick, Harry Shorten created the Shield, the first USA patriotic comic book hero.
4.
That same year, Harry Shorten co-created with artist Bob Wood The Firefly.
5.
The Black Hood, another 1940 Harry Shorten creation, became a popular character and in 1943 was given his own title, Black Hood Comics.
6.
Harry Shorten occasionally used the MLJ house pen name "Cliff Campbell" for his comics writing, but didn't do much writing for MLJ after 1941 because of his editorial duties.
7.
Titles Harry Shorten edited at MLJ included Blue Ribbon Comics, Shield-Wizard Comics, Pep Comics, Top-Notch Comics, Black Hood Comics, Hangman Comics, Jackpot Comics, and Zip Comics.
8.
Harry Shorten wrote some mystery and war titles for Charlton Comics from 1952 to 1957.
9.
In 1957, looking for an investment in the financial results of his comics, Harry Shorten decided to publish and edit pulp paperbacks; he co-founded two publishers: Midwood Books and Leisure Books.
10.
Harry Shorten wanted to follow the example of publishers like Beacon Books and Universal Distributing, which specialized in cheap, lightweight books telling dramatic or erotic romances, for male audiences.
11.
Harry Shorten did not know much about literature or good books, but he knew what would entice the average American reader.
12.
From 1957 to 1962, Harry Shorten was publisher of Midwood Books.
13.
Harry Shorten was named after Shorten's neighborhood of Midwood, Brooklyn; the publishing house itself was headquartered at 505 Eighth Avenue in Manhattan.
14.
Harry Shorten went on to be managing editor of Tower Comics.
15.
From 1957 until his 1982 retirement, Harry Shorten was publisher of Leisure Books, a mass market paperback publisher specializing in thrillers, Westerns, fantasy, and science fiction.
16.
When Harry Shorten retired in 1982, Leisure Books was acquired by Dorchester Publishing, which changed Leisure's focus to horror titles; the publisher closed down in 2010.
17.
Some time in the late 1960s Harry Shorten founded Roband Productions, which published, among others, Afternoon TV magazine, devoted to soap operas and daytime television.
18.
Harry Shorten retired in 1982, moving from Rockville Center, Long Island, to Pompano Beach, Florida.
19.
Harry Shorten died from the effects of a stroke on January 14,1991; he was 76 years old.