21 Facts About Mort Weisinger

1.

Mortimer Weisinger was an American magazine and comic book editor best known for editing DC Comics' Superman during the mid-1950s to 1960s, in the Silver Age of comic books.

2.

Mort Weisinger co-created such features as Aquaman, Green Arrow, Johnny Quick, and the original Vigilante, served as story editor for the Adventures of Superman television series, and compiled the often-revised paperback 1001 Valuable Things You Can Get Free.

3.

Mort Weisinger's father was a businessman in the garment trade.

4.

In late 1934, Mort Weisinger suggested that he and Schwartz "ought to go into the agency business," noting that the duo had.

5.

Mort Weisinger became the editor of Thrilling Wonder Stories, and bought stories by Hamilton and others from his former partner Schwartz.

6.

Mort Weisinger was editing a range of other pulps by Standard, including Startling Stories and Captain Future, and "was in charge of no fewer than 40 titles" by 1940.

7.

In March 1941, Mort Weisinger moved from Standard Magazines to National Periodicals primarily as editor of the Superman and Batman titles.

8.

Mort Weisinger's fledgling career was interrupted when he was conscripted in 1942, and he served as a sergeant in Special Services.

9.

Mort Weisinger met and married his wife, the former Thelma Rudnick.

10.

Mort Weisinger returned to his job at National after his discharge from military service in 1946, and resumed his editorship of the Superman comics, the Batman titles and others.

11.

Mort Weisinger's tenure was marked by the introduction of a variety of new concepts and supporting characters, including Supergirl, Krypto the Superdog, the Phantom Zone, the bottle city of Kandor, the Legion of Super-Heroes, and a variety of types of kryptonite.

12.

Mort Weisinger was sole editor of all of the Superman titles from 1958 until his retirement from comics in 1970.

13.

Many of Mort Weisinger's ideas came from talking to kids in his neighborhood, asking them what they wanted to see, and then attempting to riff on those ideas.

14.

Mort Weisinger encouraged a static picture book style of illustration in his stories, and was known for reusing previously published stories as new story ideas.

15.

Mort Weisinger was criticized by some for having a micromanaging attitude and a heavy-handed, overbearing treatment of his writers and artists.

16.

Mort Weisinger was well known for his abusive treatment of the DC employees.

17.

Criticism has been leveled at Mort Weisinger for quashing creativity by dictating storylines.

18.

One concept Mort Weisinger brought to comics from the pulps was creating a story "around a pre-drawn cover," a concept taken up across the industry, most notably by colleague Julius Schwartz.

19.

Mort Weisinger was succeeded in 1970 by his childhood friend and longtime colleague Julius Schwartz.

20.

Mort Weisinger had a particular interest in Beauty contests, writing an article for Parade on "why certain finalists in the Miss America pageant can never win the crown," as well as a "best-selling novel" entitled The Contest.

21.

Mort Weisinger lived for much of his life in Great Neck, New York, and stayed there until his death from a heart attack.