I’ve been informed that comics legend Julie Schwartz passed away over the weekend. He had been in ill-health recently, but always seemed to bounce back somehow. This time, he did not.
I do not have any more details at the moment, although I’m sure they’ll be turning up on the web in short order.
He was a wonderful guy, and I don’t really feel up to saying much more than that right now. More information will be posted as we know it, either here or at Harlan’s board.
PAD
• 
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Crap, crap, CRAP.
I had the great fortune of seeing a panel with Julie on it at last year’s Dragon*Con. He was a great man to watch, and obviously had a deep love of comics. He’ll be missed.
Out of all the Cons I went to, I never had the pleasure of meeting him. Again, it’s my loss.
I was lucky enough to finally meet him and shake his hand at this year’s DragonCon. He was truly a legend, and he’ll be missed.
Ðámņ.
The closest I ever came to the man was during a tour of the DC offices back in 2001. He was on the phone, so the person showing me around stopped outside his door, and then apologised, saying “we’d best not disturb him”.
Ðámņ, I wish I’d been able to say hello… and “thanks”.
I met him briefly in 1987, during a tour of the DC offices when I was in high school. I’m not sure I had the prescence of mind to thank him properly, but I’m sure my excitement and awe at meeting him was evident. (I finally did get to thank him in an email to the address that Mark Evanier set up a couple of weeks ago.)
He shaped so many wonderful characters, and guided so many careers; it’s a wonderful legacy.
Rob
I once saw him live and, IIRC, gaped like an idiot.
Mr. Schwartz was responsible for a large chunk of my happily mispent youth. (Or was it misspent? I still have the silly idea that if you have something good to contribute to others, it’s axiomatic that you do. But I..nah, won’t say it. PAD probably has a copyright and a horde of salivating law jackals.)
I have a simple view of success based on people like Julie Schwartz, Fred Rogers, Isaac Asimov and Vincent Price. They liked what they did, their fans liked what they did and who they were, and they had a long time doing it.
I read the news on Harlan’s board and just started cursing.
The one consolation I have is that here was a man who knew the depths of love and respect he inspired in so many people.
What can I say ? This news saddened me. Julie Schwartz will be missed by everyone who loves american comics. We owe him so much 🙁
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Schwartz at the San Diego Con a couple of years ago and he was just this humble old man who you could instantly get along with. His history in the comics industry is overwhelming even to myself (a 23 yr old comics fan).
My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. He’ll be missed!
One of the great ones has passed away. Julie was amazing in so many ways. Think about it. He is largely responsible for both SF and Comic Fandom. So many things.
I’m sorry to hear your friend, someone you looked up to, died.
Not many things last forever I guess and humans are one of those that don’t.
I’m very sad to hear this. If it hadn’t been for Julie, we might never have seen the Flash get revitalized as greatly as the Scarlet Speedster was in the Silver Age. My condolences, and I’m going to miss him very much.
Sigh. We all knew this was coming eventually, but it’s not like it’s good news in any case.
He had a hëll of a run, though — I think anyone who came into comics fandom owes him a huge debt, whether they know it or not.
Ðámņ.
TWL
Nothing that I could say would equate to the tragedy that has befallen us. I will say that he and his family are in my thoughts, for what little that is worth.
If it wasn’t for Julie, I would probably not be the big comics fan I am today. He was responsible for some of my favorite books.
My condolences go out to his family.
Stand up, ladies and gentleman: one of the great ones has passed.
The history of 20th Century popular culture–which is much of the history of the century itself–is going to have Mr. Schwartz as one of its pillars. My deepest sympathies to his family and friends. I never had the privilege of meeting the man in person, but I met him every day of my life for decades, one wonderful story at a time.
To Mitch Maltenfort’s fine list I’d add peter Cushing and ray harryhausen (the latter thankfully still with us).
Julie was a fine old guy with a young man’s heart. Like most people who are so easily loved it was in many ways a reflection of the love he himself was able to express to those around him. He was the sort of guy who you meet for the first time at a convention and is so warm and enthusiastic that your kids think you must be long lost friends.
He could have been a success in anything. I’m glad it was with something that we all got to share.
Truly sad. RIP, Mr Schwartz. ):
A true legend is gone.
I had the honor and pleasure of meeting Julie numerous times at the Pittsburgh Comicon, and he always had a smile and time to talk. My favorite of these meetings is from the 2002 con, when Julie told me this great story of how he was stopped at an airport metal detector, and had to empty his pockets. The security officer noticed his leather wallet that has the Superman emblem embossed on it, and asked about why he carries one like that. He explained he was an editor on Superman, and helped shape many of the comic characters for comics in the golden and silver age. The security guard was impressed, and said “Are you Stan Lee?!?”
Julie said he told that story to Stan once, and Stan pulled out his wallet, and it was the same as Julies, only with the Spidey emblem instead…but Stan said he never got confused for Julie Schwartz.
I asked him to sign the issue of Astro City that takes place at a convention, where Brent Anderson drew in Mark Waid, Devin Grayson, Julie, Stan Lee, Mark Evanier, and Gil Kane. He was truly impressed with it, having never seen it before, and felt honored to have been included.
He will be missed.
this is sad news
my condolonces to his family
Aaah, nuts.
He will be missed.
Hooper
Peace out, Julie. We’ll miss ya.
this year i went to the SD con for the first time in my life.
the panel I looked forward to the most was the Golden Age panel. I had read Julies memoirs and I was gushing to meet him.
He was great as a speaker, making jokes and being astoundingly well spoken.
I shook his hand and told him I had enjoyed his autobiography…
“Memoirs kid, get it right.”
we talked for a bit longer, he was incredibly pleasant. of all the strange and wonderful things i saw this past summer. I will never forget Julius Schwartz.
Rest in Peace Julie.
Make God a fan
-Gil Baron
It’s such sad news I don’t really know what to say. The only thing I can think of that makes it any better is he’s in a better place now, sharing all his wonderful stories to a whole new audience.
I’m sorry for the loss, PAD.
I just finished readin his book “Man of Two Worlds”
All I can say is – dámņ.
We have lost one of the great ones.
Hopefully Stan Lee doens’t die soon.
Call me impatient, but I’m now very irate.
I wanted to see how the major media treated Julie Schartz’s death.
NOTHING. Not the NY Times, not CNN, not the Christian Science Monitor, nothing.
Even Bob Kane got some acknowledgement when he died.
OK, we’re all praising the man for being modest and not self-aggrandizing..but STILL…!
By no stretch of the imagination
can I claim to have really known Julie; I had a few brief conversations with him at various
San Diego cons, but I’d be amazed if he recalled my name within ten minutes after such. But he was primarily responsible for the Silver Age of comics, including Marvel’s which was inspired by the Schwartz books at DC although
Lee quickly radically diverged from their style and premised. And since I didn’t get into Marvel comics until 1970 (which in retrospect is odd, since I did enjoy the earlier Spider-Man and FF cartoons, and certainly went
shopping for comics each week or month and should’ve seen ’em on the stands), DC Silver Age books were the key element of how I got into comics, and a major part of my childhood.
Not to mention what tended to set Julie’s books apart from other DC books; they featured the thinking man’s superhero. Perhaps as a result of his long readership of science fiction (where he and Mort Weisinger published one of the first fanzines), Julie’s Silver Age characters, with the exception
of Green Lantern, were scientists and more often than not would win the day by pulling out some bit of science trivia (I’m thinking Flash, Atom, Hawkman, and particularly Adam Strange here). Certainly something that encouraged
little wannabe science type me.
Mitch, I suggest waiting until tomorrow or Tuesday. Julie died early this morning, so he’s not going to show up in Sunday’s papers. And it’s doubtful CNN or the like would immediately pick up on it. But Harlan’s writing the NY Times obituary, which I’d guess will appear Monday or Tuesday, and that should get Julie into the mainstream news cycle.
Tom…thanks. I’d seen Harlan was working on an obit but somehow I thought it was for the Webderland page.
Julius Schwartz was an important, influential figure in the lives and careers of more sf/fantasy/comics careers than can possibly be listed here, and
given the prominence of many of those names it seems petty (but still necessary) here to count myself among them.
In his latter years, it was a tremendous joy to keep running into him at conventions — more so because he said to me, on more than one of his latter
occasions, that he wasn’t sure he could keep doing it.
I am happy that I got to dedicate a story to him, while he was still able to appreciate the warm regards it represented; and that, just about one year ago, he was able to meet my new wife, Judi, a longtime comics fan who was as thrilled to meet him as I was, when we finally crossed paths at an early 1990’s Lunacon.
I didn’t even know him all that well, really. We saw each other at cons and corresponded a few times. But I have wept today.
Julie was, by the way, the protagonist of one of the best anecdotes I’ve ever brought away from a convention; I hesitate to mention it here because it presents him in a bit of a scatterbrained light, and (though if anything it increased my affection for the man), I’m not at all certain it would be appropriate to relate in this context. But I’m remembering that moment right now, and smiling. ATC
I can’t even put into words how sad this makes me.
We’re a little poorer and heaven is a little richer as I type this.
Peace, condolences, etc. to all.
Two years ago, at the Heroes Con in NC, I was some books signed by Mark Waid, when Mr. Schwartz came over looking for Ðìçk Giordano. I told him what booth Mr. Giordano was at and, at the request of Mr. Waid, walked him over to it. Since our destination was on the other side of the room, we had a bit of time to talk.
He talked about some of the creators there and asked me questions about who I was there to see, etc. When I told him that Mr. Thomas was next on my list to visit, he stopped and got this blank look on his face.
“Mr. Thomas? Who in the hëll is Mr. Thomas?” Before I could say anything a look of recognition came over his face and he busted out laughing. “Oh, you mean Roy! Mr. Thomas, that’s a good one. I’ll have to tell him you said that. He’ll get a kick out of it.”
We found Mr. Giordano’s booth. Before I left, I told him how much I enjoyed talking to him and pulled out the two issues that comprised the Last Superman story, written by Alan Moore and asked, “Mr. Schwartz, do you think you could sign these for me?”
“On one condition,” he said, “No more Mr. The name’s Julie.”
He put out his hand and I shook it.
I’m glad I got the opportunity to meet him. Walking the floor just won’t be the same this year.
Thank you, Julie.
Such sad news! Dear Mr. Schwartz will be soreley missed! I am only a fan who knew him through his appearances at conventions over the past decade, but it was his enthusiasm for the world of comics (and his contributions to it) that brought me back to reading comics since I stopped reading them as a teenager, finding a greater interest in the different genres of prose and film. For that, I am feeling badly that he is no longer with us. (Everyone does touch so many lives, whether they know it or not!) He was always so joyful in his appreciation of comics artists and greeted everyone who felt similarly with a glad heart and open arms. I am happy to know that by Mr. Ellison’s account he did not suffer a protracted incapacitating illness. He was as lively, entertaining and knowledgable when I saw him at a local convention a couple of months ago as he ever was. My condolences to all those who were close to him and who must feel his loss much more keenly!
Condolences(sp?) to his family. May his next life be as prosperous.
I read this and literally gasped.
Julie Schwartz is truly a comics legend, a gentleman in every sense of the word.
The world has lost one of its most imaginitive voices.
He will be sorely missed. 🙁
I never met Julie… god, how presumptious is that, to call a guy you never met by a contraction of his first name? But Mr Schwartz doesn’t feel like his name. Whenever I say anything by or about him, he was Julie. Occassionally Julius, if someone official was around.
There have been very few people who have been intimately involved with pretty much all of the “stuff” of my developing internal life. Not only was Julie pretty much foremost amongst them, he was… I was going to say respected, but fûçk it, let’s be honest and say loved… by pretty much every other one of them.
Dammit, from a purely selfish perspective, that’s one less incredibly cool person to get to know. Guess we’ll all have to be that bit cooler now to make up for it.
I think anyone who came into comics fandom owes him a huge debt, whether they know it or not.
Tim’s words say it best. My words would be insufficient here. I’ll have to write on our site my feelings and thoughts about Julius Schwartz. I will post a link in here for those that wish to read what I write.
You’re one of the greats, Julie. You will ne missed.
JHL
We’ve lost a giant talent. He gave us a lot of fun times over the years for which I’m thankful.
I remember two things about Julie Schwartz, even though I never met the man:
1. Peter David wrote an impressive BID column about him which was published in his BID collection (and, IMHO, should be reproduced on this site in honor of him).
2. Curt Swan illustrated a story right before the big Superman reboot in the 80’s which introduced the Julie Schwartz of Earth 1. He was an imaginative bum who was captured by a cyborg named Olaf. At the end of the story, after Superman rescued him from Olaf, he asked to be taken to meet his Earth Prime counterpart and upon meeting his counterpart, they merged into one Julie Schwartz. Go figure.
My sympathies to the family.
RIP, Julie. And say hello to Jerry, Joe, Jack K, Bob, Jack C, and Gardner for us.
Julie shaped my childhood. If I remember correctly ( and after 42 years of like that doesn’t happen as often as it used to ) Elliot S! Maggin said he was Julius B.O. Schwartz. The B.O. stood for Be Orignal. He definetly was. And I am richer for the very original stories he brought to me. Thank you Julie.
Met him once at the Motor-City Con. He was sitting next to Curt Swan. I had him sign my History of the DC Universe and he said he was amazed that people saved these things after they read them. Great guy, he’ll be missed.
And two days after the tenth anniversary of Jack Kirby’s passing. To everything a season.
I’ve seen Julie over the years attending conventions since way back in the days of the Atlanta Fantasy Fair and the Creation Conventions held up and down the East Coast (I want to say the 1st time I met him was in NYC). Lots of fond memories of our brief conversations, and I’ll cherish them all.
He may be gone, but he’ll not be forgotten.
Gordon
I’m very sorry, Peter.
I am neither short, balding, nor Jewish, and I have never met Julie Schwartz in person, but I’ve always felt that I’ve known the guy from PAD’s brilliant writeup of Julie, as collected in the But I Digress collection. Anyone who could look like Bella Oxmix and have the dolls hanging off of his arms wherever he went should be an inspiration to all men, regardless of height, religion, or hairlessness. 😉
Dang it, I didn’t even knew the guy, and already I miss him…
Ðámņ.
I was able to see Julie at a con about 8 years ago. Ever since then I’ve urged people to go see him if they had a chance. Totally worth it.
A giant in two industries. The rest of us would be fortunate to accomplish a quarter as much in our lives.
Prayers go out to Julie’s family and friends, and basically all comic fans everywhere–he touched all of our lives in some way. God bless and keep him.
Chris