Carl Burgos
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Carl Burgos (; born Max Finkelstein ; April 18, 1916 – March 1, 1984) Note: Gives only month and year of death. was an
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and
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best known for creating the
original Human Torch The Human Torch, also known as Jim Hammond (originally, Hamond), is a fictional character, fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Carl Burgos, he first appearance, first appeared ...
in ''
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
'' #1 (Oct. 1939), during the period historians and fans call the
Golden Age of comic books The Golden Age of Comic Books describes an era of American comic books from 1938 to 1956. During this time, modern comic books were first published and rapidly increased in popularity. The superhero archetype was created and many well-known char ...
. He was inducted into comic books'
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in 1996.


Biography


Early life

Carl Burgos was born as Max Finkelstein in
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, the child of Jewish parents. He studied at the
National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, and others "to promote the fin ...
in
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, where, he recalled in the late 1960s, "I quit after one year because I couldn't learn enough".


Early career

Burgos took a job with the Franklin Engraving Company, which engraved the printing plates for comic books produced by
Harry "A" Chesler Harry Chesler (January 12, 1897, or January 12, 1898 (sources differ) – December 1981),Harr ...
, founder of one of that era's comic-book "packagers" that created comics on demand for publishers entering the new
medium Medium may refer to: Science and technology Aviation *Medium bomber, a class of war plane * Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Communication * Media (communication), tools used to store and deliver information or data * Medium of ...
. Joining Chesler's studio himself in 1938, Burgos apprenticed by drawing backgrounds and panel borders, and
inking Inking may refer to: *Inking (attack), act of throwing ink on other person *Inking, a defensive activity of certain cephalopods and sea hares * Inking (comic book production) *Pen computing Pen computing refers to any computer user-interface using ...
the work of comics
pencilers A penciller (or penciler) is an artist who works on the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms, with a focus on the initial pencil illustrations, usually in collaboration with other artists, who provide inks, colors ...
. His earliest works include penciling and inking the six-page story "The Last Pirate", starring Count Rocco and his ship the Emerald Queen, in
Centaur Publications Centaur Publications (also known as Centaur Comics) was one of the earliest American comic book publishers. During their short existence, they created several colorful characters, including Bill Everett's Amazing-Man. History Comics Magazine Co ...
' ''Star Comics'' vol. 2, #2 (March 1939);Carl Burgos
at the
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creating the features "Air-Sub DX", in Centaur's ''Amazing Mystery Funnies'' vol. 2, #4 (April 1939), and "Rocky Dawson"; and creating the
robot A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be c ...
hero the
Iron Skull Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in front ...
in Centaur's '' Amazing-Man Comics'' #5 (Sept. 1939). Nevins, Jess
"The Timely Comics Story"
Burgos and others, including Centaur Publications writer-artist
Bill Everett William Blake Everett (; May 18, 1917 – February 27, 1973) was an American comic book writer-artist best known for creating Namor the Sub-Mariner as well as co-creating Zombie and Daredevil with writer Stan Lee for Marvel Comics. He was alle ...
, then followed Centaur
art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...
Lloyd Jacquet Lloyd Victor Jacquet (; March 7, 1899 – March 1970) Jacquet was living in the borough of Queens, New York when he died in March 1970 at c. age 71. His wife was named Grace. References Further reading * Hill, Roger. "A Report on the Discover ...
to Jacquet's own newly formed packager, Funnies, Inc. As Everett later described, "Lloyd... had an idea that he wanted to start his own art service — to start a small organization to supply artwork and editorial material to publishers. ... He asked me to join him. He also asked Carl Burgos. So we were the nucleus ..."Bill Everett interview, originally published in ''Alter Ego'' #11, 1978; reprinted in ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #46 (March 2005); p. 8 of the latter. He added, "I don't know how to explain it, but I was still on a freelance basis. That was the agreement we had. The artists, including myself, at Funnies, worked on a freelance basis". Following an unsuccessful attempt at a promotional comic to be given away in
movie theaters A movie theater (American English), cinema (British English), or cinema hall ( Indian English), also known as a movie house, picture house, the movies, the pictures, picture theater, the silver screen, the big screen, or simply theater is a ...
, Funnies, Inc.'s first sale was to publisher Martin Goodman's equally new
Timely Comics Timely Comics is the common name for the group of corporations that was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics. "Timely Publications became the name ...
, the predecessor of
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
, supplying the contents of ''Marvel Comics'' #1 (Oct. 1939). That landmark issue included not only writer-artist Burgos'
Human Torch The Human Torch (Jonathan "Johnny" Storm) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and artist Jack Kirby's reinvention of ...
but also Everett's hit character the Sub-Mariner. A painted cover by veteran
science-fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel univers ...
pulp Pulp may refer to: * Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit Engineering * Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture * Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper * Molded pulp, a packaging material ...
artist Frank R. Paul featured the Torch. Burgos' character proved a hit, and quickly went on to headline one of comics' first single-character titles, ''The Human Torch'' (premiering fall 1940 with no
cover date The cover date of a periodical publication is the date displayed on the cover, which is not necessarily the true date of publication (the on-sale date or release date); later cover dates are common in magazine and comic book publishing. More unusu ...
and as issue #2, having taken over the numbering from the single-issue '' Red Raven''). He next created the superhero character the
White Streak White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...
in
Novelty Press Novelty Press (a.k.a. Premium Service Co., Inc.; a.k.a. Novelty Publications; a.k.a. Premier Group) was an American Golden Age comic-book publisher that operated from 1940 to 1949. It was the comic book imprint of Curtis Publishing Company, publi ...
' ''Target Comics'' #1 (Feb. 1940), and, with writer
John Compton Sir John George Melvin Compton, (29 April 1925 – 7 September 2007) was a Saint Lucian politician who became the first Prime Minister upon independence in February 1979. Having led Saint Lucia under British rule from 1964 to 1979, Compton ser ...
, the superhero the Thunderer in Timely's ''
Daring Mystery Comics ''Daring Mystery Comics'' is an American comic-book series published by Timely Comics, a predecessor of Marvel Comics, during the 1930-1940s period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books. Primarily a superhero anthology, it ran eigh ...
'' #7 (April 1941). Burgos left for
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
military service in 1942, starting in the
U.S. Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...
,Carl Burgos
at the
Lambiek Comiclopedia Galerie Lambiek is a Dutch comic book store and art gallery in Amsterdam, founded on November 8, 1968 by Kees Kousemaker (, – Bussum, ), though since 2007, his son Boris Kousemaker is the current owner. From 1968 to 2015, it was located ...

Archived
from the original on July 27, 2018. Note: Gives erroneous birth year.
for which he took infantry ranger training and was sent overseas as a rifleman before being transferred to the Signal Corps and then to an
engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...
division.


Atlas and the 1950s

Following his return from the war, Burgos attended
City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 1847, Cit ...
to study
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, and drew a small number of stories for Timely, including
anthological In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...
crime dramas in ''Official True Crime Cases Comics'' #24 (Fall 1947), and ''Complete Mystery'' #3-4 (Dec. 1948 – Feb. 1949).Carl Burgos in AtlasTales.com
/ref> Other work included penciling a
Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
story in ''
Marvel Mystery Comics ''Marvel Mystery Comics'' (first issue titled simply ''Marvel Comics'') is an American comic book series published during the 1930s–1940s period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books. It was the first publication of Mar ...
'' #92 (June 1949), and inking fellow Timely mainstays
Mike Sekowsky Michael Sekowsky (; November 19, 1923 – March 30, 1989) was an American comics artist known as the penciler for DC Comics' ''Justice League of America'' during most of the 1960s, and as the regular writer and artist on ''Wonder Woman'' during t ...
and
Syd Shores Sydney Shores (1916 – June 3, 1973) was an American comic book artist known for his work on Captain America both during the 1940s, in what fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books, and during the 1960s Silver Age of comic books. Bi ...
on, respectively, at least one story each starring
Sun Girl Sun Girl, in comics, may refer to: *Sun Girl (Marvel Comics) Sun Girl is the name of two fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history The first Sun Girl was created by artist Ken Bald ...
and the
Blonde Phantom The Blonde Phantom (Louise Grant Mason) is a fictional masked crime fighter appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created for Marvel predecessor Timely Comics, she first appeared in '' All Select Comics'' #11 (cover-dated ...
(both in ''Marvel Mystery Comics'' #89, Dec. 1948). Segueing out of full-time comics work, Burgos eased into a career in
advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...
and
commercial art Commercial art is the art of creative services, referring to art created for commercial purposes, primarily advertising. Commercial art uses a variety of platforms (magazines, websites, apps, television, etc.) for viewers with the intent of promo ...
while freelancing frequently for
Atlas Comics Atlas Comics may refer to * Atlas Comics (1950s) Atlas Comics is the 1950s comic book, comic-book publishing label that evolved into Marvel Comics. Magazine and mass market paperback, paperback novel publisher Martin Goodman (publisher), Martin ...
, the 1950s iteration of Marvel, primarily as a cover artist across all genres from jungle-girl to
war comics War comics is a genre of comic books that gained popularity in English-speaking countries following World War II. History American war comics Shortly after the birth of the modern comic book in the mid- to late 1930s, comics publishers began incl ...
, though fellow Atlas artist
Stan Goldberg Stan Goldberg (May 5, 1932 – August 31, 2014) was an American comic book artist, best known for his work with Archie Comics and as a Marvel Comics colorist who in the 1960s helped design the original color schemes of Spider-Man, the Fantastic F ...
, who joined the company in 1949, recalled in 2002 that "Burgos was on staff most of the time I was there".Interview with Atlas/Marvel artist
Stan Goldberg Stan Goldberg (May 5, 1932 – August 31, 2014) was an American comic book artist, best known for his work with Archie Comics and as a Marvel Comics colorist who in the 1960s helped design the original color schemes of Spider-Man, the Fantastic F ...
, ''
Alter Ego An alter ego (Latin for "other I", " doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a differen ...
'' #18 (Oct. 2002), p. 9
His most prominent comics work during this time came during Atlas' mid-1950s attempt at reviving the dormant superhero field with Timely stars the Human Torch, the Sub-Mariner, and
Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
, with Burgos drawing the Human Torch stories in ''Young Men'' #25–28 (Feb.–June 1954), as well as the covers of ''Young Men'' #24–25 (Dec. 1953 – Feb. 1954) and of the short-lived relaunch ''Human Torch'' #36–38 (April–Aug. 1954); he also redrew at least the Human Torch figure in the first panel of artist
Russ Heath Russell Heath Jr. (September 29, 1926 – August 23, 2018), was an American artist best known for his comic book work, particularly his DC Comics war stories and his 1960s art for ''Playboy'' magazine's "Little Annie Fanny" feature. He also prod ...
's nine-page story "The Return Of The Human Torch" in ''Young Men'' #24. Burgos during the '50s also contributed to the Atlas
humor Humour (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) or humor (American English) is the tendency of experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement. The term derives from the humorism, humoral medicine of the ancient Gre ...
comics ''Crazy'', ''Wild'', and ''Riot''; the
Western comic Western comics is a comics genre usually depicting the American Old West frontier (usually anywhere west of the Mississippi River) and typically set during the late nineteenth century. The term is generally associated with an American comic boo ...
''
Annie Oakley Annie Oakley (born Phoebe Ann Mosey; August 13, 1860 – November 3, 1926) was an American sharpshooter who starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Oakley developed hunting skills as a child to provide for her impoverished family in western ...
''; and
science-fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel univers ...
/ horror anthologies, including ''Astonishing'', ''Journey Into Unknown Worlds'', ''Strange Stories of Suspense'' and ''Strange Tales of the Unusual'', among many others. His last credited Atlas story was the five-page "Dateline - Iwo Jima" in ''Battle'' #70 (June 1960). He did humor for Pierce Publishing's ''Frantic'', Satire Publications' ''Loco'', and Major Magazines' ''
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'' during 1958 and 1959, as well as layout art for the MLJ/Archie Comics series ''The Adventures of The Fly'' and ''The Double Life of Private Strong''. Burgos also provided illustrations for Marvel publisher Martin Goodman's 1950s
pulp magazines Pulp magazines (also referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 to the late 1950s. The term "pulp" derives from the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed. In contrast, magazine ...
, including ''Marvel Science Stories'' and ''Western Magazine''; as well as covers for the reprint publisher I.W. Publications. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Burgos worked for the Pro-Art Company and later for the Belwin Company, where he drew covers for sheet-music books, sometimes assisted by Susan Burgos, one of his two daughters. He also worked for a greeting-card company.


Silver Age and afterward

In the mid-1960s, during the era fans and historians call the
Silver Age of Comic Books The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and widespread commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those featuring the superhero archetype. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an int ...
, Burgos pursued a lawsuit against Marvel to assert ownership of the Human Torch, whose name and superpowers had been used for the
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
's
Johnny Storm The Human Torch (Jonathan "Johnny" Storm) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and artist Jack Kirby's reinvention of a si ...
since 1961. Little, if anything, came of this legal action. Burgos nonetheless contributed art to a Johnny Storm Human Torch story in ''
Strange Tales ''Strange Tales'' is a Marvel Comics comics anthology, anthology series. The title was revived in different forms on multiple occasions. Doctor Strange and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (feature), Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. made their d ...
'' #123 (Aug. 1964), as well as to three
Giant-Man Giant-Man is the alias used by several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Editorial Story Hank Pym, the first Giant-Man, with the Wasp, appeared in many superheroes stories published in the serial ''Tales to ...
stories in ''
Tales to Astonish ''Tales to Astonish'' is the name of two American comic book series and a One-shot (comics), one-shot comic published by Marvel Comics. The primary title bearing that name was published from January 1959 to March 1968. It began as a science-fic ...
'' #62–64 (Dec. 1964 – Feb. 1965). Burgos drew himself and writer-
editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...
Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...
into the final panel of the Torch story, with Lee adding the avuncular dialog:
Stan (referring to the Torch and the
Thing Thing or The Thing may refer to: Philosophy * An object * Broadly, an entity * Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant * Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focuses ...
): "There go the greatest guys in the world, Carl."
Carl: "Aw, you're just prejudiced, Stan."
Fellow Atlas/Marvel artist
Stan Goldberg Stan Goldberg (May 5, 1932 – August 31, 2014) was an American comic book artist, best known for his work with Archie Comics and as a Marvel Comics colorist who in the 1960s helped design the original color schemes of Spider-Man, the Fantastic F ...
observed in 2005, "Carl and Stan never really got along, because their personalities clashed. When Atlas became Marvel, Carl never really got back into the company, or really into comics, either". Marvel eventually revived Burgos' original Human Torch for present-day stories, starting with ''The Fantastic Four Annual'' #4 (Nov. 1966). That same year, Burgos created a short-lived character called Captain Marvel for
Myron Fass Myron Fass (March 29, 1926 - September 14, 2006)Social Security Death Index, SS# 111-18-9098. was an American publisher of pulp magazines and comic books, operating from the 1950s through the 1990s under a multitude of company names, including ...
' M. F. Enterprises as a result of Fawcett Comics losing its trademark. He was quickly ordered to cease by Marvel Comics. His last recorded comics art was the cover of ''Captain Marvel'' #4 (Nov. 1966). From 1971 to 1975, Burgos served as an editor for Fass'
Eerie Publications Eerie Publications was a publisher of black-and-white horror-anthology comics magazines. History Less well-known and more downscale than the field's leader, Warren Publishing (''Creepy'', ''Eerie'', ''Vampirella''), the company, based at 150 ...
line of black-and-white horror-comic magazines, including ''Horror Tales'', ''Weird'', ''Tales from the Tomb'', ''Tales of Voodoo'', ''Terror Tales'', ''Weird'', and ''Witches Tales''. Through 1984 he edited magazines for
Harris Publications Harris Publications Inc. was an American special interest media company, operating over 75 brands with print, digital, mobile and live event platforms prior to its sale to Athlon Media in 2016. It produced magazines that educate, entertain, inf ...
. At the time of his death from colon cancer, he lived in
Nassau County, New York Nassau County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New York. At the 2020 U.S. census, Nassau County's population is 1,395,774. The county seat is Mineola and the largest town is Hempstead. Nassau County is situated on western Long Island ...
, on
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
.


References


External links


Michigan State University Libraries, Special Collections Division, Reading Room Index to the Comic Art Collection: "Bureau" to "Buriko"
an

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Burgos, Carl 1916 births 1984 deaths Golden Age comics creators Artists from New York City People from Nassau County, New York Marvel Comics people Jewish American artists United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army soldiers