Ed Winiarski (May 6, 1911 - December 1975) who sometimes signed his work "Win" or "Winny" and sometimes used the pseudonym Fran Miller, his wife's maiden name, was an American

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

writer-artist known for both adventure stories and

talking animal A talking animal or speaking animal is any non-human animal that can produce sounds or gestures resembling those of a human language. Several species or groups of animals have developed forms of communication which superficially resemble verbal ...

cartooning A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and ...

in the late-1930s and 1940s

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 ...

. A former animator,Lee, Stan. ''Secrets Behind the Comics'' (Famous Enterprises, 1947), p. 13. Winiarski was one of the first generation of comic-book professionals, contributing in the mid-1930s to

National Allied Publications National Comics Publications, Inc. (also known as NCP or simply National) was an American comic book publishing company, and the direct predecessor of modern-day DC Comics. History The corporation was originally two companies: National Allied P ...

, one of the companies that would evolve into

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

. He later worked for Timely and

Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of maps of Earth or of a region of Earth. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats. In addition to presenting geographic ...

– the 1940s and 1950s forerunners, respectively, 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 ...

– as well as for

Hillman Periodicals Hillman Periodicals, Inc., was an American magazine and comic book publishing company founded in 1938 by Alex L. Hillman, a former New York City book publisher. It is best known for its true confession and true crime magazines; for the long-runni ...

and

Prize Comics A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.

Biography

Early life and career

Winiarski's earliest known feature is the four-part story "Jungle Fever", which he wrote and drew across '' New Adventure Comics'' #14–16 (March, May–June 1937) and ''

More Fun Comics ''More Fun Comics'', originally titled ''New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine'' a.k.a. ''New Fun Comics'',''N ...

'' #22 (July 1937), published by the company National Comics, the future

. Winiarski additionally drew and probably wrote the "

Charlie Chan Charlie Chan is a fictional Honolulu police detective created by author Earl Derr Biggers for a series of mystery novels. Biggers loosely based Chan on Hawaiian detective Chang Apana. The benevolent and heroic Chan was conceived as an alter ...

"-like

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

private eye ''Private Eye'' is a British fortnightly satire, satirical and current affairs (news format), current affairs news magazine, founded in 1961. It is published in London and has been edited by Ian Hislop since 1986. The publication is widely r ...

feature "Mr. Chang" in ''

Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...

'' #2 (April 1937). These were among the first of 100-story credits he would compile for the future DC. By 1941, Winiarski was also drawing for the companies

Quality Comics Quality Comics was an American comic book publishing company which operated from 1937 to 1956 and was a creative, influential force in what historians and fans call the Golden Age of Comic Books. Notable, long-running titles published by Qualit ...

and

.Ed Winiarski
at the

Grand Comics Database The Grand Comics Database (GCD) is an Internet-based project to build a database of comic book information through user contributions. The GCD project catalogues information on creator credits, story details, reprints, and other information useful ...

Timely and Atlas

His first known credit for

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 ...

was art for the two-page text filler "All Winners" – a story that was also one of future Marvel legend

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 ...

's first comic works – in '' All-Winners Comics'' #1 (Summer 1941). This was reprinted in ''Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age All-Winners Comics, Volume 1'' (Marvel, 2006; ). As both writer and artist, he created the early

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

-humor feature "The Vagabond" in '' U.S.A. Comics'' #2 (Nov. 1941) – continuing it in the next two issues and in ''Young Allies Comics'' #4 and ''Comedy Comics'' #11 – as well as the single-appearance crusading-journalist feature "Powers of the Press", starring reporter Tom Powers (''U.S.A. Comics'' #3). Also for Timely, Winiarski also wrote and drew such humor features as "The Creeper and Homer" (in ''Krazy Komics''), "Oscar Pig" (in ''

Terrytoons Terrytoons was an American animation studio in New Rochelle, New York, that produced animated cartoons for theatrical release from 1929 to 1973 (and briefly returned between 1987 and 1996 for television in name only). Terrytoons was founded by ...

Comics''), ''

Millie the Model ''Millie the Model'' was Marvel Comics' longest-running humor title, first published by the company's 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and continuing through its 1950s forerunner, Atlas Comics (1950s), Atlas Comics, to 1970s Marvel. The comic b ...

'', and '' Hedy De Vine Comics''. For Timely's 1950s successor, Atlas Comics, he drew numerous horror and suspense stories for

anthologies In book publishing Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed work ...

including ''

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 ...

'' and ''

Journey into Mystery ''Journey into Mystery'' is an American comic book series initially published by Atlas Comics (1950s), Atlas Comics, then by its successor, Marvel Comics. Initially a horror comics anthology, it changed to giant-monster and science fiction stori ...

'', while also

penciling 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 ...

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 ...

and probably writing the antics of trouble-prone "Buck Duck" in that animal's namesake comic and its predecessor, ''It's a Duck's Life''. In 1958, Winiarski did some work for Major Magazines' '' Mad''-like

satiric Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or ...

magazine ''

Cracked Cracked may refer to: Television * ''Cracked'' (British TV series), a 2008 British comedy-drama television series that aired on STV * ''Cracked'' (Canadian TV series), a 2013 Canadian crime drama series that aired on CBC * "Cracked", a Season 8 ( ...

''.Ed Winarski
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 ...

His last recorded credits are as penciler and inker of two four-page stories published the same month: "He Wore a Black Beard", in ''Strange Tales'' #66, and "He Stole 50 Years", in ''

World of Fantasy ''World of Fantasy'' was a science fiction/fantasy comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics' 1950s predecessor company, Atlas Comics (1950s), Atlas Comics. Lasting from 1956 to 1959, it included the work of several notable comics a ...

'' #15 (both Dec. 1958). Nearly a dozen Winiarski stories were reprinted in 1970s

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

comics published by

Personal life

Winiarski married his

Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York. It has a satellite campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The school was ...

classmate, Frances Anna Miller, in June 1939; he sometimes would use her maiden name, Fran Miller, as a

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

. The couple had two children, sons Bruce and William. Winiarski died in December 1975 of a heart condition.

References

External links

*] Includes photo of Winiarski. *
Jerry Bails' Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999: Ed Winiarski

''Alter Ego'' Vol. 3, #11, November 2001

Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics: The DC DatabaseThe Comic Book Database: Ed Winiarski
{{DEFAULTSORT:Winiarski, Ed Golden Age comics creators American comics artists American comics writers American animators DC Comics people Marvel Comics people 1975 deaths 1911 births