George Tuska
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George Tuska (; April 26, 1916 – October 16, 2009),George Tuska
at the
Social Security Death Index The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) was a database of death records created from the Social Security Administration, United States Social Security Administration's Death Master File until 2014. Since 2014, public access to the updated Death Mas ...
via FamilySearch. Retrieved on 5 March 2013.
Note
George Tuska
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 ...
erroneously gives death date as October 15
who early in his career used a variety of
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 ...
s including Carl Larson, 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 ...
and newspaper
comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...
artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...
best known for his 1940s work on various Captain Marvel titles and the
crime fiction Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...
series '' Crime Does Not Pay'' and for his 1960s work illustrating
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...
and other
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 ...
characters. He also drew the
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 ...
newspaper
comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...
''
The World's Greatest Superheroes ''The World's Greatest Superheroes'' was a syndicated newspaper comic strip featuring DC Comics characters which ran Sunday and daily from April 3, 1978, to February 10, 1985. It was syndicated by the Chicago Tribune/New York News Syndicate ...
'' from 1978–1982.


Biography


Early life and career

George Tuska was born in
Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
, the youngest of three children of
Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
immigrants Harry and Anna Onisko Tuska, who had met in New York City. George's siblings Peter, the eldest, and Mary, the middle child, were born in New York City. Years later, Mary died while giving birth to her second child, who was stillborn.Cassell, p. 9 Harry, a foreman at a Hartford auto-tire company, died when George was 14. Anna then opened a restaurant in
Paterson, New Jersey Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.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 ...
.Cassell, p. 10 His artistic influences included illustrators
Harold von Schmidt Harold von Schmidt (May 19, 1893 – June 3, 1982) was an American illustrator, who specialized in magazine interior illustrations. Early life Born in Alameda, California in 1893, he was orphaned at the age of five. After a year in an orphanage ...
,
Dean Cornwell Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...
, and
Thomas Lovell Sir Thomas Lovell, KG (died 1524) was an English soldier and administrator, Speaker of the House of Commons, Secretary to the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer. Early life He was fifth son of Sir Thomas Lovell of Barton Bendish in Norf ...
, and
comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...
artists
Lou Fine Louis Kenneth Fine (November 26, 1914 – July 24, 1971)Louis Fine
at the United States
Hal Foster Harold Rudolf Foster, FRSA (August 16, 1892 – July 25, 1982) was a Canadian-American comic strip artist and writer best known as the creator of the comic strip ''Prince Valiant''. His drawing style is noted for its high level of draftsmanship a ...
, and
Alex Raymond Alexander Gillespie Raymond Jr. (October 2, 1909 – September 6, 1956) was an American cartoonist who was best known for creating the '' Flash Gordon'' comic strip for King Features Syndicate in 1934. The strip was subsequently adapted into m ...
. At some early point, he took his first job in art, designing women's
costume jewelry Costume or fashion jewelry includes a range of decorative items worn for personal adornment that are manufactured as less expensive ornamentation to complement a particular fashionable outfit or garmentBaker, Lillian. Fifty Years of Collectabl ...
. Tuska then began working for
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 ...
packager
Eisner & Iger Eisner & Iger was a comic book "packager" that produced comics on demand for publishers entering the new medium during the late-1930s and 1940s period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books. Many of comic books' most significant c ...
, one of a handful of companies at the time that supplied 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 ...
. His first known published comic-book work appeared in
Fox Comics Fox Feature Syndicate (also known as Fox Comics, Fox Publications, and Bruns Publications, Inc.) was a comic book publisher from early in the period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books. Founded by entrepreneur Victor S. ...
' ''
Mystery Men Comics ''Mystery Men Comics'' was an anthology American comic book series from the Golden Age of Comic Books published by Fox Feature Syndicate. The series was Fox's second title after the ''Wonderworld Comics'' series being first published in August 1939 ...
'' #1 and ''Wonderworld Comics'' #4, both
cover-dated 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 ...
August 1939. Tuska in the mid-2000s recalled: At Eisner & Iger, Tuska said in 2001, "I worked alongside
Bob Powell Bob Powell (né Stanley Robert Pawlowski; While gives Stanislav Pavlowsky, and gives Stanislav Pavlowsky, Bails and Ware note: "family name corrected by his son, Seth R. Powell July 2006." October 2, 1916
,
Lou Fine Louis Kenneth Fine (November 26, 1914 – July 24, 1971)Louis Fine
at the United States
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 ...
". His studio colleagues later grew to include artists
Charles Sultan Charles Solomon Sultan (November 16, 1913 in Brooklyn, New York — February 28, 1984 in Camarillo, California)
,
John Celardo John Celardo (December 27, 1918 – January 6, 2012) was an American comic strip and comic book artist, best known for illustrating the ''Tarzan'' comic strip. Early life Born on Staten Island, Celardo continued to live there most of his life ...
, and
Nick Cardy Nicholas Viscardi (October 20, 1920 – November 3, 2013), known professionally as Nick Cardy and Nick Cardi, was an American comics artist best known for his DC Comics work on Aquaman, the Teen Titans and other major characters. Cardy was induct ...
, and writer
Toni Blum Audrey Anthony Blum (c. January 12, 1918 Note: The Social Security Death Index lists no Toni Blum, Audrey Blum, or Audrey Bossert born 1918. – 1972 Bails, Jerry and Hames Ware, eds"Blum, Toni"at ''Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928-1999'' o ...
. Writer-artist and company co-founder
Will Eisner William Erwin Eisner (March 6, 1917 – January 3, 2005) was an American cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur. He was one of the earliest cartoonists to work in the American comic book industry, and his series ''The Spirit'' (1940–1952) was no ...
recalled of the period, "It was a friendly shop, and I guess I was the same age as the youngest guys there. We all got along. The only ones who ever got into a hassle were George Tuska and
Bob Powell Bob Powell (né Stanley Robert Pawlowski; While gives Stanislav Pavlowsky, and gives Stanislav Pavlowsky, Bails and Ware note: "family name corrected by his son, Seth R. Powell July 2006." October 2, 1916
. Powell was kind of a wiseguy and made remarks about other people in the shop. One day, George had enough of it, got up, and punched out Bob Powell". The otherwise mild-mannered Tuska, thinking comic books "would last two or three years — a fad",Cassell, p. 26 later left to seek non-comics work. After two weeks, however, he came across colleagues Sultan and
Dave Glaser Squadron Leader Ernest Derek 'Dave' Glaser (20 April 1921 – 2001) was a British Royal Air Force officer of the Battle of Britain, and later a notable test pilot. Biography Glaser was the son of a former Royal Flying Corps officer and brought ...
, on their way to meet with comics packager
Harry "A" Chesler Harry Chesler (January 12, 1897, or January 12, 1898 (sources differ) – December 1981),Harr ...
. Tuska, invited along, joined Chesler's studio, working there in 1939 and 1940, earning $22 a week, increased to $42 a week within six months.Cassell, p. 27 Alongside colleagues that included Sultan,
Ruben Moreira Ruben Moreira (July 27, 1922 – May 21, 1984) was a Puerto Rican comic book artist and writer best known for his work on ''Tarzan'' and as a DC Comics artist. Biography Ruben Moreira moved with his mother to New York City when he was fou ...
,
Mac Raboy Emmanuel "Mac" Raboy (April 9, 1914 – December 12, 1967) was an American comics artist best known for his comic-book work on Fawcett Comics' Captain Marvel Jr.Brent Frankenhoff & Maggie Thompson ''The Greatest Comic Book Covers Of All Time''. I ...
, and Ralph Astarita, Tuska helped to supply content for such
Fawcett Comics Fawcett Comics, a division of Fawcett Publications, was one of several successful comic book publishers during the Golden Age of Comic Books in the 1940s. Its most popular character was Captain Marvel, the alter ego of radio reporter Billy Bats ...
publications as ''
Captain Marvel Adventures ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' was a long running comic book anthology series by Fawcett Comics, starring Captain Marvel during the Golden Age of Comic Books. Publication history The series was the first solo series starring the superhero after he ...
''. Later, when Eisner-Iger client
Fiction House Fiction House was an American publisher of pulp magazines and comic books that existed from the 1920s to the 1950s. It was founded by John B. "Jack" Kelly and John W. Glenister.Saunders, David"JACK BYRNE (1902-1972),"Field Guide to Wild American ...
formed its own bullpen to produce work on staff, Tuska left Chesler to join Cardy,
Jim Mooney James Noel Mooney (August 13, 1919 – March 30, 2008) was an American comics artist best known for his long tenure at DC Comics and as the signature artist of Supergirl, as well as a Marvel Comics inker and Spider-Man artist, both during wh ...
,
Graham Ingels Graham J. Ingels (; June 7, 1915April 4, 1991) was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on ''The Haunt of Fear'' and ''Tales from the Crypt'', horror titles written and edited by Al ...
and other artists there.Cassell, pp. 29-30 Tuska produced a prodigious amount of work that included, for Fiction House, the South Sea adventure feature "Shark Brodie" (under the
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 ...
George Aksut)Cassell, p. 22 and the investigative feature "Hooks Devlin", both for ''Fight Comics''; the rich-vigilante feature "Glory Forbes" in ''Ranger Comics''; and "Jane Martin" in ''
Wings Comics ''Wings Comics'' was an aviation-themed anthology comic book published by Fiction House from 1940–1954. ''Wings Comics'' was one of Fiction House's "Big 6" comics titles (which also included ''Jumbo Comics'', ''Jungle Comics'', ''Planet Comics' ...
''. Before and during his six years at Fiction House, Tuska freelanced such features as the
North Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe and ...
seafaring adventure "Spike Marlin" (as Carl Larson)Cassell, p. 20 in
Harvey Comics Harvey Comics (also known as Harvey World Famous Comics, Harvey Publications, Harvey Comics Entertainment, Harvey Hits, Harvey Illustrated Humor, and Harvey Picture Magazines) was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by Alfr ...
' ''Speed Comics''; "Wing Turner" (as Floyd Kelly) for
Fox Comics Fox Feature Syndicate (also known as Fox Comics, Fox Publications, and Bruns Publications, Inc.) was a comic book publisher from early in the period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books. Founded by entrepreneur Victor S. ...
' ''Mystery Men Comics''; "Archie O'Toole" (as Bud Thomas) in
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 ...
' ''
Smash Comics ''Smash Comics'' is the title of an American Golden Age comic book anthology series, published by Quality Comics for 85 issues between 1939 and 1949. It became the series '' Lady Luck'' for #86-90 (Dec 1949–Aug 1950). ''Smash Comics'' had the ...
'' and "Cosmic Carson" (as Michael Griffith) in Fox's ''Science Comics''. At some point, Tuska again worked for
Will Eisner William Erwin Eisner (March 6, 1917 – January 3, 2005) was an American cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur. He was one of the earliest cartoonists to work in the American comic book industry, and his series ''The Spirit'' (1940–1952) was no ...
, now split from
Jerry Iger Samuel Maxwell "Jerry" Iger (; August 22, 1903 – September 5, 1990) was an American cartoonist and art-studio entrepreneur. With business partner Will Eisner, he co-founded Eisner & Iger, a comic book packager that produced comics on demand ...
, with a group of artists including
Alex Kotzky Alex Kotzky (September 11, 1923 – September 26, 1996) was a cartoonist best known for his three decades of work on the comic strip ''Apartment 3-G'', originally distributed by Publishers Syndicate. Biography Early life and education Born ...
and
Tex Blaisdell Philip Eustice Blaisdell (March 30, 1920 – March 14, 1999), better known as Tex Blaisdell, was an American comic-strip artist and comic-book editor. He worked on 22 syndicated features, including '' Little Orphan Annie'', which he drew for f ...
. "While with Eisner, I penciled some
Spirit Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...
and
Uncle Sam Uncle Sam (which has the same initials as ''United States'') is a common national personification of the federal government of the United States or the country in general. Since the early 19th century, Uncle Sam has been a popular symbol of ...
stories". (Tuska's first Uncle Sam work was the cover and virtually every story in ''Uncle Sam Quarterly'' #3, cover-dated Summer 1942.) Independently, he was assigned by Fawcett art director Al Allard to draw "a few more Captain Marvel stories. Allard had asked me to draw as close as possible to the way Captain Marvel had first appeared in ''Whiz Comics''. ... After those freelance jobs, I never worked for Fawcett again". Tuska's earliest Captain Marvel work appeared in ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #2-4 (Summer 1941, Fall 1941, and the oddly dated Oct. 31, 1941). Drafted into the
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
circa 1942, Tuska was stationed at the 100th Division at Fort Jackson in
Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...
where he worked in headquarters drawing artillery.Cassell, pp. 32-33 He was honorably discharged as a
private first class Private first class (french: Soldat de 1 classe; es, Soldado de primera) is a military rank held by junior enlisted personnel in a number of armed forces. French speaking countries In France and other French speaking countries, the rank (; ) ...
after a year for reasons the artist did not specify.Cassell, pp. 32-33 Returning home, he took up again with Fiction House, drawing a host of stories featuring Reef Ryan, Rip Carson, Lady Satan, the
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
hero Golden Arrow, and Camilla, Queen of the Jungle.


''Crime Does Not Pay''

Following the huge popularity of
superheroes 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, ...
during the
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 ...
years, those characters' appeal began to dwindle in the post-war era. Comic-book publishers, casting about for new subjects and genres, found a hit in
crime fiction Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...
, the most prominent comic of which was
Lev Gleason Publications Lev Gleason Publications, founded by Leverett Stone Gleason (1898–1971), was the publisher of a number of popular comic books during the 1940s and early 1950s, including '' Daredevil Comics'', '' Crime Does Not Pay'', and ''Boy Comics''. Backgr ...
' '' Crime Does Not Pay''. Tuska would soon make a name for himself as one of the genre's top comics artists. After starting with short backup features and spot illustrations for text stories, Tuska was drawing the lead stories and more by ''Crime Does Not Pay'' #50 (March 1947).


1950s

Tuska's first work for the future
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 ...
came in 1949, when Marvel's predecessor company,
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 transitioning to its 1950s iteration,
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 ...
. His first confirmed credit is the seven-page story "Justice Has a Heart" in ''Casey - Crime Photographer'' # 1 (Aug. 1949).George Tuska
at Atlas Tales database
He quickly went on to draw in an abundance of genres for Atlas, including
crime fiction Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...
(in titles including ''Crime Can't Win'', ''Crime Exposed'', ''Private Eye'', ''Justice'', ''Amazing Detective Cases'', and ''All True Crime Cases Comics'');
military fiction Military fiction is a genre of fiction, focusing on military activities, such as war, battles, combat, fighting; or military life. Classes of military fiction Types of military fiction include: * War novels, including written military fiction * ...
(''Men in Action'', ''War Combat'', ''Man Comics'', ''Battlefield'', and ''Battle''); horror (''Adventures into Weird Worlds'', ''Adventures into Terror'', '' Mystic'', '' Menace'', and ''
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, particularly,
Westerns The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...
('' Black Rider'', ''
Gunsmoke Western ''Gunsmoke Western'' was an American comic book series published initially by Atlas Comics, the 1950s forerunner of Marvel Comics, and then into the 1960s by Marvel. A Western anthology that ran 46 issues, it featured early stories of the Marvel ...
'', ''
Kid Colt, Outlaw ''Kid Colt, Outlaw'' is a comic book title featuring the character Kid Colt originally published by Atlas Comics beginning in 1948 and later Marvel Comics. Publication history Kid Colt and his horse Steel first appeared in ''Kid Colt'' #1 (Augu ...
'', ''Red Warrior'', ''
Texas Kid Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by bo ...
'', ''
Two-Gun Kid The Two-Gun Kid is the name of two Western fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first, Clay Harder, was introduced in a 1948 comic from Marvel predecessor Timely Comics. The second, Matt Hawk a. ...
'', ''Western Outlaws & Sheriffs'', ''
Wild Western ''Wild Western'' (originally titled ''Wild West'') was a Western comic book series published by Atlas Comics, the 1950s forerunner of Marvel Comics. The omnibus series published 57 issues from 1948 to 1957. Kid Colt stories were usually the lead fe ...
'', and many others) through 1957, while also occasionally contributing to
Lev Gleason Lev Gleason Publications, founded by Leverett Stone Gleason (1898–1971), was the publisher of a number of popular comic books during the 1940s and early 1950s, including '' Daredevil Comics'', '' Crime Does Not Pay'', and ''Boy Comics''. Backgr ...
and
St. John Publications St. John Publications was an American publisher of magazines and comic books. During the 1947-1958 existence of its comic-book division, St. John established several industry firsts. Founded by Archer St. John, the firm was located in Manhattan a ...
. Simultaneously at first, from 1954 to 1959, Tuska took over as writer-artist for the failing adventure comic strip ''
Scorchy Smith ''Scorchy Smith'' is an American adventure comic strip created by artist John Terry that ran from March 17, 1930 to December 30, 1961. Scorchy Smith was a pilot-for-hire whose initial adventures took him across America, fighting criminals and aid ...
'', supplying "eye-catching drawings and interesting plots, but it was too late". Horn, Maurice, editor. ''100 Years of American Newspaper Comics'' (Gramercy Books: New York, Avenel, 1996) . ''Scorchy Smith'' entry, p. 320 The strip would end in 1961. Tuska by then had moved on to the long-running
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 ...
comic strip ''
Buck Rogers Buck Rogers is a science fiction adventure hero and feature comic strip created by Philip Francis Nowlan first appearing in daily US newspapers on January 7, 1929, and subsequently appearing in Sunday newspapers, international newspapers, books ...
'', on which he was the final artist, drawing both the daily and Sunday strip from April 1959 to 1965, and the daily only from then through 1967, when both the daily and the Sunday were canceled.Horn, ''Buck Rogers'' entry, p. 70


The Silver Age

Near the cancellation of the daily ''Buck Rogers'' strip, Tuska again found a freelance home at what was by now
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 ...
, then in the full breadth of what historians and fans 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 ...
. "I called ditor-in-chief Stan eeand he said, 'Come on up', Tuska recalled in the mid-2000s. His first Marvel story, a " Tales of the Watcher" feature in ''
Tales of Suspense ''Tales of Suspense'' is the name of an American comic book anthology series and two one-shot comics published by Marvel Comics. The first, which ran from 1959 to 1968, began as a science-fiction anthology that served as a showcase for such arti ...
'' #58 (Nov. 1964), included a special introduction by Lee, hailing the return of the
Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during ...
great. Tuska became a Marvel mainstay,
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 ...
and occasionally
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 ...
other artists on series as diverse as ''
Ghost Rider Ghost Rider is the name of multiple antiheroes and superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Phantom Rider. The first s ...
'', '' Sub-Mariner'', and ''
The X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to lo ...
''. His signature series became ''
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...
'', on which he enjoyed a nearly 10-year, sometimes briefly interrupted, run from issue #5 (Sept. 1968) to #106 (Jan. 1978). He and writer Archie Goodwin created the
Controller Controller may refer to: Occupations * Controller or financial controller, or in government accounting comptroller, a senior accounting position * Controller, someone who performs agent handling in espionage * Air traffic controller, a person ...
as an antagonist in ''Iron Man'' #12 (April 1969). Comics historian
Les Daniels Leslie Noel Daniels III, better known as Les Daniels (October 27, 1943 – November 5, 2011), was an American writer. Background Daniels attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he wrote his master's thesis on ''Frankenstei ...
noted that when Goodwin, Tuska and inker
Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally in the late 1940s. He was a prominent evangelical Christi ...
launched ''
Luke Cage, Hero for Hire People *Luke (given name), a masculine given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke (surname) (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luke. Also known as ...
'' in 1972, "it was the first Marvel comic to take its title from a black character."
Shanna the She-Devil Shanna the She-Devil (Shanna O'Hara, Lady Plunder) is a fictional jungle adventurer superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Carole Seuling and penciller George Tuska, she made her first appearance ...
was created by Carole Seuling,
Steve Gerber Stephen Ross Gerber (; September 20, 1947 – February 10, 2008) was an American comic book writer and creator of the satiric Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck. Other works include ''Man-Thing'', ''Omega the Unknown,'' ''Marvel Spotlight:' ...
, and Tuska in the eponymous first issue of that character's own series. He was one of the artists on the
licensed A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...
movie tie-in series ''
Planet of the Apes ''Planet of the Apes'' is an American science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a world in which humans and intelligent apes clash for control. The franchise is based on Frenc ...
''. Due to Marvel not having the
likeness rights Personality rights, sometimes referred to as the right of publicity, are rights for an individual to control the commercial use of their identity, such as name, image, likeness, or other unequivocal identifiers. They are generally considered as ...
for
Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten C ...
, the star of the film, one of the lawyers at
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
insisted on changes to Tuska's art. Editor Roy Thomas believed that Tuska "just made a handsome looking guy, but it didn't look like Heston ... you can't argue. If somebody says it looks like Charlton Heston and they're worried he's gonna sue, you can't say 'no' because they just weren't going to give the approval." ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' insert of ''
The Onion ''The Onion'' is an American digital media company and newspaper organization that publishes satirical articles on international, national, and local news. The company is based in Chicago but originated as a weekly print publication on August 2 ...
'' wrote, shortly before Tuska's death in 2009, that, That assessment of Tuska's Marvel work is not widely shared.
John Romita Sr. John V. Romita (; born January 24, 1930) is an American comic book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and for co-creating characters including the Punisher and Wolverine. He was inducted into the Will Eis ...
, Marvel's de facto and later official
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 ...
during this period, found Tuska "so versatile. He could do everything. When Stan knew that a guy could do anything, he used him in every possible, conceivable way. George was a helluva artist and very versatile and very fast. ... He was in demand". Comics writer and Tuska collaborator
Tony Isabella Tony Isabella (born December 22, 1951) is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, artist and critic, known as the creator and writer of Marvel Comics' Black Goliath; DC Comics' first major African-American superhero, Black Lightning; and as ...
wrote, "I would love to see a ''Best of George Tuska'' collection which included his crime, mystery, romance, war, and western stories. He brought as much excitement and talent to those genres as he did to superhero comics". Comics journalist and historian
Tom Spurgeon Thomas Martin Spurgeon (December 16, 1968 – November 13, 2019) was an American writer, historian, critic, and editor in the field of comics, notable for his five-year run as editor of ''The Comics Journal'' and his blog ''The Comics Reporter''. ...
wrote that,


Later career and death

Later, for
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 ...
, Tuska drew characters including
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
,
Superboy Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
, and
Challengers of the Unknown The Challengers of the Unknown is a fictional group of adventurers appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The quartet of adventurers explored paranormal occurrences while facing several fantastic menaces. The characters' provenance is ...
. He had a four-year run drawing ''
The World's Greatest Superheroes ''The World's Greatest Superheroes'' was a syndicated newspaper comic strip featuring DC Comics characters which ran Sunday and daily from April 3, 1978, to February 10, 1985. It was syndicated by the Chicago Tribune/New York News Syndicate ...
'' comic strip from 1978–1982, inked by
Vince Colletta Vincenzo CollettaColletta, Vince, in (October 15, 1923 – June 3, 1991) was an American comic book artist and art director best known as one of Jack Kirby's frequent inkers during the 1950s-1960s period called the Silver Age of comic books. Thi ...
. By this time, his health had become a handicap;
Jim Shooter James Shooter (born September 27, 1951) is an American writer, editor and publisher for various comic books. He started professionally in the medium at the age of 14, and he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comic ...
, who scripted an issue of ''
Daredevil Daredevil may refer to: * A stunt performer Arts and media Comics * Daredevil (Lev Gleason Publications), a fictional 1940s superhero popularized by writer-artist Charles Biro * Daredevil (Marvel Comics character), a Marvel comic book superher ...
'' penciled by Tuska in 1977, recalled that, "George Tuska was at the end of his brilliant career, he was mostly deaf, communication was difficult, and though he showed occasional flashes of the chops that made him a big name artist in his day, I don't think his work on ''Daredevil'' was anywhere near his best." Tuska drew DC's ''
Masters of the Universe ''Masters of the Universe'' (sometimes referred to as the ''He-Man'' or ''She-Ra'' series) is a sword and planet-themed media franchise created by Mattel. The main premise revolves around the conflict between He-Man (the alter ego of Prince Ada ...
'' limited series in 1982. Retired from active comics work as of the 2000s, Tuska late in life moved from
Hicksville, New York Hicksville is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York. The population of the CDP was 41,547 at the 2010 census. History Valentine Hicks, son-in-law of abolitionist ...
, 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 ...
, to
Manchester Township, New Jersey Manchester Township is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. The township is noted for containing the Lakehurst Naval Air Station, the site of the infamous Hindenburg disaster of May 6, 1937. As of the 2020 United States census ...
, with his wife Dorothy ("Dot"), where he did commissioned art. The couple had three children, Barbara, Kathy and Robert. Tuska died in 2009 "near the stroke of midnight between October 15 and October 16," officially on the latter date. His last published comic-book art was one of four variant covers for
Dynamite Entertainment Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book publisher founded by Nick Barrucci in 2004 at Mount Laurel, New Jersey. It is best known as the owners of '' The Boys'' franchise across several IP medias. Dynamite primarily publishes adaptation ...
's ''Masquerade'' #2 (March 2009).


Awards

Tuska was a 1997 recipient of the industry's
Inkpot Award The Inkpot Award is an honor bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International. It is given to professionals in the fields of comic books, comic strips, animation, science fiction, and related areas of popular culture, at CCI's annual c ...
.


Bibliography

Comics work includes:


DC Comics

* ''
Action Comics ''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/Comic anthology, magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as National Allied Publications, and later as National Comics ...
'' #409, 486, 550 (1972–1983) * ''
Adventure Comics ''Adventure Comics'' is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1938 to 1983 and revived from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues (472 of those after the title changed from ''New Adventure Comics''), ...
'' #493–494 (1982) * ''
The Brave and the Bold ''The Brave and the Bold'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics as an ongoing series from 1955 to 1983. It was followed by two mini-series in 1991 and 1999, and was revived as an ongoing title in 2007. The focus of the series has varied ...
'' #88 (1970) * ''
Challengers of the Unknown The Challengers of the Unknown is a fictional group of adventurers appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The quartet of adventurers explored paranormal occurrences while facing several fantastic menaces. The characters' provenance is ...
'' #73–74 (1970) * ''
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 ...
'' #486, 490 (1979–1980) * ''Falling In Love'' #118, 141, 143 (1970–1973) * '' Fury of Firestorm'' #17–18, 31, 45 (1983–1986) * ''
Ghosts A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...
'' #2–4 (1971–1972) * '' Girls' Love Stories'' #144, 152, 154–155, 158, 160, 165 (1969–1972) * ''
Girls' Romances ''Girls' Romances'' was a romance comic anthology published by DC Comics in the United States. Debuting with a Feb.,/Mar. 1950 cover-date, it ran for 160 issues, ending with the Oct. 1971 issue (the final issue came out on October 3, 1971, and s ...
'' #147, 150, 154, 157 (1970–1971) * ''
Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...
'' #166–168, 170 (1983) * ''
Heart Throbs ''Heart Throbs'' was a romance comic published by Quality Comics and DC Comics from 1949 to 1972. Quality published the book from 1949–1957, when it was acquired by DC. Most issues featured a number of short comics stories, as well advice column ...
'' #128–129 (1970) * ''
House of Mystery ''The House of Mystery'' is the name of several horror, fantasy, and mystery Comics anthologies published by DC Comics. It had a companion series, ''The House of Secrets''. It is also the name of the titular setting of the series. First serie ...
'' #207, 293–294, 316 (1972–1983) * '' House of Secrets'' #86, 90, 95, 104 (1970–1973) * ''
Infinity, Inc. Infinity, Inc. is a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first incarnation is mostly composed of the children and heirs of the Justice Society of America (JSA), making them the Society's analogue to t ...
'' #11 (1985) * ''
Justice League of America The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
'' #153, 228, 241–243 (1978–1985) * ''
Legion of Super-Heroes The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st c ...
'' vol. 2 #308 (1984) * ''
Masters of the Universe ''Masters of the Universe'' (sometimes referred to as the ''He-Man'' or ''She-Ra'' series) is a sword and planet-themed media franchise created by Mattel. The main premise revolves around the conflict between He-Man (the alter ego of Prince Ada ...
'' #1–3 (1982–1983) * ''
Mystery in Space ''Mystery in Space'' is the name of two science fiction American comic book series published by DC Comics, and of a standalone Vertigo anthology released in 2012. The first series ran for 110 issues from 1951 to 1966, with a further seven issues c ...
'' #115, 117 (1981) * ''
Secret Origins ''Secret Origins'' is the title of several comic book series published by DC Comics which featured the origin stories of the publisher's various characters. Publication history ''Secret Origins'' was first published as a one-shot in 1961 and c ...
'' vol. 2 #4, 9 (1986) * ''
Superboy Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
'' #172–173, 176, 183 (1971–1972) * ''Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes'' #235 (1978) * ''
The Superman Family ''The Superman Family'' was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1974 to 1982 featuring supporting characters in the ''Superman'' comics. The term "Superman Family" is often used to refer to the extended cast of characters o ...
'' #203, 207–209 (1980–1981) * ''Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes'' #314–317 (1984) * '' Tales of the Unexpected'' #34 (1959) * ''
Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...
'' #27, 31, 33–39 (1971–1972) * '' The Unexpected'' #117–118, 120, 123–124, 127, 129, 132, 134, 136, 139, 152, 180, 200 (1970–1980) * ''
Weird War Tales ''Weird War Tales'' was a war comic book title with supernatural overtones published by DC Comics. It was published from September–October 1971 to June 1983. Publication history The original title ran for 12 years and 124 issues. It was ...
'' #103, 122 (1981–1983) * '' Wildcats: Mosaic'' #1 (2000) * '' The Witching Hour'' #11–12, 19 (1970–1972) * ''
World's Finest Comics ''World's Finest Comics'' was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled ''World's Best Comics'' for its first issue; issue #2 (Summer 1941) switched to the more familiar name. Michael ...
'' #250–252, 254, 257, 283–284, 308 (1978–1984) * ''
Young Romance ''Young Romance'' is a romantic comic book series created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby for the Crestwood Publications imprint Prize Comics in 1947. Generally considered the first romance comic,Ro, Ronin. ''Tales to Astonish: Jack Kirby, Stan L ...
'' #172 (1971)


Fawcett Comics

* ''
Captain Marvel Adventures ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' was a long running comic book anthology series by Fawcett Comics, starring Captain Marvel during the Golden Age of Comic Books. Publication history The series was the first solo series starring the superhero after he ...
'' #2–4 (1941) * ''
Captain Marvel Jr. Captain Marvel Jr. (Frederick "Freddy" Freeman) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. A member of the Marvel/Shazam Family team of superheroes associated with Captain Marvel/Shazam, he was created by Ed H ...
'' #10 (1943) * ''
Master Comics ''Master Comics'' was a monthly ongoing comic book anthology series that began its 133-issue run (cover dated March 1940 – April 1953) during the 1930s and 1940s period known as the Golden Age of Comic Books. Published by Fawcett Comics, it conta ...
'' #12–19, 21–23 (1941–1942)


Lev Gleason Publications

* ''Black Diamond Western'' #10, 48 (1949–1954) * ''Boy Comics'' #30, 57, 70, 98, 101, 105, 113, 115 (1946–1955) * ''Boy Loves Girl'' #42, 46 (1954) * ''Boy Meets Girl'' #1 (1950) * ''Crime and Punishment'' #2–3, 28, 30, 33, 42, 64–64, 70 (1948–1954) * '' Crime Does Not Pay'' #22, 47–54, 56–64, 66–68, 71–74, 77–78, 80–81, 86–87, 99, 110, 114, 129–140, ''Annual'' #1 (1942–1954) * ''Desperado'' #4 (1948) * ''Lovers' Lane'' #2, 6, 40 (1949–1954)


Marvel Comics

* ''3-D Action'' #1 (1954) * ''Adventures into Terror'' #14, 18 (1952–1953) * ''Adventures into Weird Worlds'' #1, 12, 15 (1952–1953) * ''All-True Crime'' #48, 51 (1952) * ''Amazing Detective Cases'' #10 (1952) * ''Arizona Kid'' #6 (1952) * ''Astonishing'' #27 (1953) * ''
Astonishing Tales ''Astonishing Tales'' is an American anthology comic book series originally published by Marvel Comics from 1970 to 1976. Its sister publication was ''Amazing Adventures'' (vol. 2). In 2008 and 2009, Marvel produced 11 webcomics starring differ ...
'' #5–6 (
Doctor Doom Doctor Victor Von Doom is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first appeared in ''The Fantastic Four'' #5 in July 1962. The monarch of the fi ...
); #8 (
Gemini Gemini may refer to: Space * Gemini (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac ** Gemini in Chinese astronomy * Project Gemini, the second U.S. crewed spaceflight program * Gemini Observatory, consisting of telescopes in the Northern ...
) (1971) * ''
The Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes ** Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes o ...
'' #47–48, 51, 53–54, 106–107, 135, 137–140, 163 (1967–1977) * ''Battle'' #11, 15, 23, 30, 32 (1952–1954) * ''Battle Action'' #2, 29 (1952–1957) * ''Battle Ground'' #11, 15–16 (1956–1957) * ''Battlefield'' #3 (1952) * ''Battlefront'' #22, 37 (1954–1955) * '' Black Goliath'' #1–3 (1976) * ''Black Rider'' #12, 18–21 (1951–1954) * ''
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 ...
'' #112, 215 (1969–1977) * '' Captain Marvel'' #54 (1978) * ''Casey – Crime Photographer'' #1 (1949) * ''
Champions A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the Victory, victor in a challenge, Competition, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and w ...
'' #3–4, 6–7, 17 (1976–1978) * ''Cowboy Action'' #11 (1956) * ''Creatures on the Loose'' #30–32 (
Man-Wolf John Jonah Jameson III (also known as Colonel Jupiter, the Man-Wolf and the Stargod) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as the son of J. Jonah Jameson, and a friend to ...
) (1974) * ''Crime Can't Win'' #3 (1951) * ''Crime Cases Comics'' #5, 9, 12 (1951–1952) * ''Crime Exposed'' #3–4 (1951) * ''Crime Must Lose'' #9 (1951) * ''
Daredevil Daredevil may refer to: * A stunt performer Arts and media Comics * Daredevil (Lev Gleason Publications), a fictional 1940s superhero popularized by writer-artist Charles Biro * Daredevil (Marvel Comics character), a Marvel comic book superher ...
'' #39, 145, ''Annual'' #4 (1968–1977) * ''
Defenders Defender(s) or The Defender(s) may refer to: *Defense (military) *Defense (sports) **Defender (association football) Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Defender'' (1989 film), a Canadian documentary * ''The Defender'' (1994 f ...
'' #57 (1978) * ''
Dracula Lives! ''Dracula Lives!'' was an American black-and-white horror comics magazine published by Magazine Management, a corporate sibling of Marvel Comics. The series ran 13 issues and one '' Super Annual'' from 1973 to 1975, and starred the Marvel version o ...
'' #13 (1975) * ''Frontier Western'' #2, 10 (1956–1957) * ''G.I. Tales'' #4 (1957) * ''
Ghost Rider Ghost Rider is the name of multiple antiheroes and superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Phantom Rider. The first s ...
'' #13–14, 16 (1975–1976) * ''Gunhawk'' #13, 33–34 (1951–1956) * '' Hero for Hire'' #1–3, 5, 7–12 (1972–1973) * ''
The Incredible Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...
'' vol. 2 #102, 105–106, 218 (1968–1977) * ''
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...
'' #5–13, 15–24, 32, 38, 40–46, 48–54, 57–61, 63–72, 78–79, 86–92, 95–106, ''Annual'' #4 (1968–1978) * ''
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 ...
'' #11 (1953) * ''
Journey into Unknown Worlds ''Journey into Unknown Worlds'' was a science-fiction/horror/fantasy title from Atlas (pre-Marvel) Comics published during the 1950s. The series continued from Timely Comics' teen-humor series ''Teen Comics'' and ran from Sept. 1950 - Aug. 1957. ...
'' #3, 10, 14 (1951–1952) * ''
Jungle Action ''Jungle Action'' is the name of two American comic book series published by Marvel Comics and its 1950s precursor, Atlas Comics. The Marvel version contained the first series starring the Black Panther, the first black superhero in mainstream co ...
'' #2 (1954) * ''
Jungle Tales ''Jungle Tales'' (later called ''Jann of the Jungle'') was an American comic book title published by Atlas Comics, the 1950s predecessor to Marvel Comics. It was an anthology title of stories set in an African jungle. Publication history Jungl ...
'' #2 (1954) * ''Justice'' #15, 18, 31, 33, 37, 40–41, 48 (1950–1954) * '' Ka-Zar'' #2–3 (
Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
backup stories) (1970–1971) * ''Kent Blake of the Secret Service'' #5 (1952) * '' Kid Colt Outlaw'' #16, 24, 32, 34–35, 63 (1951–1956) *''
Lorna the Jungle Girl Lorna the Jungle Girl, initially called Lorna the Jungle Queen, is a comic book jungle girl protagonist created by writer Don Rico and artist Werner Roth. She debuted in ''Lorna the Jungle Queen'' #1 (July 1953), published by Marvel Comics' 1950s ...
'' #6 (1954) * ''Man Comics'' #1–2 14, 16, 21, 23–24 (1949–1953) * '' Marines in Battle'' #15, 18, 20 (1956–1957) * ''Marvel Chillers'' #7 (
Tigra Tigra (Greer Grant Nelson) is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Introduced as the superpowered and gadget-wielding crime fighter the Cat in ''The Claws of the Cat'' #1 (November 1972). The ...
) (1976) * ''
Marvel Premiere ''Marvel Premiere'' is an American comic book anthology series that was published by Marvel Comics. In concept it was a tryout book, intended to determine if a character or concept could attract enough readers to justify launching their own seri ...
'' #26 (
Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...
) (1975) * '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #19 (Ka-Zar) (1969) * '' Marvel Tales'' #114 (1953) * '' Marvel Tales'' vol. 2 #30 (Angel backup story) (1971) * ''
Marvel Treasury Edition ''Marvel Treasury Edition'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics from 1974 to 1981. It usually featured reprints of previously published stories but a few issues contained new material. The series was published in an oversiz ...
'' #13 (1977) * '' Marvel Two-in-One'' #6 (1974) * '' Masters of the Universe The Motion Picture'' #1 (1987) * ''Men in Action'' #2, 6 (1952) * ''Men's Adventures'' #12, 24 (1952–1953) * '' Menace'' #1–2, 5 (1953) * ''
Monsters on the Prowl ''Chamber of Darkness'' is a horror/fantasy anthology comic book published by the American company Marvel Comics. Under this and a subsequent name, it ran from 1969 to 1974. It featured work by creators such as writer-editor Stan Lee, writers Ge ...
'' #10 (1971) * '' Monsters Unleashed'' #3 (1973) * ''My Love'' #2 (1949) * ''My Love'' vol. 2 #17 (1972) * ''My Own Romance'' #10 (1950) * ''Mystery Tales'' #10, 12, 14 (1953) * ''Our Love Story'' #20 (1972) * ''Outlaw Fighters'' #1–3 (1954) * ''
Planet of the Apes ''Planet of the Apes'' is an American science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a world in which humans and intelligent apes clash for control. The franchise is based on Frenc ...
'' #1–6 (1974–1975) * '' Power Man'' #17–20, 24, 26, 28–29, 47 (1974–1977) * ''Private Eye'' #1–3 (1951) * ''Quick-Trigger Western'' #17 (1957) * ''
Rawhide Kid The Rawhide Kid (real name: Johnny Bart, originally given as Johnny Clay) is a fictional Old West cowboy appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A heroic gunfighter of the 19th-century American West who was unjustly wanted a ...
'' #14 (1957) * ''Red Warrior'' #1 (1951) * ''
Shanna the She-Devil Shanna the She-Devil (Shanna O'Hara, Lady Plunder) is a fictional jungle adventurer superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Carole Seuling and penciller George Tuska, she made her first appearance ...
'' #1 (1972) * ''Space Squadron'' #1–3 (1951) * ''Spaceman'' #5 (1954) * ''Sports Action'' #7 (1951) * ''Spy Cases'' #7 (1951) * ''Spy Fighters'' #1-2 (1951) * ''
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 ...
'' #1, 12, 14, 18–19, 94, 166 (1951–1968) * '' Sub-Mariner'' #41–42, 69–71 (1971–1974) * ''
Super-Villain Team-Up ''Super-Villain Team-Up'' is the name of two American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. Both series featured supervillains as the protagonists. Publication history The first series started in 1975 with two giant-size issues before la ...
'' #1 (1975) * ''
Supernatural Thrillers ''Supernatural Thrillers'' was an American horror fiction comic book published by Marvel Comics in the 1970s that adapted classic stories of that genre, including works by Robert Louis Stevenson and H. G. Wells, before becoming a vehicle for a sup ...
'' #6 (
Headless Horseman The Headless Horseman is a mythical figure who has appeared in folklore around the world since the Middle Ages. The figure is traditionally depicted as a rider upon horseback who is missing his head. Description Depending on the legend, the Hor ...
) (1973) * ''Suspense'' #5–6, 12, 24 (1950–1952) * ''Tales of Justice'' #57, 61–62 (1955–1956) * ''
Tales of Suspense ''Tales of Suspense'' is the name of an American comic book anthology series and two one-shot comics published by Marvel Comics. The first, which ran from 1959 to 1968, began as a science-fiction anthology that served as a showcase for such arti ...
'' #58 ( Watcher); #70–74 (Captain America) (1964–1966) * ''Texas Kid'' #1, 6 (1951) * ''
Tower of Shadows ''Tower of Shadows'' is a horror/fantasy anthology comic book published by the American company Marvel Comics under this and a subsequent name from 1969 to 1975. It featured work by writer-artists Neal Adams, Jim Steranko, Johnny Craig, and Wa ...
'' #3 (1970) * ''
Two-Gun Kid The Two-Gun Kid is the name of two Western fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first, Clay Harder, was introduced in a 1948 comic from Marvel predecessor Timely Comics. The second, Matt Hawk a. ...
'' #11, 45 (1953–1958) * ''War Action'' #2, 8, 10 (1952–1953) * ''War Adventures'' #1 (1952) * ''War Comics'' #22 (1953) * ''Western Outlaws'' #2, 6, 15 (1954–1956) * ''Western Outlaws and Sheriffs'' #64, 69–72 (1950–1952) * '' What If ... ?'' #5 (Captain America) (1977) * ''Wild Western'' #21, 27, 29, 32, 37 (1952–1954) * ''
Worlds Unknown ''Worlds Unknown'' was a science-fiction comic book published by American company Marvel Comics in the 1970s, which adapted classic short stories of that genre, including works by Frederik Pohl, Harry Bates, and Theodore Sturgeon. Publication h ...
'' #7–8 (''
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad ''The Golden Voyage of Sinbad'' is a 1973 fantasy adventure film directed by Gordon Hessler and featuring stop motion effects by Ray Harryhausen. Based on the ''Arabian Nights'' tales of Sinbad the Sailor, it is the second of three ''Sinbad'' f ...
'' adaptation) (1974) * ''
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
'' #40–46 (1968) * ''Young Men'' #6–7, 21–23 (1950–1953)


Quality Comics

* ''Hit Comics'' #6–8, 18 (1940–1941) * '' National Comics'' #1–9 (1940–1941) * ''
Uncle Sam Quarterly Uncle Sam is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Based on the national personification of the United States, Uncle Sam, the character first appeared in '' National Comics'' #1 (July 1940) and was created by Will E ...
'' #3–4 (1942)


Tower Comics

* ''Dynamo'' #2–3 (1966–1967) * ''
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents ''T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents'' is a fictional team of superheroes that appeared in comic books originally published by Tower Comics in the 1960s. They were an arm of the United Nations and were notable for their depiction of the heroes as everyday peop ...
'' #7–8, 10, 13–17, 19 (1966–1968)


References


Further reading

*Interview, ''Comic Book Marketplace'' #31 (Jan. 1996), pp. 25–33. Gemstone Publishing. *Tribute and Interview, ''*Comic Book Artist Bullpen'' #1, (Dec. 2003), pp. 4–19. RetroHouse Press


External links


Comic Book Artist George Tuska Tribute WebsiteWebCitation archive, home pageWebCitation archive, Biography

George Tuska
at Mike's Amazing World of Comics

at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
George Tuska
at Ask Art: The American Artists Bluebook

at the Comix Art & Grafix Gallery

at the
Michigan State University Libraries Michigan State University Libraries (MSU Libraries) is the academic library system of Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research universi ...
: Index to the Comic Art Collection
WebCitation archive


at
Don Markstein's Toonopedia Don Markstein's Toonopedia (subtitled A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge) is an online encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation, initiated February 13, 2001. Donald D. Markstein, the sole writer and editor of Toonopedi ...

Archived
October 25, 2011. {{DEFAULTSORT:Tuska, George 1916 births 2009 deaths American comics artists American people of Russian descent Artists from Hartford, Connecticut DC Comics people Golden Age comics creators Inkpot Award winners Marvel Comics people National Academy of Design alumni People from Manchester Township, New Jersey Silver Age comics creators United States Army soldiers United States Army personnel of World War II