Kin Platt (December 8, 1911 – November 30, 2003) was an American writer, artist, painter, sculptor, caricaturist, and comics artist, best known for penning radio comedy and animated TV series, as well as

children's A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person young ...

mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' Films * ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film * ''Mystery'' ( ...

novels, one of which earned him the

Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Awa ...

Edgar Award. He additionally wrote and drew comic books (creating an early

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 ...

superhero, Supermouse) and comic strips.

Biography

Early life and career

Kin Platt was born to Etta (née Hochberg) and Daniel Platt. In the mid-1930s he wrote radio comedy for

George Burns George Burns (born Nathan Birnbaum; January 20, 1896March 9, 1996) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer, and one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, radio, film and television. His arched eyebr ...

Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century wit ...

, the comedy team of Stoopnagle and Budd, and ''The National Biscuit Comedy Hour of 1936''. Later in the 1930s, he wrote for Disney and

Walter Lantz Walter Lantz (April 27, 1899 – March 22, 1994) was an American cartoonist, animator, producer and director best known for founding Walter Lantz Productions and creating Woody Woodpecker. Biography Early years and start in animation Lant ...

theatrical cartoons, and he scripted the

Robert Benchley Robert Charles Benchley (September 15, 1889 – November 21, 1945) was an American humorist best known for his work as a newspaper columnist and film actor. From his beginnings at ''The Harvard Lampoon'' while attending Harvard University, thro ...

film ''How to Read'' (1938).

Comic books

He broke into comic books with humor stories featuring the character "Happy" in the Better Comics omnibus ''Best Comics'' #1 (Nov. 1939). Platt went on to write and draw many features in the next few issues and to draw such features as "Captain Future" in Better's ''Startling Comics''; "The Mask" (no relation to the 1990s

Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops know ...

character), featuring a district attorney turned costumed crimefighter, in ''Exciting Comics''; and writer Richard Hughes'

Doc Savage Doc Savage is a fictional character of the competent man hero type, who first appeared in American pulp magazines during the 1930s and 1940s. Real name Clark Savage Jr., he is a doctor, scientist, adventurer, detective, and polymath who "rights w ...

-like "

Doc Strange Doc Strange is a Golden Age comic book superhero who originally appeared in '' Thrilling Comics'' #1 (Better Publications, also called Nedor Comics) in February 1940. The character continued in ''Thrilling Comics'' until issue #64 (Feb 1948). ...

" (no relation to

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 ...

' Dr. Strange), in ''

Thrilling Comics ''Thrilling Comics'' is the title of a comic book series published by Standard Comics for 80 issues from 1940 to 1951. The first issue is the first appearance of the comic-book character Doc Strange, who debuted in a 37-page origin story. The "Thr ...

''. After doing WWII

military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job ( volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Some nations (e.g., Mexico) require ...

with the

U.S. Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

's Air Transport Command from 1943–46, Platt began working for such comic-book companies as

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 1940s predecessor of

), for which his features included "Widjet Witch" in ''Comedy Comics''); and Better/Nedor/Standard, where he created Supermouse in 1948. Additionally, Platt wrote for the

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in Bob Hope filmography, more than 70 short and ...

and Jerry Lewis comics at DC. For two years he drew the adventures of Pepsi and Pete for the advertising strip, ''Pepsi Cola Cops''.

Al Jaffee Allan Jaffee (born Abraham Jaffee; March 13, 1921) is an American cartoonist. He is notable for his work in the satirical magazine '' Mad'', including his trademark feature, the ''Mad'' Fold-in. Jaffee was a regular contributor to the magazine ...

, then an editor of Timely's humor comics, recalled in 2004, For the

New York Herald Tribune Syndicate The New York Herald Tribune Syndicate was the syndication service of the '' New York Herald Tribune''. Syndicating comic strips and newspaper columns, it operated from c. 1914 to 1966. The syndicate's most notable strips were ''Mr. and Mrs.'', '' ...

, Platt wrote and drew the comic strip ''Mr. and Mrs.''(originally by

Clare Briggs Clare A. Briggs (August 5, 1875 – January 3, 1930) was an early American comic strip artist who rose to fame in 1904 with his strip '' A. Piker Clerk''. Briggs was best known for his later comic strips ''When a Feller Needs a Friend'', ''Ain't ...

) from 1947–1963, and ''The Duke and the Duchess'' from 1950–1954. Additionally, he drew

theatrical Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

caricatures for such newspapers and magazines as ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...

'' and the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

''. In the 1960s, Platt scripted TV animation, including for the Hanna-Barbera series ''

The Jetsons ''The Jetsons'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. It originally aired in prime time from September 23, 1962, to March 17, 1963, on ABC, then later aired in reruns via syndication, with new episodes produced ...

'', ''

The Flintstones ''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The series takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the activities of the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighb ...

'', ''

Yogi Bear Yogi Bear is an anthropomorphic animal character who has appeared in numerous comic books, animated television shows and films. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in '' The Huckleberry Hound Show''. Yogi Bear was the first ...

'', ''

Top Cat ''Top Cat'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and originally broadcast in prime time on the ABC network. It aired in a weekly evening time slot from September 27, 1961, to April 18, 1962, for a single season of ...

'' and ''

Jonny Quest ''Jonny Quest'' is a science fiction-adventure media franchise that revolves around the titular boy named Jonny Quest, who accompanies his scientist father on extraordinary adventures. The franchise started with a 1964–1965 television serie ...

'' (for which at one point he held the title of "story director"), as well as for Hal Seeger Productions' ''

Milton the Monster ''Milton the Monster,'' also called ''The Milton the Monster Show,'' is an American Saturday morning animated cartoon TV series that ran on ABC from October 9, 1965, to September 8, 1968. It was produced and directed by Hal Seeger. Overview The ...

''.

Young-readers' literature

Plat began writing

children's books A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younge ...

and young-adult mysteries in 1961. He eventually published more than 30 books, including general-reader mysteries. His pseudonyms included Guy West, Alan West, Wesley Simon York, Nick Tall, Nick West, Noah Zark and Kirby Carr. Platt wrote several novels in the "Hitman" series under the name Kirby Carr. Platt also returned to comics around this time, writing occasional stories for 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 ...

titles ''

G.I. Combat ''G.I. Combat'' was an American comics anthology featuring war stories. It was published from 1952 until 1956 by Quality Comics, followed by DC Comics until its final issue in 1987. In 2012 it was briefly revived. Publication history The focu ...

'', ''

Our Army at War ''Our Army at War'' was an American comic book anthology published by DC Comics that featured war-themed stories and featured the first appearances of Sgt. Rock and Enemy Ace. The series was published from August 1952 to February 1977, then ...

'' and '' Star Spangled War Stories'' in 1964. His final known comics credit is a 48-page adaptation of

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...

's '' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' in ''

Marvel Classics Comics ''Marvel Classics Comics'' was an American comics magazine which ran from 1976 until 1978. It specialized in adaptations of literary classics such as ''Moby-Dick'', ''The Three Musketeers'', and ''The Iliad''. It was Marvel Comics' attempt to pick ...

'' #1 (1976).

Later career

The 1973 film ''

Baxter! ''Baxter!'' is a 1973 British-American drama film directed by Lionel Jeffries and starring Patricia Neal, Jean-Pierre Cassel and Britt Ekland. The film follows a young boy called Roger Baxter who struggles to overcome his speech problem (rhotac ...

'', a psychological drama starring

Patricia Neal Patricia Neal (born Patsy Louise Neal, January 20, 1926 – August 8, 2010) was an American actress of stage and screen. A major star of the 1950s and 1960s, she was the recipient of an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and two ...

, was based on a book by Platt, ''The Boy Who Could Make Himself Disappear''. He continued writing books throughout the 1980s, though some novels remained unpublished. This material, as well as unpublished caricatures submitted to magazines and newspapers, was donated to the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center at

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with ...

. ''Big Max and the Missing Giraffe'' was published posthumously by HarperTrophy in 2005.

Awards

* 1967 Edgar Award for juvenile mystery, for ''Sinbad and Me'' * 1970 Edgar Award nomination, for ''The Mystery of the Witch Who Wouldn't''

Bibliography

Children's Books

*''Big Max'', illustrated by Robert Lopshire (1965) *''Walt Disney's Snow White and Donald Duck'' (Whitman, 1967; as Nick Tall) *''Walt Disney's Donald Duck Buried Treasure'', illustrated by Anthony Strobl (Whitman, 1968; as Nick Tall) *''Woody Woodpecker and the Busy Beavers'' (Whitman, 1968; as Nick Tall) *''Mystery of the Coughing Dragon'' ( Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators series, Book 14) (1970; as Nick West) *''Mystery of the Nervous Lion'' (Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators series, Book 16) (1971; as Nick West) * ''The Call of the Wild'' (comic book adaptation by Platt, illustrated by

Fred Carrillo Wilfredo Limbana "Fred" Carrillo (1926–August 2005) was a Filipino comics artist. Biography Fred Carrillo was born in Kalibo, Aklan, Philippines. He began his career drawing propaganda material for the guerrilla movement in Panay during World ...

(

Pendulum Press Pendulum Press was a publishing company based in West Haven, Connecticut West Haven is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. It is located on the coast of Long Island Sound. At the 2020 census, the population of the city was ...

, 1973) * ''Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' (comic book adaptation by Platt, illustrated by

Nestor Redondo Nestor P. Redondo (May 4, 1928 – December 30, 1995)Nestor P. Redondo
at the

Frank Redondo) (Pendulum Press, 1974) *''Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: The Great Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'' (comic book adaptation as Nick Tall, illustrated by

Nestor Redondo Nestor P. Redondo (May 4, 1928 – December 30, 1995)Nestor P. Redondo
at the

Lynne Cravath (HarperCollins, 2005)

Young Adult Books

*''The Boy Who Could Make Himself Disappear'' (Chilton, 1968) *''Hey, Dummy'' (Chilton, 1971) *''Chloris and the Creeps'' (Chilton, 1973) *''Chloris and the Freaks'' (Bradbury, 1975) *''Headman'' (Greenwillow, 1975) *''The Terrible Love Life of Dudley Cornflower'' (Bradbury, 1976) *''Run for Your Life'' (F. Watts, 1977) *''Chloris and the Weirdos'' (Bradbury, 1978) *''The Doomsday Gang'' (Greenwillow, 1978) *''Dracula, Go Home'' (F. Watts, 1979) *''The Ape Inside Me'' (Crowell, 1980) *''Flames Going Out'' (Methuen, 1980) *''Brogg's Brain'' (Crowell, 1981) *''Frank and Stein and Me'' (F. Watts, 1982) *''Crocker'' (Lippincott, 1983) *''A Mystery for Thoreau'' (

Farrar, Straus and Giroux Farrar, Straus and Giroux (FSG) is an American book publishing company, founded in 1946 by Roger Williams Straus Jr. and John C. Farrar. FSG is known for publishing literary books, and its authors have won numerous awards, including Pulitzer ...

, 2008)''A Mystery for Thoreau''
at

"Steve Forrester" young-adult mysteries

*''

The Blue Man ''The Blue Man'' is a mystery, 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 technol ...

'' (Harper, 1961) *''Sinbad and Me'' (Chilton, 1966) *''The Mystery of the Witch Who Wouldn't'' (Chilton, 1969) *''The Ghost of Hellsfire Street'' (Delacorte, 1980)

Mysteries

*''Dead as They Come'' (

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

, 1972) *''A Pride of Women'' (Robert Hale, 1974) *''Murder in Rosslare'' (Walker, 1986)

"Max Roper" mysteries

*''The Pushbutton Butterfly'' (Random House, 1970) *''The Kissing Gourami'' (Random House, 1970) *''The Princess Stakes Murder'' (Random House, 1973) *''The Giant Kill'' (Random House, 1974) *''Match Point for Murder'' (Random House, 1975) *''The Body Beautiful Murder'' (Random House, 1976) *''The Screwball King Murder'' (Random House, 1978)

"Hitman" Series (as Kirby Carr)

*''Who Killed You, Cindy Castle'' (Canyon Books, 1974) *''Let Me Kill You, Sweetheart'' (Canyon Books, 1974) *''The Girls Who Came To Murder'' (Canyon Books, 1974) *''They're Coming to Kill You, Jane'' (Canyon Books, 1975) *''You Die Next, Jill Baby'' (Major Books, 1975) *''You're Hired, You're Dead'' (Major Books, 1975) *''Don't Bet on Living Alice'' (Major Books, 1975) *''The Impossible Spy'' (Major Books, 1976)

Adult books (various pseudonyms)

*''Sex Heel'' as Guy West *''Group Grope'' as Alan West'' *''Pandora'' as Guy York'' *''Lovers & Exorcists'' as Wesley Simon York

Footnotes

References

Three Investigators Books
(publishing-company site with Platt bio)

*Al Jaffee interview, ''Alter Ego'' Vol. 3, #35 (April 2004)

*

External links

*

Reprint of seven-page story "The Mask" from ''Exciting Comics'' #20 (July 1942), art by Kin Platt

Compilation of "Broad Views" cartoons by Kin Platt from the World War II soldier newspape

{{DEFAULTSORT:Platt, Kin 1911 births 2003 deaths American children's writers American radio writers American comics artists American television writers American caricaturists American humorists 20th-century American sculptors 20th-century American painters Edgar Award winners Golden Age comics creators American male writers The Village Voice people Los Angeles Times people 20th-century American screenwriters