Sylvan S. Byck (July 17, 1904 – July 8, 1982 (pronounced "bike")Are the funnies an art form?
, by Mike McLeod, in ''

The San Bernardino County Sun ''The San Bernardino Sun'' is a paid daily newspaper in San Bernardino County. Founded in 1894, it has significant circulation in neighboring Riverside County, and serves most of the Inland Empire in Southern California, with a circulation area s ...

'', June 6, 1978, p 12 was an American editor and cartoonist, who was the

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 ...

editor for

King Features Syndicate King Features Syndicate, Inc. is a American content distribution and animation studio, consumer product licensing and print syndication company owned by Hearst Communications that distributes about 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editoria ...

for over 30 years, in which position he evaluated "up to 2000 comics submissions a year."''Sylvan Byck''
in the ''

Daytona Beach Morning Journal ''The Daytona Beach News-Journal'' is a Florida daily newspaper serving Volusia and Flagler Counties. It grew from the ''Halifax Journal'', which was started in 1883. The Davidson family purchased the newspaper in 1928 and retained control unti ...

'', July 9, 1982, p 20

Early life

Sylvan Byck was born July 17, 1904 in

Otisville, New York Otisville is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 969 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie– Newburgh– Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–N ...

. Sylvan Byck, comic strips editor, dead at 78
at

United Press International United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ...

, published July 8, 1982, retrieved June 3, 2019 After graduating from the

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 ...

, Byck worked for various newspapers, including as an

editorial cartoon A political cartoon, a form of editorial cartoon, is a cartoon graphic with caricatures of public figures, expressing the artist's opinion. An artist who writes and draws such images is known as an editorial cartoonist. They typically combine a ...

ist at the ''

Brooklyn Times-Union The ''Brooklyn Times-Union'' was an American newspaper published from 1848 to 1937. Launched in 1848 as the ''Williamsburgh Daily Times'', the publication became the ''Brooklyn Daily Times'' when the cities of Brooklyn and Williamsburg were un ...

'' and ''

The Seattle Times ''The Seattle Times'' is a daily newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1891 and has been owned by the Blethen family since 1896. ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Washington (s ...

''. "Great Cartoonists and Their Art"
by Art Wood, published by Pelican Publishing, 1987

Career

In 1937, Byck joined King Features Syndicate, where he edited ''

Pictorial Review The ''Pictorial Review'' was an American women's magazine published from 1899 to 1939. Based in New York, the ''Pictorial Review'' was first published in September 1899. The magazine was originally designed to showcase dress patterns of German i ...

''; during the Second World War, he served as "cable editor" for ''

International News Service The International News Service (INS) was a U.S.-based news agency (newswire) founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1909.

''. In 1945, he became King's comics editor. Among the multiple projects that he purchased were

Mort Walker Addison Morton Walker (September 3, 1923 – January 27, 2018) was an American comic strip writer, best known for creating the newspaper comic strips ''Beetle Bailey'' in 1950 and ''Hi and Lois'' in 1954. He signed Addison to some of his strips. ...

's ''

Beetle Bailey ''Beetle Bailey'' is an American comic strip created by cartoonist Mort Walker, published since September 4, 1950. It is set on a fictional United States Army post. In the years just before Walker's death in 2018 (at age 94), it was among the old ...

'' (which he saved from cancellation by relaying to Walker the suggestion that the strip's college-student protagonist should join the United States Army)Connecticut Cartoonists #7: Mort Walker, Dik Browne and Jerry Dumas
by

Ron Goulart Ronald Joseph Goulart (; January 13, 1933 – January 14, 2022) was an American popular culture historian and mystery, fantasy, and science fiction author. He published novelizations and other work under various pseudonyms: Kenneth Robeson, Con ...

, in ''

The Comics Journal ''The Comics Journal'', often abbreviated ''TCJ'', is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels. Known for its lengthy interviews with comic creators, pointed editorials and scathing re ...

''; published July 26, 2016; retrieved June 4, 2019 and ''

Hi and Lois ''Hi and Lois'' is an American comic strip about a suburban family. Created by Mort Walker and illustrated by Dik Browne, both of whose offspring currently work on the strip, it debuted on October 18, 1954, distributed by King Features Syndicate.R ...

'',Mort Walker: Conversations
edited by Jason Whiton, published 2005 by

University Press of Mississippi The University Press of Mississippi, founded in 1970, is a publisher that is sponsored by the eight state universities in Mississippi. Universities * Alcorn State University *Delta State University *Jackson State University *Mississippi State U ...

for which Byck and Walker independently suggested recruiting

Dik Browne Richard Arthur Allan Browne (August 11, 1917 – June 4, 1989) was an American cartoonist, best known for writing and drawing ''Hägar the Horrible'' and ''Hi and Lois''. Biography Browne attended Cooper Union and got his start at the ''New York ...

as illustratorFunny Business: The Rise and Fall of Johnstone and Cushing
by Tom Heintje, originally published in '' Hogan's Alley'' #10, 2002 (Browne later recalled that, when first contacted by Byck, he assumed that it was Stan Drake playing a prank). As well, Byck suggested that Bob Weber produce a strip of his own; Weber subsequently created '' Moose Miller''.MOOSE MILLER
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 ...

; retrieved June 3, 2019 Other strips in whose launching he was "instrumental" included ''

Buz Sawyer ''Buz Sawyer'' is a comic strip created by Roy Crane.Ron Goulart, ''The Funnies : 100 Years of American Comic Strips''. Holbrook, Mass. : Adams Pub, 1995. (pp. 149-50) Distributed by King Features Syndicate, it had a run from November 1, 1943 to ...

'', ''

Redeye Red eye, red-eye, redeye or variants may refer to: Related to the eye * Red-eye effect, in photographs * Red eye (medicine), an eye that appears red due to illness or injury * Red, an extremely rare eye color due to albinism * Red eyeshine i ...

'', ''

Hazel The hazel (''Corylus'') is a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K. (1999). ...

'', ''

Trudy Trudy is a diminutive of Gertrude. Notable people with the name include: People * Trudy Adams (born 1964), American actress * Trudy Anderson (born 1959), New Zealand cricketer * Trudy Bellinger, British music video director * Trudy Benson ( ...

'', ''

The Lockhorns ''The Lockhorns'' is a United States panel (comic strips), single-panel cartoon created September 9, 1968 by Bill Hoest and distributed by King Features Syndicate to 500 newspapers in 23 countries. It is continued today by Bunny Hoest and John Re ...

'', '' Inside Woody Allen'', and the ''

Archie Archie is a masculine given name, a diminutive of Archibald. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Archie Alexander (1888–1958), African-American mathematician, engineer and governor of the US Virgin Islands * Archie Blake (mathematici ...

'' comic strip.''Inklings'' (Spring 1977 issue), p 4, 12, 14-15 Byck was also responsible for ensuring the continuation of strips after their original creators were no longer available, including ''

Little Iodine ''Little Iodine'' is an American Sunday comic strip, created by Jimmy Hatlo, which was syndicated by King Features and ran from August 15, 1943 until August 14, 1983. The strip was a spin-off of ''They'll Do It Every Time'', an earlier Hatlo crea ...

'' (where he arranged for

Hy Eisman Hy Eisman (born March 27, 1927) is an American cartoonist. Comic Strips He entered the comic strip field in 1950 and worked on several strips, including ''Kerry Drake'', ''Little Iodine'' and ''Bunny''. In comic books he was the last artist d ...

to succeed Bob Dunn — who was himself a successor to

Jimmy Hatlo James Cecil Hatlo (September 1, 1897 – December 1, 1963), better known as Jimmy Hatlo, was an American cartoonist who in 1929 created the long-running comic strip and gag panel ''They'll Do It Every Time'', which he wrote and drew until his d ...

)"Jimmy Hatlo — Man of Many Hats"
by Ed Black, originally published in '' Hogan's Alley'' #17 (2010) and ''

Rip Kirby ''Rip Kirby'' is an American comic strip created by Alex Raymond and Ward Greene featuring the adventures of private detective Rip Kirby. The strip ran from 1946 to 1999 and was in the hands of artist John Prentice for more than 40 years. Pub ...

'' (where he tried to recruit

Leonard Starr Leonard Starr (October 28, 1925 – June 30, 2015) was an American cartoonist, comic book artist, and advertising artist, best known for creating the newspaper comic strip '' On Stage'' and reviving ''Little Orphan Annie''. Early life Born Octob ...

to succeed

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 ...

in the wake of Raymond's sudden death; Starr suggested that Byck instead hire John Prentice).NCS Spotlight On: John Prentice
at the

National Cartoonists Society The National Cartoonists Society (NCS) is an organization of professional cartoonists in the United States. It presents the National Cartoonists Society Awards. The Society was born in 1946 when groups of cartoonists got together to entertain the ...

''; published August 26, 2010; retrieved June 3, 2019 However, in the case of ''

Steve Canyon ''Steve Canyon'' is an American adventure comic strip by writer-artist Milton Caniff. Launched shortly after Caniff retired from his previous strip, '' Terry and the Pirates'', ''Steve Canyon'' ran from January 13, 1947, until June 4, 1988. It ...

'', Byck "dismissed the possibility of a successor" to the strip's creator

Milt Caniff Milton Arthur Paul Caniff (; February 28, 1907 – April 3, 1988) was an American cartoonist famous for the ''Terry and the Pirates'' and ''Steve Canyon'' comic strips. Biography Caniff was born in Hillsboro, Ohio. He was an Eagle Scout and a re ...

, on the grounds that Caniff "could never be imitated".Meanwhile...: A Biography of Milton Caniff, Creator of Terry and the Pirates ...
by

R. C. Harvey Robert C. Harvey (May 31, 1937 – July 7, 2022) was an American author, critic and cartoonist. He wrote a number of books on the history and theory of cartooning, with special focus on the comic strip. He also worked as a freelance cartoonist. ...

, published July 12, 2007 by

Fantagraphics Books Fantagraphics (previously Fantagraphics Books) is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, manga, magazines, graphic novels, and the erotic Eros Comix imprint. History Founding Fantagraphics was found ...

; "Byck would later pay Caniff the ultimate compliment: he dismissed the possibility of a successor to Caniff on 'Steve Canyon' by saying that Caniff could never be imitated." Byck was elected a vice president of King Features in 1964, and retired in 1978, succeeded by

Bill Yates Floyd Buford Yates (July 5, 1921 – March 26, 2001), better known as Bill Yates, was an American cartoonist who drew gag cartoons and comic strips before assuming the position of comic strip editor for King Features Syndicate in 1978. Biograph ...

(who Byck had recruited in 1960 as the creator of ''Professor Phumble''). Cartoonist Bill Yates Dead at 79 Distinguished 10-Year Career as King Features Comics Editor
at ''

''; published March 27, 2001; retrieved June 3, 2019 Byck died at the age of 78 in

Queens, New York Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long I ...

, on July 8, 1982.

Praise

In 1977, ''Inklings Magazine'' (journal of the Museum of Cartoon Art) called Byck "the most influential man in newspaper comics in our generation", and in 1979, the

awarded him the Silver T-Square Award.The Gold and Silver T-Squares
at the

; retrieved June 3, 2019

said that, of all the editors he met when he was beginning his career, Byck was "the most helpful and encouraging".Early Disappointment
by Brian Walker, at BeetleBailey.com; published May 14, 2015; retrieved June 3, 2019

Criticism

Alex Toth Alexander Toth (June 25, 1928 – May 27, 2006) was an American cartoonist active from the 1940s through the 1980s. Toth's work began in the American comic book industry, but he is also known for his animation designs for Hanna-Barbera throughout ...

stated that, when he applied to be the new illustrator for the ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a cli ...

'' comic strip, Byck told him that he would be required to imitate

's style rather than use his own; Toth refused, and subsequently noted that if Raymond had "witnessed the absurd lengths to which (Byck went) in imposing (Raymond's) style on other talents, he would be Byck's most vociferous detractor".Setting the Standard: Comics by Alex Toth 1952–1954
published August 17, 2011, by

Stan Drake reported having been chastised by Byck for including too much emotional expression when drawing the faces of characters in ''

The Heart of Juliet Jones ''The Heart of Juliet Jones'' is an American comic strip series created by Elliott Caplin and drawn by Stan Drake, beginning on March 9, 1953.Brian Walker, "The Times Are A'Changin'", in Dean Mullaney, Bruce Canwell and Brian Walker, ''King of th ...

''.Alex Raymond's Last Ride
by Arlen Schumer; originally published in '' Hogan's Alley'' #3 (1994)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Byck, Sylvan 1904 births 1982 deaths Pratt Institute alumni American editors Comic strip syndicates American editorial cartoonists