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

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

writer-artist known for both adventure stories and

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

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

in the late-1930s and 1940s

Golden Age of comic books The Golden Age of Comic Books describes an era in the history of American comic books from 1938 to 1956. During this time, modern comic books were first published and rapidly increased in popularity. The superhero archetype was created and ma ...

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

National Allied Publications National Comics Publications (NCP; later known as National Periodical Publications Inc. or simply National) was an American comic book publishing company. It was the direct predecessor of modern-day DC Comics. History The corporation was origin ...

, one of the companies that would evolve into

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

. He later worked for

Timely __NOTOC__ Punctuality is the characteristic of completing a required task or fulfilling an obligation before or at a previously designated time based on job requirements and or daily operations. "Punctual" is often used synonymously with "on ti ...

and

Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of world map, maps of Earth or of a continent or region of Earth. Advances in astronomy have also resulted in atlases of the celestial sphere or of other planets. Atlases have traditio ...

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

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

– as well as for

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

and

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

Biography

Early life and career

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

More Fun Comics ''More Fun Comics'', originally titled ''New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine'',''New Fun'' #v1#1 (Feb. 1935 ...

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

. Winiarski additionally drew and probably wrote the "

Charlie Chan Charlie Chan is a fictional Honolulu Police Department, Honolulu police detective created by author Earl Derr Biggers for a series of mystery novels. Biggers loosely based Chan on Hawaiian detective Chang Apana. The benevolent and heroic Chan ...

"-like Asian

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

feature "Mr. Chang" in ''

Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' (later retitled as ''Batman 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 ...

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

Quality Comics Quality Comics was an American comic book publishing Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, ...

and

.Ed Winiarski
at the

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

Timely and Atlas

His first known credit for

Timely Comics Timely Comics was the common name for the group of corporations that was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman (publisher), Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics. "Timely P ...

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

Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...

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

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

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

Terrytoons Terrytoons, Inc. was an American animation studio headquartered in New Rochelle, New York, which was active from 1929 until its closure in December 1972 (and briefly returned between 1987 and 1996 for television in-name only). Founded by Paul Te ...

Comics''), ''

Millie the Model ''Millie the Model'' is Marvel Comics' longest-running humor title, first published by the company's 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and continuing through its 1950s forerunner, Atlas Comics, to 1970s Marvel. The comic book series deals with ...

'', and ''

Hedy De Vine Comics Hedy () is a German language, German given name, sometimes a diminutive form of Hedwig (given name), Hedwig. Notable people with the name include: * Hedy Bienenfeld (1907–1976), Austrian-American Olympic swimmer * Hedy Burress (born c. 1973), ...

''. For Timely's 1950s successor,

Atlas Comics Atlas Comics may refer to: * Atlas Comics (1950s), one of the two comic publishing companies that would be the forerunner of Marvel Comics * Atlas/Seaboard Comics Atlas/Seaboard Comics is a line of comic books published by the American company S ...

, he drew numerous

horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction **Psychological horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Christmas horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Analog horror, a subgenre of horror fiction * ...

and suspense stories for

anthologies In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and ge ...

including ''

Strange Tales ''Strange Tales'' is a Marvel Comics comics anthology, anthology series. The title was revived in different forms on multiple occasions. Doctor Strange and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (feature), Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. made their d ...

'' and ''

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

'', while also

penciling A penciller (or penciler) is an artist who works on the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms, with a focus on the initial pencil illustrations. In the American comic book industry, the penciller is the first step ...

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

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

magazine ''

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

''.Ed Winarski
at the

Lambiek Comiclopedia Galerie Lambiek is a Dutch comic book store and art gallery in Amsterdam, founded on November 8, 1968 by Kees Kousemaker (, – Bussum, ). His son Boris Kousemaker has been the owner since 2007. From 1968 to 2015, it was located in the Ke ...

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

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

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

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

comics published by

Personal life

Winiarski married his

Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York. It has an additional campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The institute was founded in 18 ...

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

pen name A pen name or nom-de-plume 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 name may be used to make the author's na ...

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

References

External links

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

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

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