. It was published in
s. As explained by DC's then President and Publisher
, the profiles were of "fifty people and companies who have helped make DC Comics great." Kahn stated "[W]e have chosen representatives from those who have pioneered new territory and who, by doing so, have shaped our past or our future." The articles were written by Barry Marx, Thomas Hill, and
and caricatures were provided by Steven Petruccio. Barry Marx was also the book's editor.
was the design director. The
| Name |
Field |
Notes |
| M.C. Gaines Maxwell Charles Gaines was a pioneering figure in the creation of the modern comic book. Born Maxwell Ginsburg or Maxwell Ginzberg, he was also known as Max Gaines, M.C...
|
publisher |
co-owner of National Allied Publications |
Malcolm Wheeler-NicholsonMajor Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson was an American pulp magazine writer and entrepreneur who pioneered the American comic book, publishing the first such periodical consisting solely of original material rather than reprints of newspaper comic strips...
|
writer, entrepreneur An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
|
founder of National Allied Publications, the precursor company to DC Comics |
| Harry Donenfeld Harry Donenfeld was an American publisher who is known primarily for being the owner of National Allied Publications, which distributed Detective Comics and Action Comics, the originator publications for the superhero characters Batman and Superman...
|
publisher |
co-owner of National Allied Publications |
Jack LiebowitzJacob "Jack" S. Liebowitz , was an American accountant and publisher, known primarily as the co-owner with Harry Donenfeld of National Allied Publications .-Early life:...
|
publisher |
co-owner of National Allied Publications |
| Jerry Siegel Jerome "Jerry" Siegel , who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, and Herbert S...
|
writer |
co-creator of SupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
|
Joe ShusterJoseph "Joe" Shuster was a Canadian-born American comic book artist. He was best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with writer Jerry Siegel, first published in Action Comics #1...
|
artist |
co-creator of Superman |
Bob KaneBob Kane was an American comic book artist and writer, credited as the creator of the DC Comics superhero Batman...
|
writer, artist |
creator of BatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
|
| Bill Finger William "Bill" Finger was an American comic strip and comic book writer best known as the uncredited co-creator, with Bob Kane, of the DC Comics character Batman, as well as the co-architect of the series' development...
|
writer |
"a contributing force" in the Batman's creation. |
| Warner Publishing Services |
distribution company Product distribution is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. An organization or set of organizations involved in the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption by a consumer or business user.The other three parts of the marketing mix are product, pricing,...
|
DC sister company responsible for newstand distribution, formerly known as Independent News Company, Inc. Independent News Co. was a magazine and comic book distribution business owned by National Periodical Publications, the parent company of DC Comics. Independent News distributed all DC publications, as well as those of a few rival publishers, in addition to pulp and popular magazines. The company...
|
| Sheldon Mayer Sheldon Mayer was an American comic book writer, artist and editor. One of the earliest employees of Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson's National Allied Publications, Mayer produced almost all of his comics work for the company that would become known as DC Comics.He is credited with rescuing the...
|
writer, artist, editor |
creator of Sugar and SpikeSugar and Spike is the name of a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1956 through 1992, and the names of the main protagonists. Sugar and Spike was created, written and drawn by Sheldon Mayer.-Publication history:...
|
| Sol Harrison |
executive |
DC's President 1976-1980 |
| Erwin M. "Bud" Budner |
distribution agent |
founder of Delmar News Agency |
Gardner FoxGardner Francis Cooper Fox was an American writer best known for creating numerous comic book characters for DC Comics. Comic-book historians estimate that he wrote over 4,000 comics stories....
|
writer |
co-creator of the Justice Society of AmericaThe Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 .... and the Justice League of AmericaThe Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
|
| William Moulton Marston Dr. William Moulton Marston , also known by the pen name Charles Moulton, was an American psychologist, feminist theorist, inventor and comic book writer who created the character Wonder Woman...
|
writer |
creator of Wonder WomanWonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
|
| Emile Keirsbilk |
publisher |
publisher of DC Comics in FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
|
| Carroll Rheinstrom |
publishing agent |
responsible for licensing DC's international publishing rights |
Fleischer StudiosFleischer Studios, Inc., was an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City, New York...
|
animation studio |
produced the 1940s Superman cartoons The Fleischer & Famous Superman cartoons are a series of seventeen animated Technicolor short films released by Paramount Pictures and based upon the comic book character Superman....
|
Bud CollyerBud Collyer was an American radio actor/announcer who became one of the nation's first major television game show stars...
|
actor |
portrayed Superman in the The Adventures of Superman radio programThe Adventures of Superman was a long running radio serial that originally aired from 1940 to 1951, adapted from the DC Comics character. ....
|
| Kirk Alyn -External links:...
|
actor |
portrayed Superman in the 1948 film serialSerials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction... SupermanSuperman is a 15-part black-and-white Columbia film serial based on the comic book character Superman. It stars an uncredited Kirk Alyn and Noel Neill as Lois Lane. It is notable as the first live-action appearance of Superman on film and for the longevity of its distribution... , and its 1950 sequel Atom Man Vs. SupermanAtom Man vs. Superman , Columbia's 43rd serial, finds Lex Luthor , secretly the Atom Man, blackmailing the city of Metropolis by threatening to destroy the entire community...
|
Mort WeisingerMortimer Weisinger was an American magazine and comic book editor best known for editing DC Comics' Superman during the mid-1950s to 1960s, in the Silver Age of comic books...
|
editor |
editor of SupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective... during the mid-1950s to 1970; co-creator of AquamanAquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title... , Green ArrowGreen Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City... , and Johnny QuickJohnny Quick is the name of two DC Comics characters, each with the power of superhuman speed. The first was a superhero who appeared mostly in More Fun Comics during the Golden Age... . |
Whitney EllsworthFredric Whitney Ellsworth was an American comic book editor, and sometime writer and artist for DC Comics during the period known to historians and fans as the Golden Age of Comic Books...
|
writer, editor |
producer and story editor on the The Adventures of Superman television series. |
| George Reeves George Reeves was an American actor best known for his role as Superman in the 1950s television program Adventures of Superman....
|
actor |
portrayed Superman in The Adventures of Superman television series |
Wayne BoringWayne Boring was an American comic book artist best known for his work on Superman from the late 1940s to 1950s. He occasionally used the pseudonym Jack Harmon....
|
artist |
artist on Superman from the late 1940s through the 1950s. |
Curt SwanDouglas Curtis Swan was an American comic book artist. The artist most associated with Superman during the period fans and historians call the Silver Age of comic books, Swan produced hundreds of covers and stories from the 1950s through the 1980s.-Early life and career:Curt Swan, whose Swedish...
|
artist |
artist most associated with Superman during the SilverThe Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the... and BronzeThe Bronze Age of Comic Books is an informal name for a period in the history of mainstream American comic books usually said to run from 1970 to 1985. It follows the Silver Age of Comic Books.... Ages of comic books. |
| Bernard Trout |
editor |
editor of DC Comics in France |
| World Color Press |
printing company |
In 1985, the largest player in the comic and newsstand special-interest publication market. |
| Robert Kanigher Robert Kanigher was a prolific comic book writer and editor whose career spanned five decades. He was involved with the Wonder Woman franchise for over twenty years, taking over the scripting from creator William Moulton Marston. In addition, Kanigher spent many years in charge of DC Comics' war...
|
writer, editor |
co-creator of Sgt. Rock |
Julius SchwartzJulius "Julie" Schwartz was a comic book and pulp magazine editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in the Bronx, New York...
|
editor |
oversaw the revival of characters such as the Flash, Green LanternHarold "Hal" Jordan is a DC Comics superhero known as Green Lantern, the first human shown to join the Green Lantern Corps and a founding member of the Justice League of America. Jordan is the second DC Comics character to adopt the Green Lantern moniker... , Hawkman, and the Atom; longtime editor of the Batman and Superman comic book lines |
| Jerry Bails Jerry Gwin Bails was an American popular culturist. Known as the "Father of Comic Book Fandom", he was one of the first to approach the comic book field as a subject worthy of academic study, and was a primary force in establishing 1960s comics fandom.- Early life :Jerry G. Bails was born June...
|
popular culturist Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
|
a primary force in establishing 1960s comics fandom. |
Roy ThomasRoy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
|
writer, editor |
co-creator of All-Star Squadron The All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics superhero team that debuted in a special insert in Justice League of America #193 . Created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway.-The concept:... and Infinity, Inc. |
Adam West William West Anderson , better known by the stage name Adam West, is an American actor best known for his lead role in the Batman TV series and the film of the same name...
|
actor |
portrayed Batman in the 1960s television seriesBatman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
|
Burt WardBurt Ward is an American television actor and activist. He is best known for his portrayal of Robin in the television series Batman and its theatrical film spin-off.-Early life:...
|
actor |
portrayed Robin in the Batman television series |
| Licensing Company of America |
licensing company Licensing means renting or leasing of an intangible asset. Examples of intangible assets include a song , a character , a name or a brand . An arrangement to license a brand requires a licensing agreement...
|
merchandising rights for DC's characters |
Carmine InfantinoCarmine Infantino Carmine Infantino Carmine Infantino (born May 24, 1925, in Brooklyn, New York is an American comic book artist and editor who was a major force in the Silver Age of Comic Books...
|
artist, executive |
co-creator of the Silver Age Flash; editorial director and publisher |
Neal AdamsNeal Adams is an American comic book and commercial artist known for helping to create some of the definitive modern imagery of the DC Comics characters Superman, Batman, and Green Arrow; as the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates; and as a creators-rights advocate who...
|
artist |
artist of Batman and Green Lantern/Green Arrow features of the 1970s |
Denny O'NeilDennis J. "Denny" O'Neil is an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of books until his retirement....
|
writer, editor |
writer of Batman and Green Lantern/Green Arrow features of the 1970s |
| Adolf Kabatek |
publisher |
publisher of DC Comics in GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
|
Hanna-Barbera ProductionsHanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
|
animation studio |
producer of the Super FriendsSuper Friends is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1986 on ABC as part of its Saturday morning cartoon lineup... television series |
| Ilya Salkind Ilya Juan Salkind Dominguez , usually known as Ilya Salkind, is a film and television producer, well known for his contributions to the live-action Superman films of the 1970s and '80s alongside his father, Alexander Salkind....
|
film producer |
co-producer of the Superman film series |
| Alexander Salkind Alexander Salkind was the second of three generations of successful international film producers.-Life and career:...
|
film producer |
co-producer of the Superman film series |
| Christopher Reeve Christopher D'Olier Reeve was an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author and activist...
|
actor |
portrayed Superman in the film series |
Lynda CarterLynda Jean Carter is an American actress and singer, best known for being Miss World USA and as the star of the 1970s television series The New Original Wonder Woman and The New Adventures of Wonder Woman ....
|
actress |
portrayed Wonder Woman in the 1970s television seriesWonder Woman is an American television series based on the DC Comics comic book superhero of the same name. Starring Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and Lyle Waggoner as Steve Trevor, the show originally aired from 1975 to 1979....
|
| Phil Seuling Philip Nicholas Seuling was a comic book fan convention organizer and comics distributor primarily active in the 1970s. Seuling was the organizer of the annual New York Comic Art Convention, originally held in New York City every July 4 weekend throughout the 1970s...
|
distributor, fan conventionA fan convention, or con , is an event in which fans of a particular film, television series, comic book, actor, or an entire genre of entertainment such as science fiction or anime and manga, gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and... organizer |
developed the concept of the direct market The direct market is the dominant distribution and retail network for North American comic books. It consists of one dominant distributor and the majority of comics specialty stores, as well as other retailers of comic books and related merchandise... distribution system for getting comics directly into comic book specialty shops |
| Bud Plant Bud Plant was a wholesale comics distributor active in the 1970s and 1980s during the growth of the direct market. Starting in 1970 as a mail-order distributor specializing in underground comics, Plant absorbed some of his smaller rivals in the 1980s, and then sold his business to Diamond Comics...
|
distributor |
early direct market distributor |
Marv WolfmanMarvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
|
writer, editor |
co-creator of the New Teen Titans, writer of Crisis on Infinite EarthsCrisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
|
George PérezGeorge Pérez is a Puerto Rican-American writer and illustrator of comic books, known for his work on various titles, including Avengers, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman.-Biography:...
|
artist |
co-creator of the New Teen Titans, artist of Crisis on Infinite Earths |
Frank MillerFrank Miller is an American comic book artist, writer and film director best known for his dark, film noir-style comic book stories and graphic novels Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and 300...
|
writer, artist |
creator of Ronin |
Helen SlaterHelen Rachel Slater is an American actress and singer-songwriter.She appeared in the title role in the 1984 film Supergirl. In the following years she starred in several very successful comedy-drama films such as Ruthless People, The Secret of My Success, and City Slickers...
|
actress |
portrayed Supergirl in the 1984 filmSupergirl is a 1984 superhero film directed by Jeannot Szwarc, and stars Helen Slater in her first motion picture role in the title role of the DC Comics superheroine Supergirl. Faye Dunaway played the primary villain, Selena. The film was a spin-off from the Salkinds' Superman film series which...
|
| Superman Peanut Butter |
product |
DC's first food related licence |
| Kenner Products Kenner Products was a toy company founded in 1947 by three brothers, Albert, Phillip, and Joseph L. Steiner, in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, and was named after the street where the original corporate offices were located, which is just north of Cincinnati's Union Terminal.Kenner introduced its...
|
toy manufacturer |
manufacturer of the Super Powers CollectionThe Super Powers Collection was a line of action figures based on DC Comics superheroes and supervillains that was created by Kenner Products in the 1980s.-History of the Line:... toyline |
Brief statements made by several prominent individuals were included as "Celebrity Reminiscences". These included comments by
Fifty Who Made DC Great has been used as a cited reference source for several books. Among these are the following: