George Sherman (comics)
Encyclopedia
George Sherman was a publicist
for foreign markets and then head of the Publications Department at the Disney Studios
. Sherman's daughter has described him as "a writer at heart but worked for Disney as a day job."
He was the son of Ransom Sherman, an established vaudeville and radio comedian of the day. In the mid-40s the family moved to Hollywood as Ransom built a career in motion pictures and television.
After a stint in the Army Sherman went to work at Disney handling publicity for foreign markets. In the mid-1950s he left the studio to briefly edit and publish the Baywood Press
in Northern California. Returning to Disney, he became head of the Publications Dept. where he was involved with its licensees both domestic and foreign.
In 1962 he established the Disney Studio Program, producing comic book stories for the foreign market. He provided editorial support to the Program plus authored (or co-authored) the text for several illustrated children books adapting contemporary Disney films (Babes in Toyland
, The Absent-Minded Professor
) plus did Little Golden Books
involving classic Disney characters (Pinocchio
and Ludwig Von Drake
).
Sherman conducted what animation historian Michael Barrier
describes as the only known interview with legendary animator Bill Tytla
shortly before Tytla died. Sherman also did an interview with animation pioneer Ub Iwerks
which Barrier notes contains an explanation for the origins of Mickey Mouse
"significantly different from what [Iwerks] told Bob Thomas
fifteen years earlier".
In the early 1970s through his efforts Carl Barks
was granted permission to create and sell oil paintings of the Donald Duck clan. Sherman also gave permission for Barks' ten page story from Walt Disney's Comics and Stories
#126 to be reprinted in Les Daniels
's book Comix: A History of the Comic Book in America. This was one of the first attempts outside of comics fandom to mark Barks as being among the pantheon of comic book legends.
In addition Sherman purchased scripts from Jerry Siegel
when the Superman
co-creator was unemployed. Mark Evanier
, who got his start as a comic book writer when hired by Sherman to write for the Program, noted "...even though Disney owed Jerry Siegel nothing, George felt it was only right to help out a legend who was down on his luck. That's the kind of guy George was...very compassionate and also very smart."
Sherman also played a key role in Mark Evanier's career by suggesting to Western Publishing
editor Chase Craig
that Craig hire Evanier to script the numerous titles Gold Key Comics
published featuring licensed animation characters. Evanier has described working for Craig as "my first somewhat-steady gig that paid me actual money."
After an extended illness Sherman died of paraganglioma
, a rare neuroendocrine neoplasm.
An oil painting of Scrooge McDuck
Barks gave to Sherman in gratitude for his aid in arranging permission for the artist to sell paintings of Disney's copyrighted duck characters was sold at auction in 2010 for $20,315.
Sherman's daughter is currently preparing a memoir of her father for eventual publication.
Publicist
A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a public figure, especially a celebrity, a business, or for a work such as a book, film or album...
for foreign markets and then head of the Publications Department at the Disney Studios
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
. Sherman's daughter has described him as "a writer at heart but worked for Disney as a day job."
He was the son of Ransom Sherman, an established vaudeville and radio comedian of the day. In the mid-40s the family moved to Hollywood as Ransom built a career in motion pictures and television.
After a stint in the Army Sherman went to work at Disney handling publicity for foreign markets. In the mid-1950s he left the studio to briefly edit and publish the Baywood Press
The Point Reyes Light
The Point Reyes Light is a weekly newspaper published since 1948 in western Marin County, California. The Light gained national attention in 1979 due to its reporting on a cult, Synanon, and the Pulitzer Prize awarded to the paper for this coverage...
in Northern California. Returning to Disney, he became head of the Publications Dept. where he was involved with its licensees both domestic and foreign.
In 1962 he established the Disney Studio Program, producing comic book stories for the foreign market. He provided editorial support to the Program plus authored (or co-authored) the text for several illustrated children books adapting contemporary Disney films (Babes in Toyland
Babes in Toyland (1961 film)
Babes in Toyland is a 1961 Christmas musical film in Technicolor, directed by Jack Donohue, produced by Walt Disney, and distributed to theatres by Buena Vista Distribution. It stars Ray Bolger as Barnaby, Annette Funicello as Mary Contrary, Tommy Sands as Tom Piper, and Ed Wynn as the Toymaker.The...
, The Absent-Minded Professor
The Absent-Minded Professor
The Absent-Minded Professor is a 1961 black-and-white Walt Disney Productions film based on the short story A Situation of Gravity, by Samuel W. Taylor....
) plus did Little Golden Books
Little Golden Books
Little Golden Books is a popular series of children's books. The first 12 titles were published on October 1, 1942:#Three Little Kittens#Bedtime Stories#Mother Goose#Prayers for Children#The Little Red Hen#Nursery Songs...
involving classic Disney characters (Pinocchio
Pinocchio (1940 film)
Pinocchio is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the story The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. It is the second film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics, and it was made after the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and was released to theaters by...
and Ludwig Von Drake
Ludwig Von Drake
Professor Ludwig von Drake is one of Walt Disney's cartoon and comic book characters. He was first introduced on September 24, 1961, as the presenter in the cartoon An Adventure in Color, part of the first show of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color on NBC...
).
Sherman conducted what animation historian Michael Barrier
Michael Barrier (historian)
Michael Barrier is an American animation historian. Barrier was the founder and editor of Funnyworld, the first magazine exclusively devoted to comics and animation. It began as a contribution to the CAPA-Alpha amateur press association...
describes as the only known interview with legendary animator Bill Tytla
Bill Tytla
Vladimir Peter "Bill" Tytla was one of the original Disney animators and is considered by many to be the best character animator to work during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation...
shortly before Tytla died. Sherman also did an interview with animation pioneer Ub Iwerks
Ub Iwerks
Ub Iwerks, A.S.C. was a two-time Academy Award winning American animator, cartoonist, character designer, inventor, creator of Mickey Mouse, and special effects technician, who was famous for his work for Walt Disney....
which Barrier notes contains an explanation for the origins of Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
"significantly different from what [Iwerks] told Bob Thomas
Bob Thomas (reporter)
Bob Thomas is an American Hollywood film industry biographer and reporter who has worked for the Associated Press since 1944.-Personal life:...
fifteen years earlier".
In the early 1970s through his efforts Carl Barks
Carl Barks
Carl Barks was an American Disney Studio illustrator and comic book creator, who invented Duckburg and many of its inhabitants, such as Scrooge McDuck , Gladstone Gander , the Beagle Boys , The Junior Woodchucks , Gyro Gearloose , Cornelius Coot , Flintheart Glomgold , John D...
was granted permission to create and sell oil paintings of the Donald Duck clan. Sherman also gave permission for Barks' ten page story from Walt Disney's Comics and Stories
Walt Disney's Comics and Stories
Walt Disney's Comics and Stories, sometimes abbreviated WDC or WDC&S, is an anthology comic book series that has an assortment of Disney characters, including Donald Duck, Scrooge McDuck, Mickey Mouse, Chip 'n Dale, Lil Bad Wolf, Scamp, Bucky Bug, Grandma Duck, Brer Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh, and...
#126 to be reprinted in Les Daniels
Les Daniels
Leslie Noel Daniels III, known as Les Daniels was an American writer.-Background:He attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he wrote his master's thesis on Frankenstein, and he worked as a musician and as a journalist.-Career:He was the author of five novels featuring the...
's book Comix: A History of the Comic Book in America. This was one of the first attempts outside of comics fandom to mark Barks as being among the pantheon of comic book legends.
In addition Sherman purchased scripts from Jerry Siegel
Jerry Siegel
Jerome "Jerry" Siegel , who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, and Herbert S...
when the Superman
Superman
Superman 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...
co-creator was unemployed. Mark Evanier
Mark Evanier
Mark Stephen Evanier is an American comic book and television writer, particularly known for his humor work. He is also known for his columns and blogs, and for his work as a historian and biographer of the comics industry, in particular his award-winning Jack Kirby biography, Kirby: King of...
, who got his start as a comic book writer when hired by Sherman to write for the Program, noted "...even though Disney owed Jerry Siegel nothing, George felt it was only right to help out a legend who was down on his luck. That's the kind of guy George was...very compassionate and also very smart."
Sherman also played a key role in Mark Evanier's career by suggesting to Western Publishing
Western Publishing
Western Publishing, also known as Western Printing and Lithographing Company was a Racine, Wisconsin firm responsible for publishing the Little Golden Books. Western Publishing also produced children's books and family-related entertainment products as Golden Books Family Entertainment...
editor Chase Craig
Chase Craig
Chase Craig is an American writer-cartoonist who worked on comic strips and comic books. During the 1940s and 1950s, he was an editor and scripter for Western Publishing....
that Craig hire Evanier to script the numerous titles Gold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics was an imprint of Western Publishing created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated from 1962 to 1984.-History:...
published featuring licensed animation characters. Evanier has described working for Craig as "my first somewhat-steady gig that paid me actual money."
After an extended illness Sherman died of paraganglioma
Paraganglioma
A paraganglioma is a rare neuroendocrine neoplasm that may develop at various body sites . About 97% are benign and cured by surgical removal; the remaining 3% are malignant because they are able to produce distant metastases...
, a rare neuroendocrine neoplasm.
An oil painting of Scrooge McDuck
Scrooge McDuck
Scrooge McDuck is a cartoon character created in 1947 by Carl Barks and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Scrooge is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a red or blue frock coat, top hat, pince-nez glasses, and spats...
Barks gave to Sherman in gratitude for his aid in arranging permission for the artist to sell paintings of Disney's copyrighted duck characters was sold at auction in 2010 for $20,315.
Sherman's daughter is currently preparing a memoir of her father for eventual publication.
Further reading
- Willits, Malcolm. "Interview with George Sherman". Vanguard 1968, reprinted in Duckburg Times #12 (1981). Includes Sherman quoting circulation figures for Walt Disney's Comics and StoriesWalt Disney's Comics and StoriesWalt Disney's Comics and Stories, sometimes abbreviated WDC or WDC&S, is an anthology comic book series that has an assortment of Disney characters, including Donald Duck, Scrooge McDuck, Mickey Mouse, Chip 'n Dale, Lil Bad Wolf, Scamp, Bucky Bug, Grandma Duck, Brer Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh, and...
, both for its heights in the mid-50s and rapid decline in the early 1960s.
