Will Franz
Encyclopedia
William "Willi" Franz is an American
comic-book writer
and occasional penciler, best known for his Charlton Comics
war stories
, mostly published during the period 1967–1970. Franz is particularly remembered for the ongoing feature "The Lonely War of Willy Schultz
", a Vietnam War
-era serial about a German American
U.S. Army captain during World War II
. The Willy Schultz storyline was a departure from most other combat features of this time, with its conflicted hero caught between loyalties.
' Combat in 1962.
-based Charlton, where he wrote (and occasionally helped draw) war stories for such titles as Army War Heroes, D-Day, Fightin' Army
, Marine War Heroes, and War Heroes.
For Charlton, Franz co-created The Iron Corporal
, an American corporal
fighting with the Australian army
in the Southwest Pacific during the Second World War. The stories were only loosely connected and depicted the struggles of infantrymen in war.
Also in 1967, Franz and Charlton artist Sam Glanzman
co-created the recurring series "The Devil's Brigade" for Charlton. First appearing in War Heroes #27 (Nov. 1967), the brigade also showed up in Fightin' Army #79, 82, and 83. The series revolved around commando troops in North Africa. According to Franz:
, "The Lonely War of Willy Schultz". During combat in the European Theater, U.S. Army captain Schultz (a German American
) is falsely accused and convicted of murder; he escapes and blends into the German Army
while seeking a way to clear his name and retain his Allied allegiance. Franz opposed the American war in Vietnam
, and his Willy Schultz stories, featuring a conflicted hero caught between loyalties, reflected the divisiveness of the era. Despite an initial inclination to kill Schultz at the end of the war, Franz instead had him go off with the daughter of a German general to start a new life.
The Willy Schultz feature debuted in Charlton's Fightin' Army
#76 (Oct. 1967), and was serialized through issue #92 (July 1970). Selected stories were reprinted by Charlton many times thereafter (none of which resulted in royalty payments to the creators). The stories were collected as late as 1999 and 2000.
During its history, Charlton was known for its low-budget practices, paying comics creators among the lowest rates in the industry. In 1970, after three years of steady output, Franz left Charlton, and for the most part, the world of professional comics.
anthology Weird War Tales
#5 (May–June 1972).
In 2003, Franz re-teamed with "Willy Schultz" artist Glanzman on the Roman centurion
series The Eagle, portions of which were published in the comics anthology Negative Burn
.
:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comic-book writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and occasional penciler, best known for his Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1946 to 1985, having begun under a different name in 1944. It was based in Derby, Connecticut...
war stories
War comics
War comics is a genre of comic books that gained popularity in English-speaking countries following World War II.-American war comics:Shortly after the birth of the modern comic book in the mid- to late 1930s, comics publishers began including stories of wartime adventures in the multi-genre...
, mostly published during the period 1967–1970. Franz is particularly remembered for the ongoing feature "The Lonely War of Willy Schultz
Captain Willy Schultz
Captain Willy Schultz is a fictional comic-book soldier, a German-American U.S. Army captain during World War II, who after being falsely accused and convicted of murder, escapes and blends into the German Army while seeking a way to clear his name and retain his Allied allegiance...
", a Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
-era serial about a German American
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
U.S. Army captain during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The Willy Schultz storyline was a departure from most other combat features of this time, with its conflicted hero caught between loyalties.
Early career
Franz broke into comics as an artist, drawing an issue of Dell ComicsDell Comics
Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1973. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium...
' Combat in 1962.
Charlton Comics
In 1967, Franz hooked up with the Derby, ConnecticutDerby, Connecticut
Derby is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 12,391 at the 2000 census. With of land area, Derby is Connecticut's smallest municipality.The city has a Metro-North railroad station called Derby – Shelton.-History:...
-based Charlton, where he wrote (and occasionally helped draw) war stories for such titles as Army War Heroes, D-Day, Fightin' Army
Fightin' Army
Fightin' Army was a bimonthly war comic published by Charlton Comics from 1956–1984...
, Marine War Heroes, and War Heroes.
For Charlton, Franz co-created The Iron Corporal
The Iron Corporal
The Iron Corporal was a fictional character appearing first as a recurring character in Charlton Comics' war comics line, and briefly in his own comic book titled The Iron Corporal...
, an American corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
fighting with the Australian army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
in the Southwest Pacific during the Second World War. The stories were only loosely connected and depicted the struggles of infantrymen in war.
Also in 1967, Franz and Charlton artist Sam Glanzman
Sam Glanzman
Sam J. Glanzman is an American comic-book artist, best known for his Charlton Comics series Hercules, about the mythological Greek demigod; his biographical war stories about his service aboard the U.S.S...
co-created the recurring series "The Devil's Brigade" for Charlton. First appearing in War Heroes #27 (Nov. 1967), the brigade also showed up in Fightin' Army #79, 82, and 83. The series revolved around commando troops in North Africa. According to Franz:
The Lonely War of Willy Schultz
During this time Franz co-created, with artist Sam GlanzmanSam Glanzman
Sam J. Glanzman is an American comic-book artist, best known for his Charlton Comics series Hercules, about the mythological Greek demigod; his biographical war stories about his service aboard the U.S.S...
, "The Lonely War of Willy Schultz". During combat in the European Theater, U.S. Army captain Schultz (a German American
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
) is falsely accused and convicted of murder; he escapes and blends into the German Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
while seeking a way to clear his name and retain his Allied allegiance. Franz opposed the American war in Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, and his Willy Schultz stories, featuring a conflicted hero caught between loyalties, reflected the divisiveness of the era. Despite an initial inclination to kill Schultz at the end of the war, Franz instead had him go off with the daughter of a German general to start a new life.
The Willy Schultz feature debuted in Charlton's Fightin' Army
Fightin' Army
Fightin' Army was a bimonthly war comic published by Charlton Comics from 1956–1984...
#76 (Oct. 1967), and was serialized through issue #92 (July 1970). Selected stories were reprinted by Charlton many times thereafter (none of which resulted in royalty payments to the creators). The stories were collected as late as 1999 and 2000.
During its history, Charlton was known for its low-budget practices, paying comics creators among the lowest rates in the industry. In 1970, after three years of steady output, Franz left Charlton, and for the most part, the world of professional comics.
Later career
In 1972, Franz had one short piece, "Slave," published in the DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
anthology Weird War Tales
Weird War Tales
Weird War Tales was a war comic book title with supernatural overtones published by DC Comics which ran from September 1971 to June 1983.-Background:...
#5 (May–June 1972).
In 2003, Franz re-teamed with "Willy Schultz" artist Glanzman on the Roman centurion
Centurion (Roman army)
A centurion , also hekatontarch in Greek sources, or, in Byzantine times, kentarch was a professional officer of the Roman army after the Marian reforms of 107 BC...
series The Eagle, portions of which were published in the comics anthology Negative Burn
Negative Burn
Negative Burn is a black-and-white anthology comic book published beginning in 1993 by Caliber Press, and subsequently by Image Comics and Desperado Publishing...
.
Illness
In late 2007, it was reported that Franz was ill and having difficulties paying his medical expenses. Franz's "Willy Schultz" collaborator Glanzman auctioned pages of original art from the series to help finance Franz's expenses. Franz was still alive as of late December 2010.Tributes
Critic Mark EvanierMark 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...
: