We at Word of the Nerd offer our condolences to the Kubert family as a legend in the comic book community, Joe Kubert, passed away on August 12th, 2012, at the age of 85.
Joe Kubert was an incredibly talented artist, but also a giving man. Born in Poland on September 18, 1926, Kubert immigrated to New York with his family before his first birthday. According to Kubert, “I got my first paying job as a cartoonist for comic books when I was eleven-and-a-half or twelve years old. Five dollars a page. In 1938, that was a lot of money.” After attending Manhattan’s High School of Music and Art, Kubert got his first professional gigs in the 1940′s, penciling and inking for Catman Comics, Blue Beetle, and even coloring Will Eisner’s The Spirit.
Kubert found his home at DC Comics, where his first job was penciling and inking the 50-page “Seven Soldiers of Victory” story in Leading Comics #8 in the fall of 1943. His long association with the character of Hawkman began shortly after, in Flash Comics #62 in 1945. He would go on to find success with his renderings of Sgt. Rock, Enemy Ace, and Tor. Kubert had a talent for drawing the male form in a gritty, rugged style that suited adventure and military books perfectly.
Kubert was as passionate about teaching as he was about illustrating. In 1976, he founded the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. Located in Dover, New Jersey, the Kubert School is the only accredited school devoted entirely to cartooning. The school teaches the principles of sequential art and commercial illustration, as well as the craft of the comics industry. Kubert himself put a tremendous value on education and hard work.
In 1997, Kubert was inducted into the Harvey Awards’ Jack Kirby Hall of Fame, and the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame the following year. His passion and influence has shaped generations of artists and fans, and will continue to do so for years to come.
Joe Kubert is survived by his comic artist sons, Adam and Andy Kubert, as well as sons David and Daniel, his daughter Lisa, and 12 grandchildren.
Sources:
Wikipedia
Washington Post
About Rebecca Veverka
A lifelong Cleveland, Ohio native, Rebecca is the second member of Word of the Nerd that likes to be called Bex. What are the chances? An Anglophile, science and history buff, and avid gamer (both video and tabletop), Bex also spends her free time crafting, illustrating, reading, and getting into amicable arguments with strangers on the internet. She has entirely too much free time. One of her greatest accomplishments is that she's only suffered one minor head injury in her lifetime.
