Leo Nowak (artist)

Leo Nowak

Leonard "Leo" Nowak (December 24, 1907 in Elizabeth, New Jersey – January 6, 2001 in Inyokern, California)[1] was an American illustrator known for his work on Superman during the Golden Age of Comic Books, when he was one of Joe Shuster's assistants.[2] In this role, he was the first (in both the comic strip and the comic book) to portray Lex Luthor as bald; in Luthor's earlier appearances, he had red hair.[3]

Prior to joining Shuster, Nowak had studied art with Frank N. Wilcox[4] and Henry Keller,[5] but instead worked as a musician.[6] One day, during his time off, Nowak painted a mural in a nightclub where he played regularly; a salesman who admired the work told Nowak that Siegel and Shuster were looking for artistic assistance.[7] Nowak visited their studio and was hired immediately.[7]

In 1942, Nowak co-created (with Jerry Siegel) the first character to be known as Robotman.[8]

In 1943, Nowak was drafted into the United States Army, and left comics.[2]

In the 1970s, Nowak moved to Inyokern, where he became a political cartoonist.[9]

References

  1. ^ Remembering Superman artist Leo Nowak
  2. ^ a b the Shuster Shop: 1941-42, at comics.org; published no later than November 22, 2002 (date of earliest revision on archive.org); retrieved January 5, 2015
  3. ^ Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #79, by Brian Cronin, at Comic Book Resources; published November 30, 2006; retrieved January 5, 2015
  4. ^ Leo Nowak at the Papillon Gallery; retrieved January 5, 2015
  5. ^ Leo Nowak: Keywords and Quick Facts at AskART; retrieved January 5, 2015
  6. ^ Superman: The High-Flying History of America's Most Enduring Hero, by Larry Tye, published May 21, 2013, by Random House (via Google Books)
  7. ^ a b Remembering Superman artist Leo Nowak, by Michael Sangiacomo, at the Plain Dealer; published December 27, 2013; retrieved January 5, 2015
  8. ^ Robotman, at Don Markstein's Toonopedia; published no later than 2009; retrieved January 5, 2015
  9. ^ Leo Nowak, at Lambiek; published 13 July 2007; retrieved 5 January, 2015