Julie Schwartz, 1915-2004

Julie Schwartz, prominent science fiction and comic book pro and fan, died Sunday at the age of 89.

Schwartz is one of those media giants whom you never hear much about, but he was a giant in both industries. He helped publish, in 1932, what is widely considered to be the first SF fanzine. He was an agent for SF writers in the 30s and 40s, reportedly selling Ray Bradbury's earliest published works. He helped organize the first World Science Fiction Convention in 1939.

By the time he turned 30 (!) he had done all this and moved on to become an editor at DC Comics, where he oversaw the last days of DC's Golden Age superhero comics, and then was instrumental in reviving the superhero in the 1950s, with the revamped Flash, Green Lantern, and others. Schwartz's efforts probably indirectly inspired the Marvel Comics revolution of the 1960s. Then Schwartz helped overhaul Batman, and he rounded out his career editing Superman for 15 years, during my entire childhood. While the Schwartz-era Superman was hardly a golden age for the character, it did see him modernized in many important ways, getting away from the creaky storytelling approaches of the Mort Weisinger era of the 50s and 60s.

Schwartz was, by all accounts, well-liked throughout the industry, and my one encounter with him - a "panel" (really a one-man presentation) of his at a Windycon about 7 years ago in which he admonished me to read Alfred Bester's novels (which I did, and enjoyed!). He was funny, charming, and had more good stories than just about anyone else I've ever heard. I could have listened to him all afternoon.

I got the impression that above all he was a true fan: He loved the work of those who could write and draw, and was enthusiastic in encouraging and promoting those whose work he loved. If that ain't a fan, what is?

Mark Evanier has written extensively about Schwartz this week. Follow the link and then read forward chronologically from there. Good stuff.

He'll be missed, if only because I won't get to see him tell his stories again.

From the sad to the faintly-ridiculous: I may not get to see the Red Sox this year. In person, I mean.

The Giants are hosting the Sox in late June for a 3-game weekend series. I'd hoped to get tickets when they went on sale this past Sunday. Nope. They sold out in a flash. The Dodgers series the following 3 days was still available, but not the Red Sox series. Lame!

Lamer: The Athletics host the Sox in early September. But I may not be in town then. I may be... in Boston attending the World Science Fiction Convention. And since the unbalanced schedule means the Sox spend more of the season playing teams I don't care about and can't get to see anyway (Toronto, Tampa Bay, Baltimore), they only visit Oakland once this year (lame!).

So, unless I can arrange a trip to Boston around a homestand, or I can get down to southern California to catch a game against the Sox there, I may not see them in person at all this year.

Argh. I really hate the unbalanced schedule.