SCHWARTZ, Julius

(1915-)

   US agent and editor, born Bronx, New York. JS met his lifelong friend and colleague Mort WEISINGER at a meeting of the Scienceers sf group in 1931. Together they published the first true FANZINE, The Time Traveller (1932), and the later fanzine, Science Fiction Digest (1932),which in 1934 became FANTASY MAGAZINE, though Weisinger was not officially an editor on the latter. In 1934 they founded Solar Sales Service, the first literary agency to specialize in sf; early clients included Henry L. HASSE, David H. KELLER, P. Schuyler MILLER and Stanley G. WEINBAUM. WhenWeisinger became editor of THRILLING WONDER STORIES in 1936, JS ran the agency alone for the next 10 years, new clients including Alfred BESTER, Otto Binder (Eando BINDER), Leigh BRACKETT, Ray BRADBURY, John RussellFEARN and Manly Wade WELLMAN.At Bester's suggestion, JS became editor at All-American Comics (later part of DC COMICS) in Feb 1944. In the mid-1950s he played a major role in the DC revival of the SUPERHERO with new versions of earlier characters, many utilizing sf themes. These included The Flash (police scientist who gains superspeed in accident), Green Lantern (test pilot given power ring by alien Guardians from theplanet Oa so that he can police this sector of space), Hawkman (policeman from the planet Thanagar operating on Earth), Adam Strange (Earthman who becomes protector of the planet Rann) and The Atom (scientist with the ability to become smaller - JS called this character, in his civilian identity, Ray Palmer, Raymond A. PALMER being the shortest of all sf editors). JS also revived the flagging fortunes of Batman by giving it a "new look". When Weisinger left DC in 1971, JS took over as SUPERMANeditor. He left this position in 1986 to edit the shortlived DC SF Graphic Album adaptations (1985-7), whose titles in publication order were: Hellon Earth (1942 Weird Tales; graph 1985) by Robert BLOCH, Nightwings (1968 Gal; graph 1985) by Robert SILVERBERG, Frost \& Fire (1946 Planet Storiesas "The Land that Time Forgot"; graph 1985) by Ray Bradbury, Merchants of Venus (graph 1986) from the 1971 novella by Frederik POHL, Demon with aGlass Hand (graph 1986) from the 1964 Outer Limits tv script by Harlan ELLISON, The Magic Goes Away (graph 1986) from the 1978 book by Larry NIVEN and Sandkings (1979 Omni; graph 1987) by George R.R. MARTIN. The line was a commercial failure, and JS gave up editing to become a consultant to DC and "a goodwill ambassador for DC . . . to various conventions".

RH