Joe Kubert Books

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Joe Kubert was a Jewish-American comic book artist from Poland who died in 2012. He is best known for creating characters like Tor and Hawkman. He is a member of the Jack Kirby and Will Eisner Halls of Fame.

Born in Jezierzany, Kubert’s Polish parents attempted to emigrate to the US in 1926. But because Kubert’s mother was pregnant at the time, she was prevented from boarding the ship that was destined for North America. She went back home with her husband. Kubert was born that same year.

Two months after, the family, including Kubert’s sister Ida who was almost three at the time, journeyed to the US. The author’s father, Jacob, was a kosher butcher. His mother, Etta, managed a restaurant. The family occupied the three rooms in the back of the restaurant in Brooklyn.

Joe Kubert’s artistic interests were sparked at a young age. As a 3-year-old, the people in his community would give Kubert chalk and then watch as he filled the gutters with his drawings. His parents understood that art was a risky career choice. But they encouraged him regardless.

They knew how easy it was for the young son of an immigrant family to fall in with the gangs in the neighborhood. So they were glad that he did not have the idle time required to mingle with the wrong people. His father spent $10 buying him a drawing table. In the depression era, that was a lot of money.

As a growing boy, Kubert was influenced by movies like the original ‘Public Enemy’ and the comic strips that newspapers and magazines ran. By the time he was 11, comic books were starting to gain momentum. As far as his introduction to the industry is concerned, Kubert got lucky.

The artist had a friend in school called Melvin Budoff whose uncle was a major player in MLJ, a company that eventually became Archie Group. Melvin encouraged Kubert to show his drawings to his uncle. The artist wrapped them in newspapers and took them down to the MLJ office on Canal Street in Manhattan.

The experience changed his life. He met legends like Harry Shorten and Charlie Biro. He was barely a teenager at the time and yet everyone he met at MLJ went to great lengths to help him. He was allowed to watch his idols as they worked

He was also given insightful pointers regarding his own work. After joining the Manhattan High School of Music and Art, Kubert and a friend of his, Norman Maurer, started skipping school. They were hoping to pique the interest of some of the bigger publishers in the city.

It was on one such expedition that they met Harry Chesler. The encounter secured the artist his first paying gig. Kubert had no idea how lucky he was. The author was just glad for the opportunity to hone his craft. One of his highlights was the work he did for Will Eisner.

As a young man, Kubert’s career continued to grow. At 16, he started doing illustrations for the hero Volton. By the 1950s, he was making a name for himself as one of the pioneers of the 3D comic. He worked for Harvey Comics, wrote for the character ‘Hawkman’ and became a legend in his own right for his contributions to DC comics and the character of Sergeant Rock.

By the time he died in 2012, Kubert was known as much for the work the Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art does as he was for his comic books.

Joe Kubert Awards

The comic book artist’s collection of awards includes the Alley Award (The Brave and the Bold, Sea Devils), Inkpot Award, Eisner Award (Fax from Sarajevo), National Cartoonists Society Award, and the Harvey Award, to mention but a few.

Best Joe Kubert Books

Kubert was known for illustrating stories that explored human nature during times of war, with some of the best titles in his bibliography including:

Fax from Sarajevo: Ervin Rustemagic was an international businessman. He had the misfortune of being in Sarajevo when war broke out in 1992. Joe Kubert was a client of his. With little else to do, Ervin reached out to the comic book artist via fax. Kubert took Ervin’s messages and turned them into an award-winning graphic novel.

Yossel: Joe Kubert was lucky. The Jewish American’s family escaped the Nazi War Machine by leaving Poland and settling down in Brooklyn. In this story, he tries to imagine what would have happened if he hadn’t escaped. He explores this alternate series of events through the eyes of Yossel, a fictional character, an artistic boy and a jew living in Poland during the Nazi occupation.

When Does The Next Joe Kubert book come out?

Joe Kubert doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Tex and was released on March, 24th 2015.

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