Hy Eisman (b. 1927)

Born: 1927 March 27 in Paterson, New Jersey, United States

Biography: Eisman had a long career doing ghost work for comic books and comic strips.

Additional biographical details can be found in:
Cartoonist PROfiles (Jud Hurd, 1969 series) #34 (June 1977) and #46 (June 1980);
Hogan's Alley blog "Getting Hy on Comics: A Profile of Hy Eisman" 19 August 2020, https://www.hoganmag.com/blog/getting-hy-on-comics-a-profile-of-hy-eisman.

He did his first work at the age of 18 as a contributing cartoonist for Fort Pickett News (Fort Pickett [Virginia]) while in the U.S. Army circa 1945. Fort Pickett News was started by Bill Mauldin and Eisman worked with future Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner, a fellow contributing cartoonist on the Fort's newspaper.

He was a ghost penciler for Vince Colletta from 1960 to 1964.

Eisman did gag cartoons for New Jersey Bell Telephone during 1960.

He did the artwork for a proposed book adaptation of Bud Blake's Tiger comic strip in 1970 but was never published.

He was a teacher at the Joe Kubert School of Cartooning and Graphic Arts from 1976 to 1994 and possibly onwards. He taught the art of lettering.

Syndication credits:
Bringing Up Father daily (King Features Syndicate) 1958-XX-XX - 1965-XX-XX [Ghost penciler.];
It Happened in New Jersey! weekly panel (New Jersey News [Newark, New Jersey]) 1953-XX-XX - 1956-XX-XX [Writer, penciler, and inker.];
Joe Panther daily (not syndicated) 1960-XX-XX - 1963-XX-XX [Penciler and inker. Spent several years trying to syndicate the comic strip but found only one possible taker, United Feature Syndicate. But both Eisman and writer Kelly Masters {working as Zachary Bell} balked at the standard contract terms being offered to them and decided not to proceed. The character was reworked into the October 1976 motion picture, Joe Panther {Artists & Creation Associates}.];
Katzenjammer Kids Sunday (King Features Syndicate) 1986-XX-XX - 2006-01-01 [Writer, penciler, and inker. Eisman's work continues in reprints by King Features to present {as of 2021}.];
Kerry Drake daily (Publishers Syndicate) 1950-XX-XX ?; 1957-XX-XX - 1959-XX-XX [Ghost penciler. Did a one-off job for ];
Kerry Drake Sunday (Publishers Syndicate) 1957-XX-XX - 1959-XX-XX [Ghost penciler.];
Little Iodine Sunday (King Features Syndicate) 1967-09-10 - 1983-08-14 [Writer, penciler, and inker.];
Mutt and Jeff Sunday (Bell-McClure Syndicate) 1963-XX-XX, 1965-XX-XX - 1966-XX-XX [Ghost penciler.];
Thimble Theatre / Popeye Sunday (King Features Syndicate) 1994-XX-XX - present [As of 2021. Writer, penciler, and inker.].

Sample Scan:

Name:

    Hy Eisman Type: Common Alternative Name
    Given name: Hy Family name: Eisman

Other Names:

  1. Eisman Type: Common Alternative Name
  2. Hyman Eisman Type: Name at Birth
    Given name: Hyman Family name: Eisman

Schools:

  1. Art Career School [NYC] ? to ?

    Notes: Sometime during the late 1940s after being discharged from the U.S. Army. Eisman graduated sometime during the early 1950s.

Signatures:

  1. Eisman [generic]
  2. Hy Eisman
  3. Hy Eisman [generic]

Awards:

  1. 1975: National Cartoonist Society Awards (NCS Awards) - Humor Comic Book Division
  2. 1983: National Cartoonist Society Awards (NCS Awards) - Comic Book Division
  3. 2020: National Cartoonist Society Awards (NCS Awards) - Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award

Art Influences:

Hy Eisman (b. 1927) stated influences by:
  1. Percy Crosby (b. 1891)
  2. Hal Foster (b. 1892)
  3. Clifford McBride (b. 1901)
  4. Alex Raymond (b. 1909)
  5. Raeburn Van Buren (b. 1891)
Influences by Hy Eisman (b. 1927) were stated by:
  1. Rob Leigh
  2. Rod Ollerenshaw (b. 1960)

Memberships:

  1. National Cartoonist Society Type: member Duration: 1957 - ?
    Notes: Bails describes him as "general membership representative".

Non Comics Works:

  1. Publication Title: gag cartoons; cartoon mats (other) - Role: artist - Years: 1966 - 1971
    Employer Name : Planned Communication Services [public relations media]
    Work Title: artist

  2. Publication Title: It Happened in N. J. (newspaper) - Role: artist - Years: 1953 - 1956
    Employer Name : Newark News
    Work Title: writer, pencils, inks

  3. Publication Title: Japanese toys and stationery (other) - Role: artist - Years: 1980 - 1983
    Employer Name : unknown
    Work Title: artist

  4. Publication Title: packaging (other) - Role: artist - Years: 1950 - 1953
    Employer Name : The Fuld Company
    Work Title: artist

  5. Publication Title: posters (other) - Role: artist - Year: 1960
    Employer Name : New Jersey Bell Telephone
    Work Title: artist

  6. Publication Title: Valentine Day greeting cards (other) - Role: artist - Years: 1950 - 1953
    Employer Name : The Fuld Company
    Work Title: artist

  7. Publication Title: various (book) - Role: artist - Year: 1956
    Employer Name : J. J. Little and Ives
    Work Title: artist and colorist

  8. Publication Title: various paperbacks (book) - Role: artist - Year: 1956
    Employer Name : J. J. Little and Ives
    Work Title: artist

Relations:

  1. Ghosted for - Alfred Andriola (b. 1912)
    Notes: Eisman did ghost penciling for Kerry Drake (Publishers Syndicate) daily and Sunday from sometime in 1957 to sometime in 1959.
  2. Parent of - Adri Eisman
    Notes: Adri is the daughter of Hy.
  3. Spouse - Mindy Eisman (b. 1960)
  4. Ghosted for - Vernon Greene (b. 1908)
    Notes: Eisman did ghost penciling work for the Bringing Up Father (King Features Syndicate) daily during 1964.
  5. Ghosted for - Al Smith (b. 1902)
    Notes: Eisman did ghost pencil work for Mutt and Jeff (Bell-McClure Syndicate) Sundays. Per Allan Holtz, this was during 1963. Per Jerry Bails this was from sometime in 1965 to sometime in 1966.

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