Ira Schnapp
Encyclopedia
Ira R. Schnapp was a logo
designer
and letterer
who defined the DC Comics
house style for thirty years. He designed the world-famous Action Comics
logo, as well as scores of others for the company.
, in a region called Galicia. A Jew, he came to America with his family some time before 1910, when he was 18 years old. Although his exact schooling is unknown, Schnapp was apparently well-educated. According to DC colorist
Jack Adler
, "Ira Schnapp was a very nice guy who had a classical background. He'd talk about things a lot of people wouldn't know about."
, engraver, and graphic designer
. In 1911, while still only 19 years old, Schnapp was hired to hand-carve the engraving on the front of the main branch of the New York Public Library
: "MDCCCXCV • THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY • MDCCCCII". He then worked designing and engraving stamps for the United States Post Office Department
, and in 1914 was hired as a stone carver for the post office. Schnapp personally designed the lettering, and hand-carved, the famous slogan "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" in the facade of the James Farley General Post Office
. In the later years of the 1910s, Schnapp found work as a silent movie
intertitle
designer and movie theater lobby card designer.
Little is known about Schnapp in the 1920s, but by 1934 he was working as a title designer for Trojan Publishing Corporation, a pulp magazine
publisher. Shortly thereafer, in 1938, Schnapp was hired by comic book publisher DC Comics
for his first job. It was an association that lasted for thirty years. Schnapp worked for DC from 1938 to 1968, creating scores of logos and lettering countless covers and interiors, yet ironically he only received a single in-print credit (in Inferior Five
#6, published in 1966). Most of Schnapp's work was done on front covers, and "mere" cover letterers (or interior letterers, for that matter) were never credited in the era in which Schnapp worked.
Logos
In the early summer of 1938, Schnapp created the iconic Action Comics
logo for DC. He also refined and perfected the Superman
logo in 1940. Over time, Schnapp designed scores of logos for the company's comic books, virtually defining DC's look for 30 years. In addition to the Action and Superman logos, some of the more celebrated logos Schnapp designed include:
DC house ads
With Superman
editor Mort Weisinger
, Schnapp designed and hand-lettered the DC house ads "Coming... Super-Attractions!" which proliferated throughout the pages of the company's comics.
Lettering
Among many other books, Schnapp was the original interior letterer on Superman and Green Lantern. Despite his brilliance as a logo and title designer, however, in the words of comics historian Kirk Kimball, "Schnapp's word-balloon lettering was . . . surprisingly pedestrian." Most of Schnapp's interior lettering was done for DC's line of romance comics. In fact, pop artist Roy Lichtenstein
used the splash page of a romance story lettered by Schnapp in Secret Hearts #83 (November 1962) as the basis for one of Lichtenstein's most iconic works. Lichtenstein slightly reworked the art and dialogue, and re-lettered Schnapp's original word balloon. Drowning Girl (1963) is now part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Comics Code Authority seal
In 1955, with changes brought about by Dr. Fredric Wertham
and the adoption of the Comics Code, Schnapp designed the Comics Code Authority
seal, which became a fixture on comic book covers for over forty years.
Retirement
Carmine Infantino
's appointment as DC's editorial director in 1966 brought about a major shake-up in the company. One of the first things Infantino did was bring in Gaspar Saladino
as the new cover letterer for the company's entire line of comics. Long-time DC writer Marv Wolfman
recalled that "DC kept Ira employed doing miscellaneous things around the production department because . . . management felt they owed him for all his great work." Saladino called Schnapp "'Mr. DC.'" . . . It was sad that when he left it was as though he'd never been there at all. So much of it all came down to business, though. It was to make money."
Schnapp left DC in 1968 and retired to Florida.
, on the Superman logo:
Kirk Kimball of Dial B for Blog:
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
and letterer
Letterer
A letterer is a member of a team of comic book creators responsible for drawing the comic book's text. The letterer's use of typefaces, calligraphy, letter size, and layout all contribute to the impact of the comic. The letterer crafts the comic's "display lettering": the story title lettering and...
who defined the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
house style for thirty years. He designed the world-famous Action Comics
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
logo, as well as scores of others for the company.
Early life and immigration
Schnapp was born in Sassow, AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, in a region called Galicia. A Jew, he came to America with his family some time before 1910, when he was 18 years old. Although his exact schooling is unknown, Schnapp was apparently well-educated. According to DC colorist
Colorist
In comics, a colorist is responsible for adding color to black-and-white line art. For most of the 20th century this was done using brushes and dyes which were then used as guides to produce the printing plates...
Jack Adler
Jack Adler
Jack Adler was an artist who worked as a cover artist and colorist for DC Comics. He was a staff member of DC's production department from 1946–1981, rising steadily up the ranks to production manager and vice president of production.Adler's first comics job was for Funny Folks #2...
, "Ira Schnapp was a very nice guy who had a classical background. He'd talk about things a lot of people wouldn't know about."
Stonecutter, engraver, intertitle designer, and lobby card designer
Upon his arrival in the United States, Schnapp was already a skilled stonecutterStonecutter
A Stonecutter is a person who carries on the trade of stonecutting or stonemasonry.Stonecutter or Stonecutters may also refer to:* Stonecutter, one of twelve magical Swords in the Books of the Swords series...
, engraver, and graphic designer
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
. In 1911, while still only 19 years old, Schnapp was hired to hand-carve the engraving on the front of the main branch of the New York Public Library
New York Public Library Main Branch
The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building of the New York Public Library, more widely known as the Main Branch or simply as "the New York Public Library," is the flagship building in the New York Public Library system and a prominent historic landmark in Midtown Manhattan. The branch, opened in 1911, is...
: "MDCCCXCV • THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY • MDCCCCII". He then worked designing and engraving stamps for the United States Post Office Department
United States Post Office Department
The Post Office Department was the name of the United States Postal Service when it was a Cabinet department. It was headed by the Postmaster General....
, and in 1914 was hired as a stone carver for the post office. Schnapp personally designed the lettering, and hand-carved, the famous slogan "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" in the facade of the James Farley General Post Office
James Farley Post Office
The James A. Farley Post Office Building is the main post office building in New York City. Its ZIP code designation is 10001. Built in 1912, the building is famous for bearing the inscription: Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of...
. In the later years of the 1910s, Schnapp found work as a silent movie
Silent Movie
Silent Movie is a 1976 satirical comedy film co-written, directed by, and starring Mel Brooks, and released by 20th Century Fox on June 17, 1976...
intertitle
Intertitle
In motion pictures, an intertitle is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of the photographed action, at various points, generally to convey character dialogue, or descriptive narrative material related to, but not necessarily covered by, the material photographed.Intertitles...
designer and movie theater lobby card designer.
DC
Pulp magazine
Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
publisher. Shortly thereafer, in 1938, Schnapp was hired by comic book publisher DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
for his first job. It was an association that lasted for thirty years. Schnapp worked for DC from 1938 to 1968, creating scores of logos and lettering countless covers and interiors, yet ironically he only received a single in-print credit (in Inferior Five
Inferior Five
The Inferior Five are a parody superhero team that premiered in the DC Comics title Showcase #62 . Created by E. Nelson Bridwell and Joe Orlando and Mike Esposito , the group was intended as a parody not only of the Fantastic Four, but of all the superhero teams whose members had such great...
#6, published in 1966). Most of Schnapp's work was done on front covers, and "mere" cover letterers (or interior letterers, for that matter) were never credited in the era in which Schnapp worked.
Logos
In the early summer of 1938, Schnapp created the iconic Action Comics
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
logo for DC. He also refined and perfected the Superman
Superman (comic book)
Superman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character Superman began as one of several anthology features in the National Periodical Publications comic book Action Comics #1 in June 1938...
logo in 1940. Over time, Schnapp designed scores of logos for the company's comic books, virtually defining DC's look for 30 years. In addition to the Action and Superman logos, some of the more celebrated logos Schnapp designed include:
- Adventure ComicsAdventure ComicsAdventure Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 and then revamped from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman...
- The AtomAtom (comics)The Atom is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe.There have been five characters who have shared the Atom codename. The original Golden Age Atom, Al Pratt, was created by Ben Flinton and Bill O'Connor and first appeared in All-American Publications'...
- The FlashFlash (comics)The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
- Green LanternGreen LanternThe Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
- HawkmanHawkmanHawkman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics #1, published by All-American Publications in 1940....
- Justice League of America
- Metal MenMetal MenThe Metal Men are fictional characters that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. The characters first appeared in Showcase #37 and were created by writer Robert Kanigher and penciller Ross Andru...
- Secret OriginsSecret OriginsSecret Origins is the title of three American comic book series published by DC Comics.The title began in 1961 and for one issue, all reprints. The title Secret Origins of Super Heroes went onto a second series, also reprints, which ran for seven issues from 1973-1974...
- Superman's Girl Friend, Lois LaneSuperman's Girl Friend, Lois LaneSuperman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane was a comic book series published monthly by DC Comics focusing on the adventures of supporting character Lois Lane. The series began publication March/April 1958 and ended its run September/October 1974 with 137 regular issues and 2 80-page Annuals...
DC house ads
With Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
editor Mort Weisinger
Mort Weisinger
Mortimer Weisinger was an American magazine and comic book editor best known for editing DC Comics' Superman during the mid-1950s to 1960s, in the Silver Age of comic books...
, Schnapp designed and hand-lettered the DC house ads "Coming... Super-Attractions!" which proliferated throughout the pages of the company's comics.
Among many other books, Schnapp was the original interior letterer on Superman and Green Lantern. Despite his brilliance as a logo and title designer, however, in the words of comics historian Kirk Kimball, "Schnapp's word-balloon lettering was . . . surprisingly pedestrian." Most of Schnapp's interior lettering was done for DC's line of romance comics. In fact, pop artist Roy Lichtenstein
Roy Lichtenstein
Roy Lichtenstein was a prominent American pop artist. During the 1960s his paintings were exhibited at the Leo Castelli Gallery in New York City and along with Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, James Rosenquist and others he became a leading figure in the new art movement...
used the splash page of a romance story lettered by Schnapp in Secret Hearts #83 (November 1962) as the basis for one of Lichtenstein's most iconic works. Lichtenstein slightly reworked the art and dialogue, and re-lettered Schnapp's original word balloon. Drowning Girl (1963) is now part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
In 1955, with changes brought about by Dr. Fredric Wertham
Fredric Wertham
Fredric Wertham was a Jewish German-American psychiatrist and crusading author who protested the purportedly harmful effects of violent imagery in mass media and comic books on the development of children. His best-known book was Seduction of the Innocent , which purported that comic books are...
and the adoption of the Comics Code, Schnapp designed the Comics Code Authority
Comics Code Authority
The Comics Code Authority was a body created as part of the Comics Magazine Association of America, as a tool for the comics-publishing industry to self-regulate the content of comic books in the United States. Member publishers submitted comic books to the CCA, which screened them for adherence to...
seal, which became a fixture on comic book covers for over forty years.
Retirement
Carmine Infantino
Carmine Infantino
Carmine Infantino Carmine Infantino Carmine Infantino (born May 24, 1925, in Brooklyn, New York is an American comic book artist and editor who was a major force in the Silver Age of Comic Books...
's appointment as DC's editorial director in 1966 brought about a major shake-up in the company. One of the first things Infantino did was bring in Gaspar Saladino
Gaspar Saladino
Gaspar Saladino is an award-winning letterer and logo designer who worked for over 50 years in the comic book industry, mostly for DC Comics. He has over 3,000 credits on the Grand Comics Database. Eventually Saladino went by one name, "Gaspar," which he wrote in his trademark calligraphy...
as the new cover letterer for the company's entire line of comics. Long-time DC writer Marv Wolfman
Marv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
recalled that "DC kept Ira employed doing miscellaneous things around the production department because . . . management felt they owed him for all his great work." Saladino called Schnapp "'Mr. DC.'" . . . It was sad that when he left it was as though he'd never been there at all. So much of it all came down to business, though. It was to make money."
Schnapp left DC in 1968 and retired to Florida.
Personal life
According to census documents, Schnapp married a woman named Beatrice in 1919, and the couple took up residence in the Bronx, New York. They had two children, Martin and Theresa. Schnapp died in New York in 1969.Quotes
Mark EvanierMark Evanier
Mark Stephen Evanier is an American comic book and television writer, particularly known for his humor work. He is also known for his columns and blogs, and for his work as a historian and biographer of the comics industry, in particular his award-winning Jack Kirby biography, Kirby: King of...
, on the Superman logo:
Kirk Kimball of Dial B for Blog: