"Charles Nicholas" is the pseudonymous house name of three early creators of Americancomic books for theFox Feature Syndicate and Fox Comics:Chuck Cuidera (1915–2001),Jack Kirby (1917–1994), andCharles Wojtkoski (1921–1985). The name originated atEisner & Iger, one of the firstcomic book packagers that created comics on demand for publishers entering the newmedium during the 1930s–1940sGolden Age of comic books. The three creators are listed in order of birth year, below.
Will Eisner, co-principal of the comic-book packagerEisner & Iger during the 1930s–1940sGolden Age of comic books, and himself a comics creator, recalled in 1999 that at his company,
We had a whole bunch of phony names like Chuck's. We just handed them out with the salary. There was a period in comics beginning with the middle- to late-'30s when none of the artists owned their own drawings. They were hired by the publishers ... [who] used what thepulp magazines used – a thing called a house name. A fake name. So the publishers not only owned the comic strip, they owned the name [of the creator], therefore the guy working for them couldn't lay a claim. That's how the name 'Charles Nicholas' started.[1]
| Chuck Cuidera | |
|---|---|
| Born | Charles Nicholas Cuidera (1915-09-23)September 23, 1915 |
| Died | August 25, 2001(2001-08-25) (aged 85) |
| Area | Artist |
Notable works | Blackhawk |
Charles Nicholas Cuidera,[2] also known asChuck Cuidera (September 23, 1915 – August 25, 2001),[3] was an American comic book artist best known as the first illustrator of theQuality Comics aviator characterBlackhawk, inMilitary Comics #1–11 (Aug. 1941 – Aug. 1942). Cuidera was also an early artist of thesuperheroBlue Beetle, yet though he claimed, in his very late years, that he was the Charles Nicholas who created that character, comics historians creditCharles Wojtkowski, who also used the Charles Nicholas pseudonym.[4]
Cuidera grew up inNewark, New Jersey, and after earning art scholarships graduated fromPratt Institute in 1939. Breaking into comic books atFox Feature Syndicate, where he drew Blue Beetle stories, he shortly afterward migrated to theEisner & Iger shop.
There he drew the first 11 stories of Blackhawk, the creation of which is also vaguely recorded from the early days of comics, when proper writer-artist credits were not a standard feature. Though reference sources list Eisner as scripter of the first four Blackhawk stories and Dick French beginning with issue #5, Cuidera said he created the character, and thatBob Powell scripted the debut story before turning the feature over to him: "I never drew a script by French. Powell wrote the first one and I wrote the rest until I went into the service".[2] Eisner, who has also said he was involved in Blackhawk's initial writing, hedged the issue, saying, "Whether or not Chuck Cuidera created or thought of Blackhawk to begin with is unimportant [and] the fact that Chuck Cuidera made Blackhawk what it was is the important thing, and therefore, he should get the credit".[2] As the debut artist who designed the characters, Cuidera is confirmably at least the co-creator.
During Cuidera's absence,Reed Crandall had become established onBlackhawk, which would become one of Crandall's signature features. Cuidera segued to work primarily on the Quality character Captain Triumph and later became the company'sart director. When Quality soldDC Comics the rights of Blackhawk in 1956, thepenciler by then,Dick Dillin, andinker Cuidera continued to work on the character for the new owner. Cuidera became the regular inker on a number of DC features and series, includingHawkman andThe Brave and the Bold, before leaving comics in 1970.
Cuidera, an avidscuba diver, invented and sold a quick-release diver's weight belt, and also taught scuba inNew JerseyYMCAs.[5] He retired, and was a guest of honor at the 1999Comic-Con International.[5]
Future industry legendJack Kirby (1917–1994) used the name Charles Nicholas during his fledgling days, in 1940, adopting that house pseudonym during his three-month run as artist of theFox Feature Syndicatecomic strip version of the Blue Beetle.
| Charles Wojtkoski | |
|---|---|
| Born | Charles Nicholas Wojtkoski (1921-12-06)December 6, 1921 |
| Died | June 21, 1985(1985-06-21) (aged 63) |
| Area | Writer, Artist |
| Pseudonym | Charles Nicholas |
Notable works | Blue Beetle |
Charles Nicholas Wojtkoski (December 6, 1921 – June 21, 1985) was an American comic book writer-artist best known as the credited creator of theFox Comics characterBlue Beetle, which in various incarnations has continued through three comics companies and into the 21st century.
The Blue Beetlefirst appeared in Fox Comics' superhero anthology seriesMystery Men Comics #1 (Aug. 1939), with art by Wojtkoski (as Charles Nicholas), though theGrand Comics Database tentatively credits Will Eisner as the scripter.[6] His family has said Wojtkowski "decided in the late 1930s to sell the rights to the character to raise money".
As Charles Nicholas, Wojtkoski variously penciled and inked stories forTimely Comics, the 1940s predecessor ofMarvel Comics, where his credits include the character The Defender inUSA Comics #1 (Aug. 1941), and stories inYoung Allies Comics #1 (Summer 1941),Tough Kid Squad Comics #1 (March 1942), andComedy Comics (during 1942). Following World War II military service, he returned to Timely, where, beginning with comics cover-dated Spring 1946, he worked on a variety of stories and covers forCaptain America Comics,Human Torch Comics,Marvel Mystery Comics,Sub-Mariner Comics (where he drew the backup feature "Blonde Phantom"), and the landmarkAll Winners Comics #21 (Winter 1946/47), featuring Timely/Marvel's first superhero team, the (hyphenated)All-Winners Squad; Nicholas penciled the cover and theMiss America chapter, and inked pencilerAl Avison's lead chapter.
Wojtkoski later worked on theFawcett Comics jungle characterNyoka, and spent the remainder of his career in-house atCharlton Comics inDerby, Connecticut. There he enjoyed a remarkable 23-year run as penciler on a single creative team, with inkerVince Alascia (another Timely veteran) and writerJoe Gill. The art team would sometimes sign its workNicholas & Alascia, as in the panel at left.
In 1978–79, Wojtkoski drew comics for editorVincent Fago onPendulum Press's Contemporary Motivators series, a line of comic book adaptations of inspiring stories and morality tales likeBanner in the Sky,God Is My Co-Pilot,Guadalcanal Diary,The Diary of Anne Frank, andLost Horizon; as well as a rough adaptation ofStar Wars.[7]
After Charlton went defunct in the mid-1980s, Wojtkoski drew for thesatiric magazineCracked and for Marvel Comics'The Incredible Hulkcomic strip,[8] as well as for the firstTransformers hardcoverchildren's books andcoloring books.[8]