Harris Levey: Difference between revisions
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== Teenage years == |
== Teenage years == |
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As a teenager, Harris studied at "DeWitt Clinton High School"<ref name="DeWittClintonHighSchool">[http://clinton.ny.schoolwebpages.com/education/school/school.php?sectionid=2 DeWitt Clinton High School]</ref> in The Bronx. During his time at Dewitt High, Harris contributed his illustrations to the pages of the school's Clinton News and to its other publication, Magpie <ref name=" |
As a teenager, Harris studied at "DeWitt Clinton High School"<ref name="DeWittClintonHighSchool">[http://clinton.ny.schoolwebpages.com/education/school/school.php?sectionid=2 DeWitt Clinton High School]</ref> in The Bronx. During his time at Dewitt High, Harris contributed his illustrations to the pages of the school's Clinton News and to its other publication, Magpie <ref name="Magpie1">[http://newdeal.feri.org/magpie/images/dwc003.htm Magpie1]</ref> <ref name="Magpie2">[http://newdeal.feri.org/magpie/images/dwc041.htm Magpie2]</ref>. It is interesting to note that Stanley Martin Lieber (aka "Stan Lee" "Marvel Comics") also was a "DeWitt School Alumni" at the same period of time(both Harris and Stan Lee graduated from DeWitt in 1939). |
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== DC Comic book illustrator == |
== DC Comic book illustrator == |
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Revision as of 16:42, 30 July 2010
Harris Levey | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 13, 1921 |
| Died | August 18, 1984 Age: 63 Adirondack Region, New York |
| Other names | "Lee Harris","Leland Harris" |
| Occupation(s) | DC Comic Book Illustrator/Creator, Magazine Illustrator, Creative Art Director Advertising, Painter |
Harris Levey (aka: Lee Harris, Leland Harris, August 13, 1921 – August 18, 1984) was a comic book illustrator and creator for DC Comics from 1941-1948[1] and was the creator of DC's Air Wave comic series.[2]
Teenage years
As a teenager, Harris studied at "DeWitt Clinton High School"[3] in The Bronx. During his time at Dewitt High, Harris contributed his illustrations to the pages of the school's Clinton News and to its other publication, Magpie [4] [5]. It is interesting to note that Stanley Martin Lieber (aka "Stan Lee" "Marvel Comics") also was a "DeWitt School Alumni" at the same period of time(both Harris and Stan Lee graduated from DeWitt in 1939).
DC Comic book illustrator
Harris changed his name legally from "Harris Levey" to "Leland Harris" in his late teens, following high school. After graduating from DeWitt, he worked as a comic book illustrator[1][6] and creator for DC Comics (circa 1941-1948), and was the creator of Air Wave.[2] [7]. Harris most often signed his DC Comic book illustrations as "Lee Harris". However, on some occasions he signed as "Leland Harris".
The war years
Harris left DC comics to serve in WWII, where he was trained in photography and served as an aerial and ground photographer throughout Europe. Also during this same period of time, "Krazy Kraut" was one of his comic character creations, circulated amongst the troops, for a brief period.
Return to DC Comics
Following his return from the army, Harris returned to work for DC Comics for a relatively brief period of time and during this time he went on to help create, illustrate, color and pencil other characters for DC Comics. One of these creations was a super-hero named "Tarantula"[8] --who could shoot web-like substance from a special gun allowing him to capture villains and to swing from building to building. In addition, suction cups on his gloves and boots allowed Tarantula to scale up the sides of tall buildings). Another of Lee Harris' illustrations during this post-WWII period was "Lando, Man of Magic"[9]. It is worthwhile to note that as a teenager, prior to serving in the war, Harris had worked briefly as an assistant to theatrical magician, "Dante", and that this experience may have served as a reference for some of his Lando drawings). During this post-war period, Harris also did illustration and coloring and "penciling" for several issues of Superman and Batman BatmanDC#60. Immediately following the war (under GI Bill), Harris studied illustration and painting at the "Arts Students League of New York".[10]
Work in the advertising field
Within a few years (circa 1948), Harris left the comic book world (changing his name legally back to "Harris Levey" just prior to his marriage, at which point he went on to provide illustrations and advertising for the New York Journal American newspaper,[11] as well as providing cover illustrations for several magazines. Then from the early 1960's -1980's Harris moved on to serve as a Creative Art Director for several major advertising agencies based in New York City (ie. Fuller-Smith & Ross, Foote Cone & Belding, Ted Bates).
Education
In the late 1970s, while continuing his work in the field of advertising, Harris completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Communications (evening studies) through Empire State University.[12] At the time, Empire State University had just embarked on a brand new program, one that offered partial credits towards the earning of one's diploma, in recognition of relevant life experience.
Print advertising and TV commercials
In 1980, Harris worked on print ads and a string of television commercials in the role of Creative Art Director for the Bomstein Agency[13] --a Washington, DC (Georgetown) based advertising firm.
Final years
While continuing his work at the Bomstein Agency, during weekends and evenings, Harris continued to paint with oils --developing his skills to render "Still Lifes" and Portraits in a hyper-realistic style. During his last decade, Harris and his wife spent long weekends at their cabin on Flemming Pond (Ticonderoga region of the Adirondack mountains). During one such weekend, Harris suffered a serious heart attack following a hike on Mount Jo. He was taken to a nearby the hospital where he succumbed to heart failure. He is survived by his wife (Elinor Seidl) and two grown sons.