Книга: Paul Levitz, introduction by Brad Meltzer «Will Eisner: Champion of the Graphic Novel»

Paul Levitz

Infobox Comics creator

Paul Levitz (born 21 October 1956) is an American comic book writer, editor and executive. Currently the President of DC Comics, the oldest comics company in the United States, he has worked for the company for over thirty years in a wide variety of roles.

Biography

Levitz was born in Brooklyn, New York to Hannah and Alfred Levitz. He attended Stuyvesant High School [cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/07/books/07levi.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss |title=DC Comics' Man Upstairs Readjusts His Writer's Cap |first=George Gene |last=Gustines |date=2006-02-07 |publisher=New York Times |accessdate=2007-11-01] during which time he co-wrote and published a popular comic fan magazine, "The Comic Reader." He later enrolled at New York University but left before graduating to work full time at DC Comics, where he had begun working during high school.

DC Comics

Since the mid-1970s, Levitz has been an integral part of DC, working as writer and editor and serving as vice president and executive vice president before assuming the role of President in 2002. Among his earliest roles was helping to edit DC's in-house "Pro-Zine" (professional fanzine) "The Amazing World of DC Comics" (1974-78), a role he was well suited to, having entered the comics field through the ranks of fandom. Along with publisher Jenette Kahn and managing editor Dick Giordano, he was responsible for hiring such writers as Marv Wolfman, John Byrne and Alan Moore, artists such as George Pérez and Keith Giffen, and editor Karen Berger, who contributed to the 1980s revitalization of the company's entire line of comic book heroes.

Levitz has also worked as an editor, most notably on the Batman line of comics. As a writer he is best-known for his work on the title "The Legion of Super-Heroes", which he wrote off and on from 1974 until 1989. Of particular note are his collaborations with artists Michael Netzer (Nasser), James Sherman and Keith Giffen. He also wrote the Justice Society series in All Star Comics during the late 70's after Gerry Conway left the book. He was the co-creator of the Earth-2 Huntress with artist Joe Staton and of Lucien the Librarian with artist Nestor Redondo. Levitz recently returned to writing the Justice Society with issue #82 of "JSA", completing that volume before writer Geoff Johns' relaunch in 2006.

Executive decisions

While he has sometimes provoked controversy — for example, limiting the instances of direct reference to homosexuality in the title "The Authority" spawned a public fight with its then writer, Mark MillarFact|date=May 2008 — Levitz's reign at DC helped the company weather steeply declining sales for superhero comics in the late 1990s.Fact|date=May 2008 Levitz was also instrumental in the push towards graphic novels and trade paperback collections, which could be sold in bookstores and have a longer shelf life than the traditional monthly pamphlet format.Fact|date=May 2008

Other

Levitz married Jeanette Cusimano in 1980 and has three children, Nicole, Philip, and Garret. One of the characters he introduced to the Legion in his second run on the book, GiGi Cusimano, was named after his wife. He currently resides in Chappaqua, New York.

References

External links

* [http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/features/106143682856239.htm 2003 interview by Rik Offenberger]

Источник: Paul Levitz