Ever wonder who gave Superman his Fortress of Solitude, or why kryptonite comes in so many colors? Meet Mortimer “Mort” Weisinger, the unsung architect of Superman’s expansive mythology during the Silver Age of Comics.
Born in April 1915 in New York and raised in the Bronx by Austrian Jewish parents, Weisinger discovered science fiction and comics at age thirteen through an August 1928 issue of Amazing Stories. By 1930, at fifteen, Weisinger was an active member of some of the earliest science fiction fan clubs and fanzines, including The Planet. In 1931, he hosted a meeting of a pioneering sci-fi fan club, “The Scienceers,” attended by a young Julius Schwartz and other future notables of the science fiction world.
In 1932, Weisinger, Schwartz, and Allen Glasser joined Forrest J. Ackerman in founding The Time Traveller, a fan magazine that grew out of “The Scienceers” fan club. Styled as “Science Fiction’s Only Fan Magazine,” it published interviews with and short pieces by established science fiction writers, allowing them to gain familiarity with the notable personalities of that era.
After high school, Mort attended New York University, where he became an active member and eventual editor of the college’s newspaper and magazine. However, he left before graduating. With Julius Schwartz, he approached T. Connor Sloane, the editor of Amazing Stories, and sold his first story titled “The Price of Peace.” In 1934, Weisinger proposed to Schwartz the idea of starting a literary agency, and they formed the Solar Sales Service, the first literary agency to specialize in science fiction, horror, and fantasy. The agency’s first client was Edmond Hamilton, known for Captain Future stories, followed by Otto Binder, Ray Bradbury, H.P. Lovecraft, and Stanley Weinbaum, among others.
In the late 1930s, Weisinger left the agency to Schwartz and moved on to a job with Standard Magazine, a publisher of pulp magazines. Mort became the editor of Thrilling Wonder Stories and bought stories from his former partner, including stories by Hamilton. By 1940, he was editing a wide range of Standard pulps, including Startling Stories and Captain Future, eventually overseeing about 40 titles.
In 1941, he left Standard Magazines for National Periodicals, the early iteration of DC Comics, where he became the editor of the Superman and Batman titles. Among his early tasks was creating new characters, leading to the debut of Aquaman, Green Arrow, Johnny Quick, and Vigilante in More Fun Comics #73.
However, his career was interrupted in 1942 when he was conscripted into the Army, serving as a sergeant in Special Services. Stationed at Yale, Mort wrote scripts for an army radio show called “I Sustain the Wings.” He roomed with future notable actors William Holden and Broderick Crawford. During this time, Weisinger met Thelma Rudnick, whom he married on September 27, 1943.
After his discharge in 1946, Weisinger returned to National and resumed editing Superman and Batman comics. During his tenure, he introduced a wide variety of new concepts and supporting characters, such as Supergirl, Krypto the Superdog, the Legion of Superheroes, and various forms of kryptonite. He also attempted to rationalize Superman’s powers using real-world science and introduced the “imaginary story” gimmick for non-canonical what-if scenarios. He conceived DC’s first giant anthology, The Superman Annual.
Weisinger often talked to kids in his neighborhood about what they wanted to see in comics, leading to the creation of the Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen spin-off titles. He became known for reusing previously published stories as new story ideas, such as a 1950s story featuring Superman encountering an alien being he thought might have been his long-lost brother, which was reused in the early 1960s as a Superboy story introducing Mon-El.
In the early 1950s, he was invited to California to work as a story editor for the Superman TV series. Weisinger worked with Superman actor George Reeves and influenced others, including Jackson Gillis, William Woolfolk, Jim Shooter, and Leigh Brackett.
Eventually, Mort focused solely on Superman, becoming the editor of all Superman titles from 1958 until his retirement in 1970. Known for his micromanagement style, he maintained tight internal continuity within the Superman comics, although they related little to the rest of the DC Universe. Upon his retirement, he was succeeded by his childhood friend and longtime colleague Julius Schwartz. Weisinger was later immortalized within the Superman comics with a bust in Clark Kent’s apartment in both artwork and storylines.
Weisinger didn’t limit himself to science fiction. He wrote freelance articles for various magazines, including Reader’s Digest, Collier’s, Parade, and The Saturday Evening Post. His topics ranged widely, from comics and the Comics Code to profiles of celebrities and beauty contests. His best-selling novel The Contest was inspired by his article for Parade on why certain finalists in the Miss America Pageant could never win the crown. He also authored 1001 Valuable Things You Can Get for Free, a compendium of freebies available to the public.
Mort Weisinger spent his life working in science fiction, a passion that began at thirteen and carried him through his career. He lived much of his life in New York and remained there until his death in 1978 from a heart attack. In 1985, he was posthumously named one of the honorees in DC Comics’ 50th anniversary publication, Fifty Who Made DC Great, for his long tenure as Superman editor and his expansion of the Superman mythology and universe.
Mort Weisinger’s legacy extends beyond the pages of comic books. His extensive personal and professional papers are housed at the American Heritage Center. This collection offers researchers and comic enthusiasts a unique window into Weisinger’s life, creative process, and his significant contributions to Superman’s mythology and the broader world of science fiction.
Post contributed by AHC Processing Archivist Brittany Heye.
