Historian Arlen Schumer sheds light on the career of Ira Schnapp at the Type Directors Club of New York with his lecture “The Super Type Of Ira Schnapp”!
Ira Schnapp was arguably one of the most important DC Comics artists, setting the look that defined the company for decades! Largely ignored by comics history, Ira Schnapp designed the iconic Action Comics logo as well as perfected the Superman logo in 1940. Some of Schnapp’s logos can be seen below!
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.
Schnapp was also responsible for those beautiful house adds that ran throughout DC Comics.
Arlen Schumer’s lecture on Ira Schnapp begins on May 14, 2015 at 6:30pm and will run throughout the summer! The lectures will be held at the Type Directors Club of New York, 347 West 36th St New York, NY 10018.
THE SUPER TYPE OF IRA SCHNAPP—
Would you believe that the artist who designed in engraved Roman letters the slogan, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night…” atop New York City’s main post office at Penn Station is the same man who designed the famous, iconic Superman comic book logo?
Both are the works of Ira Schnapp (1892-1969), a descendant of stonecutters, calligrapher and hand-letterer who defin…ed the “house style” of DC Comics for over 30 years, starting with the Action Comics logo on the cover of Superman’s first appearance in 1938, and continuing with scores of others for the company, including hundreds of house ads promoting their monthly comics that are among some of the greatest examples of hand-lettering in the 20th Century.
Yet, for all of his ubiquitous works, to the comic book audience, as well as comic book historians, and of course the general audience, Schnapp’s name and legacy are unknown and forgotten.
But comic book historian and writer/illustrator/designer Arlen Schumer (The Silver Age of Comic Book Art, Archway Publishing) aims to change that with his lecture and collateral exhibit on Schnapp for the Type Directors Club of New York. The lecture will open the exhibit Thursday night, May 14th at 6:30pm, and run through the summer!
The Type Directors Club 347 West 36th St New York, NY 10018
The TDC event page: https://www.tdc.org/event/the-super-type-of-ira-schnapp/
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/843399159074813/
Schnapp’s career peak came during the Silver Age of Comics (circa 1956-70), making Schumer’s
book (http://www.arlenschumer.com), a showcase for Schnapp’s work. Schumer, a member of The
Society of Illustrators, keeps Schnapp’s style alive by incorporating Schnapp’s unique hand-lettered
fonts into his own comic book-styled illustration and design, which you can see
here: http://arlenschumer.com/illustration/long-form-comics.html
Register for Schnapp online: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-super-type-of-ira-schnapp-tickets-16397918616
Click on the link to purchase a copy of Arlen’s book “The Silver age of Comic Book Art”
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Source: Arlen Schumer
