Jack Kamen: 1920-2008
Mark Evanier reports that Jack Kamen, best known for his work at EC Comics, died yesterday at the age of 88. The cause of death is being reported as cancer.
Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1920, Jack Kamen studied at the Art Students League and the Grand Central Art School and actually got his start in sculpture—his first professional job was on the Texas Centenniel.
His illustration career was just beginning when he was called up to the Army in 1942. After World War II, Kamen began drawing comics for Fiction House and Iger Associates, then started working for EC Comics in 1950. He quickly became one of their most prolific artists, particularly on their horror lines though he also worked on crime/suspense and weird science/fantasy books. After EC’s line of comics fell victim to industry censorship in 1954-55, it was Kamen who suggested to the publisher that the company could avoid the newly-imposed Comics Code Authority strictures with a pricier magazine format, which Kamen dubbed "Picto-Fiction" and included titles like his favorite, Psychoanalysis.
Kamen left comics in 1954 and did advertising art and supplemental illustrations for a wide variety of other clients— when Stephen King and George Romero created the horror anthology film Creepshow, an homage to EC’s horror comics, they tapped Kamen to do the artwork. He also illustrated the cover of the graphic novel adaptation.
In recent years, Kamen basked in the spotlight of his sons’ accomplishments. Dean Kamen invented the Segway and the iBOT Mobility System; he recently contributed a foreword about his father published in Gemstone’s Shock SuspenStories Archives volume 2. Another son, Barton, is a doctor who is now the Chief Medical Officer of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Jack helped with Dean's patent application, drafting a number of the illustrations of the SegWay.So when you see a mall cop puttering by on one, think of Jack.
Dean's a very interesting guy who has done — and continues to do — a lot of amazing things. But every time I see him or I see a SegWay, I think of all those great EC stories his dad did. This can get a little hairy. The Chicago police department uses SegWays in a number of venues, including among the crowds at Grant Park along the lakefront. Seeing a couple of those checkerboard-adorned landbound Bat-Copters among the masses and thinking horror comics… well, maybe Wertham was right after all.
Sorry to hear this. Jack is one of my favorites from EC. Sad news.
I met Jack and his wife at the 2006 Segway festival in Long Beach CA. He was at the Festival dinner on the Queen Mary along with his son Dean and I spoke with Jack for a few moments while he was Autografing posters for the Segway owner's.. I was very impressed with him and wished I could of known him longer .. My condolences to the Kamen family…Jack will be missed
I just learned of Jack Kamen's passing. I met Jack in 1965 when he was a freelance illustrator. I was the art director for a busy NYC ad agency. I employed Jack for a wide variety of illustration projects. Over the next fifteen or so years we worked on ads, brochures, annual reports for many major corporations. Jack was well known for his comic book art, but I knew him as a brilliant illustrator and a friend who broke bread with me at many lunches.
I met Jack Kamen in 1964 when I was the art director of a busy NYC ad agency. At the time I needed an illustrator who could back up the many projects I had to turn out. Jack was the perfect illustrator to fit the bill. He could draw any subject matter and make it look good. We spent many years working on hundreds of projects for a variety of major firms. He truly was one of the best. Goodbye, old buddy.