Warren Kremer

Warren Kremer (June 26, 1921 – July 24, 2003) was an American comics writer and artist best-known for his creation of the Harvey Comics characters Richie Rich, Hot Stuff the Little Devil and Stumbo the Giant. His style is known for big, bold compositions, and a keen sense of contrast and color.

Childhood and early career

Kremer was born in the Bronx, the son of a sign painter. He counted Alex Raymond's "Flash Gordon" and Hal Foster's "Prince Valiant" among his influences.

He graduated from the High School of Music and Art and the School of Industrial Arts in New York City. Kremer then did layout, lettering, and illustrations for pulp and aviation magazines for ten years. He gradually took on more comics work in Ace Publications, his first title being "Hap Hazard". He married that title's letterer, Grace. Due to a hernia, Kremer did not serve in World War II.

Harvey Comics (1948 - 1982)

Steve Mufatti, a friend and colleague of Kremer's, had a part in getting him work at Harvey Comics, starting with freelance work in 1948. With Alfred Harvey, publisher, and editor Sid Jacobson, Kremer created or defined many of the most well-known Harvey characters, including Casper, Hot Stuff, Joe Palooka, Little Audrey, Little Max, Richie Rich, and Stumbo the Giant. Kremer also excelled at realistic treatments, producing top-quality work for Harvey's romance, war, and horror genre titles. He was the top artist at Harvey, where he worked for 35 years mostly as as Art Editor.

In addition to his regular pencilling, Kremer contributed animation storyboards, pencilled, inked and coloured most of the thousands of covers for every one of Harvey's humour titles. According to Sid Jacobson, Kremer could produce 8 pages of interior pencils a day at his most productive. Artists in the Harvey humor department were instructed to emulate Kremer's style as closely as they could.

Later career (1983 - 2003)

After Harvey ended publication in 1982, Kremer created and/or drew several characters for Marvel Comics' Star Comics line, including Count Duckula, Ewoks, Planet Terry, Royal Roy, and Top Dog. In 1989, a stroke left him paralyzed on his left side, which included his drawing hand. He attempted to use his right hand, but was so discouraged with the results that he stopped drawing altogether.

Kremer lived in Bloomfield, N.J., and died in a hospital Glen Ridge, N.J. following a short illness. He was survived by his wife, Grace, two sons, Richard W. (after whom Richie Rich was named) and Peter R.; two daughters, Maryanne Kremer-Ames and Suzanne Petrozzino; a sister, Anita Sudol; and two grandchildren.

Legacy

Artist Marie Severin remarked upon a visit Kremer made to the Marvel Comics bullpen "They don't know it, but this is the best artist who ever walked through these doors." Animator Marty Taras said "You know, if Warren went into animation, we'd all have to leave our jobs!"

Bibliography

Digital

* [http://flat_earth.blogspot.com/2003_08_03_flat_earth_archive.html Flat Earth! - Warren Kremer]
* [http://lambiek.net/artists/k/kremer_warren.htm Lambiek.net - Warren Kremer]
* [http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/scoop_article.asp?ai=3385&si=121 Scoop - In Memoriam: Warren Kremer]