Back in June 1939, a young Stanley Martin Lieber was graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School. The same month was released that term’s edition of the school magazine: The Magpie. Stan Lieber was listed as part of the Business Staff, thanks to a couple of ads he brought to the mag (I’ll tell you more about those ads in a few weeks). Stan didn’t do much at The Magpie. I was told he helped selling new issues, was often there during meetings on Friday afternoons after class.
Between 1931 and 1942, The Magpie has published the first works by future creators whom attended DeWitt Clinton High School: Bob Kane (Batman’s co-creator), Will Eisner (Creator of The Spirit), Vince Fago (Marvel Comics editor and artist), Robert Blackburn (print artist), James Baldwin (activist & novelist), Richard Avedon (photographer), Paddy Chayefsky (writer of Network)… Bill Finger (Batman’s co-creator) attended the school as well but couldn’t find any work by him.
I’ll share those early works every now and then, and obviously, I’ll talk a lot more about DeWitt Clinton High School.