Warren Kremer, R.I.P.

Warren Kremer (L) and Joe Simon.

By one accounting, Warren Kremer was one of the five most prolific cover artists in the history of comics, the other four being (in no particular order) Jack Kirby, Gil Kane, Joe Kubert and Dan DeCarlo. By any accounting, he was one of the most prolific producers of interior pages, as well. He did zillions for the Harvey Comics Group, mainly of Richie Rich, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Wendy the Good Little Witch, Hot Stuff and Stumbo the Giant. Some said the Kremer style was the Harvey style. Born in 1921, he worked in pulp illustration and animation before discovering comic books. When he did, he plunged right in.

He started working in a more realistic style, primarily on horror comics for Harvey. As Harvey segued into the kind of comic for which they would become famous, Kremer learned he could draw that way and actually preferred it. He quickly became their keystone artist, claiming to have created or at least co-created many of their most popular characters. (Kremer's son was named Richie and he said he named Richie Rich after him. Company founder Al Harvey was known to dispute this.)

Kremer worked for Harvey for decades, drawing not only their comics but designing toys and merchandise for their characters and even dabbling in some of the TV animation of Casper. When Harvey shut down in the mid-eighties, Marvel absorbed some of their key personnel and did the "Star" line of comics for a few years. Kremer drew many issues for them, including books based on the comic strip Heathcliff and the Ewoks from the Star Wars movies. About the time the Star line folded, his health forced him to cut back his drawing. In the early nineties, he worked occasionally on merchandise projects for the new owners of the Harvey characters but eventually had to stop drawing altogether. The last time I spoke to him (about six months ago), he was dismayed that his health forced him to decline an offer to be a Guest of Honor, all expenses paid, at this year's Comic-Con International in San Diego. But he was elated that Marvel had found a huge stockpile of his original art for the Star Comics which they were about to ship back to him. I have conflicting reports as to when he passed away but it was in the last few days.

I did not know the man well but I am in awe of his sheer productivity over the years, and his ability to set and maintain a high standard. An awful lot of you knew and loved his work even if you didn't know his name.