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Harry Shorten
Harry Shorten (1914–1991) was an American writer, editor, and book publisher best known for the syndicated gag cartoon There Oughta Be a Law!, as well as his work with Archie Comics, and his long association with Archie's publishers Louis Silberkleit and John L. Goldwater. From the late 1950s until his 1982 retirement, Shorten was a book publisher, overseeing such companies as Leisure Books, Midwood Books, Midwood-Tower Publications, Belmont Tower, and Roband Publications.
Shorten was born in New York City, the son of Russian/Polish immigrants Joseph and Leah Shorten. He attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn.
Shorten attended New York University, where he played halfback for the football team and acquired the nickname "Streaky." He graduated from NYU in 1937 with a degree in geology.
After graduation, Shorten played professional football for a couple of years. He also wrote a book (with football coach Mal Stevens), called How to Watch a Football Game (Leisure League of America, 1937).
Shorten began his career as a writer with the pulp magazine publisher Columbia Publications (co-owned by Silberkleit) before moving on to MLJ Comics (later known as Archie Comic Publications). As a writer, Shorten co-created a number of superheroes for MLJ. In January 1940, with artist Irv Novick, Shorten created the Shield, the first USA patriotic comic book hero. That same year, Shorten also co-created with artist Bob Wood The Firefly. The Black Hood, another 1940 Shorten creation, became a popular character and in 1943 was given his own title, Black Hood Comics. Shorten occasionally used the MLJ house pen name "Cliff Campbell" for his comics writing, but didn't do much writing for MLJ after 1941 because of his editorial duties.
In 1940, Shorten was named managing editor at MLJ. Titles Shorten edited at MLJ included Blue Ribbon Comics, Shield-Wizard Comics, Pep Comics, Top-Notch Comics, Black Hood Comics, Hangman Comics, Jackpot Comics, and Zip Comics. He stayed at MLJ until 1957.
In 1944, while still at MLJ, Shorten made his fortune by creating a gag cartoon called There Oughta Be a Law!, with illustrator Al Fagaly. The panel was highly derivative of Jimmy Hatlo's They'll Do It Every Time. The panel was syndicated by McClure Newspaper Syndicate; eventually, it incorporated reader ideas (including elected politicians who wrote in with suggestions). Shorten provided the scripts, Fagaly the art. There Oughta Be a Law! ran from 1944–1984; Fagaly died in 1963, Shorten provided scripts until 1970, and the strip was later produced by Frank Borth, Warren Whipple, and Mort Gerberg.
Shorten wrote some mystery and war titles for Charlton Comics from 1952 to 1957.
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Harry Shorten
Harry Shorten (1914–1991) was an American writer, editor, and book publisher best known for the syndicated gag cartoon There Oughta Be a Law!, as well as his work with Archie Comics, and his long association with Archie's publishers Louis Silberkleit and John L. Goldwater. From the late 1950s until his 1982 retirement, Shorten was a book publisher, overseeing such companies as Leisure Books, Midwood Books, Midwood-Tower Publications, Belmont Tower, and Roband Publications.
Shorten was born in New York City, the son of Russian/Polish immigrants Joseph and Leah Shorten. He attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn.
Shorten attended New York University, where he played halfback for the football team and acquired the nickname "Streaky." He graduated from NYU in 1937 with a degree in geology.
After graduation, Shorten played professional football for a couple of years. He also wrote a book (with football coach Mal Stevens), called How to Watch a Football Game (Leisure League of America, 1937).
Shorten began his career as a writer with the pulp magazine publisher Columbia Publications (co-owned by Silberkleit) before moving on to MLJ Comics (later known as Archie Comic Publications). As a writer, Shorten co-created a number of superheroes for MLJ. In January 1940, with artist Irv Novick, Shorten created the Shield, the first USA patriotic comic book hero. That same year, Shorten also co-created with artist Bob Wood The Firefly. The Black Hood, another 1940 Shorten creation, became a popular character and in 1943 was given his own title, Black Hood Comics. Shorten occasionally used the MLJ house pen name "Cliff Campbell" for his comics writing, but didn't do much writing for MLJ after 1941 because of his editorial duties.
In 1940, Shorten was named managing editor at MLJ. Titles Shorten edited at MLJ included Blue Ribbon Comics, Shield-Wizard Comics, Pep Comics, Top-Notch Comics, Black Hood Comics, Hangman Comics, Jackpot Comics, and Zip Comics. He stayed at MLJ until 1957.
In 1944, while still at MLJ, Shorten made his fortune by creating a gag cartoon called There Oughta Be a Law!, with illustrator Al Fagaly. The panel was highly derivative of Jimmy Hatlo's They'll Do It Every Time. The panel was syndicated by McClure Newspaper Syndicate; eventually, it incorporated reader ideas (including elected politicians who wrote in with suggestions). Shorten provided the scripts, Fagaly the art. There Oughta Be a Law! ran from 1944–1984; Fagaly died in 1963, Shorten provided scripts until 1970, and the strip was later produced by Frank Borth, Warren Whipple, and Mort Gerberg.
Shorten wrote some mystery and war titles for Charlton Comics from 1952 to 1957.