Ira Schnapp’s DC Ads: 1963 Part 2

From ADVENTURE COMICS #310, July 1963

I’ll begin the second half of 1963 with one of Ira’s best ads from this year. He really went to town on the display lettering to promote this anniversary issue. I love the big S on Silver and the big P on Plus.

From ACTION COMICS #302, July 1963From ADVENTURE COMICS #310, July 1963

Four new blurbs for this ad by Ira with one by someone else from the previous month. Can you spot it? It’s the one that’s not as good.

From DETECTIVE COMICS #317, July 1963

This is the second new public service ad from 1963 that Ira Schnapp did not work on. I don’t know who did, but probably the same person as the other one.

From ACTION COMICS #303, Aug 1963From ADVENTURE COMICS #311, Aug 1963

Four new Schnapp blurbs for August titles. I’m counting each month of these as a separate new ad because of the work involved.

From BATMAN #157, Aug 1963

Lois Lane certainly had her fans, and many of them probably bought her second annual. This appeared in an August title, but the annual went on sale in early June, pointing out the typical two-month advance on cover dates, done in hopes that retailers would keep them on their racks longer.

From BATMAN #157, Aug 1963

Certainly lots of Batman fans were buying his annuals, including me, though I missed this one. Reprints of early covers were rare enough to merit a blurb from Ira here.

From ACTION COMICS #304, Sept 1963From ADVENTURE COMICS #312, Sept 1963

Four new blurbs in September titles, and a new frame from Ira that includes a major error. Did you notice? He’d done so many of these, but this time his attention lapsed. This frame was not used again.

From ACTION COMICS #305, Oct 1963

This PSA adds interest by putting the character in a plane over the northern forests. The black and white versions were used on inside covers, and gray tones were added. Usually there was also a color version.

From ACTION COMICS #305, Oct 1963From ADVENTURE COMICS #313, Oct 1963From LOIS LANE #44, Oct 1963

Five new Schnapp blurbs in October titles.

From THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #50, Oct/Nov 1963From ADVENTURE COMICS #314, Nov 1963

The top image isn’t exactly an ad, but I didn’t count it as a story page, so I’m counting it here. It’s a plea for mail, essentially, as this title is revamped for the second time from a tryout venue to a team-up book with teams supposedly chosen by reader mail. Below is the ad made from some of the same lettering, parts are relettered, but I will only count this as one ad.

From THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #50, Oct/Nov 1963

The same issue of BRAVE AND BOLD has this new letter-column header with the word MAILBAG lettered by Schnapp.

From OUR FIGHTING FORCES #80, Nov 1963From ACTION COMICS #305, Oct 1963

Ira’s ad for the Flash Annual came in at least two sizes, with some relettering on the smaller one, though I’ll just count them as one ad. Flash artist Carmine Infantino’s star was on the rise, and his mention by name in this ad was almost unheard of at DC up to this time.

From ACTION COMICS #306, Nov 1963From ADVENTURE COMICS #314, Nov 1963From LOIS LANE #45, Nov 1963From SUPERMAN #165, Nov 1963

Six new blurbs for November titles by Ira.

From DETECTIVE COMICS #321, Nov 1963

This PSA returns to work done by the United Nations, an annual theme.

From BLACKHAWK #191, Dec 1963

This ad is mostly a repeat from one a few years earlier except that where it says TWO here it said THREE before, and of course the story titles and cover are new. I’m hesitant to call it a new ad, but I guess I will since there are other versions with other covers and story titles.

From BATMAN #160, Dec 1963

An ad for the second team-up issue of BRAVE AND BOLD again asking for mail as well.

From ACTION COMICS #307, Dec 1963From ADVENTURE COMICS #315, Dec 1963

Four new blurbs for December issues that are NOT lettered by Schnapp. These might be by Joe Letterese trying to imitate Ira and doing fairly well, he also worked in the DC production department. It seems that Ira was having trouble keeping up with ad work in this year, but let’s remember he was 69 years old at the time and doing plenty of other DC lettering.

From BLACKHAWK #191, Dec 1963

The beginnings of a new team that would soon gain their own title by converting this one. I love the black shape by Ira here.

From MY GREATEST ADVENTURE #84, Dec 1963

Two of DC’s less-promoted titles get a small push in this busy but well-designed third-page ad.

From ADVENTURE COMICS #315, Dec 1963

A PSA promoting libraries, of which I heartily approve.

From BLACKHAWK #191, Dec 1963

We’re not seeing many Schnapp ads where he added background art now, but I think he might have here. Very effective.

From ADVENTURE COMICS #315, Dec 1963

Another pair of half-page annual ads. There are many styles of display lettering on them, but they all work well together. These could be used separately and count as two ads.

From ADVENTURE COMICS #315, Dec 1963

This ad’s word balloon is in the form of a rebus, though it’s much simpler than the one Ira did some years earlier for the story of Superman. Still an eye-catching idea.

From BATMAN #160, Dec 1963

To finish up the year, we have a full page paid ad lettered by Ira, the first in a while. The war theme seems appropriate for an inside cover ad in black and white and gray tones, and Ira’s work is inspired. Look at how the small 126 banner floats in front of WORLD but doesn’t prevent it from reading correctly. I also like the OF at upper left, and the burst balloon in the picture that just fills the space available. The client must have asked for comics lettering in their ad, and who better than Schnapp?

To sum up, I count 39 new house ads by Ira, six public service ads and one paid ad for a total of 46, plus a letter column header. Down some from the previous year, but still lots of ad work. We’ll see how it goes for him in 1964.

More articles like this are on the Comics Creation page of my blog.

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