Curt Swan is the preeminent Superman artist of the Silver and Bronze Ages. From 1948–1996, Swan penciled approximately 1,140 stories in the Superman family of titles. Curt Swan co-created popular supporting characters that include Lucy Lane, Krypto the Superdog, Faora, and Superboy-Prime. In total, Swan is credited for approximately 1,419 comic book stories and 1,027 covers. "It was never something I set out to do. It just kind of happened, the way a lot of good things do."
Douglas Curtis Swan was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on February 17, 1920. Curt Swan began drawing at an early age, inspired by adventure illustrations in Collier's and the Saturday Evening Post. In the sixth grade, Swan created his first comic book for a school charity project. Modeled after the Big Little Book series, the story followed two boys that ran away from home. A fellow student purchased the book for an unknown amount. After high school, Swan freelanced as a cartoonist for various Minneapolis newspapers.
On February 10, 1941, Curt Swan enlisted in the 135th Regiment, 34th Infantry Division of the Army National Guard. Swan was shipped to Belfast, Ireland, in February 1942, two months after the United States entered World War II. While stationed in Fintona, Swan became friends with Hubert creator Dick Wingert. Wingert worked as an illustrator for the Armed Services newspaper The Stars and Stripes. That November, Swan and Wingert met first lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
In December 1942, Swan was assigned to The Stars and Stripes London office as a staff artist, regularly contributing Allied maps and various cartoons. In 1943, Sgt. Swan created a holiday design for a series of official V-Mail Christmas cards from Great Britain. Swan roomed with Wingert in London before being reassigned to the Paris office.
Curt Swan married Helene Rose Brickley in Paris in April 1944. Helene worked with the Red Cross providing support to airborne forces in Belgium and France. The two had previously met in New Jersey and later reacquainted in London. After the war, the couple settled in Rockaway Beach on Long Island.
Stars and Stripes editor Eddie "France" Herron recommended that Swan send a portfolio to Detective Comics. His first comic book assignment was to imitate Jack Kirby for the cover of Star Spangled Comics #43 (April 1945). Continue reading from Kandor Archives
