Irwin Donenfeld
| Irwin Donenfeld | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 1, 1926 Bronx, New York |
| Died | November 29, 2004 (aged 78) Norwalk, Connecticut |
| Occupation | DC Comics publishing executive |
| Spouse(s) | Arlene (first marriage) Alice (second marriage) Carole née Liebowitz (third marriage) |
| Children | Amy, Ben, Harry, Luke, and Mimi |
| Parent(s) | Harry Donenfeld and Gussie née Weinstein |
| Relatives | Sonia "Peachy" Iger (sister) |
Irwin Donenfeld (March 1, 1926 – November 29, 2004) was an American comic book publishing executive for DC Comics. Donenfeld co-owned the firm from 1948 to 1967, holding the positions of Editorial Director (1952–1957) and Executive Vice President (1958 – c. 1968). He was the son of Harry Donenfeld, co-founder of the company.
A teenager when Superman and Batman debuted in 1938/1939, and son of the characters' publisher, Donenfeld often claimed he was the first kid in America to read the adventures of two of the world's most famous superheroes.
Donenfeld attended New York's Columbia Grammar School. He was a notable student athlete, playing baseball and football. During World War II he served in the Air Force, where he boxed, and was covered by The Ring magazine. After college, Donenfeld attended Bates College, in Lewiston, Maine.
Donenfeld joined DC (officially known by its parent company name National Periodical Publications; although it is generally understood to stand for Detective Comics, Irwin insisted in an early 21st Century interview that DC actually stood for Donenfeld Comics) in 1948 at the age of 22, becoming a co-owner with his father and Jack S. Liebowitz. A recent college graduate, he was already married and had a child.
Becoming the company's editorial director in 1952, in the mid-1950s, Donenfeld and publisher Liebowitz directed editor Julius Schwartz (whose roots lay in the science-fiction book market) to produce a one-shot Flash story in the try-out title Showcase. Instead of reviving the old character, Schwartz had writers Robert Kanigher and John Broome, penciler Carmine Infantino, and inker Joe Kubert create an entirely new super-speedster, updating and modernizing the Flash's civilian identity, costume, and origin with a science-fiction bent. The Flash's reimagining in Showcase #4 (October 1956) proved sufficiently popular that it soon led to a similar revamping of the Green Lantern character, the introduction of the modern all-star team Justice League of America (JLA), and many more superheroes, heralding what historians and fans call the Silver Age of comic books.
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