Julius Schwartz - Appearances in Comics

Appearances in Comics

Schwartz has appeared as himself in a number of comics:

• The Flash #179 (May 1968)

In the "Flash — Fact Or Fiction" story (reprinted in The Greatest Flash Stories Ever Told), the Flash finds himself on "Earth Prime" (the real Earth that we live on). He contacts the "one man on Earth who might believe his fantastic story and give him the money he needs. The editor of that Flash comic mag !" Schwartz helps the Flash build a cosmic treadmill so that he can return home.

• Justice League of America #123 (October 1975) and #124 (November 1975)

In "Where On Earth Am I?" and "Avenging Ghosts of the Justice Society", Schwartz tasks writers Cary Bates and Elliot S. Maggin with inventing a fresh plot for the Justice League of America comic book. Using the cosmic treadmill left behind by the Flash in Flash #179, Bates and Maggin are transported to Earth-Two and Earth-One, respectively, leaving Schwartz to cover for their absence when DC Publisher Carmine Infantino walks into his office.

• Superman #411 (1985)

As a 70th birthday present, the staff at DC Comics made Superman #411 as a surprise tribute to Schwartz, who was involved in creating what he thought was #411. The cover shows Schwartz in his office being surprised by real-life co-workers just before Superman flies in the window with a birthday cake. The story features Schwartz playing himself as a down-and-out character with a modified version of his real history.

• Action Comics #583 (September 1986)

The cover of part two of the two-part alternate-universe story "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?", written by Alan Moore and begun in the same month's Superman #423, shows Superman flying away from a number of DC Comics staff, including Schwartz.

• Superman and Batman: World's Funnest (2000)

During Mister Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite's rampage in numerous DC Universe realities, they find the "real" Earth and Julie Schwartz working in the DC offices.

• DC Comics Presents (2004)

After Schwartz's death, DC Comics issued a series of eight standalone one-shot specials. Each issue featured two stories based on a classic DC cover from the mid-1950s and 1960s Silver Age of Comic Books, reflecting Schwartz's frequent practice of commissioning a cover concept, then telling the writers to create a story around that cover. Schwartz or a doppelganger thereof appeared in all eight issues, serving various roles.

• Schwartz appeared as a character in the Ambush Bug titles by Keith Giffen, which Schwartz edited.

• Schwartz has made countless appearances in Adam Strange stories as Alanna's father, Sardath. Julie was proud to be recognized as the planet's chief scientist and "the finest mind on Rann". It was from the Adam Strange stories that he lifted the auto-bio title for himself as the "Man of Two Worlds".