Fremont Tribune profiles Paul Norris, creator of Aquaman

Paul Norris, who created Aquaman, drew Flash Gordon and helped the army create leaflets encouraging Japanese soldiers to surrender during World War II, was profiled recently in the Fremont (Nebraska) Tribune:

Norris also finished art school and became an illustrator and cartoonist for the Dayton Daily News. In 1940, the couple moved to New York City where Norris worked with Prize Publications, creating Yank and Doodle. He was working for DC Comics when asked to create a new character “who lives in the sea and can swim like a fish.”

Norris drew and named Aquaman and Mort Weisinger wrote the stories. The cover of the first Aquaman comic book features a muscular blond-haired hero deflecting the shell of a Nazi gun - all while saving a pretty woman.

The cartoonist enjoyed this new assignment.

“He (Aquaman) was an easy character to draw and I liked the idea. It was something new. I was very happy with it,” he said.

[Link via Tegan]