Joseph Samachson

Dr. Joseph "Joe" Samachson (1906–1980) was a scientist and author, primarily of science fiction and comic books.

Biography

Biochemist

Joseph Samachson was born to David and Anna Samachson on October 13, 1906 in Trenton, New Jersey.Biography by Joe Desris, in "Batman Archives", Volume 3 (DC Comics, 1994), p. 224 ISBN 1-56389-099-2] A graduate of Rutgers University, he earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Yale, devoting his studies to the field of biochemistry, and particularly the study of bone. He was an Assistant Professor at the College of Medicine, University of Illinois. He also headed a laboratory in metabolic research at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Hines, Illinois, a research unit dealing with diseases that affect the skeleton. Comics historian Jerry Bails wrote that Samachson worked as a Research Chemist for the American Molasses Company until 1938, leaving to become a "freelance technical writer".

Dr. Samachson also taught himself Russian.

Author

As a writer, Samachson translated a number of scientific papers, and in addition to his scientific work, earned a well-deserved reputation as an author, writing books for young people such as "Mel Oliver and Space Rover on Mars", which has been translated into many languages including Dutch.

cience fiction & pulps

He also wrote a number of science fiction works (under the pseudonym William Morrison), including two novels published in "Startling Stories". He wrote the 1937 pulp title "Murder of a Professor" and short stories for a number of magazines, including "Money from Heaven" (1942). He also penned a couple of "Captain Future" pulp novels c.1941-1942 (under the house name "Brett Sterling"), and had work appear in the science fiction magazine "Galaxy".

Comics

He is believed to have begun working for DC Comics in late 1942, working on comics scripts for characters notably including Batman. He also wrote scripts for comics and characters including Sandman, Green Arrow, Airwave and Robotman, as well as "a string of 17 science-fiction stories in 1955 and 1956". [http://www.bailsprojects.com/(S(bsme21ql3zxjh155551jag45))/bio.aspx?Name=SAMACHSON%2C+JOE Who's Who in American Comic Books: Joe Samachson] . Accessed May 8, 2008]

In 1955, he helped create (with artist Joe Certa) the Martian Manhunter in the pages of "Detective Comics" #225. Credited as author on the initial strip, some commentators believe that he may have produced the plot, but that writer Jack Miller (who officially succeeded Samachson in writing the character with the next issue, but - according to Jerry Bails - may actually be a Samachson pseudonym) may have produced the first script also. [ [http://captain.custard.org/league/php/profile.php?mode=name&id=mm&show=origin "The Captain's Unofficial Justice League Homepage": "Martian Manhunter"] . Accessed May 8, 2008] Don Markstein's Toonopedia also suggests that Samachson wrote "many subsequent" appearances of J'Onn J'Onzz rather than just the first. [ [http://www.toonopedia.com/jonnjonz.htm Toonpedia: "J'onn J'onzz, Manhunter from Mars"] . Accessed May 8, 2008] Jerry Bails also lists Samachson as having co-created the historical DC character Tomahawk.

Other work

With his wife Dorothy Samachson, he wrote about theater ("Let's Meet the Theatre" and "The Dramatic Story of the Theatre"), music ("Masters of Music" and "The Fabulous World of Opera"), ballet, archeology ("Good Digging") and a number of other titles, including "Rome", a Rand McNally "Cities of the World" title.

In addition, Dr. Samachson was a frequent contributor to scientific journals and the author of "The Armor Within Us: The Story of Bone.

urviving family

Joseph Samachson died of complications from Parkinson's Disease in 1980. He was survived by his son, Michael Samachson, a writer and fund raiser, and his daughter, Miriam Berkley, a photographer who is also a writer.

References