We here at the Atomic Junk Shop got the sad news that Sam Glanzman passed away yesterday at the age of 92. We’ve discussed him a few times here at the blog, mostly in discussing the Kickstarter for Voyage to the Deep. We also had a piece by Scott Shaw! attesting to the power of the man’s work.
Even after that, though, I’ve been remiss in expanding my knowledge of his work, which I will have to remedy soon. I’ve read A Sailor’s Story, and got the recent release of Red Range, and will also be getting Voyage to the Deep. I’ll share my thoughts on those books at some point in the future.
In the meantime, I’m going to point you to Mark Evanier’s obituary of Sam Glanzman, as well as point you to the Go Fund Me campaign that was raising money to help alleviate the cost of the medical bills.
Our condolences go out to Mr. Glanzman’s wife Sue and any other family members, as well as to Drew Ford, who’s done so much recently to get Sam Glanzman’s work back into print.
Sam was one of the true greats, though not in the big flashy way. His work at Charlton was outstanding and did much to elevate their war comics, especially The Lonely War of Capt. Willy Schultz (in Fightin’ Army), about a US soldier wrongly convicted of murder, who escapes and hides out in the German army (he was the child of German immigrants). It got to the heart of the human side of soldiers, on both sides. A very anti-war war comic. Hie Hercules is a thing of beauty, with Art Nouveau stylings and nightmarish monsters. He also did some movie adaptations for them. His USS Stevens stories are some of the best military comics you will ever find, as they have the authenticity of someone who was there and someone who conveys the raw terror and horror of it, as well as the men just doing their job to try to stay alive and in the fight.
The USS Stevens saw a lot of action and Sam recounted much of it and really put you into it. I first read A Sailor’s Story while I was in college, going through my Navy ROTC training. That book was one of the best documentations of everyday shipboard life I had ever seen and it still stands as such today. Sam didn’t just give you the action, he had the colorful characters, the seasoned professionals, the young guys who would grow up to be hardened men. He had the beauty of the sea at a quiet moment, and the grief that men felt as they watched their ship slip below the waters, a casualty of war. He depicted things that Hollywood has never touched, really bringing home what these battles were like, from the sailor’s point of view. I always felt that the book should be part of the curriculum at the NROTC programs and at the Naval Academy, as well as boot camp.
Sam didn’t get the same kind of attention as Joe Kubert or Russ Heath; but, damn he was good!
Everyone should read A SAILOR’S STORY.