Newberg’s Marvel Illustrator: Alex Schomburg
Reported By: Benny Schorie
Illustrated By: Addie Patterson
Dubbed the “Golden Age of Comics,” the World War II era in America produced the most iconic comic heroes like Captain America, Superman, Captain Marvel, Batman, and Wonder Woman to name a few; these were characters that solidified the superhero stereotype.
These tales of good defeating evil starring pro-American heroes resonated with the values and events of the time. The illustrative style of these cheap, portable books also became iconic. A pioneer of this style spent much of his life in Newberg, Ore. in a house that is now currently the residence of some George Fox University (GFU) students. .
Born in Aguadillo, Puerto Rico in 1905, Alex Schomburg came to the United States in 1917 to attend school in New York City. In 1929, he began illustrating for the Nation Screen Service, creating lantern slides and working on movie trailers. Known for his mechanical depictions, Schomburg freelanced for various pulp magazines and periodicals like Thrilling Wonder Stories, Flying Aces, and Startling Stories–this is where he got his start in science fiction.
Schomburg entered the comic book industry at the perfect moment: the moment the Golden Age of Comics was at its height. He started freelancing for Timely Comics, later renamed to Marvel Comics in 1961. During his time with Timely Comics, Schomberg illustrated covers for Captain America, the Human Torch, and the Sub-Mariner. His unique style became the blueprint for cover illustrations.
According to Marvel creator Stan Lee, “Alex Schomburg was to comic books what Norman Rockwell was to The Saturday Evening Post. He was totally unique, with an amazing distinctive style. You could never mistake a Schomburg cover for any other artist's. When it came to illustrating covers, there was simply no one else in Alex's league.”
In the early 1950s, Schomburg left the comic book industry and illustrated for science fiction magazines; his most notable work was for the Winston Juvenile series.
When he retired in 1962, he moved to Newberg to a small ranch house at 608 N. Meridian St. to be near his son’s family who lived in Hillsboro, Ore. Even after his retirement, he continued illustrating by recreating some of his most iconic covers for collectors. Schomburg went to New York for six weeks to work on “2001: A Space Odyssey” in the 1960s. In the 70s and 80s, he would guest lecture for former GFU English professor Ed Higgins’s science fiction class.
Schomburg’s legacy is impressive; he received all the major awards for science fiction art, including the ComicCon Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989. He passed away on April 7, 1998, in Beaverton, Ore.