Harry A. Chesler was born Aaron Czesler on January 12, 1897 in Kaunas, Lithuania. In 1903 the family came to America, where they changed their name from Czesler to Chesler.
Young Aaron was called "Ari" and since that sounds like "Harry" he always went by that name. Whenever asked what the "A" stood for Harry A. Chesler would answer truthfully, but deceptively, that he had no middle name. It would have been more accurate for him to confide that "Harry" was a nickname for "Aaron." The Hebrew profit Aaron is a popular name for Jews, but "Harry" preferred not to emphasize his Jewish ancestry.
Harry Chesler was the first comics packager, beginning in 1936. A former advertising salesman, he rented a full floor of a warehouse and set up a room full of desks. The first artists hired were Rafael Astarita, Fred Schwab, Clem Gretter and W. C. Brigham. Other early artists included Jack Binder, Jack Cole, Charles Biro, Creig Flessel, Gill Fox, Paul Gustavson, and H.C. Kiefer. Over 150 different artists and writers eventually worked for Chesler.
The shop provided finished work for Nicholson, Cook-Mahon, MLJ, Fawcett, Novelty, and Street & Smith. Chesler published his own comics under his Dynamic line of titles.
Some called him “Chisler,” but the whole industry was low paying, and Chesler was no exception, but most artists agreed that he treated workers fairly. He was especially patient with a few teenage artists who hoped for professional careers, such as Joe Kubert, Fran Matera, Carmine Infantino, Al Pastino, Leonard Starr. According to Joe Kubert, "Harry gave me a chance when I was a twelve-year-old kid. He gave me a drawing board and paid me five dollars a week. I'd go to his studio after school. He let the older artists evaluate my work, and all the best ones passed through his door. Harry is the last dinosaur. A tough boss who generated respect, and yet, he was warm and kind. A man who would extend himself in every way if you were in trouble - and those were tough times!"
Chesler hired African Americans, recent immigrants, women, older artists whose glory days had passed, and youngsters eager to learn the ropes.
For several years the shop continued to grow, but in early 1940 MLJ Publishing convinced a large group of his employees to work for them. Chesler was forced to organize a new shop with Charles Sultan as art director, and then later with Gus Ricca art director. There were three distinct phases of the Chesler Shop, 1937 to 1938, 1941 to 1942, and 1944 to 1946, with various artists during each period.
Harry A. Chesler died at the age of eighty-four on December 29, 1981 in New Jersey.
__________________________________________________
CHESLER SHOP ARTISTS from 1937 - 1946
__________________________________________________
1937
W. M. Allison
Rafael Astarita
Charles Biro
W. C. Brigham
Joe Cal Cagno
Jim Chambers
Jack Cole
Myron Cox
Tom Curry (writer)
Norman Daniels (writer)
LaRue Edwards
Will Eisner
Creig Flessel
Irving Frisch (writer)
Clem Gretter
Frank Gruber (writer)
Fred Guardineer
Abraham D. Kiefer
Henry C. Kiefer
John Lindermayer
Bob McCay
McCormick
Dick Moores
Valens Morgo
Tod Moro
Jack Romer
Dick Ryan
Fred Schwab
Richard Speed
Von
Rick Yager
________________________
1938
Otto Binder (writer)
Charles Biro
Jack Cole
Ken Fitch (writer)
Frank Frollo
Fred Guardineer
Paul Gustavson
Maurice Gutwirth
George Hill (writer)
Bob McCay
Claire Moe
Jack Romer
Dick Ryan
Fred Schwab
Bob Wood
________________________
1941
Rafael Astarita
Joey Cavallo
Henry Kiefer
Bill Madden
John Martin
Bob McCay
Jack Meltzer (writer)
Al Plastino
Saul Rosen
Charles Sultan
Fred Schwab
Bob Trent
George Tuska
________________________
1942
Rafael Astarita
Ken Battefield
Bob Fujitani
Tom Gill
Ernie Hart
Jack Kamen
Bill Madden
George Nagle (writer)
Art Pinajian
Richard Speed
Charles Sultan
George Tuska
Von
_______________________
1944
Joe Beck
Maurice Del Bourgo
Dana Dutch (writer)
Otto Eppers (inking)
Craig Fox
Maurice Gutwirth
Ernie Hart
Russell Keaton
W. C. Miller (writer)
John C. Mitchell (writer)
Claire Moe
Mac Raboy
Gus Ricca
Jack Romer
Gus Schrotter
Allen Ulmer
Jim Wilcox
________________________
1945
Joe Beck
L. B. Cole
Otto Eppers (inking)
Paul Gattuso
Will Harr (writer)
Ernie Hart
Bill Madden
Ruben Moreira
Al Plastino
Ben Raeburn (writer)
Gus Ricca
Floyd Sharp (writer)
Phil Sturm (writer)
George Tuska
Maurice Whitman
________________________ |
