Leon Jason was born Leon Jacobson on February 22, 1916 in Brooklyn, New York City.
In 1931 he began to attend New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn, where he was active in arts clubs. He became art editor of both the school newspaper, "N.U.H.S." and the school magazine, "The Comet." In 1933 he was elected Class President.
On January 31, 1934 he graduated New Utrecht High School, and was awarded a scholarship to the Art Students League in Manhattan on 57th Street.
By 1940 he began to use the pen name Leon Jason when he opened an art studio at 117 West 48th Street, where he drew comics for newspaper advertising.
On November 29, 1944 he married Lucille Kramer (1910-2011) in New York City. They had one daughter, Katherine Debra Jason.
In 1944 he opened the Leon Jason Studio (LJS) at 140 East 46th Street to produce funny animal stories for comic books. He ran the business following the example of the Sangor Studio by using animation artists for comic books. His full-time employees included the animators Milt Stein and Larry Silverman, as well as the newspaper sports-page artist Phil Berube.
In 1946 he opened Jason Comic Art (JCA) at at 1860 Broadway on 61st Street. He supplied the contents of "Latest Comics" for Spotlight, "Frisky Fables" for Novelty, "Toy Town" for Orbit, "Punch and Judy" for Hillman, Hi-Ho" for Four-Star, "Nutty Comics" for Harvey, "Wonderland" for Prize, "Monkeyshines" for Ace, "Ribtickler" for Fox, "Spooky Mysteries" for Lev Gleason, "Circus" for Farm Women’s Publishing, and "Pop-Pop Comics" for Leffingwell.
In 1947 he illustrated "Stories" by Katherine Mansfield for World Publishing Company, and one year later he illustrated "Poems" by Emily Dickenson for the same publisher. Both of these projects were credited to his birth name, "Leon Jacobson."
In 1947 his shop produced animated cartoons for advertising and publicity. Leon Jason designed the Radio and TV character "Sparkie the Radio Pixie" for Ziff-Davis.
In 1950 JCA was listed at 480 Lexington Avenue, which is the same office building used by Fox Comics, D.C. Comics and Majestic Art Studios. At that time JCA produced comics for Ajax-Farrell, as well as for Wonder Books.
In 1953 Leon Jason produced "Jingle-Dingle" books, toys, and phonograph records.
During the 1960’s JCA produced art for Whitman Golden Books that featured characters from Disney, Warner Brothers, Hanna-Barbera and Sesame Street.
Leon Jason died at the age of seventy on August 2, 1986 in New York.
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JASON COMIC SHOP ARTISTS from 1945 - 1948
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1945
George Banker
Phil Berube
James Cabral
Orestes Calpini
Gilbert Delgado
Al Eugster
Ernest Fillion
Robert Frubel
Yvette Gallant
Henry Hall
Allison Hersey
Gail Hough
Bill Hudson
Kajutima (writer)
Inez KarCarol
Peter Littman
Hal Lockwood
Edward Maffini
Jay Morton (writer)
Howie Post
Al Pross
Connie Rasinski
Larry Riley
Dorothy Ryan
Harold Sparaco
Milt Stein
Martin Taras
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1946
George Banker
Phil Berube
James Cabral
Orestes Calpini
Ellis Chambers
Gilbert Delgado
Ernest Fillion
Robert Frubel
Yvette Gallant
Henry Hall
Allison Hersey
Gail Hough
Bill Hudson
Carol Kajuti
Inez Karma (writer)
Peter Littman
Edward Maffini
Jay Morton (writer)
Dorothy Ryan
Larry Silverman
Harold Sparaco
Milt Stein
Martin Taras
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1947
George Banker
Phil Berube
James Cabral
Gilbert Delgado
Ernest Fillion
Robert Frubel
Yvette Gallant
Henry Hall
Allison Hersey
Gail Hough
Bill Hudson
Carol Kajuti
Inez Karma (writer)
Peter Littman
Edward Maffini
Jay Morton (writer)
Dorothy Ryan
Larry Silverman
Harold Sparaco
Milt Stein
Martin Taras
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1948
George Banker
Phil Berube
James Cabral
Gilbert Delgado
Ernest Fillion
Robert Frubel
Yvette Gallant
Henry Hall
Allison Hersey
Gail Hough
Carol Kajuti
Inez Karma (writer)
Peter Littman
Edward Maffini
Jay Morton (writer)
Dorothy Ryan
Harold Sparaco
Milt Stein
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