Joseph Kubert (September 18, 1926 - August 12, 2012) was an American writer, comic book artist, and art teacher. Born in southeast Poland, his family immigrated to Brooklyn, New York City, when he was just two months old. Raised in East New York, Kubert was encouraged by his family and started drawing at a young age. He got his first paying job as a cartoonist at the age of twelve, when he inked pencils for Archie Comics.
Kubert worked for a great number of publishers in the comics industry, including DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Harvey Comics, EC Comics, and Malibu Comics. In the 1950s, he became managing editor of St. John Publications, where his team produced the first 3-D comic book Three Dimension Comics #1 starring Mighty Mouse. Kubert was highly skilled as a writer, penciler, and inker across all genres, and his work with Hawkman and Sgt. Rock are considered his signature pieces. He is also known for his original creations such as Tor, Son of Sinbad, Viking Prince, and Tales of the Green Beret.
In September 1976, Kubert and his wife founded The Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art
in Dover, New Jersey. Notable alumni include Stephen R. Bissette, Rick Veitch, Amanda Conner, Eric Shanower, Steve Lieber, and Scott Kolins. Furthermore, Kubert's sons Andy and Adam, and his granddaughter Emma, became notable comic book artists in their own rights.
Joe Kubert was inducted into the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1997, and the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1998. He passed away from myeloma in 2012, just short of his 86th birthday.
