Wednesday, December 06, 2023
Ink-Slinger Profiles by Alex Jay: Oskar Lebeck
Oskar Albert August Lebeck was born on August 30, 1903, in Mannheim, Germany, according to his naturalization application and World War II draft card. His full name was on a baptism register which was transcribed at Ancestry.com.
At age 23, Lebeck departed from Hamburg, Germany and arrived in New York City on March 8, 1927.
On December 19, 1927, Lebeck and Ruth Seelig obtained, in Manhattan, marriage license number 35061, and married that day.
The 1930 United States Census counted the couple in Forest Hills, Queens County, New York at 67104 Burns Street. He was a self-employed artist.
The 1933 New York, New York city directory had a listing for Lebeck in the Artists category. His address was 47 East 9th Street, apartment 1.
According to the 1940 census, Lebeck, his wife, daughter Letty, in-laws Karl and Gertrude Seelig, and a maid, resided in Cortlandt, Westchester County, New York at 36 Lexington Drive. Lebeck was an illustrator who had three years of college. In 1939 he earned $5,000.
The Citizen Register (Ossining, New York), December 13, 1941, reported Lebeck’s real estate purchase.
... Oskar Lebeck of New York, art director of the Whitman Publishing Company, has purchased the residence of Mrs. Phillp G. Jessup in Old Post Road. The property includes half an acre of lawns and gardens enclosed by a high stone wall and is improved with a field stone dwelling of nine rooms and three baths with attached garage. Like several other stone houses in the Post oRad [sic] section, both house and boundary lines are overgrown with English ivy and Virginia creeper.The sale was made by Margaret Lane of New York City in cooperation with her Croton associate, Edward H. Briggs. Mr. Lebeck intends to make this his year-round-residence.
On February 14, 1942, Lebeck signed his World War II draft card. His address was 126 Old Post Road in Croton. Lebeck’s employer was Western Printing & Lithograph Company in Poughkeepsie, New York. His description was six feet, 182 pounds, with brown eyes and hair.
At Dell Comics, Lebeck was the art director who worked with Walt Kelly, John Stanley, Jim Chambers, Bill Ely, Alden McWilliams, Dan Noonan, Morris Gollub, Ray Burley and others.
The Citizen Register, July 9, 1945, reported Lebeck’s sailing win.
Lebeck’s “Letty” Takes 1st Place in Wood Pussy Race at ShattemucGuests and members at Shattemuc saw Oscar Lebeck, 126 Old Post Road North, Croton, skipper of the sailboat “Letty,” with his crew, William E. Haley, also of Croton, take first place in the Wood Pussy class, ...
Lebeck’s vacation was noted in the Citizen Register, January 23, 1946.
Mr. and Mrs. Oskar Lebeck, 126 Old Post Rood, North, Croton, are spending an extended vacation in the Virgin Islands, expecting to do a good deal of sailing.
A photograph of Lebeck’s boat (left) appeared in the Citizen Register, July 5, 1946.
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Lebeck has not yet been found in the 1950 census.
The 1950, 1951 and 1952 Poughkeepsie city directories listed K K Publications Inc. and its officers, including Lebeck who was one of three vice-presidents.
After Lebeck left Dell, he and Alden McWilliams sold a science fiction comic strip, Twin Earths, to United Feature Syndicate.
American Newspaper Comics (2012) said the strip ran from June 16, 1952 to May 25, 1963. In John Stanley: Giving Life to Little Lulu (2017), Bill Schelly said
… Lebeck scripted it until 1957, when McWilliams assumed scripting duties along with the art.
Twin Earths was featured in Popular Science, January 1953.
The Citizen Register, September 10, 1954, reported the sale of Lebeck’s property.
… The property at 126 Old Post Road, North, in Croton, formerly owned by Oskar Lebeck, was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Alfred H. Tamarin, formerly of 66 Cleveland Drive, Croton, and New York City.Mr. Tamarin is advertising director at United Artists Corp and Mrs. Tamarin is an M. D. with offices in New York City. She specializes in child psychiatry.The property consists of a seven-room stone colonial on an acre plot with a free-form swimming pool. Featured is a large living room with hand-hewn beamed ceiling, natural stone interior walls, fireplace, two-car garage and a panoramic Hudson River view.The Tamarins have taken occupancy of their home, which will be their permanent residence. The property had been held at $39,500. Mr. and Mrs. Lebeck have purchased land in Scarborough and have recently completed a new ranch house, designed by Mr. Lebeck, and are presently occupying their new home there. ...
At some point Lebeck and his wife moved. They were listed in the 1959 and 1960 Daytona Beach, Florida city directories at 5 Ellsworth Avenue in Ormond Beach. He was an artist.
The couple moved again. The 1961 San Diego, California city directory listed them at 309 1/2 Bon Air. Lebeck was a salesman with Walden H. Staude, a real estate broker. (She was the girls physical education instructor at Scarborough School where Lebeck’s daughter graduated in 1950.) The San Diego Union, December 3, 1961, said Lebeck was a co-owner with Staude’s husband.
Another permit, valued at $36,495, was issued to Gustave G. Staude and Oskar Lebeck, owners, for construction of 10 studio unit apartments at 7443 La Jolla Blvd.
The La Jolla Light, from April 5, 1962 to May 23, 1963, published real estate advertisements with Staude and Lebeck’s names.
The 1962 and 1964 directories said Lebeck’s address was 8368 Paseo del Ocaso in La Jolla. The 1965 directory is not available.
The San Diego Union, April 24, 1965, published Lebeck’s letter to the editor.
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The listing in the 1966 directory said Lebeck was retired and resided at 1316 Park Row in La Jolla.
Lebeck passed away on December 20, 1966, in La Jolla.
Further Reading and Viewing
Maggie Thompson, Oskar Lebeck of Dell’s Golden Age
Mike Barrier, Oskar Lebeck, John Stanley & Friends
A selection of books credited to Lebeck.
Chatterbox
Illustrated by Oskar Lebeck
Whitman Publishing Company, 1935
The Story of Terwilliger Jellico (Jelly for Short)
Oskar Lebeck
Grosset & Dunlap, 1935
Big Animal and Bird Paint Book
Drawings by Oskar Lebeck
Whitman Publishing Company, 1936
Birds, Flowers and Animals Coloring Book
Drawings by Oskar Lebeck
Whitman Publishing Company, 1936
Stop–Go: The Story of Automobile City
Oskar Lebeck
Grosset & Dunlap, 1936
Clemintina the Flying Pig
Story and Pictures by Oskar Lebeck
Grosset & Dunlap, 1939
Wizard of Oz
L. Frank Baum
Adaptation by Herbert F. Juergens
Illustrated by Oskar Lebeck
Grosset & Dunlap, 1939
Hurricane Kids on the Lost Islands
Oskar Lebeck and Gaylord DuBois
Illustrated by William Ely
Whitman Publishing Company, 1941
Rex King of the Deep
Oskar Lebeck and Gaylord DuBois
Illustrated by Alden McWilliams
Whitman Publishing Company, 1941
Stratosphere Jim and His Flying Fortress
Oskar Lebeck and Gaylord DuBois
Illustrated by Alden McWilliams
Whitman Publishing Company, 1941
Alice in Wonderland
Story adapted by Oskar Lebeck
Illustrated by Sheila Beckett
Dell Publishing Company, 1950
If I Were a Cowboy
Oskar Lebeck
Illustrated by Mel Crawford
Dell Publishing Company, 1950
Little Black Sambo
Oskar Lebeck
Illustrated by Tony Rivera
Dell Publishing Company, 1950
Strange Happenings at the Zoo
Oskar Lebeck
Illustrated by Louis Myers
Dell Publishing Company, 1950
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Adapted by Oskar Lebeck
Illustrated by Tony Rivera
Dell Publishing Company, 1950
Teddy B.B.
Oskar Lebeck
Illustrated by Dan Noonan
Dell Publishing Company, 1950
Labels: Ink-Slinger Profiles
