Tenth Letter of the Alphabet: Creator: Morrie Kuramoto

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Creator: Morrie Kuramoto

MAMORU “MORRIE” KURAMOTO

May 28, 1921 – March 14, 1985

Information at Ancestry.com

California Birth Index
Name: Mamoru Kuramoto
Birth Date: 28 May 1921
Gender: Male
Mother's Maiden Name: Mukai
Birth County: Tulare

California Passenger List
Name: Mamoru Kuramoto
Arrival Date: 1 Oct 1922
Age: 1 Years 4 Months
Birth Date: abt 1921
Birthplace: Fresno, California, United States
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Japanese

Name and address of nearest: Mrs. Tsui Kuramoto ([Grand]mother), #1479 Yoshidacho, Takatagun, Hiroshimaken
Ship Name: Persia Maru
Port of Arrival: San Francisco, California
Port of Departure: Yokohama, Japan [September 12, 1922]
Destination: Fresno, California, United States
Last Residence: United States of America, California

Line: 10; Matsumi Kuramoto, mother

Line: 11; Yoshie, sister

Friend's Name: Msasuke Shin
Archive information (series:roll number): M1410:164

Name: Mamoru Kuramoto
Arrival Date: 26 Jun 1936
Age: 15
Birth Date: abt 1921
Birthplace: Calif, Reedley, United States
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Japanese
Ship Name: Chichibu Maru
Port of Arrival: Los Angeles, California
Port of Departure: Kobe, Japan
Last Residence: Japan
Archive information (series:roll number): m1764:69

1940 United States Census
Name: Mamoru Kuramoto
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Race: Japanese
Birthplace: California
Marital status: Single
Relation to Head of House: Son
Home in 1940: Pasadena, Los Angeles, California
Street: West Valley Street
House Number: 144
Inferred Residence in 1935: Pasadena, Los Angeles, California
Residence in 1935: Same Place
Resident on farm in 1935: No
Attended School or College: Yes
Highest Grade Completed: High School, 1st year
Household Members:
Name / Age
Robinshi Matsumoto, 47
Matoanni Matsumoto, 38
Mamoru Kuramoto, 18
Yacho Mateumoto, 12
Mielko Matsumoto, 10
Roy Matsumoto, 9
Bobbie Matsumoto, 6

World War II Army Enlistment Record
Serial Number: 39025099
Name: Mamoru Kuramoto
Birth Year: 1920
Race: Japanese, citizen (Japanese)
Nativity State or Country: California
State of Residence: California
County or City: Los Angeles
Enlistment Date: 30 Mar 1942
Enlistment State: California
Enlistment City: Fort Macarthur San Pedro
Branch: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers
Branch Code: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers
Grade: Private
Grade Code: Private
Term of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
Component: Selectees (Enlisted Men)
Source: Civil Life
Education: 3 years of high school
Civil Occupation: Sales clerks
Marital Status: Single, without dependents
Height: 67
Weight: 121

WWII Hospital Admission Card File
Name: Mamoru Kuramoto
Gender: Male
Race: Others (incl Philippine Natives & Puerto Ricans) or race unknown (Filipino)
Rank: Enlisted Man
Admission Age: 20
Birth Date: abt 1923
Birth Place: USA
Admission Date: July 1943
Admission Place: Ft. Benjamin Harrison, Indiana
Discharge Date: August 1943
Military Branch: Others, unassigned and unspecified
Diagnosis: Diagnosis: Deformity or disease of the spine; Diagnosis: Other conditions of the Bones and Organs of Movement: Deformities due to previous disease or injury NEC (not elsewhere classified)
Injured in Line of Duty: Not in Line of Duty, existed prior to entry into service
Type of Discharge: Discharged for disability, not in line of duty (existed prior to service)
Length of service: 1 year – 2 year
Service Number: 39025099

New York, New York, Marriage License Index
Name: Mamoru Kuramoto
Gender: Male
Marriage License Date: 1955
Marriage License Place: Manhattan, New York City, New York
Spouse: Gail Masuoka
License Number: 27921

1959 Manhattan, New York, City Directory
Name: Morrie Kuramoto
Street Address: 136 West 91 TRaflgr 32937

Honolulu, Hawaii, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Name: Morrie Kuramoto
Birth Date: 28 May 1921
Death Date: 14 Mar 1985

U.S. Veterans Gravesite
Name: Mamoru Kuramoto
Service Info.: Pvt US Army World War II
Birth Date: 28 May 1921
Death Date: 14 Mar 1985
Service Start Date: 30 Mar 1942
Interment Date: 1 Jul 1987
Cemetery: National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Cemetery Address: 2177 Puowaina Drive Honolulu, HI 96813
Buried At: Section T Site 663-A

Social Security Death Index
Name: Morrie Kuramoto
SSN: 550-22-9033
Last Residence: 11105 Long Island City, Queens, New York, United States of America
Born: 28 May 1920
Died: Mar 1985
State (Year) SSN issued: California (Before 1951)

Marvel Comic Convention 1975
Program Book

FOOM
#17

Jim Shooter

Marvel Cut-Ups

The Man Who Flew 35 Kamikaze Missions

Kleefeld on Comics
Photo of Kuramoto with the Timely bullpen.

Marvel Comics: The Untold Story
Photo of Kuramoto with Kevin Banks, the artist of Calvin.

Scott Edelman

Marie Severin’s ’70s Marvel Bullpen map

Comic Book Artist #2
Barry Windsor-Smith Interview
CBA: Did you work in the Bullpen with regularity? Do you recall what the atmosphere was like? Any anecdotes or memories of Marie Severin, John Verpoorten, Herb Trimpe, Frank Giacoia, Bill Everett, Gil Kane, and other office “regulars”?

Barry: I worked there on occasion. The offices were no bigger than an average NYC apartment. Areas were sectioned off—the Bullpen itself could hold four people sort-of comfortably, with liberal deodorant use. Stan had the only office with a door. The atmosphere was quite merry most of the time. Marie was a constant source of laughs with her wonderful cartoons of all of us. I remember one afternoon in the late summer of '68, the radio was playing the Beatles' latest song and as it came into the long, chanting coda one by one each person began singing along—Herb, John Romita, Morrie Kuramoto, Tony Mortarello, Marie and a few others—all singing at the top of their lungs, “Naaa—NaNa, NaNaNaNaaa—Hey Ju-u-ude…” It was wonderful, gave me chills of pleasure.

20th Century Danny Boy
Partners for Life - The Interviews: Dave Hunt
DB: When did you become aware of the history surrounding Ross and Mike?

DH: It wasn’t too long because we bullpen guys were always talking. We were usually in the one room which made things even more interesting. Marvel comics when I first joined them in August 1972 were incredibly small. I walked through the door, as there was no security, and I was in Marvel comics. At that point they were basically one room. There were a couple of small offices, Stan Lees and that was about it. We moved shortly after several times and they became bigger and bigger until we had one entire floor in an office building. The classic picture I have of Marvel comics was one room in which you had Morrie Kuramoto, Danny Crespi, Frank, Mike, myself and a round robin of other people. So within that small room we were talking all the time and I would come home and my teeth would be hurting from laughing. I loved it so much because it was not like going to the office. It was like going to the circus every day. It was like a dream.

What If?
#34, August 1982, self-portrait