Comics: Mel Blum, Art Director

Melvin Donald Blum was born on February 23, 1920 in Manhattan, New York City, according to the New York, New York Birth Index, at Ancestry.com, and the Social Security Death Index. However, his World War II draft card and marriage application had the birth date February 22, 1917. 

Blum was born six weeks after the 1920 United States Census enumeration. His parents, Sidney and Selma, and sisters, Dora and Sarah, were in the household of his paternal grandparents. They were Manhattan residents at 1646 Madison Avenue. Blum’s father was a dry goods salesman. 

The 1925 New York state census counted Blum, his parents and sister in the Bronx at 1635 University Avenue. His father was a printer. 

In the 1930 census, Blum, his parents, sister, Rita, and brother, Barry, lived in Brooklyn at 2207 East 4th Street. His father was a printing executive. 

Presumably Blum attended school in Brooklyn. It’s not clear if he had any formal art training. Apparently Blum’s father had some influence on his career direction. 

According to the 1940 census, Blum was an art director at a printing firm. He continued to live with his parents in Brooklyn at 1620 East 33rd Street. Blum was a high school graduate who earned $2,400 in 1939. 

Six months after the census enumeration, Blum signed his World War II draft card on October 10, 1940. His address was updated twice. Blum’s description was five feet nine inches, 175 pounds, with blue eyes and blonde hair. His employer was the A.J. Lipp Company, a printing firm in Manhattan. 

On March 21, 1941, Blum and Betty Shapiro obtained a Brooklyn marriage license. The application said he was a production manager. The couple married on April 6, 1941.

At the Timely-Atlas-Comics blog, Dr. Michael J. Vassallo interviewed Allen Bellman who explained that Blum sometimes used his brother’s name to be known as Mel Barry. Beginning in Fall 1942, Mel Barry was credited in Krazy Komics numbers 2 (associate editor) and 3 (technical advisor), and Terry-Toons issues 3, 5, 6, 8 and 9 (technical advisor). Mel Blum was technical advisor in Terry-Toons numbers 10, 11, 12, 49 and 51.  

 

Years later Blum became art director of Martin Goodman’s magazines and paperbacks. 

Lion Books, Inc.

The 1950 census recorded the Blum family of four in Flower Hill, Nassau County, New York at 11 Greenway Street. Blum was art director at Magazine Management. He earned $1,700 in 1949 and did not serve during World War II. 

Writer’s Digest, March 1957, said Blum was the editor of Ken for Men. Journalism Quarterly, Summer 1958, published “The Social Anatomy of the Romance-Confession Cover Girl”. The footnote said Blum was one of the respondents to the research. 

At some point Blum was divorced. In 1960 he married Lorraine Setchen in Manhattan. 

Common Sense, February 15, 1960, published a Jewish Pornography Index that included three magazines art directed by Blum. 

At some point Blum left Goodman’s publishing empire and found work at the National Enquirer. It’s not clear when he started there. In 1971 the newspaper moved from New York to Lantana, Florida. The Working Press of the Nation, Volume 2 (1980) had an entry for the National Enquirer whose staff included Blum. 

National Enquirer

600 S.E. Coast Ave., Lantana, FL. 33464

Last Date Listing Updated Verified 01/79

National Enquirer

Phone: 305-586-1111

PBD: Weekly

Circulation: 5,719,918 (ABC) 

PG: 58 x 78 1/2 picas; COL: 11.3 picas; PHOTO: Yes; MAT; No, CUT: Yes; SCREEN: 65; CHARGE: Yes; PAY: Yes; RATE: Depends on material.

Generoso Pope, Jr. ..... Publisher

Iain Calder ..... Editor 

Paul Levy ..... Managing Editor 

Ralph Gallagher ..... Advertising Manager 

Malcolm Balfour, Mel Blum ..... Associate Editors

Ron Caylor, Raymond Villwock ..... Associate Editors 

Blum passed away on July 10, 2010. The Social Security Death Index said his last residence was Brooklyn. A paid death notice appeared in The New York Times, July 12, 2010. 

Blum—Mel. Loving father of Marilyn, Terry, Gene, Vicki, and Avi. Sibling to Barry and Rita.

Further Reading

Mens Pulp Mags, Andrew Nette: pulp fiction historian, novelist, blogger—and real cool cat 

Horrorhound #30, July/August 2011, “World of Vintage Men’s Adventure Magazines” (Blum not mentioned)

(Next post on Monday: Ark Interiors Logo)

Lettering: Labels

Arts & Decoration, July 1921

The Printing Art, September 1915

 

 

(Next post on Monday: Mel Blum, Art Director)

Comics: Rome Siemon, Clerk, Jazz Pianist, Hotel Manager, Cartoonist and Letterer

Jerome Emil “Rome” Siemon was born on August 8, 1900, in Rock Island, Illinois. His first name, Jerome, was recorded in the 1910 United States Census and Social Security application. The middle name was on his World War I and II draft cards.

According to Illinois marriage records at Ancestry.com, his parents were Peter Siemon and Emma Johnson who married on September 25, 1899 in Rock Island County, Illinois. The 1900 census was enumerated in June. Siemon’s mother was living with her mother, Anna, siblings, niece and nephew in Rock Island at 613 Ninth Street. The whereabouts of Siemon’s father is not known.

The Rock Island Argus, December 17, 1906, said “Romie Siemons [sic]” was one of the guests at a birthday party. 

The 1910 census said Siemon (line 67) and his mother, who was divorced and a nurse, were living with his maternal grandmother and aunt in Rock Island at 613 9th Street.

The Rock Island Argus, January 20, 1914, published the names of the Hawthorne School eighth grade graduates. “Romie Siemon” was one of 35 graduates. The name Romie was used in city directories and in later censuses. 

The 1916 Rock Island city directory said Siemon was a clerk residing at 613 9th Street. The 1916 Davenport, Iowa city directory listed Siemon as Rock Island resident working as a clerk at R. G. Dun & Company. The 1917 Rock Island city directory said Siemon was working at a Rock Island manufacturing company. 

According to the Rock Island Argus, August 10, 1918, Siemon was a jazz musician. 

Surprised on Birthday.

Jerome Siemon was pleasantly surprised at his home, 613 Ninth street, Thursday evening, by the members of the Jazz orchestra, of which he is the leader, the occasion being his birthday anniversary. The evening was spent with Jazz music and later refreshments were served. They presented Mr. Siemon with a purse of money, wishing him many happy returns of the day.

Siemon signed his World War I draft card on September 12, 1918. His home address was 1125 3rd Street A in Moline, Illinois. He was a clerk at the Rock Island Plow Company. He was described as medium height and build with blue eyes and brown hair. 

The 1919 Moline directory said he was a clerk at the “Peo Power Company” in Rock Island. His address was 1125 3rd Street A, and in parentheses was the name of his wife, Olga.

Siemon’s address was the same in the 1920 census. He (line 74) and his mother were counted together but not his wife whose status is unknown. Siemon was employed at a power company. Siemon’s address in the 1920 directory was 1809 3rd Avenue.

Bix: Man & Legend (1975) said Siemon was a pianist in the Plantation Orchestra. When the band’s cornet player went home, he was replaced by Bix Beiderbecke. Bix: The Leon Bix Beiderbecke Story (1998) chronicled Beiderbecke’s gigs including with the “Plantation Jazz Orchestra” in 1921 and 1922 (see pages 59 to 61). Siemon is quoted several times in the recollections.

On July 24, 1923, Siemon married Beatrice Vogel in Clinton, Iowa as recorded in the Iowa marriage index at Ancestry.com. The Dispatch (Moline, Illinois), August 1, 1923, said 

Mr. and Mrs. Romie Siemons [sic] of Moline left for Chicago this morning where they will make their home. Mr. Siemons has accepted a position in that city. The young couple were married Tuesday, July 24, in Clinton the nuptials coming as a surprise to their many friends. Mr. Siemons is a son of Mrs. Emma Siemons and his bride, who was Miss Beatrice Vogel, a daughter of Thomas Vogel of Rapids City. 

According to the 1930 census, the couple resided in Moline at 1602 3rd Avenue. Siemon (line 2) was a hotel manager. In a few years Siemon moved to the West Coast.

In 1940, Siemon, his wife, two sons and mother were at 6336 1/2 Homewood Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Siemon (line 36) was a hotel manager and his wife a hotel maid. The census said Siemon was  in Los Angeles in 1935 and his highest level of education was the eighth grade. 

On February 14, 1942, Siemon signed his World War II draft card. His address was 1248 Cherokee Street in Los Angeles. He was employed at the St. Paul Hotel. Siemon was described as five feet eleven inches, 180 pounds with blue eyes and brown hair.

Siemon’s address was unchanged in the 1950 census. He was a hotel manager (line 27). 

Information about Siemon’s art training has not been found.

American Newspaper Comics (2012) said Siemon drew the panel Collection Day Chuckles from 1948 into the 1950s for the Newspaper Boys of America. The panel appeared in the Owosso Argus-Press here, here and here. In 1949, Siemon produced Little Moonfolks for N.E.W.S. in Beverly Hills, California. The Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series, Volume 3, Parts 7–11 A, Number 1, Works of Art, etc., January–June  1949 had this entry: “Siemon, Rome © The little folks of Circleville. [Caricatures] Print. © 4Feb49; K19004.” In 1952 the Associated Press was syndicating Little Moonfolks. 

The Dispatch, December 4, 1952, explained Siemon’s involvement in their Christmas fund raising. 

Rome Siemon, the fairly widely known cartoonist who got his start in his working life pounding a piano in a nickel movie in Rock Island (he was just a kid and his family was poor) apparently has been doing some Christmas shopping and thinking of poor orphan youngsters. For several years Mr. Siemon, who lives in Hollywood, Calif., has been, taking time out from a busy working career to draw cartoons to help the Moline Good Fellow Christmas fund sponsored by the Dispatch. Rome knows what it is to be up against it at one stage in his career that was in Moline he found the piano playing picking so poor that he thought he was lucky to get a part-time job as a LeClaire hotel elevator operator. If Siemon’s cartoon plea appeals to you, send a contribution to this Christmas program to bring some cheer to needy children and widows to Good Fellow Fund, Moline Dispatch, or drop in with buck or two (or more) and some one at the Dispatch office will be glad to take it.

Who’s Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999 said Siemon did lettering for Western Publishing in the early 1950s into the 1960s. In the Jack Kirby Collector #71, Spring 2017, Mark Evanier said 

…Mike [Royer] learned to letter from Mike Arens. Mike Arens learned lettering largely from a man named Rome Siemon, who was the house letterer at Western Publishing, on the West Coast books for years….

The Grand Comics Database has many of Siemon’s credits here and here. Heritage Auctions sold two pages of Siemon’s unpublished comic book story for Harvey Comics. 

Siemon passed away October 6, 1969, in Los Angeles according to the California death index. He was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. 

 

Further Reading
Todd’s Blog

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