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.
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 Enquirer600 S.E. Coast Ave., Lantana, FL. 33464Last Date Listing Updated Verified 01/79National EnquirerPhone: 305-586-1111PBD: WeeklyCirculation: 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. ..... PublisherIain Calder ..... EditorPaul Levy ..... Managing EditorRalph Gallagher ..... Advertising ManagerMalcolm Balfour, Mel Blum ..... Associate EditorsRon 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)
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