Happy 125th Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson

Happy 125^th Birthday to Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, soldier, writer of adventure stories and novels and founder of DC Comics. As one of 20 grandchildren from the five children of our grandfather, the Major and our grandmother, Elsa, how did I become a biographer of the Major?

My interest and devotion to the Major’s story comes from having to search for his legacy. I did not grow up with my father’s family due to my parents’ divorce when I was an infant thus, I never knew my grandfather. When I first met my father and our family 35 years ago, the Major had passed away.

MWN in Sweden ca 1948.

My search for MWN’s legacy has been a journey that is not only a search for facts but also one that is deeply personal. Although I have been searching for facts and details of MWN’s life I also have access to family stories and from those stories an innate understanding of shared DNA.

In addition to the facts of his life, reading and studying MWN’s creative work has given me respect and regard for all the things he accomplished in his life—his determination to fight for his troops of African-American Buffalo Soldiers, his fight against injustice in the military, and his prolific and varied creative output of adventure stories, comics and military history.

MWN on patrol near Ft. Bliss ca 1912. Family archives.

MWN’s legacy is the story of a man whose life was one of adventure and prolific creativity while maintaining his dignity and grace under fire at various points in his life. He was a courageous man on the battlefield, in his creative vision and his refusal to be laid low by the difficulties of life. Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the acknowledgement of fear and moving forward in spite of it.

In addition to discovering the facts of MWN’s life and reading his many adventure stories, comics and non-fiction, I have some understanding of our grandfather’s motivations and character through my own experiences and an inherent sense of who I am as one of his grandchildren.

New Fun #5 on newsstands July 12, 1935.

As part of this search, I’ve met and heard the stories of other comic book “family members” who also carry a legacy. Some comics historians do not like to interview family members because of the natural partiality to their ancestor and believe that maintains their objectivity to their work.

No one is truly objective in their point of view and much can be learned from family stories. It seems disingenuous to take the word of creators some 50-60 years after an event and not be willing to interview family members.

Cover: Fifty Who Made DC Great for DC 50th anniversary

There are several comic book families that have been in the news recently regarding legacy–the Kirby family, the Marston family and now just within this past week, the Liebowitz family. The Kirby family has finally received the monetary rewards of Jack Kirby’s rich creative endeavors and more importantly the recognition of creative ability so well deserved.

The Marston family has been at the center of a retelling of the story of that family’s life and their connection to the archetypal character of Wonder Woman. There is controversy surrounding the revelations of family and creator and not everyone in the Marston family is pleased with the rendition of their family and legacy.

The Liebowitz family is now embroiled in a fight for the monetary rewards of Jack Liebowitz’s empire. That empire was not only built on the backs of the creators like Siegel and Shuster but the creative genius of our grandfather, Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson. The experiences of other comic book “families” are clues to what must be accomplished in the quest to right the injustice of the loss of MWN’s vision for DC Comics.

Jack Liebowitz. respective holders

Having a little “help from your friends” is a big plus. As we gather to cheer the birth of this extraordinary man in celebratory spirit and the start of a new year it’s a good time to acknowledge some of those who have supported of this journey—my father, Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, who initiated the adventure with family archives, Michael Uslan for his friendship and support,

John Locke for his prolific and outstanding research and support in creating The Texas-Siberia Trail, Danny Fingeroth for being a Knight in Shining Armor, Howard Cruse, Shannon Wheeler and Drew Friedman for their ongoing creativity, Tom De Haven, Brad Ricca and Larry Tye for moving the story forward, Tom Andrae for his meticulous scholarship and generosity, Jackie Estrada, J.C. Vaughn, Robert Overstreet, Dr. John Lent, Roy Thomas, John Morrow and Jim Amash who each provided the Major a platform and to so many more of you who have been kind, helpful, thoughtful and encouraging.