Birthday profile

Kurt Schaffenberger

Kurt Schaffenberger, German-American sergeant and illustrator (died 2002)

Born
December 15, 1920
Died
January 24, 2002
Zodiac sign
Sagittarius
Birth year
1920

About Kurt Schaffenberger

Kurt Schaffenberger (December 15, 1920 – January 24, 2002) was an American comics artist. He was best known for his work on Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family during both the Golden Age and Bronze Age of comics, as well as his work on the title Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane during the 1950s and 1960s. Schaffenberger used the alias "Lou Wahl" on certain comics, when he was moonlighting from his main job of drawing Lois Lane at DC Comics. == Biography == === Early career === Schaffenberger was born on a farm in the Thuringian Forest, Germany, where, as a boy, he "... tended geese, herded goats, and hoed potatoes." Emigrating to America as a 7-year-old, first to Hartford, Connecticut, and then to New York City, he eventually won a scholarship to the Pratt Institute. After graduation, he joined Jack Binder's studio in 1941, where he worked on key Fawcett Comics titles including Captain Marvel, Bulletman, and Ibis the Invincible. While working for Binder's studio, which was located in Englewood, New Jersey, Schaffenberger took over an apartment from the local high school football coach, Vince Lombardi, who had yet to achieve success in the National Football League. During this time, Schaffenberger's work was also published by Prize, Street & Smith, and Pines. Schaffenberger served in the U.S. military during World War II, including a stint with the Office of Strategic Services, leaving the military with the rank of Master Sergeant. His knowledge of German allowed him to translate information from Allied spies behind Nazi lines for the OSS. Schaffenberger returned to the world of professional sequential art soon after war's end.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

The world when Kurt Schaffenberger was born

Kurt Schaffenberger was born in 1920. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1920

  • #1 song"Swanee" – Al Jolson
  • Top movieThe Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
  • Best-selling bookThe Age of Innocence – Edith Wharton

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentBabe Ruth sold to the New York Yankees
  • Top headlineWomen win the right to vote with the 19th Amendment
  • Technology milestoneFirst commercial radio broadcasts
  • Defining fadFlappers and the Jazz Age
  • Notable inventionBand-Aid adhesive bandages
  • World population1.86 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderWoodrow Wilson
  • Sports championCleveland Indians (World Series)
  • U.S. population106.0M

1920 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Kurt Schaffenberger's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19202026
Gas$0.30$3.45/gal
Average home$6,296$435,000
Average income$3,269$67,500
Movie ticket$0.15$11.95
Postage stamp$0.02$0.73
Population106.0M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, Library of Congress, Wikidata. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.