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Creator

Ben Oda

1915–1984 · Comics debut 1947

letterercolorist
🏆 Harvey Kurtzman Hall of Fame Award (2019)
Ben Oda
Known forYoung Romance
Issues credited2,647
Active1932–1970
Primary roleletterer
House of Secrets #92
House of Secrets #92 (1971)

Ben Oda was one of the most prolific letterers in American comics history, born on December 21, 1915, and raised to become a quietly indispensable figure across decades of the medium. He died on November 28, 1984. A graduate of the Chouinard Art Institute, he began his professional life as an apprentice at Walt Disney Studios before serving as a paratrooper with the U.S. Army's 442nd Combat Team during World War II.

DC Comics Presents #26
DC Comics Presents #26 (1980)

After the war, Oda entered comics through work for Hillman Periodicals on titles such as Airboy and Real Clue Crime Stories, which brought him into orbit of the Simon & Kirby studio. His reputation grew through the 1950s when Harvey Kurtzman, impressed by Oda's clean, distinctive hand, specifically sought him out for EC Comics work — reportedly insisting on his style over competing approaches.

Mad #21
Mad #21 (1955)

Oda's range extended well beyond comic books. He lettered newspaper strips for both the Chicago Tribune and King Features syndicates, contributing to Flash Gordon, Prince Valiant, The Spirit, Steve Canyon, Little Orphan Annie, and numerous others. At DC Comics, where he worked until his death, his lettering appeared across Action Comics, Justice League of America, Wonder Woman, Teen Titans, and many more titles. His wife, Nishi Oda, was also a letterer. His family later commissioned Odaballoon, a freeware typeface preserving his style. In 2019, Oda was posthumously inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame, with the tribute introduced by former DC president Paul Levitz.

Known for

House of Secrets #92
House of Secrets #92
DC Comics Presents #26
DC Comics Presents #26
Mad #21
Mad #21
Batman #357
Batman #357
All-Star Comics #58
All-Star Comics #58
The New Teen Titans #2
The New Teen Titans #2

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Full bibliography (first 1,000 of 2,647) · 252 series

Young Romance (1947) · 78
#2 [2]#3 [3]#4 [4]#4#5 (5)#6 (6)#1 (7)#7#2 (8)#3 (9)#4 (10)#10#5 (11)#11#12#1 (13)#2 (14)#3 (15)#4 (16)#5 (17)#6 (18)#7 (19)#8 (20)#9 (21)#10 (22)#11 (23)#12 (24)#1 (25)#2 (26)#3 (27)#4 (28)#5 (29)#6 (30)#7 (31)#8 (32)#9 (33)#10 (34)#11 (35)#12 (36)#1 (37)#2 (38)#3 (39)#4 (40)#5 (41)#6 (42)#7 (43)#8 (44)#9 (45)#10 (46)#11 (47)#1 (49)#2 (50)#3 (51)#4 (52)#5 (53)#6 (54)#7 (55)#8 (56)#9 (57)#10 (58)#11 (59)#12 (60)#1 (61)#2 (62)#3 (63)#4 (64)#5 (65)#7 (67)#8 (68)#9 (69)#10 (70)#11 (71)#12 (72)#1 (73)#2 (74)#3 (75)#4 [100]#161
Young Love (1949) · 59
#2 [2]#3 [3]#4 [4]#5 [5]#6 [6]#2 [8]#4 [10]#5 [11]#6 [12]#7 [13]#8 [14]#9 (15)#11 (17)#12 [18]#2 (20)#3 (21)#4 (22)#5 (23)#6 (24)#7 (25)#9 (27)#10 (28)#11 (29)#12 (30)#1 (31)#2 (32)#4 (34)#6 (36)#7 (37)#8 (38)#10 (40)#1#11 (41)#24#12 (42)#1 (43)#2 (44)#3 (45)#4 (46)#5 (47)#26#7 (49)#8 (50)#9 (51)#10 (52)#11 (53)#12 (54)#1 (55)#2 (56)#3 (57)#4 (58)#5 (59)#7 (61)#8 (62)#9 (63)#1 (67)#2 (68)#72#80
Justice Traps the Guilty (1954) · 56
#25#10#1 [1]#2#2 (2)#3#3 (3)#3#4#5#5 (5)#5#6 (6)#6#1 (7)#7#8#3 (9)#9#5 (11)#11#13#14#3 (15)#15#27#17#6 (18)#19#1 (19)#3 (21)#6 (24)#26#10 (28)#1 (31)#32#7#5 (35)#12 (42)#5 (47)#7 (49)#8 (50)#9 (51)#10 (52)#2 (56)#3 (57)#31#5 (60)#8 (62)#11 (65)#3 (69)#9 (75)#5 (83)#6 (84)#3 (87)#5 (89)
Four Color (1942) · 36
#672#674#687#690#709#732#752#756#797#805#820#815#854#831#837#855#867#947#958#1042#1061#1063#1070#1083#1087#1119#1121#1124#1173#1220#1276#1274#1288#1294#1295#1311
Black Magic (1950) · 35
#1 [1]#1#2 [2]#3 [3]#4 [4]#5 [5]#6 [6]#1 [7]#2 [8]#3 [9]#4 [10]#5 [11]#6 [12]#7 (13)#8 (14)#9 (15)#10 (16)#11 (17)#12 (18)#1 (19)#2 (20)#3 (21)#4 (22)#6 (24)#1 (25)#2 (26)#3 (27)#4 (28)#5 (29)#2 (32)#1 (34)#3 [36]#6 [39]#2 [41]#2 [47]
Prize Comics Western (1948) · 30
#5 (72)#6 (73)#1 (74)#2 (75)#4 (77)#2#1 (80)#2 (81)#3 (82)#4 (83)#5 (84)#6 (85)#1 (86)#2 (87)#1#3 (88)#4 (89)#5 (90)#6 (91)#1 (92)#2 (93)#3 (94)#4 (95)#5 (96)#6 (97)#1 (98)#2 (99)#3 (100)#5 (102)#1 (104)
Frontline Combat (1951) · 27
#1#1#2#2#3#4#4#5#5#6#6#7#7#8#8#9#9#10#10#11#11#12#12#13#13#14#15
Headline Comics (1949) · 25
#32#2 (26)#3 (27)#5 (29)#29#30#1 (31)#31#4 (34)#34#5 (35)#35#3 (33)#4 (40)#1 (43)#4 (46)#2 (50)#5 (53)#1 (61)#3 (63)#4 (64)#5 (71)#2 (74)#4 (76)#5 (77)
Two-Fisted Tales (1950) · 25
#19#20#20#21#22#23#24#25#26#27#28#28#29#30#31#32#33#34#35#36#37#38#39#40#41
Mad (1952) · 23
#1#2#3#4#4#5#6#7#8#9#10#12#13#14#15#16#17#18#19#20#21#22#23
Creepy (1964) · 22
#1#2#3#4#5#6#7#8#9#10#11#12#13#14#15#16#17#18#19#24#29#34
Mighty Samson (1964) · 20
#1#2#3#4#5#6#7#8#9#10#11#12#13#14#15#16#17#18#19#20
The Phantom (1962) · 19
#1#2#3#4#5#6#7#8#9#10#11#12#13#14#19#20#25#28#30
The Spirit (1940) · 18
#3/5/1950#6/4/1950#6/25/1950#9/3/1950#12/10/1950#1/21/1951#2/18/1951#4/15/1951#5/20/1951#5/6/1951#8/24/1952#8/17/1952#8/31/1952#9/21/1952#9/7/1952#9/28/1952#9/14/1952#10/5/1952
Young Brides (1952) · 17
#1 [1]#2 [2]#3 [3]#4 [4]#5 [5]#6 [6]#1 [7]#2 [8]#3 [9]#5 [11]#6 [12]#7 [13]#8 [14]#9 (15)#11 (17)#12 (18)#1 (19)
The Twilight Zone (1962) · 15
#01860-207#01-860-210#1#2#13#17#19#21#25#26#27#28#29#30#31
Eerie (1965) · 14
#1#2#4#5#6#10#11#12#13#14#18#24#26#29
Lassie (1957) · 11
#53#54#55#56#57#58#59#60#61#62#63
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964) · 11
#4#5#6#9#10#11#12#13#14#15#16
Action Comics (1938) · 11
#364#366#375#376#378#380#383#385#386#392#393
Battle Cry (1952) · 9
#1#7#8#9#11#13#16#17#20
Romantic Confessions (1949) · 8
#5#8#10#11#1#2#6#10
Boys' Ranch (1950) · 8
#1#2#2#3#4#5#6#2
Black Magic Comics (1952) · 8
#1#2#7#8#9#10#4#6
Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery (1963) · 8
#4#12#13#14#16#17#23#32
Real West Romances (1949) · 7
#1#2#3#4#5#6#1
Dead-Eye Western Comics (1948) · 7
#9#1#2#3#4#5#10
Indrajal Comics (1964) · 7
#43#46#47#49#50#58#59
The Adventures of Jerry Lewis (1957) · 7
#109#110#113#114#118#119#121
Ringo Kid (1954) · 6
#6#4#8#9#8#9
Detective Comics (1937) · 6
#238#384#387#389#395#405
Adventure Comics (1938) · 6
#370#373#382#387#394#395
Mister Mystery (1951) · 5
#10#14#15#16#17
Fighting American (1954) · 5
#1 [1]#2 [2]#3 [3]#4 [4]#3
Famous Monsters of Filmland (1958) · 5
#32#48#49#50#60
Ripley's Believe It or Not! (1965) · 5
#1#8#9#12#22
The Brave and the Bold (1955) · 5
#79#83#84#85#91
Superboy (1949) · 5
#157#158#162#166#167
Weird Thrillers (1951) · 4
#4#2#3#5
Weird Science (1950) · 4
#15#5#6#7
The Strange World of Your Dreams (1952) · 4
#1#2#3#4
Secret Six (1968) · 4
#3#4#5#6
World's Finest Comics (1941) · 4
#189#191#193#198
Buster Brown Comic Book (1945) · 3
#9#12#15
The Westerner Comics (1948) · 3
#19#22#38
The American Air Forces (1950) · 3
#5#5 [A-1 #45]#8 [A-1 #65]
The Hawk (1951) · 3
#1#2#5
Nightmare (1952) · 3
#1#2#13
Romantic Marriage (1950) · 3
#16#18#24
The Masked G-Man (1952) · 3
#16#21#25
Two Fisted Tales (1953) · 3
#10#11#3
Adventures into the Unknown (1948) · 3
#53#57#58
Police Trap (1954) · 3
#1#16#17
Amazing Ghost Stories (1954) · 3
#14#15#16
Navy Patrol (1955) · 3
#1#2#3
Action Adventure Comics (1955) · 3
#2#3#4
Battle Squadron (1955) · 3
#4#5#[1]
Jungle Jim (1954) · 3
#8#10#24
Showcase (1956) · 3
#6#79#83
Secret Hearts (1949) · 3
#89#136#146
Blazing Combat (1965) · 3
#1#2#3
The Wild, Wild West (1966) · 3
#1#2#3
Dynamo (1966) · 3
#2#3#4
Flash Gordon (1966) · 3
#2#3#6
Mandrake the Magician (1966) · 3
#2#3#4
Creepy Yearbook (1968) · 3
#1968#1969#1970
The Hawk and the Dove (1968) · 3
#2#4#5
Challengers of the Unknown (1958) · 3
#65#69#73
Angel and the Ape (1968) · 3
#2#3#5
Captain Action (1968) · 3
#3#4#5
The Atom & Hawkman (1968) · 3
#41#42#43
House of Mystery (1951) · 3
#179#180#189
Teen Titans (1966) · 3
#20#27#28
Batman (1940) · 3
#215#216#217
Tomahawk (1950) · 2
#2#122
Weird Fantasy (1950) · 2
#16#6
Amazing Adventures (1950) · 2
#4#5
Love Diary (1949) · 2
#18#42
Punch and Judy Comics (1944) · 2
#4#8
Baseball Thrills (1951) · 2
#2 [11]#3
Hot Rod and Speedway Comics (1952) · 2
#1#1
Baffling Mysteries (1951) · 2
#7#9
Radiant Love (1953) · 2
#2#6
Approved Comics (1954) · 2
#1#5
Battle (1951) · 2
#29#34
Foxhole (1954) · 2
#1#11
Mutiny (1954) · 2
#1#2
Headline Stories (1954) · 2
#31#35
Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub (1954) · 2
#4#4
Ringo Kid Western (1955) · 2
#5#6
Western Tales (1955) · 2
#1#2
Witches Western Tales (1955) · 2
#29#30
Climax (1955) · 2
#1#2
Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (1955) · 2
#2#3
Mr. District Attorney (1948) · 2
#55#1
All for Love (1957) · 2
#1 [1]#4 [4]
Strange Tales (1951) · 2
#60#63
Bat Masterson (1960) · 2
#2#9
Checkmate (1962) · 2
#1#2
Cliff Merritt Sets the Record Straight (1965) · 2
#[nn]#[nn]
Total War (1965) · 2
#1#2
Archie's Madhouse (1959) · 2
#43#44
Daniel Boone (1965) · 2
#3#7
Gunmaster (1965) · 2
#87#88
M.A.R.S. Patrol Total War (1966) · 2
#3#10
Witzend (1966) · 2
#3#4
King Kong (1968) · 2
#[nn]#1
The Spectre (1967) · 2
#7#9
The Unexpected (1968) · 2
#111#121
Green Lantern (1960) · 2
#67#69
Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen (1954) · 2
#120#132
Falling in Love (1955) · 2
#108#114
Superman Supacomic (1959) · 2
#123#135
The Witching Hour (1969) · 2
#8#11
Clue Comics (1943) · 1
#3 [15]
Real Clue Crime Stories (1947) · 1
#5 [17]
Green Hornet Comics (1942) · 1
#38
Airboy Comics (1945) · 1
#6 [53]
Manhunt (1947) · 1
#11
The Black Terror (1942) · 1
#25
Wanted Comics (1947) · 1
#23
Silver Kid Bumper Comic (1950) · 1
#[nn]
Babe Ruth Sports Comics (1949) · 1
#6
Prize Western (1951) · 1
#[nn]
Eerie Adventures (1951) · 1
#1
Dick Tracy (1950) · 1
#46
Explorer Joe (1951) · 1
#1
He-Man (1952) · 1
#1
Roaring Western (1952) · 1
#1
Speed Smith, the Hot Rod King (1952) · 1
#1
Star Spangled Comics (1941) · 1
#126
Crime Clinic (1951) · 1
#5
Tim Holt (1948) · 1
#31
Captain Fleet (1952) · 1
#1
Tops in Adventure (1952) · 1
#1
Danger (1953) · 1
#1
Indian Fighters (1953) · 1
#[nn]
My Own Romance (1949) · 1
#26
Dead-Eye Western Comic (1953) · 1
#1
Weird Horrors (1952) · 1
#6
Weird Tales of the Future (1952) · 1
#6
Weird Mysteries (1952) · 1
#4
Love Romances (1949) · 1
#28
G.I. Joe (1951) · 1
#22
Weird Terror (1952) · 1
#7
Dear Lonely Hearts (1953) · 1
#2
Perfect Love (1953) · 1
#9
Fantastic Fears (1953) · 1
#5
Outlaws - A Streamline Bumper Comic (1954) · 1
#[nn]
Space Adventures (1952) · 1
#10
Tender Romance (1953) · 1
#2
Blazing Western (1954) · 1
#2
G.I. Sweethearts (1953) · 1
#40
War Comics (1950) · 1
#26
Bulls Eye (1954) · 1
#3
Intrigue (1955) · 1
#1
Battle Attack (1954) · 1
#3
Crime and Justice (1951) · 1
#23
Battleground (1954) · 1
#5
Mad Strikes Back (1955) · 1
#[nn]
Love Confessions (1949) · 1
#43
Navy Task Force (1954) · 1
#4
Young Heroes (1955) · 1
#37
Black Fury (1955) · 1
#2
Flying Aces (1955) · 1
#1
Cinderella Love (1954) · 1
#27
Romantic Adventures (1949) · 1
#59
Scotland Yard (1955) · 1
#3
The Fight to Save America's Waters: A Mark Trail Adventure in Public Health and Conservation (1956) · 1
#[nn]
Dan'l Boone (1955) · 1
#6
Battle Fire (1955) · 1
#6
I Love You (1955) · 1
#11
Fighting Fronts! (1955) · 1
#29
Adventures of Winky Dink (1957) · 1
#75
Patsy and Hedy (1952) · 1
#54
Great Exploits (1957) · 1
#1
High Adventure (1957) · 1
#1
Patsy Walker (1945) · 1
#73
Life Stories of American Presidents (1957) · 1
#1
Bombers B-52 (1957) · 1
#[nn]
The Brothers Mad (1958) · 1
#5
The Oklahoman (1958) · 1
#[nn]
Adventures in Science Series (1947) · 1
#PRD-7-2
Secret Origins (1961) · 1
#1
Double Talk... (1962) · 1
#[nn]
National Velvet (1962) · 1
#01-556-210
Boris Karloff Thriller (1962) · 1
#1
Freedom Agent (1963) · 1
#1
The Nurses (1963) · 1
#1
Dear Nancy Parker (1963) · 1
#1
How Kathy Won a Pet (1964) · 1
#[nn]
Strange Planets (1958) · 1
#18
The Twilight Zone Comic Album (1964) · 1
#1
McLintock (1964) · 1
#[nn]
Tales of Suspense (1959) · 1
#73
Romantic Story (1954) · 1
#81
Die, Monster, Die (1966) · 1
#[nn]
Guerrilla War (1965) · 1
#14
Teen-Age Love (1958) · 1
#47
Teen Confessions (1959) · 1
#38
I Spy (1966) · 1
#1
The Munsters (1965) · 1
#8
Honey West (1966) · 1
#1
G-8 and His Battle Aces (1966) · 1
#1
Battle Heroes (1966) · 1
#2
Doc Savage (1966) · 1
#1
Wild West (1966) · 1
#58
Badman (1967) · 1
#[nn]
Blunder Woman (1967) · 1
#[nn]
Captive American (1967) · 1
#[nn]
Fantastic Fear (1967) · 1
#[nn]
Jesters League of America (1967) · 1
#[nn]
Mandrain the Magician (1967) · 1
#[nn]
Plastic Man (1966) · 1
#2
Prince Violet (1967) · 1
#[nn]
Sinister Tales (1964) · 1
#70
Stuporman (1967) · 1
#[nn]
Sub-Marine Man (1967) · 1
#[nn]
Tarsam (1967) · 1
#[nn]
The Amusing Spider-Guy (1967) · 1
#[nn]
The Bantam (1967) · 1
#[nn]
The Flush (1967) · 1
#[nn]
The Incredible Hunk (1967) · 1
#[nn]
The Lone Rancher (1967) · 1
#[nn]
The Meekly Thaw (1967) · 1
#[nn]
Fantastic Voyage (1967) · 1
#[nn]
Run, Buddy, Run (1967) · 1
#1
Comic Cartoon Annual (1967) · 1
#[1968]
Astounding Stories (1966) · 1
#32
Cliff Merritt and the Very Candid Candidate (1968) · 1
#[nn]
Stanley and His Monster (1968) · 1
#110
Beware the Creeper (1968) · 1
#3
King Kong [Treasury Edition] (1968) · 1
#[nn]
The Doom Patrol (1964) · 1
#121
Garrison's Gorillas (1968) · 1
#4
Our Army at War (1952) · 1
#199
You're Hired! (1969) · 1
#[nn]
Metal Men (1963) · 1
#36
The Flash (1959) · 1
#185
Superman (1939) · 1
#215
Lancer (1969) · 1
#2
Anthro (1968) · 1
#6
Eerie Yearbook (1969) · 1
#1970
Aquaman (1962) · 1
#50
The Phantom Stranger (1969) · 1
#6
Girls' Love Stories (1949) · 1
#151
True Life Love Library (1966) · 1
#50-36
Vampirella (1969) · 1
#6
Heart Throbs (1957) · 1
#127
Super DC Giant (1970) · 1
#S-20
All-Star Western (1970) · 1
#3
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) · 1
#[nn]

Original biography and editorial content © comicbooks.com™. Information drawn in part from Wikipedia and the Grand Comics Database. Portrait by Phyzome / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). Cover thumbnails shown under fair use, each linking to its issue.