Walt Jaschek: Writer at Large

Walt is the author of the new, non-fiction book, THE DENNY O’NEIL TAPES, A CONVERSATION ABOUT COMICS, CULTURE AND AMERICA (Walt Now Studios, 2023.) It features a long interview conducted with the influential comics writer conducted in 1970 by a group of St. Louis comic fans – including Walt, when he was 15 years old.

A prolific creator since, Walt’s fiction, articles and memoirs can be found here on this Substack site! Walt’s comic book and comic strip creations can be found on Waltcomics.com.

Walt’s earlier, self-published comic book anthology, SLIGHTLY BENT COMICS, introduced readers to his original, comic co-creations, including DANGER DAD, RECYCLED MAN, DANG GNATS and MEL COOL; MALL COP (pre-dating “Paul Blart” by decades.) Those features were co-created illustrated by notable, St. Louis-based comic artists.  For a younger demographic, Walt co-created THE HEROBOTS, stars of a coloring and activities book for pre-school and early grade school.

As a comedy actor, Walt has appeared in the feature film comedy SPIRITS OF JUPITER; the movie serial parody SONS OF THE SADDLE; and how own films, HOW TO KILL AND PITCH and TEEN DETECTIVE, with Walt in the latter’s title role. Walt’s IMDB page has pics and clips.

In addition, Walt makes appearances at comic books conventions, “cosplaying” Dr. Hank (Henry) Pym, the original Ant-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

A retired copywriter and creative director, Walt’s 40-year career of creating humorous advertising campaigns for national brands earned him induction in 2018 into the St. Louis Media Foundation’s Hall of Fame.

He earned in 1978 a B.A. in Speech Communications from the University of Missouri - St. Louis, where he was a young editor of THE CURRENT, the campus newspaper, where his love for deadline-based creativity was forged, tested and rewarded – with a $30/week paycheck.

Walt lives in suburban St. Louis, Missouri, with his wife Randy, also a prolific creator (of miniature furniture.) In addition to their home-based creative endeavors, they hike, travel, hit the gym, and regroup nightly for a “sunset sip,” often of a grape-based beverage.

Walt is all over social media with content he hopes inspires creativity, joy and laughs.

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Bonus feature: How do you pronounce “Jaschek?”

A Q&A with Walt Jaschek

Q. How do you pronounce Jaschek?

A. Well, much of my family here in the U.S., including parents, pronounces the “s-c-h” combination as an “s” sound, like ja-sic, with a short “a” sound, as if to rhyme with “classic.”

Q. But you do not pronounce it that way?

A. No.

Q. Why is that? 

A. During college, I started to embrace that odd “sch” consonant combination as a “shhhhh” sound, like the “sch” in Schwab or Dr. Scholls or Anheuser Busch, makers of Busch Light, thinking that this would actually help pronunciation, not hinder.

Q. So did it help, then?

A. Not at all.

Q. Is it true that your high school gym teacher would call you “JAZZ-check” in a high-pitched nasal, and that you felt that “JAZZ-check” was some alternate version of yourself that ran laps in a jock?

A. That is true. How did you get that information?

Q. We hear things.

A. Hmmm.

Q. Do you often see your name misspelled as Jassik, Jasik, Jashek, Jaschek or Yashek?

A. It’s like you’re reading my mind.

Q. You know, in its original, Germanc language, the “j” would be pronounced like a “y.” 

A. True.

Q. So you do it that way?

A. I can’t really yustify that. I mean, justify that.

Q. So, in that case: how DO you pronounce “Jaschek”?

A. Me?

Q. Yes. 

A. I have no idea.

Q. [Sigh.] 

A: I was hoping you knew.

[SFX: Muted trombone.]

Walt Jaschek is the author of many funny things.

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Writer/actor Walt Jaschek is creator of the comic. “Comic,” as in comic books. “Comic,” as in comedy. And “comic,” as in mood. His motto: "Life is worth laughing." His humor is intended to amuse, inform and inspire. Or at least distract.