Born: 1946 August 30 in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Died: 2004 January 6 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Biography: Hewetson, a Scottish-Canadian creator, worked in support as an assistant editor, assistant to Stan Lee at Marvel during 1969. He also worked in support as an associated editor for Skywald in 1972. For Skywald, Hewetson was an editor on Nightmare (1970 series) from 1972 to 1975, Psycho (1971 series) from 1971 to 1975, and Scream (1973 series) from 1973 to 1975. He also edited specials and yearbooks for those series.
During his career, Hewetson worked as a writer for DC from 1969 to 1971, Feature Comics' Sick magazine from 1969 to past 1971, Major Magazines' Cracked Magazine from 1969 to past 1971, Marvel from 1969 to 1971, Skywald from 1970 to 1975, and Warren from 1970 to 1973.
Before his time in comic books, Hewetson worked as a darkroom technician and photographer for the Sudbury Star (Sudbury, Ontario) circa before 1965, the Ottawa Journal (Ottawa, Ontario) from about 1965 to 1966, and the Montreal Gazette (Montreal, Quebec) around 1966. Part of his duties including writing captions for the photographs. He also did photographic work for the Canadian Press (Ottawa, Ontario) during an unknown period of time.
From 1966 to 1967, Hewetson worked for the 1967 International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67 in Montreal. By the middle of 1967, he began his own advertising and photography company in Ottawa which he did promotional work for rock groups, ending in 1968. Among the people, Hewetson photographed was Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker. His work with Diefenbaker led to being a photo editor of at least one Diefenbaker's memoirs, circa 1975 to 1977.
In high school, Hewetson published two issues of an EC fanzine, Potrzebie (not to be confused with the 1950s Ted White fanzine), 400 copies of each issue at 2.00 CAD each.
In 1991, Hewetson co-owned The Little Shop of Gifts in Windsor, Ontario, which focused on the craftworks of Windsor and Essex County artists.
Additional biographical information found in:
The Comics Journal (Fantagraphics, 1977 series) #127 (February 1989);
Comic Book Marketplace (Gemstone, 1995 series) #v2#55 (January 1998);
"Creepy-Crawlies from St. Catharines" by Paul King, April 13, 1974, appeared The Province (Vancouver, British Columbia, pages 106, 108, and 110), The Ottawa Citizen (Ottawa, Ontario, pages 150, 152, 154), The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec, pages 83, 85, and 87), and Calgary Herald (Calgary, Alberta, pages 147, 149, and 151) are known. Probably in other Canadian newspaper magazines as well.;
Eerie (Warren, 1966 series) #26 (March 1970);
Now And Then Times (Now and Then Books, 1972 series) v1#2 (October 1973) [Canadian fanzine.]; and
Wikipedia "Al Hewetson" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Hewetson.
Syndication work:
Dirty Soks (self-syndicated ?) 1972 - 1974 [Writer.];
Satirists (self-syndicated) (1971) [Writer, attempted to syndicate in Canada but not enough papers were interested so it was not actually syndicated.]; and
Tales of the Macabre daily and Sunday (self-syndicated ?) 1972 - 1974 [Writer.].
Notes: Hewetson has secondary Who's Who entries under his Edward Farthing, Joe Dentyn, Howie Anderson, Henry Bergman, Hugh Laskey, William Davie, Ted Freeman, and Leslie Jerome pen names:
http://bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=FARTHING%2C+EDWARD
http://bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=DENTYN%2c+JOE
http://bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=ANDERSON%2c+HOWIE
http://bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=BERGMAN%2c+HENRY
http://bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=LASKEY%2C+HUGH
http://bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=DAVIE%2C+WILLIAM
http://bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=FREEMAN%2C+TED
http://bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=JEROME%2C+LESLIE
The Henry Bergman, Kim Ball, and Vern Bennett pen names were not certain per Bails' Who's Who.
Publication Title: Cinema
(magazine) - Role: writer
- Years: 1969 - 1970
Employer Name : Spectator International Inc.
Work Title: Comics in the Cinema
Notes: Hewetson wrote articles about comic book adaptations in film. Details on articles not known.
Publication Title: Greater Windsor; ?
(magazine) - Role: owner
- Years: 1975?; 1976; 1977?; 1978?; 1979?; 1980?; 1981?; 1982?; 1983?; 1984?; 1985?; 1986?; 1987?
Employer Name : Self-Published
Notes: Hewetson was a publisher of city magazines, starting with one for St. Catharines, Ontario (name not known) around 1976, then later for Niagara Falls, Ontario (name and dates not known), Buffalo, New York (name and dates not known), and Windsor, Ontario (called Greater Windsor, dates not known).
The Niagara Falls and Buffalo city magazines were known to have been published for five years.
Publication Title: Leisure Ontario
(magazine) - Role: editor
- Years: 1988 - 1989; 1990?
Employer Name : Canadian Automobile Association (CAA)
Notes: Hewtenson was an editor for Leisure Ontario, a magazine for members of the Windsor, Ontario area Canadian Automobile Association (CAA).
Publication Title: The Windsor Star
(newspaper) - Role: writer
- Year: 1989
Employer Name : Southam Inc.
Work Title: Justice System Strives to Be Fair to Everyone
Notes: Hewetson wrote an editorial opinion piece for The Windsor Star section Letters/Comments, Opinion/Analysis, "Justice System Strives to Be Fair to Everyone" Thursday, March 9, 1989, page A7.
Publication Title: The Windsor Star
(newspaper) - Role: writer
- Year: 1990
Employer Name : Southam Inc.
Work Title: Windsorites Must Believe in Themselves, Positive Thought Will Shape Our Future
Notes: Hewetson wrote an editorial opinion piece for The Windsor Star section Letters/Comments, Opinion/Analysis, "Windsorites Must Believe in Themselves, Positive Thought Will Shape Our Future" Thursday, January 18, 1990, page A7.
Publication Title: The Windsor Star
(newspaper) - Role: writer
- Year: 1988
Employer Name : Southam Inc.
Work Title: Road Signs No Help to Tourists Unless Their Leaving -- Fast
Notes: Hewetson wrote an editorial opinion piece for The Windsor Star section "Letters/Comments, Opinion/Analysis", "Road Signs No Help to Tourists Unless Their Leaving -- Fast" Thursday, October 20, 1988, page A9.
Publication Title: The Windsor Star
(newspaper) - Role: writer
- Year: 1990
Employer Name : Southam Inc.
Work Title: In the Schools; In the Neighborhood; Community at Large
Notes: Hewetson wrote and photographed several vignettes for Neighborhood News Magazine under multiple titles for The Windsor Star highlighting local events during 1990.
Publication Title: The Windsor Star
(newspaper) - Role: writer
- Year: 1988
Employer Name : Southam Inc.
Work Title: Highway to 'Heaven', Take a Look at What Is in Your Own 'Backyard'
Notes: Hewetson wrote an article for The Windsor Star section Fall & Winter Guide to Leisure Activities, "Highway to 'Heaven', Take a Look at What Is in Your Own 'Backyard'" Monday, October 3, 1988, pages B2 and B4.
Publication Title: Windsor This Month; Windsor Business Life
(magazine) - Role: editor
- Years: 1989 - 1990; 1991?
Employer Name : Self-Published ?
Notes: Hewtenson was an editor for Windsor This Month and Windsor Business Life, dates of publication and if he was the publisher is not known.
Publication Title: [Darkroom Technician, Photographer, Copywriter]
(newspaper) - Role: employee
Employer Name : Canadian Press (Ottawa, Ontario)
Notes: Hewetson worked as a darkroom technician, photographer, and photograph copywriter dates unknown.
Publication Title: [Darkroom Technician, Photographer, Copywriter]
(newspaper) - Role: employee
- Year: 1966
Employer Name : Montreal Gazette (Montreal, Quebec)
Notes: Hewetson worked as a darkroom technician, photographer, and photograph copywriter.
Publication Title: [Darkroom Technician, Photographer, Copywriter]
(newspaper) - Role: employee
- Years: 1965?; 1966?
Employer Name : Ottawa Journal (Ottawa, Ontario)
Notes: Hewetson worked as a darkroom technician, photographer, and photograph copywriter.
Publication Title: [Darkroom Technician, Photographer, Copywriter]
(newspaper) - Role: employee
- Year: 1964?
Employer Name : Sudbury Star (Sudbury, Ontario)
Notes: Hewetson worked as a darkroom technician, photographer, and photograph copywriter.
Publication Title: [Photographer]
(other) - Role: artist
- Year: 1997
Employer Name : C.E.O. for the Mike Hurst Campaign
Work Title: Mike Hurst. Leadership That Works.
Notes: Hewetson was a photographer for the 1997 re-election campaign for Windsor, Ontario mayor Mike Hurst.
Publication Title: [Photographer]
(other) - Role: employee
- Years: 1966 - 1967
Employer Name : International and Universal Exposition (Expo 67)
Notes: Hewetson did photographic work for the International and Universal Exposition (Expo 67) from 1966 to mid-1967.
Publication Title: [Photography and Advertising]
(advertising) - Role: owner
- Years: 1967 - 1968
Employer Name : Self-Employed
Notes: From the middle of 1967 until 1968, Hewetson ran his own advertising and photography company in Ottawa which he did promotional work for rock groups.
Publication Title: [Screenplays]
(movie) - Role: writer
- Years: 1976?; 1977?
Employer Name : Quadrant Films
Work Title: Gaunt; Conspiracy; Murderstone; Savage Midsummer's Night; Lunatics; Ladykiller
Notes: Hewetson wrote the following screenplays for Quadrant Films: Gaunt, Conspiracy, Murderstone, Savage Midsummer's Night, Lunatics, and Ladykiller, none of which were ever produced.