It's doubtful that anyone here has ever heard of him but one of my favourite comic book writers has apparently died. Steve Gerber was the creator of Howard the Duck which, in spite of the terrible movie, was possibly my favourite ever comic. He also worked on the Defenders and on the best run of the seminal Man-Thing. Sadly he fell foul of the creators' rights dispute with Marvel comics and never again produced the classic work of his earlier career.
I was completely astonished to find out that he was sixty as I'd thought him younger than me.
Although you probaby never heard of him, I for one am sorry to hear of his demise.
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
February 12, 2008, 17:54
zmježd
That is truly sad. I remember picking up one of his early Howard the Duck comics in London by chance as a gift for a friend who collected comics. It was hilarious.
—Ceci n'est pas un seing.
February 12, 2008, 19:05
Kalleh
Was Howard the Duck only available in England? For some reason, I seem to remember that comic, but I am sure I didn't see it in England.
February 13, 2008, 03:01
arnie
Howard the Duck was in a US comic, set in Cleveland, Ohio. See the quite long Wikipedia article on Steve Gerber and the article linked from that page on Howard the Duck.
Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
February 13, 2008, 03:51
zmježd
Was Howard the Duck only available in England?
I didn't say Howard the Duck was English. Just that I bought it in London. Though I am sure that the British invented comics as a genre somewhere between inventing writing and the printing press.
[Edited typo.]This message has been edited. Last edited by: zmježd,
—Ceci n'est pas un seing.
February 13, 2008, 04:27
arnie
quote:
I am sure that the British invented comics as a genre somewhere between inventing the writing and the printing press.
I know your tongue was in cheek, but early comics included the Bayeux Tapestry (Norman) and the work of Hogarth (British) according to Wikipedia. For true comic books, however, I think we have to say they were an American development.
Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
February 13, 2008, 05:27
zmježd
early comics included the Bayeux Tapestry (Norman) and the work of Hogarth (British)
The ancient Egyptians also used a kind of sequential graphic art for storytelling.
—Ceci n'est pas un seing.
February 13, 2008, 05:56
arnie
N.B. my use of the word included above.
Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
February 13, 2008, 06:29
zmježd
N.B. my use of the word included above.
Yes, sorry, arnie. Likewise my also.
—Ceci n'est pas un seing.
February 14, 2008, 03:42
pearce
quote:
Originally posted by arnie: For true comic books, however, I think we have to say they were an American development.
Like the Contributions to peace in Western Civilisation by George W. Bush ?