Slog - Comments on Steve Gerber is Dead

Comment by Strutter

Strutter — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:21:36 -0800

Also notable for his involvement with the first Kiss comic Marvel did. Silly, yes, but a pretty fresh idea at the time.

Comment by Cale

Cale — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:26:36 -0800

Howard the Duck ended up being an unintentional satire of 80s film more than anything.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:30:38 -0800

The only Canadian super patriot?

OK, then who was Captain Canuck, and why did I own first edition comics of him then ....

Comment by left coast

left coast — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:31:55 -0800

I saw Howard the Duck at the drive-in with my girlfriend. Even the possibility of sex in the car couldn't keep me awake for more than half an hour. I've never seen an estimate of the amount of coke consumed during the making of that film. The coke budget had to be huge, could they really have spent more than a million on the 'special effects'?

Comment by Mike

Mike — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 20:29:45 -0800

I'm with you man. I almost cried when I heard. Steve did some great and ground-breaking work. He will be missed.

Comment by rtm

rtm — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 20:49:07 -0800

I remain convinced that HTD #16 is the single most unique comic Marvel ever released. Gerber was moving, and simply didn't have time to do the book, so he created a weird stream of consciousness masterpiece - "Deadline Doom" - which spliced together his and Howard's travails. Never forget the spine tingling battle with the Vegas showgirls . . .

First Suzanne Pleshette, now Gerber. Is John Doe next? Don't answer that . . .

Comment by mike

mike — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 20:49:24 -0800

Paul,

Thanks for this bit of historical decoding. Somewhere in the archives I have a few late-70s Epic-era HtDs. They are yours should they ever resurface.

Comment by mike m.

mike m. — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 21:12:33 -0800

R.I.P. Mr. Gerber

Comment by Malibu fool

Malibu fool — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 10:27:30 -0800

I met Mr. Gerber briefly when I was a serf at Malibu Comic Entertainment and Mr. Gerber was one of the writers involved in a "co-op" creation of a superhero series called the Ultraverse. Mr. Gerber was kind, quiet, funny and always behind in deadlines (I think it was because he saw what was coming). Along with his work, his legacy is his advocacy for creators' rights in the comic industry. Malibu Comics all came tumbling down amid the company's owners recriminations, greed and lies. I regret that such a talented and sensitive person had to experienece that. RIP Mr. Gerber.

Comment by pbw

pbw — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 10:30:24 -0800

What an odd thing to say, "this will only be sad for a very few people." Steve touched a lot of people - those who met him personally, as well as the multitude he reached with his work. Helluva writer and a great guy who struggled for creators rights in the comics industry, whose last year of life was spent coping with an awful medical condition. It's a sad day for A LOT of people. Saying it that way seemed like a weird and unnecessary qualification.

Comment by pbw

pbw — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 10:30:47 -0800

Comment by Wowza

Wowza — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:42:48 -0800

@6 - I'm really glad I heard you say that. In clicking around various links on him, I was very intrigued by what I read about that very issue, and plan on tracking it down ASAP.