James P. Starlin (born October 9, 1949)[1] is an Americancomics artist and writer.Beginning his career in the early 1970s, he is best known for space opera stories, for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock, and for creating or co-creating the Marvel characters Thanos, Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, and Shang-Chi.Starlin wrote the miniseries The Infinity Gauntlet and its many sequels including The Infinity War and The Infinity Crusade, all detailing Thanos's pursuit of the Infinity Gems and his conflict with the heroes of the Marvel Universe.
For DC Comics, he drew many iconic characters, including Darkseid, and wrote the seminal storyline A Death in the Family which featured the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin, during his run on Batman.For Epic Illustrated, he created his own character,
Dreadstar
.
Early life
Jim Starlin was born on October 9, 1949, in Detroit, Michigan.[2] He had a Catholic upbringing.[3] In the 1960s, Starlin served as an aviation photographer in the US Navy in Vietnam.[4][5] During his off duty time, he drew and submitted various comics.[6]
Early career
After leaving the navy, Starlin sold two stories to DC Comics.[6]
After writing and drawing stories for a number of fan publications, Jim Starlin entered the comics industry in 1972, working for Roy Thomas and John Romita at Marvel Comics.[7] Starlin was part of the generation of artists and writers who grew up as fans of Silver Age Marvel Comics.At a Steve Ditko-focused panel at the 2008 Comic-Con International, Starlin said, "Everything I learned about storytelling was [due to] him or Kirby. [Ditko] did the best layouts."[8]
Starlin's first job for Marvel was as a finisher on pages of The Amazing Spider-Man.[9] He then drew three issues of Iron Man which introduced the characters Thanos and Drax the Destroyer.[10] He was then given the chance to draw an issue (#25) of the "cosmic" title Captain Marvel.[11] Starlin took over as plotter the following issue, and began developing an elaborate story arc centered on the villainous Thanos which spread across a number of Marvel titles. Starlin left Captain Marvel one issue after concluding his Thanos saga.
Concurrently in the mid-1970s, Starlin contributed a cache of stories to the independently published science-fiction anthology Star Reach.Here he developed his ideas of God, death, and infinity, free of the restrictions of mainstream comics publishers' self-censorship arm, the Comics Code Authority.Starlin also drew "The Secret of Skull River", inked by frequent collaborator Al Milgrom, for Savage Tales #5 (July 1974).[12]
After working on Captain Marvel, Starlin and writer Steve Englehart co-created the character Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu,[13][14] though they only worked on the early issues of the Master of Kung Fu series.Starlin then took over the title Warlock,[15] starring a genetically engineered being created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in the 1960s and re-imagined by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane in the 1970s as a Jesus Christ-like figure on an alternate Earth.Envisioning the character as philosophical and existentially tortured, Starlin wrote and drew a complex space opera with theological and psychological themes.Warlock confronted the militaristic Universal Church of Truth
In Fall 1978,[17] Starlin, Howard Chaykin, Walt Simonson, and Val Mayerik formed Upstart Associates, a shared studio space on West 29th Street in New York City.The membership of the studio changed over time.[18]
Death and suicide are recurring themes in Starlin's work: Personifications of Death appeared in his Captain Marvel series and in a fill-in story for Ghost Rider; Warlock commits suicide by killing his future self; and suicide is a theme in a story he plotted and drew for The Rampaging Hulk magazine.
Starlin occasionally worked for Marvel's chief competitor DC Comics and drew stories for Legion of Super-Heroes[9] and the "Batman" feature in Detective Comics[19] in the late 1970s.
1980s
Starlin co-created the supervillainMongul with writer Len Wein in DC Comics Presents #27 (Nov. 1980).[20]
The new decade found Starlin creating an expansive story titled "the Metamorphosis Odyssey", which introduced the character of Vanth Dreadstar in Epic Illustrated #3.From its beginning in Epic Illustrated, the initial story was painted in monochromatic grays, eventually added to with other tones, and finally becoming full color.[21] The storyline was further developed in The Price[22] and Marvel Graphic Novel #3[23][24]
Later career
Back at Marvel, Starlin began scripting a revival of the Silver Surfer series and introduced his creation Thanos into the story, which led to The Infinity Gauntletminiseries and its crossover storyline.[38] Here, Starlin brought back Adam Warlock, whom he had killed years earlier in his concluding Warlock story in The Avengers Annual #7 and Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2 in 1977.The Infinity Gauntlet proved successful and was followed by the sequel miniseries The Infinity War and Infinity Crusade.[39]
In 1998, he created Hardcore Station in 1998 for DC Comics.[9]
Other work
Starlin co-wrote four novels with his then-wife Daina Graziunas (whom he married in October 1980):[49] Among Madmen (Roc Books, 1990), Lady El (Roc Books, 1992), Thinning the Predators (1996, Warner Books; paperback edition entitled Predators); and Pawns (1989, serialized in comic book Dreadstar #42–54).
Starlin makes a cameo appearance in the film Avengers: Endgame as a member of Steve Rogers's support group.[50]
Awards
1973: Won the "Outstanding New Talent" Shazam Award, tied with Walt Simonson[51]
1974: Nominated for the "Superior Achievement by an Individual" Shazam Award
1975: Won the "Favorite Pro Penciller" Comic Fan Art Award
Jim Starlin at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
References
1.Note: Birth date is listed as October 19 at Jim Starlin Facebook, retrieved October 10, 2012John Jackson Miller. Comics Industry Birthdays Comics Buyer's Guide, June 10, 2005, retrieved December 12, 2010^
7."Gangway, World! Madcap Marvel Marches Merrily On!" ("Bullpen Bulletins" page in Sgt Fury and his Howling Commandos #104 and other Marvel Comics cover-dated November 1972)^
8.Starlin, in Seth Jones. CCI: The World of Steve Ditko Comic Book Resources, Comic Book Resources, August 5, 2008, retrieved October 10, 2012^
9.{{gcdb|type=credit|search= Starlin|title= Jim Starlin}}^
10.Peter Sanderson, Laura Gilbert. Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History Dorling Kindersley, 2008^
11.Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 159: "In March [1973], the first of artist Jim Starlin's many sagas of the Marvel heroes' wars against Thanos began."^
13.Jon B. Cooke. Comic Book Artist Collection: Volume 3 TwoMorrows Publishing, 2005^
14.Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 161: "Capitalizing on the popularity of martial arts movies, writer Steve Englehart and artist/co-plotter Jim Starlin created Marvel's Master of Kung Fu series. The title character, Shang-Chi, was the son of novelist Sax Rohmer's criminal mastermind Dr. Fu Manchu."^
15.Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 168: "Adam Warlock returned in a new series, taking over Strange Tales for four issues...The original Warlock comic book would return with issue #9 in October [1975]."^
16.Les Daniels. Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics Harry N. Abrams, 1991^
17.Jon B. Cooke. Simonson Says The Man of Two Gods Recalls His 25+ Years in Comics Comic Book Artist, TwoMorrows Publishing, October 2000^
22.The Price October 1981 Eclipse Comics at the Grand Comics Database^
23.Jarrod Buttery. Dreadstar: Jim Starlin's Odyssey Back Issue!, TwoMorrows Publishing, September 2019^
24.Graphic Novel #3 (Dreadstar'') 1982 Marvel Comics at the Grand Comics Database^
25.DeFalco, Tom "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 208: "The first title produced for [the Epic Comics] line was Dreadstar, a space opera by writer/artist Jim Starlin."^
28.First Comics series at the Grand Comics Database^
29.DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 207: "This title by Jim Starlin was the first of a new series of Marvel Graphic Novels. Running between forty-eight and ninety-six pages, these paperback books were an attempt to compete with the European-style graphic albums."^
30.DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 223: "Horrified by the plight of starving children in Africa, writer/artist Jim Starlin and illustrator Bernie Wrightson convinced Marvel to publish Heroes For Hope. It was a 'jam' book...and all of Marvel's profits were donated to famine relief in Africa."^
31.Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 219: "Plotted by Jim Starlin, with dramatic designs by Bernie Wrightson...Heroes Against Hunger featured nearly every popular DC creator of the time."^
32.Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 233: "Using the Cold War as their backdrop, writer Jim Starlin and artist Jim Aparo crafted the four-part storyline 'Ten Nights of the Beast'."^
33.Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 234: "Writer Jim Starlin took the Dark Knight into the depths of Gotham for the four-issue prestige format Batman: The Cult...with horror artist Bernie Wrightson."^
34.Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 235: "Written by Jim Starlin, with art by Jim Aparo and haunting covers by Mike Mignola, 'A Death in the Family' proved a best seller with readers in both single-issue and trade paperback form."^
37.Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 235: "Writer Jim Starlin and artist Mike Mignola teamed up for a sci-fi miniseries that spanned the [DC Universe]."^
38.Manning, Matthew K. "1990s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 254: "Written by Jim Starlin, and with pencils by George Pérez and Ron Lim, The Infinity Gauntlet was born."^
40.Cowsill, Alan "2000s" in Dolan, p. 327: "[Mystery in Space] returned for an eight-issue run featuring Captain Comet, and was written by Jim Starlin and drawn by Shane Davis. It also contained a back-up strip starring the Weird, written and drawn by Starlin."^
41.Cowsill "2000s" in Dolan, p. 331: "Writer and artist Jim Starlin helmed this eight-part series as a mysterious force brought destruction to the inhabitants of the Fourth World."^
, eventually revealed to be created and led by an evil evolution of his future–past self, known as
Magus
.
Starlin ultimately incorporated Thanos into this story.
Comics historian Les Daniels noted that "In a brief stint with Marvel, which included work on two characters [Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock] that had previously never quite made their mark, Starlin managed to build a considerable cult following."[16]
Starlin was given the opportunity to produce a one-shot story in which to kill off a main character.The Death of Captain Marvel became the first graphic novel published by Marvel itself.[29]
Starlin and Bernie Wrightson produced Heroes for Hope, a 1985 one-shot designed to raise money for African famine relief and recovery.[30] Published in the form of a "comic jam," the book featured an all-star lineup of comics creators as well as a few notable authors from outside the comic book industry, such as Stephen King, George R. R. Martin, Harlan Ellison, and Edward Bryant.[9] In 1986, he and Wrightson produced a second benefit comic for famine relief.Heroes Against Hunger, featuring Superman and Batman, was published by DC and like the earlier Marvel benefit project featured many top comics creators.[9][31]
Starlin became the writer of Batman, and one of his first storylines for the title was "Ten Nights of The Beast"[32] in issues #417–420 (March – June 1988) which introduced the KGBeast.Starlin then wrote the four-issue miniseriesBatman: The Cult (Aug.–Nov. 1988) drawn by Wrightson,[33] and the storyline "Batman: A Death in the Family" in Batman #426–429 (Dec. 1988 – Jan. 1989),[34] in which Jason Todd, the second of Batman's Robin sidekicks, was killed by the Joker.The controversial storyline was suggested by editor Denny O'Neil and lined up with Starlin's well-known desire to remove the Robin character from Batman's storyline.[35] The death was decided by fans, as DC Comics set up a hotline for readers to vote on as to whether or not Jason Todd should survive a potentially fatal situation.Starlin was fired off the Batman title soon afterward.[36]
Other projects for DC included writing The Weird drawn by Wrightson[9] and Cosmic Odyssey drawn by Mike Mignola.[37] Starlin wrote and drew Gilgamesh II in 1989 before returning to Marvel.[9]
In 2003, Starlin wrote and drew the Marvel Comics miniseries Marvel: The End.[9] The series starred Thanos and a multitude of Marvel characters, and subsequently, Starlin was assigned an eponymous Thanos series.[9] Starlin then worked for independent companies, creating Cosmic Guard (later renamed Kid Cosmos) published by Devil's Due and then Dynamite Entertainment in 2006.[9]
Starlin returned to DC and, with artist Shane Davis, wrote the miniseries Mystery in Space vol. 2, featuring Captain Comet and Starlin's earlier creation, the Weird.[40] In 2007–2008, he worked on the DC miniseries Death of the New Gods[41] and Rann-Thanagar Holy War,[9] as well as a Hawkman tie-in which altered the character's origins.[42] He wrote the eight-issue miniseries Strange Adventures in 2009[43] and in 2013, became the writer of Stormwatch, one of the series of The New 52 line, beginning with issue #19.[44]
In 2016, Starlin's drawing hand was injured in an accident, which limited him to writing stories without the opportunity to illustrate them. "It takes me two minutes to write the sentence and will take the artist a day and a half to draw the scene. But there is a certain satisfaction to the drawing part … you get up from the drawing board at the end of the day and there's this image there that wasn't there before. That's very satisfying and I miss that."[45][46]
In early 2020 it was announced that Starlin had rehabilitated his drawing hand and would be publishing a new Dreadstar graphic novel, Dreadstar Returns, backed by a successful Kickstarter campaign.The book was published in June 2021.[47]
In 2024, Starlin announced that he plans to use generative AI technology for future projects, including Dreadstar vs. Dreadstar.[48]
Infinity Gauntlet Omnibus, 1248 pages, July 2014, Marvel Comics, ISBN 978-0785154686
Batman: A Death in the Family, 144 pages, March 1988, Re-released in November 2011 with "A Lonely Place of Dying" story added, 272 pages, ISBN 1401232744
Batman: Ten Nights of the Beast, 96 pages, October 1994, ISBN 1563891557
Batman: The Cult, 208 pages, 1991, ISBN 0930289854
Avengers vs. Thanos, 472 pages, March 2013, Marvel Comics, ISBN 978-0785168508
Captain Marvel by Jim Starlin: The Complete Collection, December 2016, Marvel Comics
Cosmic Guard (Kid Kosmos), 132 pages, April 2008, Dynamite, ISBN 978-1933305028
Cosmic Odyssey, 200 pages, September 2009, DC Comics, ISBN 978-1563890512
Dreadstar: The Definitive Collection
Volume 1, 192 pages, August 2004, Dynamite, ISBN 978-0974963815
Volume 2, 188 pages, September 2004, Dynamite, ISBN 978-0974963822
Death of the New Gods, 256 pages, August 2009, DC Comics, ISBN 978-1401222116
Essential Doctor Strange volume 3, 616 pages, December 2007, Marvel Comics, ISBN 978-0785127338
Essential Marvel Two-In-One
Volume 1, 576 pages, November 2005, Marvel Comics, ISBN 0-7851-1729-6
Volume 2, 568 pages, June 2007, Marvel Comics, ISBN 978-0785126980
Essential Rampaging Hulk volume 1, 584 pages, May 2008, Marvel Comics, ISBN 978-0785126997
Infinity Abyss, 176 pages, March 2003, Marvel Comics, ISBN 978-0785109853
Infinity War, 400 pages, April 2006, Marvel Comics, ISBN 978-0785121053
Infinity Crusade
Volume 1, 248 pages, December 2008, Marvel Comics, ISBN 978-0785131274
Volume 2, 240 pages, January 2009, Marvel Comics, ISBN 978-0785131281
The Life of Captain Marvel, 256 pages, October 1991, Marvel Comics, ISBN 978-0871356352
Thanos: Epiphany, 144 pages, August 2004, Marvel Comics, ISBN 978-0785113553
Warlock by Jim Starlin: The Complete Collection, 328 pages, February, 2014, Marvel Comics, ISBN 978-0785188476
