Stephen Ross Gerber (September 20, 1947[1] – February 10, 2008)[2] was an American comic book writer and creator of the satiric Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck. Other works include Man-Thing, Omega the Unknown, Marvel Spotlight: "Son of Satan", The Defenders, Marvel Presents: "Guardians of the Galaxy", Daredevil and Foolkiller. Gerber often included lengthy text pages in the midst of comic book stories, such as in his graphic novel, Stewart the Rat. Gerber was posthumously inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2010.
Biography
Early life
Steve Gerber was born to a Jewish family in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Bernice Gerber,[3] and one of four children, with siblings Jon, Michael, and Lisa.[3] A letter from Steve Gerber of "7014 Roberts Court, University City 30, Mo." was published in Fantastic Four #19 (Oct. 1963). Other letters from Steve Gerber appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #26 (April 1965) and Captain America #118 (October 1969). After corresponding with fellow youthful comics fans Roy Thomas and Jerry Bails, and starting one of the first comics fanzines, Headline, at age 13 or 14, Gerber attended college at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, and St. Louis University, where he finished his communications degree.[4]
In fiction
Gerber used the anagrammatic Reg Everbest pseudonym for Marvel-published Hanna-Barbera stories after he was banned from Marvel by Jim Shooter. Echoing that pseudonym, Roger Stern named the original, deceased Foolkiller "Ross G. Everbest" in The Amazing Spider-Man #225, in homage to Gerber,[45] who had created the character, using Gerber's middle name as the character's first name, the middle initial restoring the anagram save for a silent e. The character's real name had never appeared in the two Gerber stories, but is seen on a computer screen in the second Foolkiller's van, next to the face of the original user of that identity.
The Marvel Universe villain Thundersword (by Jim Shooter,[46] Al Milgrom and Steve Leialoha) is considered a parody of Gerber and his creation Thundarr the Barbarian. Stewart Cadwall is a TV scriptwriter who acquires superpowers, becomes Thundersword and fights the current state of the media.[47]
Awards and nominations
- 1977: Eagle Award for Favourite Single Comicbook Story for Howard the Duck #3: "Four Feathers of Death", with artist John Buscema[48]
- 1977: Also nominated for same award for Howard the Duck #1: "Howard the Barbarian", with artist Frank Brunner[48]
- 1977: Nominated for Eagle Award for Favourite Comicbook Writer[48]
- 1977: Nominated for Eagle Award for Favourite Continued Comicbook Story for The Defenders #31–40 and The Defenders Annual #1, with artist Sal Buscema
Bibliography
Comic books
DC Comics
- A. Bizarro #1–4 (1999)
- Countdown to Mystery #1–7 (Doctor Fate) (2007–2008)
- DC Comics Presents #97 (1986)
- The Flash #310–313 (Doctor Fate backup stories, reprinted in The Immortal Doctor Fate #3) (1982)
- Hard Time #1–12 (2004–2005)
- Hard Time: Season Two #1–7 (with Mary Skrenes; the first issue noted that she was denied credit on the first series) (2006)
Television credits
(Series head writer denoted in bold)
- The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show (1979)
- Thundarr the Barbarian (1980-1981)
- Goldie Gold and Action Jack (1981)
- The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo/Puppy Hour (1982)
- Dungeons & Dragons (1983)
- Mister T (1983)
- G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1985): season 1 head writer
- The Transformers (1986-1987): season 3 head writer
- Superman (1988)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989)
- Superman: The Animated Series (1997)
- The New Batman Adventures (1997)
Further reading
- "Steve Gerber's Crazy Days" (in Comic Book Artist #7, February 2000, reprinted in Comic Book Artist Collection Volume 3, TwoMorrows Publishing, 2005)
External links
- Steve Gerber at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
- Steve Gerber at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
- Steve Gerber at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
- WebCitation archive.
- Hatcher, Greg. "Trapped in a Friday He Never Made", Comic Book Resources, August 5, 2006. WebCitation archive.
- McLellan, Dennis. "Steve Gerber, 1947–2008: Comic-book writer created Howard the Duck and worked on TV series", Los Angeles Times, February 15, 2008. WebCitation archive.
References
- "United States Social Security Death Index," index, FamilySearch Stephen R Gerber accessed March 11, 2013, February 10, 2008.^
- Social Security Death Index details^
- with correction appended Margalit Fox. Steve Gerber, Creator of Howard the Duck, Dies at 60 The New York Times, February 14, 2008