Posted in: Comics, DC Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: Gerry Conway, react, rip
More comic book creators, publishers and editors remember what Gerry Conway meant to them
Writers, artissts, publishers, editors, and all of them fans of comic book creator Gerry Conway, have been posting on social media about his death earlier this month. Gail Simone’s recent memories made an entire article of its own but plenty of people were wanting to share their memories of the man. Here are a few prominent examples:
Timmy Heague: “It comes with a heavy heart to announce the passing of our dear friend, comic book legend Gerry Conway. I have been so fortunate to know Gerry through the last decade and call him my friend and mentor. It has been the honor of a lifetime. Word cannot describe how thankful I am for his friendship, guidance, and support. His belief in me as a writer and retailer meant everything to me. Once Gerry told me the news about his health, I started to make sure I saw him weekly. Last week, it was one of the most special times we shared together, having my favorite conversations yet, talking about anything and everything comics, movies, and most importantly- life. To listen to Gerry’s stories and his journey was just as powerful to me as his iconic comic book stories. I’m so eternally thankful to his lovely wife Laura for letting me see him Friday and to say goodbye. I will do my best to make you proud my friend. While Gerry Conway is famously known for co-creating The Punisher, Power Girl, Firestorm, Jason Todd & more iconic characters, he will always be known first and foremost to us as a loving father, husband, and friend. Someone who always stood up and said what they believed in. On behalf of Laura, she would like me to say how appreciative she is of all the kind words and condolences everyone has said about Gerry during this difficult time.”
Tom King: “RIP to a comic legend and one of my writing heroes, Gerry Conway. Or as Stan Lee called the kid who somehow captured (and evolved) so much of Stan’s particular magic, Merry Gerry Conway. Gerry brought such humanity to his work, using super heroes to tell emotional stories of love, loss, and triumph—all without losing that fundamental energy and absurdity that still makes a good super hero story a really damn good super hero story. I spoke to him in depth of all of once. I was using his Black Spider for a thing and called him to talk about it. He didn’t really care about Black Spider. We instead talked about his time as a kid writing romance comics while knowing nothing about romance and his days figuring out Law and Order twists while not strictly understanding law and order. He talked about finding the tension in a character, the contradiction between who they are and who they want to be, that without a writer elucidating that struggle, what was the point of a hero? He was generous and kind and funny and patient cool. I’m not sure he was merry, but a myth maker will exaggerate from time to time. I’m grateful for his words and work. I remain inspired.”
Jim Lee: “Sad to hear of the passing of Gerry Conway—one of the most prolific and influential writers to work across both Marvel and DC Comics. While many know his Marvel accomplishments (co-creating the Punisher, ‘the Night Gwen Stacy died’), Gerry’s contributions to DC were equally impactful and significant: shaping Batman, Superman, the Justice League of America, and co-creating Firestorm, Jason Todd and Power Girl and so many more… Gerry defined an era of bold, character-driven storytelling during the Bronze Age of comics, balancing heart, action, and humanity in a way that inspired and captivated generations of readers and creators. In particular, his run on Justice League made me want to try my hand on our flagship title years ago during the New 52. Thank you, Gerry, for the worlds imagined and the heroes created. What an incredible legacy you leave behind. Rest in peace.”
Marv Wolfman: “Gerry Conway has passed away. He’d been ill for a long time so it wasn’t a surprise, but it is very sad. I don’t remember exactly when we met but I know it was while we were both on the weekly DC Comics office tour sometimes in the mid/late 1960s. We, and a few others who regularly took the tour, wanted very much to write professionally which made us, in a sense, rivals. But not really as we were not of equal ability. Gerry very quickly got lots of assignments. I, ummm, didn’t. I tried to figure out what I was doing wrong. I asked everyone but no one actually answered. Until Gerry did. He said my characters didn’t sound real. They all talked alike. And more. Much more. In short, my stuff stunk. My words. Not his. I went home crushed. I was like 19 or 20. Gerry was like 14. Why should I listen to this kid? Putting aside ego the answer was simple. He was getting lots of assignments and I wasn’t. I spent the next year or so reading books on writing. Tons of books. And writing spec scripts. Tons of spec scripts. Now that I knew what my weaknesses were, come hell or high water, I was going to get better. But if it wasn’t for Gerry I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to show that. Thank you, Gerry, and rest in peace.”
Wendy Pini: “Buddhists call that “the compassionate blow.” Something only a very good and wise friend can give you to help you be all you can be. Gerry was a very sweet man and I have always applauded him for the death of Gwen Stacy.
Fabian Nicieza: “I had the good fortune to meet and talk for a while with Gerry at a show in San Jose two years ago and was able to finally tell him how much his work had meant to me my entire life. He was a consummate professional who carved two very strong careers, in comics and television. Many years ago, only a few years into my career as a writer, I was told on good authority that a highly renowned pro had called me, “The Gerry Conway of the 90s.” I took the perpetual jerk’s intended slur how any smart professional who understood the reality of the ups and downs of a career would have: being compared to Gerry was a total compliment.”
Dan DiDio: “So sorry to hear of his passing His writing and energy was a big part of my love for comics.”
James Gunn: “Rest in Peace, Gerry Conway. A spectacular comics writer who did wonderful work for both Marvel and DC. Co creator of Firestorm, Punisher & Man-Bat, writer of The Night Gwen Stacy Died, the incredible Lazarus Pit stories, & the Spider-Man clone saga (an extremely influential run for me personally as a kid). His influence affects us all who work in the space. All my love goes out to his friends and family.”
Brad Meltzer: “RIP Gerry Conway. The master of the Satellite League and this issue that imprinted on me as a kid. Justice League of America 200. And so many more… JLA #200 forever!”
Mark Millar: “I just wanted to come back for a moment to say how sorry I am to hear about the passing of Gerry Conway today. Gerry wrote the first Marvel comic I ever bought (a British reprint of Spider-Man #123) and I’ve been a fan ever since. I loved his Superman run, his early 80s Batman was SPECTACULAR and his Justice League of America stint with George Perez remains the iconic run on that title for me. I was lucky enough to become friends with him some years ago and, if we happened to be in the same city, I even got to have breakfast with him on more than one occasion. He had the most tremendous warmth, a great sense of humour and an unmatched love for the industry and its characters. He was my very first guest when I launched my comic-book Youtube channel a few years back and I still can’t believe he inherited Stan’s gig when he was a teenager, writing ‘The Death of Gwen Stacy’. I was delivering NEWSPAPERS when I was a teenager! I was gutted when he told me last year how ill he was and I knew the world wouldn’t have him much longer, but I’m glad we had him for as long as we did and the pleasure he brought to strangers everywhere. Rest In Peace.”
Jeff Mariotte: “The first comic book writer I had genuine human interactions with was Gerry Conway. I’d been a fan of his for a long time–his runs on Daredevil and Spider-Man were my favorites ever, and he wrote just about every Marvel character at one time or another, as well as doing terrific work at DC. He also became a TV writer later in life and wrote some great episodes of favorite shows. I met him in 1980 when I was on the committee for the San Jose Fantasy Symposium. He was one of the many guests we invited, and to my delight, he came. I told him how much I loved his work, and he invited me to visit him at his Los Angeles home. I did that, and spent a day with him, talking comics. He sent me home with copies of some he’d written. I lost touch with him after that, but I always remembered his kindness and decency, and appreciated my brief friendship with him. We were both on Twitter when it was Twitter and communicated a little there, but that was the extent of our interaction in recent decades. Now he’s gone, and my chance to tell him in person how much he meant to me–not just as a writer of comics, but in how a writer of comics should behave toward his readers–is gone. So I’m telling you, and the universe. Thanks, Gerry. You were one of the best ever, and you’re already missed.”
Mike Collins: “One of the defining writers for me growing up, wit and humanity alongside the expected cosmic goofiness sold me on the ridiculous idea of superheroes as people. He’ll be missed. The Batman run he did still stays in my mind one of the most consistently enjoyable of the character. A true talent.”
Mike Perkins: “He suffered with illness for a while but faced it all with a humour and an acceptance.He was massively instrumental in building the comic industry into what it is today and his accolades and accomplishments are immense. I won’t go into them here.He’s the reason I illustrated Carnage. It’s because he was writing the series that I took it on – and fully enjoyed it. We met for dinner when I was over in L.A. and it was a pleasure and honour to chat to him throughout the evening.A gracious man with a great legacy.”
Rob Liefeld: “Gerry Conway! Man this is heartbreaking. One of the essential voices that influenced the comic book journey of many in my age group. The man who introduced us to Punisher! Firestorm! Power Girl! I gushed over him at every opportunity and was fortunate to work with him. He wrote a seminal comic that set me on my path of consuming comic books. Rest In Peace, Gerry. What a sweet, kind, immensely generous and talented man….. Rest In Peace, Gerry Conway! You are celebrated and loved! Thank you for taking me on the most incredible comic book journey. Best trade I ever made. You have been such an incredible influence! Set me on the path! Blessing to the Conways!”
Paul Levitz: “A few months back, we got an email with a clip of Groucho saying, “Hello, I must be going…” so it wasn’t a shock when I heard that Gerry Conway passed today. But it was a wave of sadness. We’d spoken a couple of times since, and were hoping to get together at San Diego to celebrate his induction into the Hall of Fame, but we both knew it might not to be. Gerry led an extraordinary, creative life with modesty and courage. No nepo baby, he published his first novel at 16, in an era before self-publishing or easy access to the bookstore shelves. A comics writer at 17, a major writer at 20, an editor at 22 (probably the youngest since Stan Lee)…and the accomplishments roll on. He created the Punisher, the first female Captain Marvel, and killed Gwen Stacey when writing a major life change in a key supporting character was pretty much unheard of.He was a principal in the creation of the Narrative Art Alliance, the first comic book not-for-profit created by the creative community. It didn’t survive long or accomplish anything, but the courage to try counts. He encouraged and taught many of us, myself included. (Details later this week.)In a generation of comics writers who aspired to move to Hollywood when the comics credential was a lead weight, he was the outstanding success: two movies made from scripts he and Roy Thomas wrote, others sold, and then a massive TV career. Gerry said, “I write better in other writers’ voices,” referring to his success writing in the Marvel tonality that Stan had introduced, and then his many scripts for Dick Wolf’s TV series. I can’t speak for the TV work, since so much of that is done collaboratively, but his Marvel work definitely was a distinctive evolution from its predecessors.I’ll write more this week, but just skimming the posts, you can see he made a positive difference in many people’s lives by his actions, and in literally millions of lives by the joy his writing brought to them. For a life lost too young, it’s a very impressive tally. And he fought his personal struggle with cancer through massive surgeries, hospitalizations, and burdens with dignity that set a good example. My sympathies to his wife Laura, his children, and everyone who loved him or his work. My professional life wouldn’t have been the same without his actions, and the list of others who could say the same is a pretty solid one.”
“If you dig into Gerry Conway’s interviews, you’ll find a quote about his being proud of keeping (me) at DC, and sharing credit for that with Joe Orlando. I don’t recall anyone asking the follow up.In the fall of 1975, DC went through one of those classic corporate layoffs of a handful of people…including me. I was an assistant editor to Joe and Gerry, and they chose to keep me on out of their pockets, devoting a portion of their editorial fees to cover my modest three-day-a-week per diem. I’m pretty sure Carmine and Sol knew that would happen in advance, but that doesn’t lessen the generosity. I went back on the company payroll less than four months later, but in the meantime, I might have taken an opportunity elsewhere. So Gerry and Joe deserve a share of the credit for whatever I accomplished at DC in the next decades.”
Rob Greenberger: “I knew Gerry Conway was unwell, but his passing deeply saddens me.When I began getting involved in New York comics fandom, Gerry was one of the first professional writers I spent any serious time with, and through our conversations, I began to understand characterization and plotting better than I realized. Yes, he could write by the pound, and some of it was passable and other parts brilliant. He could handle solo and team characters equally well. I know he would drive editors crazy at times, but he always delivered. In more recent times, speaking with him, he remained friendly and chatty. He refused entreaties to write for Thrilling Adventure Yarns, but did so graciously. He will be missed.”
Alex Segura: Gerry Conway has passed, and comics has lost a true legend – and, more importantly, a good, kind and thoughtful guy. A friend to many. I don’t claim to have known Gerry as well as some – but I think I got a clear peek into what kind of person he was a few years back. We’d met a few times and emailed back and forth a bunch, mostly about Spider-Man, because I’d been writing long essays for 13th Dimension as I reread the entire run around the time my daughter was born. Anyway, we had become online pals. It was wild, and is honestly one of my favorite parts about this business – becoming friends with creators you admire. I try to hold onto that wonder as much as I can. “Never get too old to send a letter to a creator telling them you like their work” is something I often repeat. Anyway, as I began the process of researching my crime novel, SECRET IDENTITY, which is set in the 70s comic book industry of NYC, I knew – having not been ALIVE in 1975, much less working in comics – that I needed to do my homework to properly reflect what it was like to be a comic book employee back then. At least as much as you needed to write a mystery. I spoke to a lot of great people, including Paul Levitz, Louise Simonson, Karen Berger, Linda Fite, and more. One of the people atop my list was, of course, Gerry. I expected a brief email answering a few questions, at best. Gerry, like most of the folks I pestered, was busy – and a legend! I also came into the ask understanding that he might pass, because of the aforementioned busy status. When you’re doing research or asking for someone’s time – for a blurb, event, anything – you have to go in assuming “no” is possible. Anyway. I sent the email with that expectation, and I went about my way. What Gerry provided went above and beyond. A quick email became a brief call. And a brief call turned into hours on the phone – as he regaled me with stories of his time at Marvel and DC, the parties, living in New York, and so much more. It’s not a stretch to say that Secret Identity would not be the same without his time and generosity – kindness shown to me, a relative stranger, albeit someone he knew online and had met a handful of times. When I got off the phone I remember just thinking, wow, what a gentleman – what a mensch this guy is. He didn’t have to give me five minutes, but he gave me a chunk of his day, and in many ways helped me get rolling on a book that felt daunting and impossible. I’ll never forget that kindness, and it felt very emblematic of who Gerry was – considerate, talented, kind, self-effacing, and generous. We kept in touch over the years after and I was able to see him in San Diego, briefly, at his table in Artist Alley. I was grateful I got to thank him not only for his time and insight, but for all his work. He will be missed. Not just as a creative force – but as a good man. RIP, Gerry.”
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