| Mike Friedrich | |
|---|---|
 Friedrich in 1982 | |
| Born | (1949-03-27)March 27, 1949 (age 76) |
| Area | Writer, Publisher |
Notable works | Iron Man Justice League of America Star*Reach |
| Awards | Inkpot Award (1980) Bill Finger Award (2019) |
Mike Friedrich (/ˈfriːdrɪk/; born March 27, 1949)[1] is an Americancomic book writer and publisher best known for his work atMarvel andDC Comics, and for publishing the anthology seriesStar*Reach, one of the first independent comics. He was also anartists' representative.
His notable works include runs as the regular writer of DC'sJustice League of America and Marvel'sIron Man.
Mike Friedrich, who is unrelated to fellowSilver Age of Comics writerGary Friedrich, entered comics professionally after years of writing to DCletter columns in the 1960s and developing a mail acquaintanceship with the famously responsive editorJulius Schwartz. "My letter-writing began around the time the 'new look'Batman was introduced, though I'd been a fan of Julie's for two or three years before then. A couple of years later it turned into a bit of correspondence as Julie began to send short replies," Friedrich recalled.[2] Schwartz, after rejecting anElongated Man story Friedrich submitted, bought Friedrich's first professional script on May 10, 1967, a 10-pageRobin backup story ("Menace of the Motorcycle Marauders",[2] drawn bypencilerChic Stone andinkerJoe Giella) and eventually published inBatman #202 (cover-dated June 1968) as Friedrich's third published comics story.[3]
Friedrich used the $10-per-page payment to visit New York City the following month, after his high school graduation, and took a DC Comics tour in order to meet Schwartz in person. "That first summer," Friedrich recalled, "he worked with me on a handful of scripts, including the one that was first to be published,The Spectre #3" (April 1968; reprinted inAdventure Comics Digest #496, Feb. 1983),[2] in which Friedrich teamed with artistNeal Adams on the 25-pagesupernaturalsuperhero story, "Menace of the Mystic Mastermind".[3] Almost immediately afterward, the same month, Friedrich published the full-length Batman story "The Man Who Radiated Fear", penciled by Stoneghosting forBob Kane, inBatman #200 (March 1968).[3][4]
Friedrich quickly began writing stories for a number of DC publications, includingChallengers of the Unknown,Detective Comics,The Flash andTeen Titans. WithpencilerJerry Grandenetti inShowcase #80 (Feb. 1969), he reintroduced the supernatural-mystery story narrator thePhantom Stranger, created byJohn Broome andCarmine Infantino in 1952.[3] He wrote the 30th anniversary Batman story inDetective Comics #387 (May 1969) which was drawn byBob Brown.[5] Friedrich's first extended run on a title was on thesuperhero-team seriesJustice League of America from #86–99 (Dec. 1970 – June 1972); in the story "The Most Dangerous Dreams of All" in issue #89 (May 1971), he himself makes acameo appearance and breaks thefourth wall at a time when such experimentation in the mainstream was rare. He had previously scripted "His Name Is... Kane", inHouse of Mystery #180 (June 1969), in which the short tale's penciler,Gil Kane, stars as an artist drawing for DC Comics and venturing into the physical House of Mystery.[3] Friedrich co-createdMerlyn inJustice League of America #94 (Nov. 1971)[6] and the character was adapted into theArrow TV series in 2012.[7]
Moving to Marvel after four years, Friedrich scripted every issue ofIron Man but three from #48–81 (July 1972 – Dec. 1975).[3] In issue #55 (Feb. 1973), he co-scripted the introduction of the popular charactersThanos andDrax the Destroyer, created and co-scripted by artistJim Starlin.[8][9]
Other work includes issues of Marvel'sCaptain America,Captain Marvel, where he worked with artist Jim Starlin on the latter's transition to writer on an acclaimed run of that series,[10]The Power of Warlock, "Ka-Zar" inAstonishing Tales, "Ant-Man" inMarvel Feature, andThe Outlaw Kid, writing a short-lived revival ofDoug Wildey'sWestern series from Marvel's 1950s predecessor,Atlas Comics.
Friedrich's most notable contribution may be his 1970s anthology seriesStar*Reach, a forerunner of theindependently produced comics that proliferated, beginning in the 1980s, with the rise of the "direct market" of comic-book stores.[11]Star*Reach styled itself as a "ground-level" comic book[12] – not anunderground comix publication, but also not mainstream or "overground". Eighteen issues were released between 1974 and 1979, with Friedrich's same-name publishing company expanding to other series, includingQuack;Imagine; andLee Marrs'Pudge, Girl Blimp, along with a number ofone-shot comics, before closing down.
Comics historian Richard J. Arndt wrote in 2006 thatStar*Reach
...was an independent comic, long before anyone seriously mentioned or had even really conceived of an indy market that could challenge the major publishers. At its beginning,Star*Reach sold through the few comic shops around, as well ashead shops, or via subscriptions and mail order. ... [It] published mostly science fiction andfantasy stories, at a time when the conventional wisdom was that those genres didn't sell. Plus, they were intelligent science fiction stories. If you readTolkien orHeinlein orBester orLe Guin, these stories fit right in. ...Michael T. Gilbert,John Workman,Lee Marrs,Robert Gould,Dave Sim,Ken Steacy,Dean Motter,Gene Day andPaul Kirchner got their first major exposure here. ...Howard Chaykin'sCody Starbuck and Gideon Faust characters both demonstrated what Chaykin was really capable of, long before the mainstream allowed him the same creative freedom.[13]
Friedrich closed Star*Reach as a publisher in 1979 but reopened it as a talent agency in 1982.[14] In the 2000s, Friedrich served as Chair of the National Legislative Committee for theGraphic Artists Guild, while a member of the California/Northern chapter.[15]
Friedrich, in partnership with Joe Field, owned and operated theSan Francisco Bay Areacomic book conventionWonderCon for 15 years before selling it toComic-Con International in 2001.[16]
Friedrich received anInkpot Award at the 1980San Diego Comic-Con.[17]
In 2019, Friedrich was awarded theBill Finger Award to recognize his contributions to the industry.[18]
Mike Friedrich became an ordained deacon in theUnited Methodist Church at thePacific School of Religion.[19]
In this milestone issue, written by Mike Friedrich and drawn by Chic Stone, the Scarecrow devised a method of radiating fear into his foes and terrified Batman and Robin.
In November'sJustice League of America #94, the League of Assassins assigned the marksman Merlyn to kill Batman, as told by scripter Mike Friedrich and artist Dick Dillin.
In March [1973], the first of Jim Starlin's many sagas of the Marvel heroes' wars against Thanos began. Scripted by Mike Friedrich, this tale [Captain Marvel #25] saw Captain Mar-Vell first meet...Thanos.
"I'm an emerging ministries specialist for the Bay District of the California-Nevada Conference," Friedrich said in an interview with UM News.
| Preceded by | Justice League of America writer 1970–1972 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Iron Man writer 1972–1973 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Steve Gerber | Iron Man writer 1973–1975 | Succeeded by Len Wein |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
