| Tom and Mary Bierbaum | |
|---|---|
| Born | Tom Bierbaum Mary-Catherine Gilmore[1] (Tom) 1956 (age 68–69) (Mary) 1955 (age 69–70) |
| Area | Writers |
Notable works | Legion of Super-Heroes |
Tom and Mary Bierbaum are an American husband-and-wife writing team, known for their work on theDC comic bookLegion of Super-Heroes.
The Bierbaums entered the world of professional comic book writing through Legionfandom. Tom Bierbaum grew up as a Legion fan, first becoming exposed to the characters viaAdventure Comics #310 (July 1963).[2][3] Meanwhile, Mary Gilmore became a serious Legion fan in the late 1970s.[2]
Tom joined the Legion fan club The Legion Outpost, and then the Legionamateur press associationInterlac, where he met fellow member Gilmore, who had joined the APA around the same time.[3] Through Interlac, the two struck up a relationship. Gilmore lived in California, and as Bierbaum had designs on getting into the entertainment industry, he moved out west, and the two began living together, eventually getting married.[4]
Early on in their relationship, the Bierbaums wrote stories together, their first published piece being a Halloween-themed short story for a local newspaper which was a Legion of Super-Heroes story with the characters' names and situations changed.[2] They also submitted and published articles and stories in Interlac, which attracted the attention of veteranLegion artistKeith Giffen and futureLegion editorMark Waid (both of whom were also Interlac members).[2][5]
Recognizing the Bierbaum's devotion to the Legion, Giffen contacted them, at first using them as a sounding board for his ideas about the Legion.[2] Giffen also utilized a new costume idea forElement Lad that Tom suggested.[2]
In 1984, when Giffen was looking for a scripter for his "Lightning" stories inDeluxe Comics'Wally Wood'sT.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, he recruited the husband and wife writing team for the job. That, along with their work for DC'sNew Talent Showcase editorSal Amendola, convinced the editors at DC (specificallyDick Giordano)[2] that they were ready to becomeLegion scripters.
The Bierbaums wrote the first fifty issues ofLegion of Super-Heroes vol. 4, from 1989 to 1993, except for the main Story in issues 21–24, written solo byAl Gordon. Working under editor Waid and alongside Giffen andAl Gordon (who was a co-writer andinker on the book) for the first 36 issues, the Bierbaums dialogued the "Five Years Later" storyline. The revival of the title was controversial with many longtime Legion fans, as it incorporated several majorretcons: the editorially-mandated excision ofSuperboy from Legion history, the reveal thatProty's consciousness had been inhabitingLightning Lad's body following his resurrection, and the reveal thatShvaughn Erin was atrans woman.[2]
After Giffen's departure, the Bierbaums continued on the title for another year, overseeing the return of several classic characters, until leaving forLegionnaires (a spin-off title) afterLegion issue #50 (November 1993). They wroteLegionnaires for its first 15 issues, until 1994.
The Bierbaums and Giffen also worked together on DC's short-lived offbeat titleThe Heckler in 1992–1993.
After their DC work, the Bierbaums went on to write various titles forImage Comics, includingSupreme,SuperPatriot,Star, andYoungblood: Strikefile, as well asXena: Warrior Princess andJurassic Park forTopps Comics,Wonderlanders forOktomica, andStormQuest forCaliber Comics.
The Bierbaums live inErie, Pennsylvania, with their two children. Mary retired from being a nurse in 1991;[4] Tom used to freelance forVariety before becoming a staffer at the short-lived entertainment/business websiteInside.com. In 2001, he began work atNBC as a ratings analyst.[6]
As writing partners, the Bierbaums evolved a unique collaborating style. Generally, they work together in the conceptual stage, and then Tom writes the first draft. Mary works closely with Tom on the plotting, while Tom mainly writes the dialogue, with Mary acting as a sounding board for overall "feel and direction.[5]
| Preceded by N/A | Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 4 writers 1989–1993 With:Keith Giffen (until 1992) | Succeeded by Tom McCraw |
| Preceded by N/A | Legionnaires writers 1993–1994 | Succeeded by |