| John Broome | |
|---|---|
| Born | Irving Broome (1913-05-04)May 4, 1913 |
| Died | March 14, 1999(1999-03-14) (aged 85) Chiang Mai,Thailand |
| Area(s) | Writer |
| Pseudonym(s) | Ron Broom Edgar Ray Meritt John Osgood Robert Stark |
Notable works | All Star Comics Captain Comet Elongated Man The Flash Green Lantern Mystery in Space Strange Adventures |
| Awards | |
John Broome (May 4, 1913 – March 14, 1999), who additionally used thepseudonymsJohn Osgood andEdgar Ray Meritt, was an Americancomic bookwriter forDC Comics. Along withGil Kane, he co-created the supervillainSinestro.
Broome was bornIrving Broome to aJewish family.[1] As a youth, he enjoyed readingscience fiction[2] and began writing for science-fictionpulp magazines in the 1940s.[3] By then he was already writing for some of the earliestAmerican comic books to be published, beginning with a two-page "Pals and Pastimes" humor strip, illustrated byRay Gill, inCentaur Publications'Funny Pages #7 (Dec. 1936).[4] By 1942 he was writing text fillers forFawcett Comics, at least one under thepseudonymRon Broom.[4] When his agent,Julius Schwartz, became an editor at what would becomeDC Comics during the 1930–40s "Golden Age of Comic Books", Broome was recruited to writesuperhero stories[3] starring theFlash,Green Lantern,Sargon the Sorcerer and others. His first known script for the company was the 13-page Flash story "The City of Shifting Sand" inAll-Flash #22 (May 1946). He wrote text fillers under the pen nameJohn Osgood.[4]
Through the 1940s, Broome wrote primarily Green Lantern stories and the superhero team theJustice Society of America,[5] and contributed an occasional tale starring theAtom, theHawkman, orDoctor Mid-Nite, in titles includingSensation Comics,Comic Cavalcade,All Star Comics,All-American Comics, andFlash Comics. Broome and artistIrwin Hasen created thesupervillainPer Degaton as a JSA antagonist inAll Star Comics #35 (July 1947).[4] His final Golden Age Green Lantern story appeared in the last issue of that character's title,Green Lantern #38 (May 1949),[6] and his final JSA story inAll Star Comics #57 (March 1951), the last before its retitling asAll-Star Western.[7]
As the new decade began, Broome wrote science-fiction stories for DC, both standalone tales—including "The Mind Robbers", inMystery in Space #1 (May 1951), under the pseudonymRobert Stark—and continuing-character features, such as "Astra" (inSensation Comics, one story of which teamed him with his future regular artist collaborator,Gil Kane), and "Captain Comet", which he created withpencilerCarmine Infantino inStrange Adventures #9 (June 1951).[4][8] For the latter he used the pen nameEdgar Ray Merritt, devised by his friend and editorJulius Schwartz, as a nod to fantasy writersPoe,Bradbury, andAbraham.[2] Outside that genre, he wrote a large number of stories for thecrime comics anthologyBig Town, based on the radio and television shows.[4]
During this time, Broome created many DC characters and institutions, including the whimsical simian sleuthDetective Chimp, with artist Infantino, inThe Adventures ofRex the Wonder Dog #4 (Aug. 1952); thePhantom Stranger, also with Infantino, inPhantom Stranger #1 (Sept. 1952);[9] and thepost-apocalyptic heroes theAtomic Knights, with artistMurphy Anderson, inStrange Adventures #117 (June 1960).[4][10]
With the dawn of what fans and historians call theSilver Age of Comic Books, Broome was instrumental in writing stories of two key characters who helped revive the moribund archetype of the superhero. Following the creation of an all newFlash, a.k.a. Barry Allen, who carried the superhero name from the originalGolden Age Flash, by scripterRobert Kanigher and penciler Infantino inShowcase #4 (Oct 1956)—considered the comic that triggered the Silver Age—Broome wrote Flash stories beginning in that very issue.[11] He wrote numerous Flash stories in the character'ssubsequent series.[4][12][13] He co-created several of the character's primary supervillain antagonists[3] includingCaptain Boomerang in issue #117 (Dec. 1960),[14] the 64th century villainAbra Kadabra in #128 (May 1962),[15] andProfessor Zoom in #139 (Sept. 1963).[16] Captain Boomerang was featured in the 2016Suicide Squad film and was portrayed by actorJai Courtney.[17] Other Broome additions to the Flash mythos,Kid Flash and theElongated Man were respectively introduced in issues #110 and 112 as allies of the speedster.[18]
Broome, with penciler Kane and editor-conceptualist Schwartz,[19] createdHal Jordan, the Silver Age Green Lantern, inShowcase #22 (Oct. 1959).[20][21] He became the character's primary scripter in Green Lantern's solo series as well.[4] Broome's stories for theGreen Lantern series included transforming Hal Jordan's love interest,Carol Ferris, into theStar Sapphire in issue #16.[22]Black Hand, a character featured prominently in the "Blackest Night" storyline in 2009–2010, debuted in issue #29 (June 1964) by Broome and Kane.[23] The creative team createdGuy Gardner in the story "Earth's Other Green Lantern!" in issue #59 (March 1968).[24] Writer-editorDennis Mallonee described Broome's work onGreen Lantern as the only superhero series in whichscrewball comedy "was essentially realized", and called Broome "a genius. He wrote about Hal Jordan, not Green Lantern. Hal's total frustration with Carol's completely goofy 'independence' was the reason I got a kick out of the early silver age Green Lantern."[25] Comics historian Brian Cronin examined similar themes in Broome's work in a 2011 column.[26]
In 1964, Schwartz was made responsible for reviving the faded Batman titles[27] and together with Broome and Infantino jettisoned the sillier aspects that had crept into the franchise such asAce the Bathound and Bat-Mite and gave the character a"New Look" that premiered inDetective Comics #327 (May 1964).[28]
In the late 1960s, Broome and his wife, Peggy, moved to Paris, France, where he continued to script for DC Comics.[2] His last Batman story, "Public Luna-Tic Number One!", was published inDetective Comics #388 (June 1969).[4][29] His final Flash story, "The Bride Cast Two Shadows", appeared inThe Flash #194 (Feb. 1970), and his final Green Lantern, "The Golden Obelisk of Qward", inGreen Lantern #75 (March 1970).[4]
Broome then retired from comic-book scripting to travel and, eventually,teach English in Japan.[30] He returned to the United States in 1998, attending his first comic-book convention,Comic-Con International.[3]
Broome died March 14, 1999, at age 85, inChiang Mai, Thailand, while swimming in a hotel pool while vacationing with his wife.[2] His last address of record was theU.S. Embassy, Tokyo, Japan, with hisdeath certificate issued in New York State.[31]
Broome received a 1964Alley Award forBest Short Story: "Doorway to the Unknown!" inThe Flash #148 (Nov. 1964), with artistCarmine Infantino.[32] He received anInkpot Award in 1998[33] and posthumously received theBill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing in 2009.[3]
An homage to Broome and artistGil Kane appears in the novelIn Darkest Night, which is set in the universe of theJustice League animated series. In the novel, a place in Coast City is named the "Kane/Broome Institute for Space Studies".[34] In thedirect-to-DVD filmEmerald Knights the Broome Kane Galaxy is likewise named for him and Gil Kane. In the 2011Green Lantern movie, Broome's Bar is named after him.[35] In theGreen Lantern: The Animated Series episode "Steam Lantern," the eponymous character's real name is Gil Broome, Esq.[36]InThe Flash episode "The New Rogues", the industrial complex in which theMirror Master and theTop gain their powers is Broome Industries.[37] A character named Nathan Broome was created Jeremy Adams and Alejandro Germanico Benito Gonzalez also known as Xermanico in the Dawn of DC Green Lantern. He was Carol Farris's new boyfriend and fiancé, but she still had feelings for Hal and before they could vow at a superhero theme chapel in Las Vagas, She realized Hal was in need of help when her Star Sapphire ring appears in front of her, and she left Nathan brokenhearted at the altar and the emotional spectrum of sadness found Nathan and he became villain known as the Sorrow Lantern and he vowed that everyone would feel his pain and sadness. Close proximity to Sorrow Lantern causes people to feel sad and lose all hope.
In a sign of the end of the Golden Age of Comics,Green Lantern ended its run with a story by John Broome and Irwin Hasen. To add insult to injury, Green Lantern was nowhere to be seen on the cover ofGreen Lantern #38.
{{cite book}}:|first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)With the addition of writer John Broome, who came on board with the second story inShowcase No. 4 and stayed almost to the end of the Silver Age, an entirely new evolution was poised to spring off the newsstand.
To write adventures on a cosmic scale that had never really been attempted in a super hero series before, [Julius] Schwartz called on his friend John Broome.
With stories by John Broome and sometimes Gardner Fox, fabulous action-oriented art by Gil Kane and the whole package edited by Julius Schwartz,Green Lantern was an instant hit.
DC shifted its editorial staff around, placing legendary editor Julius 'Julie' Schwartz in charge of the denizens of Gotham City...Schwartz brought two of his Flash cohorts, writers Gardner Fox and John Broome, on to his team.
No mention of those who created the Hal Jordan Green Lantern, John Broome and Gil Kane. Who created Sinestro, the Green Lantern Corps, Hector Hammond and Carol Ferris. The best you'll get is a bar in the movie, called Broome's Bar.
| Preceded by | All Star Comics writer 1947–1951 | Succeeded by n/a |
| Preceded by n/a | Mystery in Space writer 1951–1962 | Succeeded by Gardner Fox |
| Preceded by Gardner Fox | Strange Adventures writer 1951–1964 | Succeeded by Gardner Fox andFrance Herron |
| Preceded by n/a | The Flash 1959–1970 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by n/a | Green Lantern vol. 2 writer 1960–1970 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Dave Wood | Detective Comics writer 1964–1969 | Succeeded by |
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