| Gardner Fox | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Gardner Francis Cooper Fox (1911-05-20)May 20, 1911 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | December 24, 1986(1986-12-24) (aged 75) Princeton, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Area | Writer |
| Pseudonym(s) | Jefferson Cooper, Kevin Matthews, Kevin Mathews, James Kendricks, Jeffrey Gardner, Bart Sommers, Rod Gray, Simon Majors, Troy Conway, Glen Chase, Lynna Cooper |
Notable works | Golden Age:Sandman,Flash,Hawkman,Hawkgirl,Doctor Fate,Justice Society of America,Hawkgirl Silver Age:Justice League of America,Atom,Hawkman,Hawkwoman,Zatanna,Batgirl,Red Tornado |
| Awards | Alley Award
|
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Gardner Francis Cooper Fox[a] (May 20, 1911 – December 24, 1986)[5][6] was an American writer known best for creating numerous comic book characters forDC Comics. He is estimated to have written more than 4,000 comics stories,[7] including 1,500 for DC Comics. Fox was also a science fiction author and wrote many novels and short stories.
Fox is known as the co-creator of DC Comics heroesBarbara Gordon, the originalFlash,Hawkman,Hawkgirl,Doctor Fate,Zatanna and the originalSandman, and was the writer who first teamed several of those and other heroes as theJustice Society of America, and later recreated the team as theJustice League of America. Fox introduced the concept of theMultiverse to DC Comics in the 1961 story "Flash of Two Worlds!".
Gardner Cooper Fox[a] was born inBrooklyn, New York City, the son of Julia Veronica (Gardner) and Leon Francis Fox, an engineer.[5][8][9] Unlike many of his contemporaries in the comic book field, such asJack Kirby andJerry Siegel, who came from poor backgrounds, Fox came from an affluent family from Long Island.[10] His family was of Irish and English descent, with his first known American ancestor being the either Irish-or-English born Richard Fox arriving in Connecticut in 1635.[11] Fox had a sister, Catherine (born 1916), known as "Kay".[12]
Fox recalled being inspired at an early age by the great fantasy fiction writers. On or about his eleventh birthday, he was givenThe Gods of Mars andThe Warlord of Mars byEdgar Rice Burroughs, books which "opened up a complete new world for me."[13] He "read all of Burroughs,Harold Lamb,Talbot Mundy," maintaining copies "at home in my library" some 50 years later.[13]
Fox received a law degree fromSt. John's College and was admitted to the New Yorkbar in 1935.[5] He practiced for about two years,[5] but as theGreat Depression continued he began writing for DC Comics editorVin Sullivan. Debuting as a writer in the pages ofDetective Comics, Fox "intermittently contributed tales to nearly every book in the DC lineup during the Golden Age."[14] He was a frequent contributor of prose stories to thepulp science fiction magazines of the 1940s.[15]
On November 14, 1937, Fox married Lynda J. Negrini.[12] They had two children,[16] Jeffrey Francis Fox (born April 9, 1940), and Lynda Anne Fox (born March 21, 1943).[12]
Apolymath, Fox included numerous real-world historical, scientific, and mythological references in his comic strips, once saying, "Knowledge is kind of a hobby with me".[13] For instance, during a year's worth ofAtom comic strip stories, Fox referred to theHungarian Revolution of 1956, thespace race, 18th-century England, miniature card painting,Norse mythology, andnumismatics. He revealed in letters to fanJerry Bails that he kept large troves of reference material, mentioning during 1971, "I maintain two file cabinets chock full of stuff. And the attic is crammed with books and magazines....Everything about science, nature, or unusual facts, I can go to my files or the at least 2,000 books that I have".[13]
Fox wrote both comic book scripts and prose fiction throughout his career. He began writing fiction for thepulp magazines and transferred to writing original paperback novels as the market shifted to that format in the 1950s.
During the mid-to-late 1940s, and into the 1950s, Fox wrote a number of short stories and text pieces forWeird Tales andPlanet Stories, and was published inAmazing Stories andMarvel Science Stories.[3] He wrote for a diverse range ofpulp magazines, includingBaseball Stories,Big Book Football Western,Fighting Western,Football Stories,Lariat Stories,Ace Sports,SuperScience,Northwest Romances,Thrilling Western, andRanch Romances for a number of publishing companies.[3]
His first novel, a historical romance entitledThe Borgia Blade, was published by Belmont Books in 1953.[17] He went on to write novels and short stories using a variety of male and female pseudonyms for a number of publishers, includingAce, Gold Medal,Tower Publications,Belmont Books,Dodd Mead,Hillman, Pocket Library,Pyramid Books andSignet Books.[3]
Fox wrote a pair ofsword and planet novels titledWarriors of Llarn (1964) andThief of Llarn (1966).
From 1969 to 1970,Belmont Books published a series ofsword and sorcery novels by Fox, featuring the barbarian character Kothar. These were Kothar: Barbarian Swordsman, Kothar of the Magic Sword, Kothar and the Demon Queen,Kothar and the Conjurer's Curse and finallyKothar and the Wizard Slayer. These were followed in 1976 by another series (published byLeisure Books) featuring the barbarian Kyrik: Kyrik: Warlock Warrior, Kyrik Fights the Demon World, Kyrik and the Wizard's Sword andKyrik and the Lost Queen.
Kothar and the Conjurer's Curse was adapted by Marvel Comics as a six-partConan story, loosely following Fox's plot but with Conan replacing Kothar, starting withConan the Barbarian #46 ("The Curse of the Conjurer", Jan. 1975). The story was produced by scripterRoy Thomas and artistsJohn Buscema,Joe Sinnott,Dan Adkins, andDick Giordano.[18]
Fox's earliest stories forDC Comics featured the fictional district attorneySpeed Saunders with art byCreig Flessel and laterFred Guardineer beginning at least withDetective Comics #4 (June 1937).[19][20] Speed Saunders was initially credited to "E.C. Stoner," which many believe to be a Fox pseudonym,[21] and Fox has gone on record as claiming he created the character, "cashing in on my law school work".[22] As the 1930s progressed, Fox added writing credits for Steve Malone and Bruce Nelson forDetective Comics to his workload, as well asZatara for early issues ofAction Comics.[23]
DuringWorld War II, Fox assumed responsibility for a variety of characters and books of several of his colleagues who had beendrafted. He worked for numerous companies includingMarvel Comics' 1940s predecessor,Timely Comics;Vin Sullivan'sMagazine Enterprises,Columbia Comics where he createdSkyman;[24] and atEC, where he served a brief stint as chief writer. With the waning popularity of superheroes, Fox contributedwestern,science fiction, humor,romance, andtalking animal stories.
During July 1939, just two issues after the debut of the character Batman by artistBob Kane and scripterBill Finger, Fox wrote the first of his several tales for that character,[25] introducing an early villain in the story "The Batman MeetsDoctor Death".[26] Alongside Kane and Finger, Fox contributed to the evolution of the character, including the character's first use of hisutility belt, which "contain[ed] choking gas capsules,"[26] as well as writing the first usages of both theBatarang and the Batgyro, anautogyro, two issues later. These were the original bat-themed weapons and vehicles, a concept that would later be expanded on.[27]
Fox returned to the Batman in 1964.(See below)
During 1939, Fox and artistBert Christman co-created the character of theSandman, agasmask-wearing costumed crime-fighter whose first appearance inAdventure Comics #40 (July 1939)[28] was pre-empted by an appearance inNew York World's Fair Comics.[29][30]
Fox is credited with writing the first three of six stories in the inaugural issue ofFlash Comics (Jan. 1940), including the debut of the titular character, TheFlash.[31] With a hero described as a "modern-dayMercury", the title feature saw college student Jay Garrick imbued with superhuman speed after inhalinghard water vapors.[14] The character went on to appear in a host of nineteen-forties comics, includingAll Star,Comic Cavalcade,The BigAll-American Comic Book,Flash Comics and his own title,All-Flash,[14] so named because, unlikeFlash Comics, all the stories in it were about The Flash.
Describing the origins ofHawkman, Fox recalled, "I was faced with the problem of filling a new book that publisherMax Gaines was starting... As I sat by the window I noticed a bird collecting twigs for a nest. The bird would swoop down, pick up the twig, and fly away. I thought, 'Wouldn't it be great if the bird was a lawman and the twig a crook!'"[14] The character bore a visual resemblance to theHawkmen who had appeared in the Flash Gordon comic strip in the mid-1930s.[32]
Debuting as the third story inFlash Comics #1 (Jan. 1940) — "Fox's imagination [transformed] that bird [into] the soaring, mysterious Hawkman."[14] With art by Dennis Neville,[33] the origin of the 'Winged Wonder' featured archaeologist and collector Carter Hall reliving his past life asPrince Khufu ofancient Egypt, creating a costume (powered by Nth metal), confronting thereincarnation ofHath-Set, his former nemesis, and meeting his reincarnated love interest, Shiera Saunders.[34]
Regularly writing more than six stories in five titles per month, every month throughout the early 1940s, Fox continued to create new features.[35]
At the time, DC Comics consisted of two discrete sub-companies,Max Gaines'All-American Publications andHarry Donenfeld &Jack Liebowitz'sNational Periodical Publications. Though he continued to script for National/Detective Comics, Inc., Fox became the chief writer for All-American. While Fox's Dr. Fate (and other titles) was published by National; Sandman, Hawkman and the Flash were released by All-American. For Winter 1940, the third issue of All-American'sAll Star Comics debuted theJustice Society of America, the first superhero team in comics. Fox had worked on the Hawkman, Flash and Sandman features inAll-Star for its first two issues (Summer and Autumn 1940), but from issue #3 (Winter), he assumed full writing duties for the issue, with all features by different artists working within theframing device wherein the characters were described as part of a "Justice Society".[36][37]
In the pages ofAll-Star Comics #3, in collaboration with editorSheldon Mayer and with artists including E. E. Hibbard, Fox created the firstsuperhero team, theJustice Society of America.[36][37] Each character – Dr. Fate, the Sandman, the Flash, and Hawkman were joined byHour-Man, theSpectre, theAtom andGreen Lantern – was introduced individually (byJohnny Thunder), and related a solo adventure, before being charged at the title's end with remaining a loose team by theDirector of the FBI. During April 1941, Fox created the character ofStarman with artistJack Burnley in the pages ofAdventure Comics #61 (April 1941),[38] and the character would later join the JSA. Fox wrote the Justice Society's adventures fromAll Star Comics #3 until leaving the feature as of issue #34 (April–May 1947) with a story that introduced a new super-villain, theWizard.[39][40]
Between 1940 and 1941, Fox wrote for the Columbia Comic Corporation, penning stories featuring characters including "Face," "Marvelo," "Rocky Ryan," "Skyman," and "Spymaster."[3] For approximately three years (1947–1950), Fox wrote forEC Comics, including scripts and text pieces which appeared in the titlesThe Crypt of Terror,The Vault of Horror andWeird Fantasy, as well as in the lesser-knownGunfighter,Happy Houlihans,Moon Girl,Saddle Justice and the new trend titleValor, among others.[3]
Towards the end of the decade, and the start of the 1950s, he worked forMagazine Enterprises on features including "The Durango Kid," the firstGhost Rider, "Red Hawk," "Straight Arrow" and "Tim Holt," in whose comic the Ghost Rider appeared.[3] Fox wrote some of the required text pieces for Magazine Enterprises, which were required by the Post Office to qualify magazines and comics for cheaper postal rates.[3]
Throughout the 1950s, Fox wrote stories forAvon Comics, most notably tales of "Crom the Barbarian", the firstsword and sorcery comic series[41] and of "Kenton of the Star Patrol."[3]
During the early 1950s, Fox wroteVigilante inAction Comics, as well as Western stories in the pages ofWestern Comics and science-fiction stories for DC'sMystery in Space andStrange Adventures.[35][42] During 1953, he entered into correspondence with fanJerry Bails, which initially emphasized Bails' fondness for the Justice Society andAll-Star Comics, but ultimately became a friendship that not only influenced the beginning of comics' so-called "Silver Age", but also comicsfandom, in which Bails had a major role.[43][44]
During the mid-1950s, afterFredric Wertham's publication ofSeduction of the Innocent and theUnited States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency hearings on the dangers of comic books, the content of comics was changed and became subject to censoring by the privateComics Code Authority. In partial response to this shift, DC editorJulius Schwartz began a widespread reinvention/revival of many earlier characters, and "Fox was one of the first writers... Schwartz called in to help".[14] TheSilver Age of Comic Books began in the pages ofShowcase #4 (Oct. 1956) with a radically changedFlash character by writersRobert Kanigher andJohn Broome with pencilerCarmine Infantino.[45]
Fox scripted most of the Silver Age adventures of science-fiction heroAdam Strange, who debuted in the comic bookShowcase #17 (Nov. 1958) with art byMike Sekowsky.[46] The Adam Strange stories were co-plotted by Fox and the character's creator, Julius Schwartz.[47] With the "creative guidance" of Fox and Schwartz, "Hawkman and theAtom were given new costumes, new identities," and drew an audience of fans old and new. Fox penned the reinvention of the new Hawkman inThe Brave and the Bold #34 (March 1961)[48] and the Atom, who debuted inShowcase #34 (Sep–Oct. 1961) with art byGil Kane.[49][50]
Another of Fox's major achievements was his revival of the concept of theJustice Society as theJustice League of America, debuting in the comic bookThe Brave and the Bold #28 (Feb.–Mar. 1960).[51] Soon given their own title during Oct.–Nov. 1960, the Justice League would become the basis of the DC Universe.[52] The supervillainDoctor Light first battled the team in issue #12 (June 1962).[53]Justice League of America #21 and #22 (August–September 1963) featured the first team-up of the Justice League and theJustice Society of America as well as the first use of the term "Crisis" in reference to a crossover between characters.[54] The next year's team-up with the Justice Society introduced the threat of theCrime Syndicate of America ofEarth-Three.[55] The characterZatanna, introduced by Fox and artist Murphy Anderson inHawkman #4 (Nov. 1964), was the center of a plotline which ran through several DC titles and was resolved inJustice League of America #51 (Feb. 1967).[56] Fox and Sekowsky were the creative team for the title's first eight years. Sekowsky's last issue was #63 (June 1968) and Fox departed with #65 (September 1968).[20][57]
Fox's script for "Flash of Two Worlds!", fromThe Flash #123 (Sept. 1961), introduced the concept that the Golden Age heroes existed on a parallel Earth namedEarth-Two, as the current Flash,Barry Allen, travels to the Earth ofJay Garrick, the 1940s Flash. This event heralded more generally the concept of the DC ComicsMultiverse,[58] a decades-long recurring theme of the DC Comics universe, allowing old and new heroes to co-exist and crossover.[7]
In a mischievous twist, Gardner Fox is actually referenced in the story—in Barry Allen's world, the adventures of Jay Garrick's Flash appeared in comic books written by Fox. As Barry explains, "A writer named Gardner Fox wrote about your adventures -- which he claimed came to him in dreams! Obviously when Fox was asleep, his mind was 'tuned in' on your vibratory Earth! That explains how he 'dreamed up' the Flash!" At the end of the story, Barry says, "I'm going to look up Gardner Fox, who wrote the original Flash stories, and tell it to him! He can write the whole thing up... in a comic book!"[59]
During 1964, Schwartz was made responsible for reviving the Batman titles[60] and Fox returned to writing Batman stories.[3] Obeying the Silver Age trends, he reintroduced characters including theRiddler and theScarecrow. Fox's "Remarkable Ruse of the Riddler" with art bySheldon Moldoff inBatman #171 (May 1965).[61][62] Eighteen issues later, Fox and Moldoff similarly resuscitated and relocated Professor Jonathan Crane, launching the Earth-1 Scarecrow in "Fright of the Scarecrow",Batman #189 (Feb 1967).[63] He and artist Carmine Infantino created theBlockbuster inDetective Comics #345 (Nov. 1965)[64] and theCluemaster in issue #351 (May 1966).[65] Fox and Infantino introducedBarbara Gordon as a new version ofBatgirl in a story titled "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!" inDetective Comics #359 (January 1967).[66] Fox's final Batman story, "Whatever Will Happen to Heiress Heloise?", was published inDetective Comics #384 (Feb. 1969).[20]
Fox stopped receiving work from DC during 1968, when the comics company refused to give health insurance and other benefits to its older creators. Fox, who had written a number of historical adventure, mystery and science fiction novels during the 1940s and the 1950s, began to produce novels full time, using his own name and several pseudonyms.[7] He produced a small number of comics during this period, but predominantly produced novels, writing more than 100 in genres such as science fiction,espionage,crime,fantasy, romance, western, andhistorical fiction.
Among his output was the modern novelisation of theIrwin Allen production ofJules Verne'sFive Weeks in a Balloon, two books of the "Llarn" series; five books about the barbarian swordsman Kothar, starting during 1969 with the anthologyKothar—Barbarian Swordsman,[67] and four books about the adventures of "Kyrik," starting withWarlock Warrior (1975).[68]
ForTower Books,Belmont Books, andBelmont-Tower, he produced between thirteen and twenty-five "Lady from L.U.S.T." (League ofUndercoverSpies andTerrorists) novels between 1968 and 1975 using the name Rod Gray.[3][69] (see also:The Man from O.R.G.Y.) WithRochelle Larkin andLeonard Levinson, Fox used the pen-name "Glen Chase" to write entries in the "Cherry Delight, The Sexecutioner" series.[70]
During the early 1970s, Fox briefly worked for DC's rival publisher,Marvel Comics, writing scripts forThe Tomb of Dracula,Red Wolf,[71] and the "Doctor Strange" feature inMarvel Premiere.[3] During 1971,Skywald Publications reprinted some of his earlier work in titles such asDemona,Nightmare,Red Mask andZanagar, and Fox also found work withWarren Publications onCreepy andEerie during the same period.
Towards the end of his life, during 1985, he worked briefly forEclipse Comics including on the science fiction anthologyAlien Encounters.[20]
Fox died on December 24, 1986. He died at Princeton Medical Center in Princeton, New Jersey from pneumonia.[7] He is interred in Holy Cross Burial Park and Mausoleum in East Brunswick, New Jersey, alongside his wife Lynda.
During the course of his career, Fox can be definitely credited with about 1500 stories for DC Comics,[35] making him the second most prolific DC creator (afterRobert Kanigher) by a considerable margin over his nearest rival.[72] In July 1971, Fox estimated he had written "[f]ifty million words" over the course of his career to date.[13]
He was a member of a number of literary and genre organisations, including theAcademy of Comic Book Arts, theAuthors Guild, theAuthors League of America, and theScience Fiction Writers of America.[3] As a lawyer, he was a member of the legal fraternityPhi Delta Phi.[3]
A sports fan, he liked both "the Mets andthe Jets," and (during 1971) had "season tickets to the St. John's games."[13] He enjoyed making and collecting miniature soldiers, focusing on ancient and medieval figures.[73] A voracious reader, he stated, "I have two writers that I reread and reread. One that I'm sure nobody's every [sic] heard of isJeffery Pond [sic]. I have every book he ever wrote. The other is the mystery writerJohn Dickson Carr, whose style I admire tremendously... and of course the old standbys –Merritt I always particularly liked – andBurroughs."[13]
Fox won two 1962Alley Awards – for Best Script Writer and for Best Book-Length Story ("The Planet that Came to a Standstill" inMystery in Space #75), with pencilerCarmine Infantino[74] — as well as a 1963 Alley, for Favorite Novel ("Crisis on Earths 1 and 2" inJustice League of America #21–22, with pencilerMike Sekowsky),[75] and the 1965 Alley for Best Novel ("Solomon Grundy Goes on a Rampage" inShowcase #55) with pencilerMurphy Anderson.[76]
He was honored at the New YorkComic Art Convention during 1971. During 1982, at Skycon II, he was awarded the "Jules Verne Award for Life-time achievement."[3]
During 1967, Fox's literary agent, August Lenniger, suggested that Fox donate his notes, correspondence, and samples of his work to theUniversity of Oregon as a tax deduction. Fox donated over fourteen boxes of comics, books, scripts, plot ideas, and fan letters dating back to the 1940s. His records comprise the bulk of the university's Fox Collection.[77]
The characterGuy Gardner is named after Fox.[78] During 1985, DC Comics named Fox as one of the honorees in the company's 50th anniversary publicationFifty Who Made DC Great.[14]
During 1998, he was posthumously awarded aHarvey Award and entered into theJack Kirby Hall of Fame; a year later, he was inducted into theEisner Award Hall of Fame.[3]
During 2007, Fox was one of the year's two recipients of theBill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing, given under the auspices ofSan Diego Comic-Con.[79]
During 2002, theCartoon Network broadcast an episode of theJustice League animated TV series titled "Legends", an homage to Fox's Justice Society and his annual Silver Age Justice Society/Justice League crossovers. The episode was dedicated to Fox.[80] Additionally, in the episode titled "Paradise Lost", a TV news reporter refers to Hurricane Gardner.
In the sixth episode of the second season ofYoung Justice, during a disaster caused byNeutron that destroys part ofCentral City, theFlash directs a woman to a homeless shelter located between streets named Gardner and Fox.[81]
{{cite book}}:|first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Who was E.C. Stoner? A pseudonym? Noted comic writer Gardner Fox, a lawyer at the time, has also been credited with creating the character. Certainly, he wrote some of the stories.
Writer Gardner Fox took over from Finger for a few subsequent installments of the feature and introduced such gadgets as the Batarang and the Batgyro.
{{cite book}}:|first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Adventure Comics #40 wasn't quite the character's first appearance, though. The 1939 issue ofNew York World's Fair Comics, an extra-big anthology DC put out to capitalize on the eponymous event, contained a Sandman story, and probably hit the stands a week or two before his firstAdventure story (though the one inAdventure is believed to have been written and drawn earlier).
Mayer and Fox cooked up one of the biggest ideas in superhero history: What if the varied stars ofAll-Star Comics actually met and worked together?
Old [All-American] heroes like Hawkman and the Atom were revived – both by writer Gardner Fox – and given the [science fiction] makeover with as many new twists as possible.
Justice League was a hit. It solidified once and for all the importance of super hero groups, and in the process provided a playground where DC's characters could attract new fans while entertaining established admirers.
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.
Gardner Fox and penciller Carmine Infantino introduced the villain Blockbuster in this issue.
{{cite book}}:|first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Writer Gardner Fox and artist Syd Shores created the Red Wolf of the nineteenth-century American West in this new series.
{{cite book}}:|first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| Preceded by n/a | All Star Comics writer 1940–1947 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by n/a | Justice League writer 1960–1968 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by John Broome | The Flash writer 1960–1968 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by John Broome | Green Lantern vol. 2 writer 1962–1969 | Succeeded by Dennis O'Neil |
| Preceded by | Batman writer 1964–1968 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Steve Brodie | Detective Comics writer 1964–1969 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Marvel Premiere writer 1972–1973 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Archie Goodwin | The Tomb of Dracula writer 1972–1973 | Succeeded by |
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