Mark Gruenwald

Mark Gruenwald

Mark Gruenwald, photographed at a comic convention in New York City in the early 1990s.
Born (1953-06-18)June 18, 1953[1]
Oshkosh, Wisconsin[2]
Died August 12, 1996(1996-08-12) (aged 43)
Pawling, New York[2]
Nationality American
Area(s) Writer, Penciller, Editor
Notable works
 Captain America
Squadron Supreme
Quasar
Awards Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award, 1987, 1996

Mark E. Gruenwald (June 18, 1953 – August 12, 1996) was an American comic book writer, editor, and occasional penciler known for his long association with Marvel Comics.

Biography

Early career

Gruenwald got his start in comics fandom, publishing his own fanzine, Omniverse, which explored the concept of continuity. Before being hired by Marvel, he wrote text articles for DC Comics official fanzine, Amazing World of DC Comics. Articles by Gruenwald include "The Martian Chronicles" (a history of the Martian Manhunter) in issue #13[3] and several articles on the history of the Justice League in issue #14.[4]

Entry to Marvel

In 1978 he was hired by Marvel Comics, where he remained for the rest of his career. Hired initially as an assistant editor in January 1978, Gruenwald was promoted to full editorship by Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter in 1982, putting Gruenwald in charge of The Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Spider Woman, and What If.[5][6][7] During this period, he shared an office with writer/editor Denny O'Neil, whom Gruenwald considered a mentor.[8]

Penciler

During the years 1982–1984, Gruenwald did fill-in pencil work for a handful of Marvel comics, most notably the 1983 Hawkeye limited series, but also issues of What If?, Marvel Team-Up Annual, The Incredible Hulk, and Questprobe.[9]

The artwork of Merlyn the Archer in Who's Who: the Definitive Directory of the DC Universe[9] Volume XV is the only artwork by Gruenwald for a comics company besides Marvel.

Writer

In 1982, Gruenwald, Steven Grant, and Bill Mantlo co-wrote Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions,[10] the first limited series published by Marvel Comics. As a writer, Gruenwald is best known for creating the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe[11] and his ten-year stint as the writer of Captain America (from 1985 to 1995) – during which he contributed several notable characters such as Crossbones, Diamondback and U.S. Agent. He made a deliberate effort to create villains who would be specific to Captain America, as opposed to generic foes who could as easily have been introduced in another comic.[12] At one point Gruenwald owned a replica of Captain America's shield – the same shield now owned by Stephen Colbert.[13]

His 60-issue run on Quasar[14] (1989–1994) realized Gruenwald's ambition to write his own kind of superhero. However, he considered his magnum opus to be the mid-1980s 12-issue miniseries Squadron Supreme, which told the story of an alternate universe where a group of well-intended superheroes decide that they would be best suited to run the planet. Gruenwald was highly loyal to each series he wrote. In addition to his lengthy stint on Captain America, he wrote the entire runs of both Quasar (save for one issue) and D.P.7,[15] and Jim Salicrup recalled that when Gruenwald was taken off of Spider-Woman after only 12 issues, he "was crushed."[16]

Executive editor

Mark Gruenwald on a comics convention panel in the early 1990s

On September 1, 1987, Gruenwald became Marvel's executive editor,[12] with a particular remit as the keeper of continuity. Gruenwald was famous for a perfect recollection of even the most trivial details.

In the pages of Thor,[17] writer Walt Simonson created the Time Variance Authority, a cosmic bureaucracy that regulates the Marvel Multiverse.[18] Simonson paid homage to Gruenwald by having the TVA's staff all be clones of Gruenwald; no one could keep track of everything but him.

Gruenwald (or "Gru" or "Grueny" as he was often referred to) was a recurring character with Tom DeFalco in the single-panel comic The Bull's Eye that ran in Marvel comics in the late 1980s–early 1990s, created by Rick Parker and Barry Dutter. These strips, which ran on the Bullpen Bulletins page during the majority of DeFalco's run as editor-in-chief, featured Gruenwald depicted as a caricature and foil for DeFalco's antics.

Death

In 1996, Gruenwald succumbed to a heart attack, the result of an unsuspected congenital heart defect. Gruenwald was a well-known practical joker, and due to his young age, many of his friends and co-workers initially believed the reports of his death to be just another joke. Just days prior, he had done one of his trademark cartwheels down the halls of the Bullpen. A longtime lover of comics, Gruenwald made it known amongst his friends and families that his one desire was to have his ashes used in part of a comic. In accordance with his request, he was cremated, and his ashes were mixed with the ink used to print the first printing of the trade paperback compilation of Squadron Supreme.[19]

Personal life

Gruenwald married singer Belinda Glass in May 1981.[20] They later divorced, and he married Catherine Schuller on October 12, 1992 in New York after a year's courtship. Catherine was the executrix of the famous will that indicated he wanted his cremains to be put into a comic book upon his death. Gruenwald had a daughter, Sara.[2]

Legacy

The Amalgam Comics book The Exciting X-Patrol #1 (June 1997) is dedicated to Gruenwald's memory.

In the DC Universe, a building in Gotham City was named the Von Gruenwald Tower,[21] and in the novel Captain America: Liberty's Torch written by Tony Isabella and Bob Ingersoll, the lawyer kidnapped to defend the similarly kidnapped Captain in a mock trial before a militia is named Mark Gruenwald, and is described with the same general physical attributes and personality as the real Gruenwald. The lawyer acts heroically throughout the story.[22]

In Richard Starkings' Elephantmen, the executive director of the Information Agency where almost all of the main characters of the series work is called Gruenwald and bears a strong resemblance to Mark Gruenwald, down to his personal traits. In an interview with Newsarama, Richard Starkings confirmed that the character was based on his friend.[23]

In volume four of Nova from Marvel Comics, the new director of Project Pegasus is named Dr. Gruenwald.[24]

In 2006, Gruenwald was officially named the "Patron Saint of Marveldom" in the new "Bullpen Bulletins" pages.[25]

Selected bibliography

All for Marvel Comics unless otherwise noted.

Regular writer

Fill-in writer

Penciller

Editor-in-Chief

Executive Editor

Editor

Assistant Editor

Colorist

References

  1. ↑ "M E Gruenwald". United States Social Security Death Index. Retrieved March 12, 2013. The United States Social Security Death Index gives date of death as '15 August 1996.'
  2. 1 2 3 "Mark Gruenwald Marvel Comics Editor, 43". The New York Times. August 18, 1996. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  3. ↑ Amazing World of DC Comics No. 13 (Oct. 1976)
  4. ↑ Amazing World of DC Comics No. 14 (March–April 1977)
  5. ↑ "Avengers Assemble! A Memo From... Mark!" Avengers No. 222 (Marvel Comics, August 1982).
  6. ↑ Shooter, Jim. "Bullpen Bulletins," Marvel comics cover-dated November 1983.
  7. ↑ Mark Gruenwald (editor) at the Grand Comics Database
  8. ↑ Gruenwald, Mark (October 1987). "Mark's Remarks". Marvel Comics. Archived from the original on October 26, 2009.
  9. 1 2 Mark Gruenwald's credits as an artist at the Grand Comics Database
  10. ↑ DeFalco, Tom; Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2008). "1980s". Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 208. ISBN 978-0756641238. Plotted by Mark Gruenwald, Steven Grant, and Bill Mantlo, and penciled by John Romita, Jr., Contest of Champions eventually saw print in June 1982.
  11. ↑ DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 210: "As soon as he became an editor, he proposed Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. Its first volume ran for fifteen issues and included a full image of each character, their vital statistics, their brief history, an explanation of their powers, and any unique weaponry they used."
  12. 1 2 Zimmerman, Dwight Jon (January 1988). "Mark Gruenwald". Comics Interview (54). Fictioneer Books. pp. 5–23.
  13. ↑ Jones, Seth (August 11, 2007). "WWC: Civil War & Remembrance Panel -Updated!". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on October 4, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2008.
  14. ↑ DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 242
  15. ↑ DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 228: "Created by editor Mark Gruenwald and artist Paul Ryan, D.P. 7 was published under the New Universe imprint."
  16. ↑ Hembeck, Fred (2006). "The Fred Hembeck Show: Episode 72 - The Mark Gruenwald Show". Asitecalledfred.com. Archived from the original on June 18, 2013.
  17. ↑ Simonson, Walt (w), Buscema, Sal (p), Blevins, Bret; Williamson, Al (i). "Without Justice, There Is No Peace!" Thor 372 (October 1986)
  18. ↑ Nolen-Weathington, Eric; Ash, Roger (2006). Modern Masters, Volume 8: Walter Simonson. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 71. ISBN 978-1893905641. I used Mark Gruenwald as my middle management guy. Mark was delighted.
  19. ↑ Cronin, Brian (June 3, 2005). "Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #1". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on July 31, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2008.
  20. ↑ Shooter, Jim. "Bullpen Bulletins," Marvel comics cover dated August 1982.
  21. ↑ Manning, Matthew K. (2011). The Batman Files. Kansas City, Missouri: Andrews McMeel Publishing. ISBN 978-1449408220.
  22. ↑ Isabella, Tony; Ingersoll, Bob (1998). Captain America: Liberty's Torch. Berkley Books. p. 272. ISBN 978-0425166192.
  23. ↑ Wigler, Josh (April 21, 2010). "Starkings' Elephantmen Turns 25". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on February 14, 2011. When I found myself looking for a character who knew more about the world of the Elephantmen than anyone else in that world, I thought of Mark, who in many ways knew more about the Marvel Universe than anyone else.
  24. ↑ Abnett, Dan; Lanning, Andy (w), Alves, Wellinton; Burges, Geraldo (p), Hanna, Scott (i). "Brothers in Arms" Nova v4, 17 (November 2008)
  25. ↑ DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 235: "He died unexpectedly on August 12, 1996 and was named the patron saint of Marvel in 2006."

External links

Preceded by
Tom DeFalco		 Marvel Comics Group Editors-in-Chief:
Avengers titles

Bob Budiansky, Spider-Man titles
Bobbie Chase, Marvel Edge titles
Bob Harras, X-Men titles
Carl Potts, licensed-property titles
1994–1995

Succeeded by
Bob Harras
Preceded by
David Anthony Kraft,
Roger Slifer		 Marvel Two-in-One writer
(with Ralph Macchio)
1978–1981 		Succeeded by
Tom DeFalco
Preceded by
Roy Thomas		 Thor writer
(with Ralph Macchio)
1980–1981 		Succeeded by
Doug Moench
Preceded by
Mike Carlin		 Captain America writer
1985–1995 		Succeeded by
Mark Waid
Preceded by
John Byrne		 Avengers writer
1990
(back-up stories; main stories by Fabian Nicieza) 		Succeeded by
Larry Hama
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