Gardner Fox

Gardner Francis Fox (May 20, 1911, Brooklyn, New York – December 24, 1986) is an American writer best known for creating numerous comic book characters for DC Comics. Comic-book historians estimate that he wrote over 4,000 comics stories.

Biography

Early life and career

Fox received a law degree from St. John's College and was admitted to the New York bar in 1935. He practiced for about two years, but with the onset of the Great Depression, Fox took work writing for DC Comics editor Vin Sullivan. His first story was for the feature "Steve Mallone, District Attorney". He later contributed scripts for many DC characters, including Zatara, Batman and especially Starman.

Golden Age of comic books

Fox, along with writer Bill Finger, was instrumental in the evolution of Batman, introducing such crimefighting tools as the Batarang and the Batplane. He also co-created numerous DC characters including the Sandman with Bert Christman, Starman with Jack Burnley, and Doctor Fate with Howard Sherman.

Though he continued to script for Detective Comics, Inc., Fox became the head writer for the affiliated All-American Publications. There, Fox created such iconic superhero characters as the Flash (with artist Harry Lampert), and Hawkman (with Dennis Neville). With editor Sheldon Mayer and artist E. E. Hibbard, Fox created the first superhero team, the Justice Society of America.

During World War II, Fox took over a variety of characters and books of several of his colleagues who had been drafted. He worked for numerous companies including Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics; Vin Sullivan's Magazine Enterprises, where he created Skyman; and at EC, where he served a brief stint as head writer. With the waning popularity of superheroes, Fox contributed western, science fiction, humour, romance, and funny animal stories.

Silver Age of comic books

In the late 1950s editor Julius Schwartz revived many golden age heroes, including The Flash. Fox contributed to this revival period by reinventing the Atom and Hawkman and reviving the Justice Society as the Justice League of America. Fox also wrote scripts for Batman reintroducing villains such as The Riddler and The Scarecrow, who would go on to become some of Batman's most famous foes. Gardner Fox is also credited with creating the DC Multiverse concept, which was a recurring theme for decades.

Return to novels

Fox stopped receiving work in 1968 when DC Comics refused to give health insurance and other benefits to its older creators. Fox, who had written a number of prose science fiction novels in the 1940s, returned to producing novels, both under his own name and several pseudonyms.

Fox wrote over 100 novels in genres such as sci-fi, sword and sorcery, spy, crime, fantasy, romance, western, and historical fiction. His pen names included Jefferson Cooper, Bart Sommers, Paul Dean, Ray Gardner, and Lynna Cooper.

Later life

Upon his death, Fox was survived by his wife Lynda, his son Jeffrey, his daughter Lynda, and four grandchildren.

Awards

Fox won two 1962 Alley Awards — for Best Script Writer and for Best Book-Length Story ("The Planet that Came to a Standstill" in Mystery in Space #75), with penciler Carmine Infantino) — as well as a 1963 Alley, for Favorite Novel ("Crisis on Earths 1 and 2" in Justice League of America #21-22, with penciler Mike Sekowsky), and the 1965 Alley for Best Novel ("Solomon Grundy Goes on a Rampage" in Showcase #55) with penciler Murphy Anderson).

Legacy

In 2002, the Cartoon Network aired an episode of the animated TV series Justice League 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.

References

1911 births | 1986 deaths | People from Brooklyn | Comics writers | Golden Age comics creators