Dan Slott
Encyclopedia
Dan Slott is an American comic book
writer best known for The Amazing Spider-Man
, Arkham Asylum: Living Hell and She-Hulk
. He is the current writer of the twice monthly The Amazing Spider-Man
.
Scooby Doo, Looney Tunes
and Powerpuff Girls, but was eager to show a more serious side in superhero
comics. After work on Batman Adventures and Justice League Adventures, Slott was given the chance to pitch a series for DC
. The resulting miniseries
was Arkham Asylum: Living Hell with artist Ryan Sook
in 2003. In 2004 he wrote the 4th Parallel storyline for the Justice League
which introduced the Red King; this story was published in 2007 in JLA Classified #32-36.
in 2004 to launch a new She-Hulk
series. The title focused on She-Hulk
as a "superhuman lawyer" in the Marvel Universe
. After relaunching in October 2005, the second series met with higher sales, and after tie-in
s with crossover
events Civil War
and World War Hulk
, reached its highest numbers yet. In 2007 Slott left the title with (volume 2) #21, to become one of the writers on The Amazing Spider-Man
.
While She-Hulk
was on hiatus in 2005, Slott penned the Spider-Man
/Human Torch
miniseries, which chronicled the friendship of the two characters over the years, with each issue paying tribute to a different era
of Marvel Comics
.
Slott also gave the team the Great Lakes Avengers
their first ever solo miniseries in GLA: Misassembled, which featured a character being killed in each issue. He also made the first roster changes to the team since its inception by creating a new character, Grasshopper
, and reviving an obscure one, Squirrel Girl
. During this period, Slott signed an exclusive contract with Marvel. He has since returned to the GLA twice, first with the 2005 GLX-mas Special, following a name change to the Great Lakes X-Men, and then again in the 2007 Deadpool/GLI Summer Fun Spectacular with co-writer Fabian Nicieza
, to coincide with Marvel's Initiative
crossover
.
At the end of 2005, Slott was assigned to write The Thing
's first solo series in 20 years. It was not a sales success, and was canceled with issue #8, despite Slott's attempts to rally readers in a campaign he called "Pull My Thing." The eight issues have been released in a trade paperback entitled Idol of Millions, which sees the Thing and other heroes fighting deadly roller-coasters and other machines in Arcade
's Murderworld.
Slott was also the writer of Marvel's Avengers: The Initiative
, which launched following the conclusion of the 2006-7 Civil War
storyline. He was also one of the four writers of the thrice-monthly The Amazing Spider-Man
, a schedule which began in January 2008 following the controversial storyline One More Day
. His first three issues placed in the top ten highest selling comics for January, with the first issue taking the number two spot that month, selling around 128,000 copies, a 3% jump from the previous month.
Slott appeared at MarvelFest NYC 2009, where he judged a costume contest with Joe Quesada
, Scott Adsit
, Chris Claremont
, and Frank Tieri
.
Slott took over writing duties on Mighty Avengers after writer Brian Michael Bendis
's departure, starting with issue #21 and finishing with issue #36. He also wrote the story for the Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
video game, which was released in September 2010. In November, Slott took over The Amazing Spider-Man
as the sole writer, marking the book's change to a bi-weekly schedule, beginning with Slott's "Big Time" storyline.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
writer best known for The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
, Arkham Asylum: Living Hell and She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
. He is the current writer of the twice monthly The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
.
Early writing
Slott's break came when he became the regular writer for Marvel’s Ren and Stimpy comic, where interestingly enough was where he first wrote for Spider-Man in a battle against the Powdered Toast Man. Following its success (it consistently placed in the top 50 best-selling comics) he found himself in high demand to write more children's comics, including DC’sDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
Scooby Doo, Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
and Powerpuff Girls, but was eager to show a more serious side in superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
comics. After work on Batman Adventures and Justice League Adventures, Slott was given the chance to pitch a series for DC
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. The resulting miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
was Arkham Asylum: Living Hell with artist Ryan Sook
Ryan Sook
Ryan Sook is an American comic book artist from San Jose, California.-Career:Sook's first professional work was in Challengers of the Unknown #15 published in 1998...
in 2003. In 2004 he wrote the 4th Parallel storyline for the Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
which introduced the Red King; this story was published in 2007 in JLA Classified #32-36.
Marvel Comics work
Arkham Asylums success led to Slott's return to MarvelMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
in 2004 to launch a new She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
series. The title focused on She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
as a "superhuman lawyer" in the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. After relaunching in October 2005, the second series met with higher sales, and after tie-in
Tie-in
A tie-in is an authorized product based on a media property a company is releasing, such as a movie or video/DVD, computer game, video game, television program/television series, board game, web site, role-playing game or literary property...
s with crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
events Civil War
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
and World War Hulk
World War Hulk
"World War Hulk" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self titled limited series and various other titles published by Marvel Comics in 2007, featuring the Hulk....
, reached its highest numbers yet. In 2007 Slott left the title with (volume 2) #21, to become one of the writers on The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
.
While She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
was on hiatus in 2005, Slott penned the Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
/Human Torch
Human Torch
The Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1...
miniseries, which chronicled the friendship of the two characters over the years, with each issue paying tribute to a different era
Era
An era is a commonly used word for long period of time. When used in science, for example geology, eras denote clearly defined periods of time of arbitrary but well defined length, such as for example the Mesozoic era from 252 Ma–66 Ma, delimited by a start event and an end event. When used in...
of Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
.
Slott also gave the team the Great Lakes Avengers
Great Lakes Avengers
The Great Lakes Initiative, originally known as The Great Lakes Avengers , are a fictional superhero team that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters were first introduced in West Coast Avengers vol. 2, #46 , and were created by John Byrne.-Publication history:The team...
their first ever solo miniseries in GLA: Misassembled, which featured a character being killed in each issue. He also made the first roster changes to the team since its inception by creating a new character, Grasshopper
Grasshopper (comics)
The Grasshopper is the name of multiple humorous Marvel Comics superheroes, all created by Dan Slott. No Grasshopper to date has survived past the issue they first appeared in. The Grasshoppers are a simultaneous homage to and satire of stereotypical superheroes and Marvel's tendency towards...
, and reviving an obscure one, Squirrel Girl
Squirrel Girl
Squirrel Girl, real name Doreen Green, is a fictional character and superhero in the . Her first appearance was in Marvel Super-Heroes #8 , in a story plotted and drawn by Steve Ditko and scripted by Will Murray. Her ability to control squirrels is surprisingly powerful and has allowed her to...
. During this period, Slott signed an exclusive contract with Marvel. He has since returned to the GLA twice, first with the 2005 GLX-mas Special, following a name change to the Great Lakes X-Men, and then again in the 2007 Deadpool/GLI Summer Fun Spectacular with co-writer Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza is an American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Cable and Deadpool, and Thunderbolts, for all of which he helped create numerous characters.-Early life:The son of Omar and Irma Riguetti Nicieza, Fabian...
, to coincide with Marvel's Initiative
Civil War: The Initiative
"Civil War: The Initiative" is the name of a comics crossover storyline as well as a one-shot comic book starting this event, published by Marvel Comics...
crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
.
At the end of 2005, Slott was assigned to write The Thing
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
's first solo series in 20 years. It was not a sales success, and was canceled with issue #8, despite Slott's attempts to rally readers in a campaign he called "Pull My Thing." The eight issues have been released in a trade paperback entitled Idol of Millions, which sees the Thing and other heroes fighting deadly roller-coasters and other machines in Arcade
Arcade (comics)
Arcade is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Arcade first appeared in Marvel Team-Up, vol...
's Murderworld.
Slott was also the writer of Marvel's Avengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series from Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with artwork initially by Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and Harvey Tolibao, the series dealt with the aftermath of Marvel's Civil War crossover Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series...
, which launched following the conclusion of the 2006-7 Civil War
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
storyline. He was also one of the four writers of the thrice-monthly The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
, a schedule which began in January 2008 following the controversial storyline One More Day
Spider-Man: One More Day
"One More Day" is a four-part, 2007 comic book crossover storyline, connecting the six main Spider-Man series concurrently published by Marvel Comics at the time. Written by J. Michael Straczynski and Joe Quesada, with art by Quesada, this story arc concludes the fallout of Spider-Man's actions...
. His first three issues placed in the top ten highest selling comics for January, with the first issue taking the number two spot that month, selling around 128,000 copies, a 3% jump from the previous month.
Slott appeared at MarvelFest NYC 2009, where he judged a costume contest with Joe Quesada
Joe Quesada
Joseph "Joe" Quesada is an American comic book editor, writer and artist. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books, such as Ninjak and Solar, Man of the Atom...
, Scott Adsit
Scott Adsit
Scott Adsit is an American actor, writer and improvisational comedian. He is currently co-starring as Pete Hornberger in the hit NBC comedy 30 Rock and worked in the Adult Swim stop-motion animation programs Moral Orel and Mary Shelley's Frankenhole.-1990s:After attending Columbia College Chicago,...
, Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
, and Frank Tieri
Frank Tieri (comics)
Frank Tieri is an American comic book writer.-Career:At Marvel Tieri has written New Excalibur, Iron Man, Wolverine , Underworld, a post Avengers Disassembled Hercules mini-series, Wolverine/Darkness, X-Men: Dracula vs...
.
Slott took over writing duties on Mighty Avengers after writer Brian Michael Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis is an American comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim for his self-published, Image Comics and Marvel Comics work, and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics, with his books selling consistently highly for over a...
's departure, starting with issue #21 and finishing with issue #36. He also wrote the story for the Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is a video game featuring Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions blends together four universes from the Marvel Comics multiverse, allowing the player to play as four different Spider-Men...
video game, which was released in September 2010. In November, Slott took over The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
as the sole writer, marking the book's change to a bi-weekly schedule, beginning with Slott's "Big Time" storyline.