Dennis Marks
Encyclopedia
Dennis Marks was an American
screen writer, producer and voice actor, mainly for children's animations. Marks wrote for several big production companies during the 1960s through to the 1990s, including Hanna-Barbera, DC and Marvel. He wrote screenplays and stories for many popular animation shows including Batfink
, The Beatles, Dungeons & Dragons
and Spider-Man
, providing the voice for the Green Goblin
in the latter. He also worked as a producer for Children's TV show Wonderama
, chat show A.M. New York and Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends
.
in North Carolina, before serving in the United States Navy
aboard the Lexington
as a public information officer.
Marks began his career in entertainment writing with Alan Friedman as a song writing team. Their first song together was used in the off-Broadway revue Fallout (1959), which also included the first material by Martin Charnin
. The pair were also signed by the BMI
Musical Comedy program, but when Marks' agent offered him work in cartoons he took the offer alone. In a 2002 interview, Marks stated that he had been an avid comic book reader as a child and happily took the job.
, to bring to television the comic strips of William Randolph Hearst
, which the company handled. The first script Marks wrote was for a six minute short of Barney Google and Snuffy Smith
in 1963. It was accepted by the company and Marks began writing further cartoon scripts, completing at least eight more Snuffy Smiths and work on some Beetle Bailey
cartoons. In between Marks had, with Friedman, continued to write songs for a Sherlock Holmes musical, and was hired as a junior screenwriter on the American Scene Magazine for The Jackie Gleason Show. Though after returning to New York from his honeymoon, Broadax offered Marks the screenwriting duties for a cartoon based on The Beatles, which decided Marks' career choice as a cartoon writer. Although uncredited, Marks, along with Jack Mendelsohn
, Heywood Kling and Bruce Howard, wrote all 39 episodes of the Beatles' cartoon. In 1965, the Sherlock Holmes musical he had helped create, opened on Broadway as Baker Street
, but without Marks onboard.
In the late 1960s, Marks continued writing for various shows, including The Batman/Superman Hour
and Aquaman
, his first foray into superhero cartoons for DC. Marks stated that his preference in comic books lay in DC Comics
because his mother had been a friend of Harry Donenfeld
, the owner of DC, who sent him free comics for several years. It was during this period that Marks wrote half of the hundred episodes to Hal Seeger
's Batfink
and worked on scripts for Max, the 2000-Year-Old Mouse
.
. He worked on The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan
(as Dennis Marx), Josie and the Pussycats
and The Barkleys
, the later of which he was joined by Kling, who had also written with Marks on both The Beatles and Batfink. Marks was on the verge of settling in Los Angeles, when a meeting with Bob McAllister
led to a job producing the weekly children's show Wonderama
. Wonderama was a long running show broadcast by Metromedia
across five stations. Marks remained with the show for four years before switching to 'A.M. New York', a one-hour daily talk show. This lasted only two years, and by its end, Marks was again looking for work in cartoon screen writing. He headed back to Los Angeles, and got a short-term staff position at Hanna-Barbera. This was followed by a one year contract with Filmation
, writing for the The Tarzan/Lone Ranger Adventure Hour
.
, who were looking to bring Spider-Man back to the screen. Marks had met with Marvel's creative figurehead, Stan Lee
, when he had appeared on Wonderama; and after a couple of presentations, Marks was hired. He wrote for the 1981 Spider-Man
series, produced and wrote for Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends
and wrote for The Incredible Hulk. In all three he also provided voices, he acted the role of the Green Goblin
in both Spider-Man series, was Dr Faustus
in one episode of Amazing Friends and provided several additional voices for The Incredible Hulk.
Marks later acquired the rights to the Dungeon & Dragons role-playing game brand for a television show. Marks made a verbal and written pitch to Dungeon & Dragons creator Gary Gygax
, which was accepted. This led to the creation of Marvel's Dungeons & Dragons
TV series. Although heavily involved in its creation, and by his own account creating the concept of the series protagonists being lost in a fantasy world through a fairground ride; he would not see the production through. Marvel fired Marks in 1983, after disagreements with the TV networks.
(1985), The Transformers
(1985) and several short animated retellings of Christian stories. He also wrote the story for 1987 animated television film Yogi Bear and the Magical Flight of the Spruce Goose
to which he also provided the soundtrack and lyrics.
His work in the 1990s saw the release of Jetsons: The Movie
(1990), his only original story that was released to cinemas. He wrote for Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles (1990–1991), and his work on Tom & Jerry Kids (1990) led to his screenplay for Tom and Jerry: The Movie
. He died at his home in Los Angeles in 2006 of pancreatic cancer
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
screen writer, producer and voice actor, mainly for children's animations. Marks wrote for several big production companies during the 1960s through to the 1990s, including Hanna-Barbera, DC and Marvel. He wrote screenplays and stories for many popular animation shows including Batfink
Batfink
Batfink is an animated television series, consisting of five-minute shorts, that first aired in September 1967. The 100-episode series was quickly created by Hal Seeger, starting in 1966, to parody the popular Batman and The Green Hornet television series which had premiered the same...
, The Beatles, Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons (TV series)
Dungeons & Dragons is an American fantasy animated television series based on TSR's Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. A co-production of Marvel Productions and TSR, the show originally ran from 1985 through 1987 for three seasons on CBS for a total of twenty seven episodes.The show focused on a...
and Spider-Man
Spider-Man (1981 TV series)
Spider-Man is a syndicated animated TV series based on the popular Marvel Comics character of the same name.-Production background:The series was created to launch Marvel Productions, successor of DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, who had previously produced the 1978 New Fantastic Four and 1979...
, providing the voice for the Green Goblin
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
in the latter. He also worked as a producer for Children's TV show Wonderama
Wonderama
Wonderama was a long-running children's television program that appeared on the Metromedia-owned stations from 1955 to 1986, with WNEW-TV in New York City being its originating station....
, chat show A.M. New York and Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends
Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends
Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends is an animated series produced by Marvel Productions starring established Marvel Comics characters Spider-Man and Iceman and an original character, Firestar...
.
Early career
Marks was born in New York City in 1932. His parents were vaudevillians, though Marks did not follow them to the stage despite showing a strong interest in performing magic tricks. He was awarded a bachelor's degree from Duke UniversityDuke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
in North Carolina, before serving in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
aboard the Lexington
USS Lexington (CV-16)
USS Lexington , known as "The Blue Ghost", is one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship, the fifth US Navy ship to bear the name, is named in honor of the Revolutionary War Battle of Lexington...
as a public information officer.
Marks began his career in entertainment writing with Alan Friedman as a song writing team. Their first song together was used in the off-Broadway revue Fallout (1959), which also included the first material by Martin Charnin
Martin Charnin
Martin Charnin is an American lyricist, writer, and theatre director. Charnin's best-known work is as conceiver, director and lyricist of the hit musical Annie....
. The pair were also signed by the BMI
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
Musical Comedy program, but when Marks' agent offered him work in cartoons he took the offer alone. In a 2002 interview, Marks stated that he had been an avid comic book reader as a child and happily took the job.
Early cartoon shows (1960s)
Marks was hired by head of King Features TV, Al BrodaxAl Brodax
Al Brodax is an American film and television producer. He was sometimes credited as "Al Broadax."-Career:At the age of eighteen, Brodax enlisted in the US Army and served in World War II...
, to bring to television the comic strips of William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst was an American business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887, after taking control of The San Francisco Examiner from his father...
, which the company handled. The first script Marks wrote was for a six minute short of Barney Google and Snuffy Smith
Barney Google and Snuffy Smith
Barney Google and Snuffy Smith, originally Barney Google, is a long-running American comic strip created by cartoonist Billy DeBeck . Since its debut on June 17, 1919, the strip has gained a huge international readership, appearing in 900 newspapers in 21 countries...
in 1963. It was accepted by the company and Marks began writing further cartoon scripts, completing at least eight more Snuffy Smiths and work on some Beetle Bailey
Beetle Bailey
Beetle Bailey is an American comic strip set in a fictional United States Army military post, created by cartoonist Mort Walker. It is among the oldest comic strips still being produced by the original creator...
cartoons. In between Marks had, with Friedman, continued to write songs for a Sherlock Holmes musical, and was hired as a junior screenwriter on the American Scene Magazine for The Jackie Gleason Show. Though after returning to New York from his honeymoon, Broadax offered Marks the screenwriting duties for a cartoon based on The Beatles, which decided Marks' career choice as a cartoon writer. Although uncredited, Marks, along with Jack Mendelsohn
Jack Mendelsohn
Jack Mendelsohn is a writer-artist who has worked in animation, comic strips and comic books. An Emmy-nominated television comedy writer and story editor, he has numerous credits as a TV scripter, including Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Three's Company, The Carol Burnett Show and Teenage Mutant Ninja...
, Heywood Kling and Bruce Howard, wrote all 39 episodes of the Beatles' cartoon. In 1965, the Sherlock Holmes musical he had helped create, opened on Broadway as Baker Street
Baker Street (musical)
Baker Street is a musical with a book by Jerome Coopersmith and music and lyrics by Marian Grudeff and Raymond Jessel.Loosely based on the Sherlock Holmes story A Scandal in Bohemia by Arthur Conan Doyle, it is set in and around London in 1897, the year in which England celebrated the Diamond...
, but without Marks onboard.
In the late 1960s, Marks continued writing for various shows, including The Batman/Superman Hour
The Batman/Superman Hour
The Batman/Superman Hour is a Filmation animated series that was broadcast on CBS from 1968 to 1969. Premiering on September 14, 1968, this 60-minute program featured new adventures of the DC Comics superheroes Batman, Robin and Batgirl alongside shorts from The New Adventures of Superman and The...
and Aquaman
Aquaman (TV series)
Aquaman is a television pilot developed by Smallville creators Al Gough and Miles Millar for The WB Television Network, based on the DC Comics character of the same name. Gough and Millar wrote the pilot, which was directed by Greg Beeman...
, his first foray into superhero cartoons for DC. Marks stated that his preference in comic books lay in DC Comics
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...
because his mother had been a friend of Harry Donenfeld
Harry Donenfeld
Harry Donenfeld was an American publisher who is known primarily for being the owner of National Allied Publications, which distributed Detective Comics and Action Comics, the originator publications for the superhero characters Batman and Superman...
, the owner of DC, who sent him free comics for several years. It was during this period that Marks wrote half of the hundred episodes to Hal Seeger
Hal Seeger
Harold "Hal" Seeger was an animated cartoon producer and director who owned his own studio the Hal Seeger Studio ....
's Batfink
Batfink
Batfink is an animated television series, consisting of five-minute shorts, that first aired in September 1967. The 100-episode series was quickly created by Hal Seeger, starting in 1966, to parody the popular Batman and The Green Hornet television series which had premiered the same...
and worked on scripts for Max, the 2000-Year-Old Mouse
Max, the 2000-Year-Old Mouse
Max, the 2000-Year-Old Mouse was a Canadian animated television series produced by the late Steve Krantz, which originally aired in Canada in 1967 and became popular in several parts of the world, most notably the United States, where it was syndicated on both local and PBS stations between 1970...
.
Wonderama and A.M. New York
By 1971, there was little scope for cartoon writing in New York and Marks left for Los Angeles finding work for Hanna-BarberaHanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
. He worked on The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan
The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan
The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan The voice of Mr...
(as Dennis Marx), Josie and the Pussycats
Josie and the Pussycats (TV series)
Josie and the Pussycats is an American animated television series, based upon the Archie Comics comic book series of the same name created by Dan DeCarlo....
and The Barkleys
The Barkleys
The Barkleys is an animated television series that ran from 1972 to 1973 on NBC and was produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises.-Story:The cartoon was inspired by CBS's hit sitcom All in the Family; it lasted only one season. The series featured a dog family consisting of Arnie, a bus driver and...
, the later of which he was joined by Kling, who had also written with Marks on both The Beatles and Batfink. Marks was on the verge of settling in Los Angeles, when a meeting with Bob McAllister
Bob McAllister
Bob McAllister was an American television personality, magician and children's entertainer and a host of Wonderama. -Early career:...
led to a job producing the weekly children's show Wonderama
Wonderama
Wonderama was a long-running children's television program that appeared on the Metromedia-owned stations from 1955 to 1986, with WNEW-TV in New York City being its originating station....
. Wonderama was a long running show broadcast by Metromedia
Metromedia
Metromedia was a media company that owned radio and television stations in the United States from 1956 to 1986 and owned Orion Pictures from 1986-1997.- Overview :...
across five stations. Marks remained with the show for four years before switching to 'A.M. New York', a one-hour daily talk show. This lasted only two years, and by its end, Marks was again looking for work in cartoon screen writing. He headed back to Los Angeles, and got a short-term staff position at Hanna-Barbera. This was followed by a one year contract with Filmation
Filmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live action programming for television during the latter half of the 20th century. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1963...
, writing for the The Tarzan/Lone Ranger Adventure Hour
The Tarzan/Lone Ranger Adventure Hour
The Tarzan / Lone Ranger adventure hour is an animated television series produced by Filmation that aired on CBS during the early 1980s....
.
Work with Marvel
In the early 1980s, Broadax recommended to Marks that he should try writing for Marvel ProductionsMarvel Productions
Marvel Productions Ltd. , last called New World Animation, was a television and film studio subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment Group , based in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, then New World Entertainment and News Corporation/Fox...
, who were looking to bring Spider-Man back to the screen. Marks had met with Marvel's creative figurehead, Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
, when he had appeared on Wonderama; and after a couple of presentations, Marks was hired. He wrote for the 1981 Spider-Man
Spider-Man (1981 TV series)
Spider-Man is a syndicated animated TV series based on the popular Marvel Comics character of the same name.-Production background:The series was created to launch Marvel Productions, successor of DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, who had previously produced the 1978 New Fantastic Four and 1979...
series, produced and wrote for Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends
Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends
Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends is an animated series produced by Marvel Productions starring established Marvel Comics characters Spider-Man and Iceman and an original character, Firestar...
and wrote for The Incredible Hulk. In all three he also provided voices, he acted the role of the Green Goblin
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
in both Spider-Man series, was Dr Faustus
Doctor Faustus (comics)
Doctor Faustus is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain.An Austrian by birth, he is most commonly associated with Captain America, first appearing in issue #107 of his first series.-Creative origins:...
in one episode of Amazing Friends and provided several additional voices for The Incredible Hulk.
Marks later acquired the rights to the Dungeon & Dragons role-playing game brand for a television show. Marks made a verbal and written pitch to Dungeon & Dragons creator Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
, which was accepted. This led to the creation of Marvel's Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons (TV series)
Dungeons & Dragons is an American fantasy animated television series based on TSR's Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. A co-production of Marvel Productions and TSR, the show originally ran from 1985 through 1987 for three seasons on CBS for a total of twenty seven episodes.The show focused on a...
TV series. Although heavily involved in its creation, and by his own account creating the concept of the series protagonists being lost in a fantasy world through a fairground ride; he would not see the production through. Marvel fired Marks in 1983, after disagreements with the TV networks.
Later work
Marks continued writing and producing stories for cartoon shows, and in the second half of the 1980s worked on Galtar and the Golden LanceGaltar and the Golden Lance
Galtar and the Golden Lance is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera.-Premise:The series is about the mythical adventures of three companions: Galtar, Princess Goleeta, and her younger mind controlling brother, Zorn...
(1985), The Transformers
The Transformers (TV series)
The Transformers is an animated television series depicting a war among giant robots who could transform into vehicles, other objects and animal-like forms. Written and recorded in America, the series was animated in Japan and South Korea...
(1985) and several short animated retellings of Christian stories. He also wrote the story for 1987 animated television film Yogi Bear and the Magical Flight of the Spruce Goose
Yogi Bear and the Magical Flight of the Spruce Goose
Yogi Bear and the Magical Flight of the Spruce Goose is a 1987 animated movie for television produced by Hanna-Barbera as part of the Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 series.-Plot:...
to which he also provided the soundtrack and lyrics.
His work in the 1990s saw the release of Jetsons: The Movie
Jetsons: The Movie
Jetsons: The Movie is a 1990 animated science fiction film produced by Hanna-Barbera and released on July 6, 1990, by Universal Pictures based on the hit cartoon series, The Jetsons . The movie features the final voice roles of George O'Hanlon and Mel Blanc who both died during production of the film...
(1990), his only original story that was released to cinemas. He wrote for Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles (1990–1991), and his work on Tom & Jerry Kids (1990) led to his screenplay for Tom and Jerry: The Movie
Tom and Jerry: The Movie
Tom and Jerry: The Movie is a 1992 American animated musical film directed by Phil Roman, and produced by Film Roman and Turner Pictures. It is a film adaptation of the Tom and Jerry series of theatrical shorts....
. He died at his home in Los Angeles in 2006 of pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
.