Gardner Fox
Encyclopedia
Gardner Francis Cooper Fox (May 20, 1911, Brooklyn, New York
– December 24, 1986) was 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.
on May 20, 1911. He was raised Roman Catholic. Fox recalled being inspired at an early age by the great fantasy fiction writers. On or about his eleventh birthday, he "had gotten The Gods of Mars
and The Warlord of Mars
" by Edgar Rice Burroughs
, books which "opened up a complete new world for me." In a time before comics existed, he "read all of Burroughs, Harold Lamb
, Talbot Mundy
," maintaining copies "at home in my library" some 50 years later.
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 as the Great Depression
dragged on he began writing for DC Comics editor Vin Sullivan
. Debuting as a writer in the pages of Detective Comics, Fox "intermittently contributed tales to nearly every book in the DC lineup during the Golden Age." He was also a frequent contributor of prose stories to the pulp
science fiction
magazines of the 1930s and 1940s.
A polymath, Fox sprinkled his strips with numerous real-world historical, scientific, and mythological references, once saying, "Knowledge is kind of a hobby with me." For instance, in the span of a year's worth of Atom stories, Fox tackled the 1956 Hungarian revolution
, the space race
, 18th-century England, miniature card painting, Norse mythology
, and numismatics
. He revealed in letters to fan Jerry Bails
that he kept large troves of reference material, mentioning in 1971 that:
, Gold Metal, Tower, Belmont, Dodd Mead, Hillman
, Pocket Library, Pyramid Books
and Signet Books.
During the mid-to-late 1940s, and into the 1950s, Fox wrote a number of short stories and text pieces for Weird Tales
and Planet Stories
, and was also published in Amazing Stories
and Marvel Science Stories. He wrote for a diverse range of pulp magazine
s, including Baseball Stories, Big Book Football Western, Fighting Western, Football Stories, Lariat Stories, Ace Sports, SuperScience, Northwest Romances, Thrilling Western, and Ranch Romances for a number of publishing companies.
Between 1944 and 1982, he wrote at least one novel a year (except 1950, 1951, and 1971), typically producing three per year - and published twelve in 1974 alone.
featured Speed Saunders
(with art by Creig Flessel
and, later, Fred Guardineer
) beginning at least with Detective Comics
#4. (Speed Saunders was initially credited to "E.C. Stoner," which many believe to be a Fox pseudonym.) As the 1930s
progressed, Fox added writing credits on Steve Malone and Bruce Nelson for Detective Comics to his workload (Malone would also appear in issues of Adventure Comics), as well as Zatara
for early issues of Action Comics
.
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, humor, romance
, and funny animal
stories.
, Fox co-created (with artist Bert Christman) the character of the Sandman
, a gasmask-wearing costumed crime-fighter whose first appearance in Adventure Comics
#40 (July 1939) was pre-empted by an appearance in New York World's Fair Comics (for which Fox also wrote a Zatara story).
and writer Bill Finger
, Fox wrote the first of his several tales of the Batman, introducing an early villain in "The Batman Meets Doctor Death
". Alongside Kane and Finger, Fox contributed to the evolution of the character, including the character's first use of his utility belt
, which "contain[ed] choking gas capsules," as well as writing the first usages of both the Batarang
and the Batgyro (an autogyro
precursor to the Batcopter
) two issues later.
Fox returned to the Dark Knight in the mid-1960s. (See below)
, including the launch of the titular character, the Golden Age
Flash
. Described as a "modern-day Mercury
," the title feature saw college student Jay Garrick imbued with superhuman speed after inhaling hard water
vapors.
, Fox recalled:
Debuting as the third story in Flash Comics #1 (Jan, 1940) — the second story, by Fox with art by Sheldon Moldoff
, featured Cliff Cornwall — "Fox's imagination [transformed] that bird [into] the soaring, mysterious Hawkman." With art by Dennis Neville, the origin of the 'Winged Wonder' saw archaeologist and collector Carter Hall reliving his past life as Prince Khufu
in ancient Egypt
, creating a costume (powered by Nth metal
), confronting the reincarnation
of Hath-Set
, his former nemesis, and meeting his reincarnated love, Shiera Saunders. Shiera Saunders would later be revealed as the first-cousin of Speed Saunders, Fox's first DC credit.
in the person of Kent Nelson, the son of an archaeologist, trained after the death of his father by the wizard Nabu.
At the time, DC Comics consisted of two discrete sub-companies, Max Gaines
' All-American Publications
and Harry Donenfeld
& Jack Liebowitz
's National Periodical Publications. Though he continued to script for National/Detective Comics, Inc., Fox became the head 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. In Winter 1940, the third issue of All-American's All-Star Comics debuted the Justice Society of America
, the first superhero team in comics. Fox had worked on the Hawkman, Flash and Sandman features in All-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 the framing device
wherein the characters were described as part of a "Justice Society".
In the pages of All-Star Comics #3, under the direction of editor Sheldon Mayer
and with artists including E. E. Hibbard, Fox created the first superhero
team, the Justice Society of America
. Each character - Fate, Sandman, Flash and Hawkman were joined by Dr. Mid-Nite, Hour-Man
, the Spectre
, the Atom and Green Lantern - was introduced individually (by Johnny Thunder
), and related a solo adventure, before being charged at the title's end with remaining a loose team by the Director of the FBI. In April, 1941, Fox created the character of Starman with artist Jack Burnley
in the pages of Adventure Comics #61, and the character would also later join the JSA.
, including scripts and text pieces which appeared in the famous The Crypt of Terror, The Vault of Horror
and Weird Fantasy
titles, as well as in the lesser-known Gunfighter, Happy Houlihans, Moon Girl
, Saddle Justice and the new trend title Valor, among others.
Towards the end of the decade, and the start of the 1950s, he worked for Magazine Enterprises
on features including "The Durango Kid," the first Ghost Rider
, "Red Hawk," "Straight Arrow" and "Tim Holt," in whose comic the Ghost Rider appeared. Fox also 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.
Throughout the 1950s, Fox also wrote stories for Avon Comics, most notably tales of "Crom the Barbarian", and of "Kenton of the Star Patrol."
in Action Comics
, as well as Western stories in the pages of Western Comics
and sci-fi stories for DC's Mystery in Space
and Strange Adventures
. In 1953, he entered into correspondance with fan Jerry Bails
, which initially focused on Bails' fondness for the Justice Society and All-Star Comics, but ultimately became a friendship that not only informed and influenced the dawning of comics' Silver Age, but also comics fandom, in which Bails played a key role.
In the mid-1950s, in the wake of the crackdown on comics which followed Fredric Wertham
's Seduction of the Innocent
and the United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency hearings on the dangers of comic books, the content of comics faced radical overhauls and the imposition of the censoring Comics Code Authority
body. In partial response to this shift, DC editor Julius Schwartz
began a widespread reinvention/revival of many Golden Age heroes, and "Fox was one of the first writers... Schwartz called in to help." The Silver Age
of heroes began in the pages of Showcase
#4 (Oct, 1956) with a radically overhauled Flash
character by writers Robert Kanigher
and John Broome
with penciler Carmine Infantino
.
Under the "creative guidance" of Fox and Schwartz, "Hawkman and the Atom were given new costumes, new identities," and drew an audience of fans old and new. Fox also penned the reinvention of the new Atom, who debuted in Showcase #34 (Sep-Oct, 1961) with art by Gil Kane
three years after his creation of sci-fi hero Adam Strange
, who debuted in #17 (Nov, 1958) with art by Mike Sekowsky
.
!", from The Flash
#123 (Sept. 1961), introduced the concept that the Golden Age heroes existed on a parallel Earth named Earth-Two
. This event heralded more generally the concept of the DC Comics Multiverse
, a decades-long recurring theme of the DC Comics
universe, allowing old and new heroes to co-exist and crossover.
. Fox's "Remarkable Ruse of the Riddler" (with art by Sheldon Moldoff
) in Batman
#171 (May, 1965) not only updated and refreshed the character launched in 1948, but officially relocated the villain to the newly identified Earth-1 after his (now retroactively labelled) Earth-2 debut. 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). Golden Age appearances of these two villains number just two each. The Riddler had been unseen since December 1948 (a bare two months after his debut) and the Scarecrow had been unseen since 1943. The revised and relaunched Earth-1 incarnations, however, would see both characters become two of the Caped Crusader's most famous foes.
s. He produced a small number of comics during this period, but predominantly focused on novels, writing over 100 in genres such as science fiction, sword and sorcery
, espionage
, crime
, fantasy, romance, western, and historical fiction
.
Among his output was the modern novelisation of the Irwin Allen
production of Jules Verne
's Five Weeks in a Balloon
, two books in the "Llarn" series; five books about the barbarian swordsman Kothar (starting in 1969 with the anthology Kothar—Barbarian Swordsman) and four books about the adventures of "Kyrik," starting with Warlock Warrior (1975).
For Tower Books, he produced between thirteen and twenty-five "Lady from L.U.S.T." (League of Undercover Spies and Terrorists) novels between 1968 and 1975 under the name Rod Gray. With Rochelle Larkin and Leonard Levinson, Fox used the pen-name "Glen Chase" to write entries in the "Cherry Delight, The Sexecutioner" series.
His personal pen-names have included Jefferson Cooper, Bart Sommers, Simon Majors, Paul Dean, Ray Gardner, and Lynna Cooper.
, writing scripts for features such as Doctor Strange
, Dracula and Red Wolf
. In 1971, Skywald Publications
reprinted some of his earlier work on titles such as Demona, Nightmare, Red Mask and Zanagar, and Fox also found work for Warren Publications on Creepy
and Eerie
during the same period.
Towards the end of his life, in 1985, he worked briefly for Eclipse Comics
including on the science fiction anthology Alien Encounters.
) by a considerable margin over his nearest rival. In July, 1971, Fox estimated he had written "[f]ifty million words" over the course of his career to date.
He was a member of a number of literary and genre organisations, including the Academy of Comic Book Arts
and both the Authors Guild, the Authors League of America and the Science Fiction Writers of America. As a lawyer, he was also a member of the prestigious legal fraternity Phi Delta Phi
.
A sports fan, he liked both "the Mets
and the Jets
," and (in 1971) had "season tickets to the St. John's games." A voracious reader, he stated that:
s — 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
.
He was honored at the New York Comic Art Convention
in 1971, and received an Inkpot Award
at the San Diego ComiCon in 1978. In 1982, at Skycon II, he was awarded the "Jules Verne
Award for Life-time achievement."
In 1998, he was posthumously awarded a Harvey Award
and entered into the Jack Kirby
Hall of Fame; a year later, he was inducted into the Eisner Award
Hall of Fame.
In 2007, Fox was one of the year's two recipients of the Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing, given under the auspices of Comic-Con International
.
as a tax write-off. Fox donated over fourteen boxes of comics, books, scripts, plot ideas, and fan letters dating back to the 1940s. Today, his records comprise the bulk of the university's Fox Collection.
In 1968, Green Lantern
debuted a character named after him, Guy Gardner
. Another DC character, Atomic Knight
Gardner Grayle, was also named after him.
Gardner Fox died on December 24, 1986. He was survived by his wife Lynda, his son Jeffrey, his daughter Lynda, and four grandchildren.
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.
's New York Comic Art Convention
, 1971:
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
– December 24, 1986) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
best known for creating numerous comic book
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...
characters for 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...
. Comic-book historians estimate that he wrote over 4,000 comics stories.
Early life and career
Gardner F. Fox was born in Brooklyn, New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on May 20, 1911. He was raised Roman Catholic. Fox recalled being inspired at an early age by the great fantasy fiction writers. On or about his eleventh birthday, he "had gotten The Gods of Mars
The Gods of Mars
The Gods of Mars is a 1918 Edgar Rice Burroughs science fiction novel, the second of his famous Barsoom series. It was first published in All-Story as a five-part serial in the issues for January-May 1913. It was later published as a complete novel by A. C...
and The Warlord of Mars
The Warlord of Mars
The Warlord of Mars is a science fiction novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the third of his famous Barsoom series. Burroughs began writing it in June, 1913, going through five working titles; Yellow Men of Barsoom, The Fighting Prince of Mars, Across Savage Mars, The Prince of Helium, and The...
" by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
, books which "opened up a complete new world for me." In a time before comics existed, he "read all of Burroughs, Harold Lamb
Harold Lamb
Harold Albert Lamb was an American historian, screenwriter, short story writer, and novelist.Lamb was born in Alpine, New Jersey. He attended Columbia University, where his interest in the peoples and history of Asia began. Lamb's tutors at Columbia included Carl Van Doren andJohn Erskine. ...
, Talbot Mundy
Talbot Mundy
Talbot Mundy was an English writer. He also wrote under the pseudonym Walter Galt.-Life and work:...
," maintaining copies "at home in my library" some 50 years later.
Fox received a law degree from St. John's College
St. John's University (New York City)
St. John's University is a private, Roman Catholic, coeducational university located in New York City, United States. Founded by the Congregation of the Mission in 1870, the school was originally located in the borough of Brooklyn in the neighborhood of Bedford–Stuyvesant...
and was admitted to the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in 1935. He practiced for about two years, but as the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
dragged on he began writing for DC Comics editor Vin Sullivan
Vin Sullivan
Vincent "Vin" Sullivan was a pioneering American comic book editor, artist and publisher.As an editor for National Allied Publications, the future DC Comics, he was responsible for buying Superman from creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and edited that archetypcal superhero in his first...
. Debuting as a writer in the pages of Detective Comics, Fox "intermittently contributed tales to nearly every book in the DC lineup during the Golden Age." He was also a frequent contributor of prose stories to the pulp
Pulp magazine
Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
magazines of the 1930s and 1940s.
A polymath, Fox sprinkled his strips with numerous real-world historical, scientific, and mythological references, once saying, "Knowledge is kind of a hobby with me." For instance, in the span of a year's worth of Atom stories, Fox tackled the 1956 Hungarian revolution
1956 Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution or Uprising of 1956 was a spontaneous nationwide revolt against the government of the People's Republic of Hungary and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from 23 October until 10 November 1956....
, the space race
Space Race
The Space Race was a mid-to-late 20th century competition between the Soviet Union and the United States for supremacy in space exploration. Between 1957 and 1975, Cold War rivalry between the two nations focused on attaining firsts in space exploration, which were seen as necessary for national...
, 18th-century England, miniature card painting, Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
, and numismatics
Numismatics
Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, and related objects. While numismatists are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, the discipline also includes the broader study of money and other payment media used to resolve debts and the...
. He revealed in letters to fan Jerry Bails
Jerry Bails
Jerry Gwin Bails was an American popular culturist. Known as the "Father of Comic Book Fandom", he was one of the first to approach the comic book field as a subject worthy of academic study, and was a primary force in establishing 1960s comics fandom.- Early life :Jerry G. Bails was born June...
that he kept large troves of reference material, mentioning in 1971 that:
Books
During his career writing for DC Comics, Fox also wrote novels and short stories under a variety of male and female pseudonyms for a number of publishers, including AceAce Books
Ace Books is the oldest active specialty publisher of science fiction and fantasy books. The company was founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn, and began as a genre publisher of mysteries and westerns...
, Gold Metal, Tower, Belmont, Dodd Mead, Hillman
Hillman Periodicals
Hillman Periodicals, Inc. was an American magazine and comic book publishing company founded in 1938 by Alex L. Hillman, a former New York City book publisher...
, Pocket Library, Pyramid Books
Pyramid Books
Jove Books, formerly Pyramid Books, is a paperback publishing company, founded in 1949 by Almat Magazine Publishers . The company was sold to the Walter Reade Organization in the late 1960s. It was acquired in 1974 by Harcourt Brace which renamed it to Jove in 1977 and continued the line as an...
and Signet Books.
During the mid-to-late 1940s, and into the 1950s, Fox wrote a number of short stories and text pieces for Weird Tales
Weird Tales
Weird Tales is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine first published in March 1923. It ceased its original run in September 1954, after 279 issues, but has since been revived. The magazine was set up in Chicago by J. C. Henneberger, an ex-journalist with a taste for the macabre....
and Planet Stories
Planet Stories
Planet Stories was an American pulp science fiction magazine, published by Fiction House between 1939 and 1955. It featured interplanetary adventures, both in space and on other planets, and was initially focused on a young readership. Malcolm Reiss was editor or editor-in-chief for all of its 71...
, and was also published in Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories was an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction...
and Marvel Science Stories. He wrote for a diverse range of pulp magazine
Pulp magazine
Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
s, including Baseball Stories, Big Book Football Western, Fighting Western, Football Stories, Lariat Stories, Ace Sports, SuperScience, Northwest Romances, Thrilling Western, and Ranch Romances for a number of publishing companies.
Between 1944 and 1982, he wrote at least one novel a year (except 1950, 1951, and 1971), typically producing three per year - and published twelve in 1974 alone.
Golden Age
Fox's earliest stories for DC ComicsDC 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...
featured Speed Saunders
Speed Saunders
Cyrill "Speed" Saunders is a DC Comics character who first appeared in Detective Comics #1 . He was an adventurer and detective whose occupation was for a long time never specified. He seemed not to report to anyone, but was able to order people around. Eventually, it was revealed that he was a...
(with art by Creig Flessel
Creig Flessel
Creig Valentine Flessel was an American comic book artist and an illustrator and cartoonist for magazines ranging from Boys' Life to Playboy...
and, later, Fred Guardineer
Fred Guardineer
Frederick B. Guardineer was an American illustrator and comic book writer-artist best known for his work in the 1930s and 1940s during what historians and fans call the Golden Age of Comic Books, and for his 1950s art on the Western comic-book series The Durango Kid.A pioneer of the medium...
) beginning at least with Detective Comics
Detective Comics
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
#4. (Speed Saunders was initially credited to "E.C. Stoner," which many believe to be a Fox pseudonym.) As the 1930s
1930s in comics
See also:1920s in comics,other events of the 1930s,1940s in comics and thelist of years in comicsPublications: 1930 - 1931 - 1932 - 1933 - 1934 - 1935 - 1936 - 1937 - 1938 - 1939-1939:See also: 1939 in comics*Marvel Comics #1 - Marvel Comics...
progressed, Fox added writing credits on Steve Malone and Bruce Nelson for Detective Comics to his workload (Malone would also appear in issues of Adventure Comics), as well as Zatara
Zatara
Giovanni "John" Zatara is a fictional character in the DC Universe. He first appeared in Action Comics #1 , and was created by writer and artist Fred Guardineer. He is a stage magician who also practices actual magic...
for early issues of Action Comics
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, 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
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...
' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics
Timely Comics
Timely Comics, an imprint of Timely Publications, was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics....
; Vin Sullivan
Vin Sullivan
Vincent "Vin" Sullivan was a pioneering American comic book editor, artist and publisher.As an editor for National Allied Publications, the future DC Comics, he was responsible for buying Superman from creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and edited that archetypcal superhero in his first...
's Magazine Enterprises
Magazine Enterprises
Magazine Enterprises was an American comic book company lasting from 1943 to 1958, which published primarily Western, humor, crime, adventure, and children's comics, with virtually no superheroes...
, 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
Western comics
Western comics is a comics genre usually depicting the American Old West frontier and typically set during the late nineteenth century...
, science fiction, humor, romance
Romance novel
The romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
, and funny animal
Funny animal
Funny animal is a cartooning term for the genre of comics and animated cartoons in which the main characters are humanoid or talking animals, with anthropomorphic personality traits. The characters themselves may also be called funny animals...
stories.
Sandman
In 19391939 in comics
-Year overall:* A boom year for the burgeoning American comic book industry, as Archie Comics, Fawcett Comics, Fox Feature Syndicate, Lev Gleason Publications, Marvel Comics, Nedor Comics, Quality Comics, and Timely Comics all begin publishing.-January:...
, Fox co-created (with artist Bert Christman) the character of the Sandman
Sandman (Wesley Dodds)
Sandman , is a fictional superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first of several DC characters to bear the name, he was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Bert Christman....
, a gasmask-wearing costumed crime-fighter whose first appearance in Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 and then revamped from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman...
#40 (July 1939) was pre-empted by an appearance in New York World's Fair Comics (for which Fox also wrote a Zatara story).
Batman
In July, 1939, just two issues after the characters' debut by artist Bob KaneBob Kane
Bob Kane was an American comic book artist and writer, credited as the creator of the DC Comics superhero Batman...
and writer Bill Finger
Bill Finger
William "Bill" Finger was an American comic strip and comic book writer best known as the uncredited co-creator, with Bob Kane, of the DC Comics character Batman, as well as the co-architect of the series' development...
, Fox wrote the first of his several tales of the Batman, introducing an early villain in "The Batman Meets Doctor Death
Doctor Death (comics)
Doctor Death is a fictional character, a comic book mad scientist and supervillain appearing in publications by DC Comics. The character was created by either Gardner Fox or Bob Kane as an enemy of the superhero Batman, and first appeared in Detective Comics #29, released July 1939...
". Alongside Kane and Finger, Fox contributed to the evolution of the character, including the character's first use of his utility belt
Batman's utility belt
Batman's utility belt is one of the most characteristic portions of Batman's costume. Similar belts are used by the various Robins, Batgirls, and other members of the Batman family.-History:...
, which "contain[ed] choking gas capsules," as well as writing the first usages of both the Batarang
Batarang
A batarang is a roughly bat-shaped throwing weapon used by the DC Comics superhero Batman. The name is a portmanteau of bat and boomerang, and was originally spelled baterang. Although they are named after boomerangs, batarangs have become more like shuriken in recent interpretations...
and the Batgyro (an autogyro
Autogyro
An autogyro , also known as gyroplane, gyrocopter, or rotaplane, is a type of rotorcraft which uses an unpowered rotor in autorotation to develop lift, and an engine-powered propeller, similar to that of a fixed-wing aircraft, to provide thrust...
precursor to the Batcopter
Batcopter
The Batcopter is the fictional personal helicopter of comic book superhero Batman.-Wayne Aerospace:The military aviation branch designs and manufactures jet fighters and helicopters for the U.S. military. The most notable models of these are the W-4 Wraith fighter and the Kestrel attack...
) two issues later.
Fox returned to the Dark Knight in the mid-1960s. (See below)
The Flash
Launching in January 1940, Fox is credited with writing the first three (of six) stories in the inaugural issue of Flash ComicsFlash Comics
Flash Comics was an anthology comic book published by All-American Publications and later National Periodicals . The title ran for 104 issues between January 1940 to February 1949. Although the name of the comic book was Flash Comics, the Flash was only one of many different series featured in the...
, including the launch of the titular character, the Golden Age
Golden Age of Comic Books
The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...
Flash
Flash (comics)
The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
. Described as a "modern-day Mercury
Mercury (mythology)
Mercury was a messenger who wore winged sandals, and a god of trade, the son of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter in Roman mythology. His name is related to the Latin word merx , mercari , and merces...
," the title feature saw college student Jay Garrick imbued with superhuman speed after inhaling hard water
Hard water
Hard water is water that has high mineral content . Hard water has high concentrations of Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions. Hard water is generally not harmful to one's health but can pose serious problems in industrial settings, where water hardness is monitored to avoid costly breakdowns in boilers, cooling...
vapors.
Hawkman
Describing the origins of HawkmanHawkman
Hawkman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics #1, published by All-American Publications in 1940....
, Fox recalled:
Debuting as the third story in Flash Comics #1 (Jan, 1940) — the second story, by Fox with art by Sheldon Moldoff
Sheldon Moldoff
Sheldon "Shelly" Moldoff is an American comic book artist best known his early work on the DC Comics characters Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and as one of Bob Kane's primary "ghost artists" on the superhero Batman. He co-created the Batman supervillains Poison Ivy, Mr...
, featured Cliff Cornwall — "Fox's imagination [transformed] that bird [into] the soaring, mysterious Hawkman." With art by Dennis Neville, the origin of the 'Winged Wonder' saw archaeologist and collector Carter Hall reliving his past life as Prince Khufu
Khufu
Khufu , also known as Cheops or, in Manetho, Suphis , was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt's Old Kingdom. He reigned from around 2589 to 2566 BC. Khufu was the second pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty. He is generally accepted as being the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of...
in ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
, creating a costume (powered by Nth metal
Nth metal
Nth metal is a fictional metal in the .-Fictional history:It is native to Thanagar, the home planet of Katar Hol and Shayera Thal, the Silver Age Hawkman and Hawkwoman. Among the unusual properties of Nth metal is the ability to negate gravity, allowing a person wearing an object made of Nth...
), confronting the reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
of Hath-Set
Hath-Set
Hath-Set is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain created by Gardner Fox and Dennis Neville. The character is a recurring nemesis of Hawkman and Hawkgirl.-Fictional character biography:...
, his former nemesis, and meeting his reincarnated love, Shiera Saunders. Shiera Saunders would later be revealed as the first-cousin of Speed Saunders, Fox's first DC credit.
The Justice Society of America
Regularly writing more than six stories in five titles per month, every month throughout the early 1940s, Fox also continued to create new features. In May 1940, with artist Howard Sherman, he created the character of Doctor FateDoctor Fate
Doctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear in books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55...
in the person of Kent Nelson, the son of an archaeologist, trained after the death of his father by the wizard Nabu.
At the time, DC Comics consisted of two discrete sub-companies, Max Gaines
Max Gaines
Maxwell Charles Gaines was a pioneering figure in the creation of the modern comic book. Born Maxwell Ginsburg or Maxwell Ginzberg, he was also known as Max Gaines, M.C...
' All-American Publications
All-American Publications
All-American Publications is one of three American comic book companies that combined to form the modern-day DC Comics, one of the world's two largest comics publishers...
and 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...
& Jack Liebowitz
Jack Liebowitz
Jacob "Jack" S. Liebowitz , was an American accountant and publisher, known primarily as the co-owner with Harry Donenfeld of National Allied Publications .-Early life:...
's National Periodical Publications. Though he continued to script for National/Detective Comics, Inc., Fox became the head 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. In Winter 1940, the third issue of All-American's All-Star Comics debuted the Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
, the first superhero team in comics. Fox had worked on the Hawkman, Flash and Sandman features in All-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 the framing device
Framing device
The term framing device refers to the usage of the same single action, scene, event, setting, or any element of significance at both the beginning and end of an artistic, musical, or literary work. The repeated element thus creates a ‘frame’ within which the main body of work can develop.The...
wherein the characters were described as part of a "Justice Society".
In the pages of All-Star Comics #3, under the direction of editor Sheldon Mayer
Sheldon Mayer
Sheldon Mayer was an American comic book writer, artist and editor. One of the earliest employees of Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson's National Allied Publications, Mayer produced almost all of his comics work for the company that would become known as DC Comics.He is credited with rescuing the...
and with artists including E. E. Hibbard, Fox created the first 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 —...
team, the Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
. Each character - Fate, Sandman, Flash and Hawkman were joined by Dr. Mid-Nite, Hour-Man
Hourman
Hourman is the name of three different fictional DC Comics superheroes, the first of whom was created by Ken Fitch and Bernard Baily in Adventure Comics #48 , during the Golden Age of Comic Books.-Rex Tyler:Scientist Rex Tyler, raised in upstate...
, the Spectre
Spectre (comics)
The Spectre is a fictional character and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 and received his first story the following month, #52...
, the Atom and Green Lantern - was introduced individually (by Johnny Thunder
Johnny Thunder
Johnny Thunder is the name of three fictional characters in comics published by DC Comics. A fourth character has the variant name Jonni Thunder.It is also the name of an unrelated Lego character.-Fictional character biography:...
), and related a solo adventure, before being charged at the title's end with remaining a loose team by the Director of the FBI. In April, 1941, Fox created the character of Starman with artist Jack Burnley
Jack Burnley
Jack Burnley was the pen name of Hardin Burnley, an American comic book artist and illustrator. Burnley was the first artist, after co-creator Joe Shuster, to draw Superman.-Early career:...
in the pages of Adventure Comics #61, and the character would also later join the JSA.
Non-DC work
Between 1940 and 1941, Fox wrote for the Columbia Comic Corporation, penning stories featuring characters including "Face," "Marvelo," "Rocky Ryan," "Spyman," and "Spymaster." For approximately three years (1947–50), Fox wrote for EC ComicsEC Comics
Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American publisher of comic books specializing in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-1950s, notably the Tales from the Crypt series...
, including scripts and text pieces which appeared in the famous The Crypt of Terror, The Vault of Horror
The Vault of Horror
The Vault of Horror was a bi-monthly horror comic anthology series published by EC Comics in the early 1950s. Along with Tales from the Crypt and The Haunt of Fear, it formed a trifecta of popular EC horror anthologies...
and Weird Fantasy
Weird Fantasy
Weird Fantasy is a science fiction anthology comic that was part of the EC Comics line in the early 1950s. The companion comic for Weird Fantasy was Weird Science...
titles, as well as in the lesser-known Gunfighter, Happy Houlihans, Moon Girl
Moon Girl
Moon Girl is a fictional character published by EC Comics. Created by Max Gaines, Gardner Fox and Sheldon Moldoff. Moon Girl is a character from the Golden Age of Comic Books and has since slipped into the public domain...
, Saddle Justice and the new trend title Valor, among others.
Towards the end of the decade, and the start of the 1950s, he worked for Magazine Enterprises
Magazine Enterprises
Magazine Enterprises was an American comic book company lasting from 1943 to 1958, which published primarily Western, humor, crime, adventure, and children's comics, with virtually no superheroes...
on features including "The Durango Kid," the first Ghost Rider
Phantom Rider
The Phantom Rider is the name of several fictional characters, Old West heroic gunfighters appearing in comic books in the Marvel Comics universe...
, "Red Hawk," "Straight Arrow" and "Tim Holt," in whose comic the Ghost Rider appeared. Fox also 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.
Throughout the 1950s, Fox also wrote stories for Avon Comics, most notably tales of "Crom the Barbarian", and of "Kenton of the Star Patrol."
Silver Age
In the early 1950s, Fox wrote VigilanteVigilante (comics)
Vigilante is the name used by several fictional characters appearing in DC Comics. The original character was one of the first DC Comics characters adapted for live-action film, beating Superman by one year.-Greg Saunders:...
in Action Comics
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
, as well as Western stories in the pages of Western Comics
Western Comics
Western Comics was a Western comic book series published by DC Comics. DC's longest-running Western title, it published 85 issues from 1948 to 1961. Western Comics was an anthology series, featuring such characters as the wandering cowboy the Wyoming Kid, the Native American lawman Pow Wow Smith,...
and sci-fi stories for DC's Mystery in Space
Mystery in Space
Mystery in Space is the name of two science fiction comic book series published in the United States by DC Comics, then known as National Comics. The first series ran for 110 issues from 1951 - 1966, with a further 7 issues continuing the numbering during a 1980s revival of the title...
and Strange Adventures
Strange Adventures
Strange Adventures was the title of several American comic books published by DC Comics, most notably a long-running science fiction anthology that began in 1950.-Original series:...
. In 1953, he entered into correspondance with fan Jerry Bails
Jerry Bails
Jerry Gwin Bails was an American popular culturist. Known as the "Father of Comic Book Fandom", he was one of the first to approach the comic book field as a subject worthy of academic study, and was a primary force in establishing 1960s comics fandom.- Early life :Jerry G. Bails was born June...
, which initially focused on Bails' fondness for the Justice Society and All-Star Comics, but ultimately became a friendship that not only informed and influenced the dawning of comics' Silver Age, but also comics fandom, in which Bails played a key role.
In the mid-1950s, in the wake of the crackdown on comics which followed Fredric Wertham
Fredric Wertham
Fredric Wertham was a Jewish German-American psychiatrist and crusading author who protested the purportedly harmful effects of violent imagery in mass media and comic books on the development of children. His best-known book was Seduction of the Innocent , which purported that comic books are...
's Seduction of the Innocent
Seduction of the Innocent
Seduction of the Innocent is a book by German-American psychiatrist Fredric Wertham, published in 1954, that warned that comic books were a negative form of popular literature and a serious cause of juvenile delinquency. The book was a minor bestseller that created alarm in parents and galvanized...
and the United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency hearings on the dangers of comic books, the content of comics faced radical overhauls and the imposition of the censoring Comics Code Authority
Comics Code Authority
The Comics Code Authority was a body created as part of the Comics Magazine Association of America, as a tool for the comics-publishing industry to self-regulate the content of comic books in the United States. Member publishers submitted comic books to the CCA, which screened them for adherence to...
body. In partial response to this shift, DC editor Julius Schwartz
Julius Schwartz
Julius "Julie" Schwartz was a comic book and pulp magazine editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in the Bronx, New York...
began a widespread reinvention/revival of many Golden Age heroes, and "Fox was one of the first writers... Schwartz called in to help." The Silver Age
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
of heroes began in the pages of Showcase
Showcase (comics)
Showcase has been the title of several comic anthology series published by DC Comics. The general theme of these series has been to feature new and minor characters as a way to gauge reader interest in them, without the difficulty and risk of featuring "untested" characters in their own ongoing...
#4 (Oct, 1956) with a radically overhauled Flash
Flash (comics)
The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
character by writers Robert Kanigher
Robert Kanigher
Robert Kanigher was a prolific comic book writer and editor whose career spanned five decades. He was involved with the Wonder Woman franchise for over twenty years, taking over the scripting from creator William Moulton Marston. In addition, Kanigher spent many years in charge of DC Comics' war...
and John Broome
John Broome (writer)
John Broome , who additionally used the pseudonyms John Osgood and Edgar Ray Meritt, was an American comic book writer for DC Comics.-Early life and career:...
with penciler Carmine Infantino
Carmine Infantino
Carmine Infantino Carmine Infantino Carmine Infantino (born May 24, 1925, in Brooklyn, New York is an American comic book artist and editor who was a major force in the Silver Age of Comic Books...
.
Under the "creative guidance" of Fox and Schwartz, "Hawkman and the Atom were given new costumes, new identities," and drew an audience of fans old and new. Fox also penned the reinvention of the new Atom, who debuted in Showcase #34 (Sep-Oct, 1961) with art by Gil Kane
Gil Kane
Eli Katz who worked under the name Gil Kane and in one instance Scott Edward, was a comic book artist whose career spanned the 1940s to 1990s and every major comics company and character.Kane co-created the modern-day versions of the superheroes Green Lantern and the Atom for DC Comics, and...
three years after his creation of sci-fi hero Adam Strange
Adam Strange
Adam Strange is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky, he first appeared in Showcase #17 .In May 2011, Adam Strange placed 97th on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time....
, who debuted in #17 (Nov, 1958) with art by Mike Sekowsky
Mike Sekowsky
Michael Sekowsky was a Jewish American comic book artist best known as the exclusive penciler for DC Comics' Justice League of America during most of the 1960s, and as the regular writer and artist on Wonder Woman during the late 1960s and early 1970s.-Early life and career:Mike Sekowsky began...
.
Multiverse
Fox's script for "Flash of Two WorldsFlash of Two Worlds
"Flash of Two Worlds!" is a landmark comic book story that was published in The Flash #123 . It introduces Earth-Two, and more generally the concept of the multiverse, to DC Comics...
!", from The Flash
Flash (comics)
The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
#123 (Sept. 1961), introduced the concept that the Golden Age heroes existed on a parallel Earth named Earth-Two
Earth-Two
Earth-Two is a fictional universe appearing in American comic book stories published by DC Comics. First appearing in The Flash #123 , Earth-Two was created to explain how Silver-Age versions of characters such as the Flash could appear in stories with their Golden Age counterparts...
. This event heralded more generally the concept of the DC Comics Multiverse
Multiverse (DC Comics)
The DC Multiverse is a fictional continuity construct that exists in stories published by comic book company DC Comics. The DC Multiverse consists of numerous worlds, most of them outside DC's main continuity, allowing writers the creative freedom to explore alternative versions of characters and...
, a decades-long recurring theme of the 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...
universe, allowing old and new heroes to co-exist and crossover.
The Justice League of America
Another of Fox's key Silver Age achievements saw him revive and revitalise the concept of the Justice Society as the Justice League of America, debuting in Brave & the Bold #28 (Feb/Mar 1960). Swiftly spun off into their own title in Oct/Nov 1960, the Justice League would become the backbone of the DC Universe, and thanks to the concept of the multiverse, regularly engage in annual "team-up"s with their 1940s counter-parts, the Justice Society in tales written by Fox.Silver Age Batman
Fox returned to writing Batman stories in 1964, some 17 years after his last tales. Following the Silver Age trends, he reintroduced characters including The Riddler and The ScarecrowScarecrow (comics)
The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain, that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in World's Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
. Fox's "Remarkable Ruse of the Riddler" (with art by Sheldon Moldoff
Sheldon Moldoff
Sheldon "Shelly" Moldoff is an American comic book artist best known his early work on the DC Comics characters Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and as one of Bob Kane's primary "ghost artists" on the superhero Batman. He co-created the Batman supervillains Poison Ivy, Mr...
) in Batman
Batman (comic book)
Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
#171 (May, 1965) not only updated and refreshed the character launched in 1948, but officially relocated the villain to the newly identified Earth-1 after his (now retroactively labelled) Earth-2 debut. 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). Golden Age appearances of these two villains number just two each. The Riddler had been unseen since December 1948 (a bare two months after his debut) and the Scarecrow had been unseen since 1943. The revised and relaunched Earth-1 incarnations, however, would see both characters become two of the Caped Crusader's most famous foes.
Leaving DC
Fox stopped receiving work from DC in 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 in the 1940s and the 1950s, began to produce novels full time, both under his own name and several pseudonymPseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
s. He produced a small number of comics during this period, but predominantly focused on novels, writing over 100 in genres such as science fiction, sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery is a sub-genre of fantasy and historical fantasy, generally characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural...
, espionage
Spy fiction
Spy fiction, literature concerning the forms of espionage, was a sub-genre derived from the novel during the nineteenth century, which then evolved into a discrete genre before the First World War , when governments established modern intelligence agencies in the early twentieth century...
, crime
Crime fiction
Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
, fantasy, romance, western, and historical fiction
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
.
Among his output was the modern novelisation of the Irwin Allen
Irwin Allen
Irwin Allen was a television and film director and producer nicknamed "The Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster film genre. He was also notable for creating a number of television series.- Biography :...
production of Jules Verne
Jules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
's Five Weeks in a Balloon
Five Weeks in a Balloon
Five Weeks in a Balloon, or, Journeys and Discoveries in Africa by Three Englishmen is an adventure novel by Jules Verne.It is the first Verne novel in which he perfected the "ingredients" of his later work, skillfully mixing a plot full of adventure and twists that hold the reader's interest with...
, two books in the "Llarn" series; five books about the barbarian swordsman Kothar (starting in 1969 with the anthology Kothar—Barbarian Swordsman) and four books about the adventures of "Kyrik," starting with Warlock Warrior (1975).
For Tower Books, he produced between thirteen and twenty-five "Lady from L.U.S.T." (League of Undercover Spies and Terrorists) novels between 1968 and 1975 under the name Rod Gray. With Rochelle Larkin and Leonard Levinson, Fox used the pen-name "Glen Chase" to write entries in the "Cherry Delight, The Sexecutioner" series.
His personal pen-names have included Jefferson Cooper, Bart Sommers, Simon Majors, Paul Dean, Ray Gardner, and Lynna Cooper.
Later comics work
In the early 1970s, Fox briefly worked for DC's rival publisher, Marvel ComicsMarvel 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...
, writing scripts for features such as Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
, Dracula and Red Wolf
Red Wolf (comics)
Red Wolf is the name of a number of fictional characters in Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe.-Johnny Wakeley:Johnny Wakeley was the adopted name of a Cheyenne man who was raised from childhood by a white couple in the late 19th century. His adoptive parents were killed by Native...
. In 1971, Skywald Publications
Skywald Publications
Skywald Publications is a 1970s publisher of black-and-white comics magazines, primarily the horror anthologies Nightmare, Psycho, and Scream. It also published a small line of comic books and other magazines....
reprinted some of his earlier work on titles such as Demona, Nightmare, Red Mask and Zanagar, and Fox also found work for Warren Publications on Creepy
Creepy
Creepy was an American horror-comics magazine launched by Warren Publishing in 1964. Like Mad, it was a black-and-white newsstand publication in a magazine format and thus did not require the approval or seal of the Comics Code Authority. The anthology magazine was initially published quarterly but...
and Eerie
Eerie
Eerie was an American magazine of horror comics introduced in 1966 by Warren Publishing. Like Mad, it was a black-and-white newsstand publication in a magazine format and thus did not require the approval or seal of the Comics Code Authority. Each issue's stories were introduced by the host...
during the same period.
Towards the end of his life, in 1985, he worked briefly for Eclipse Comics
Eclipse Comics
Eclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first graphic novel intended for the newly created comic book specialty store market...
including on the science fiction anthology Alien Encounters.
Hobbies and achievements
During the course of his career, Fox can be definitely credited with around 1500 stories for DC Comics, making him the second most prolific DC creator (after Robert KanigherRobert Kanigher
Robert Kanigher was a prolific comic book writer and editor whose career spanned five decades. He was involved with the Wonder Woman franchise for over twenty years, taking over the scripting from creator William Moulton Marston. In addition, Kanigher spent many years in charge of DC Comics' war...
) by a considerable margin over his nearest rival. In July, 1971, Fox estimated he had written "[f]ifty million words" over the course of his career to date.
He was a member of a number of literary and genre organisations, including the Academy of Comic Book Arts
Academy of Comic Book Arts
The Academy of Comic Book Arts is an American professional organization of the 1970s that was designed to be the comic book industry analog of such groups as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Founded in 1970 and hosting its first awards ceremony in 1971 for work published in 1970,...
and both the Authors Guild, the Authors League of America and the Science Fiction Writers of America. As a lawyer, he was also a member of the prestigious legal fraternity Phi Delta Phi
Phi Delta Phi
Phi Delta Phi, ΦΔΦ, is the world's second largest legal fraternity. Phi Delta Phi is the second oldest legal organization in continuous existence in the United States and third oldest in North America...
.
A sports fan, he liked both "the Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
and the Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
," and (in 1971) had "season tickets to the St. John's games." A voracious reader, he stated that:
Awards
Fox won two 1962 Alley AwardAlley Award
The Alley Award was an American series of comic book fan awards, first presented in 1962 for comics published in 1961. Officially organized under the aegis of the Academy of Comic Book Arts and Sciences, under executive secretary Jerry Bails, and later Paul Gambaccini and David Kaler, the award...
s — for Best Script Writer and for Best Book-Length Story ("The Planet that Came to a Standstill" in Mystery in Space
Mystery in Space
Mystery in Space is the name of two science fiction comic book series published in the United States by DC Comics, then known as National Comics. The first series ran for 110 issues from 1951 - 1966, with a further 7 issues continuing the numbering during a 1980s revival of the title...
#75), with penciler Carmine Infantino
Carmine Infantino
Carmine Infantino Carmine Infantino Carmine Infantino (born May 24, 1925, in Brooklyn, New York is an American comic book artist and editor who was a major force in the Silver Age of Comic Books...
— as well as a 1963 Alley, for Favorite Novel ("Crisis on Earths 1 and 2" in Justice League of America
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....
#21-22, with penciler Mike Sekowsky
Mike Sekowsky
Michael Sekowsky was a Jewish American comic book artist best known as the exclusive penciler for DC Comics' Justice League of America during most of the 1960s, and as the regular writer and artist on Wonder Woman during the late 1960s and early 1970s.-Early life and career:Mike Sekowsky began...
), and the 1965 Alley for Best Novel ("Solomon Grundy Goes on a Rampage" in Showcase
Showcase (comics)
Showcase has been the title of several comic anthology series published by DC Comics. The general theme of these series has been to feature new and minor characters as a way to gauge reader interest in them, without the difficulty and risk of featuring "untested" characters in their own ongoing...
#55) with penciler Murphy Anderson
Murphy Anderson
Murphy Anderson is an American comic book artist, known as one of the premier inkers of his era, who has worked for companies such as DC Comics for over fifty years, starting in the 1930s-'40s Golden Age of Comic Books...
.
He was honored at the New York Comic Art Convention
Comic Art Convention
The Comic Art Convention was an American comic-book fan convention held annually New York City, New York, over Independence Day weekend from 1968 through 1983, except for 1977, when it was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and 1978 to 1979, when it was held concurrently in New York and Philadelphia...
in 1971, and received an Inkpot Award
Inkpot Award
The Inkpot Award, bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International, is given to some of the professionals in comic book, comic strip, animation, science fiction, and related pop-culture fields, who are guests of that organization's yearly multigenre fan convention, commonly known as...
at the San Diego ComiCon in 1978. In 1982, at Skycon II, he was awarded the "Jules Verne
Jules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
Award for Life-time achievement."
In 1998, he was posthumously awarded a Harvey Award
Harvey Award
The Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman and founded by Gary Groth, President of the publisher Fantagraphics, are given for achievement in comic books. The Harveys were created as part of a successor to the Kirby Awards which were discontinued after 1987.The Harvey Awards are...
and entered into the Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
Hall of Fame; a year later, he was inducted into the Eisner Award
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
Hall of Fame.
In 2007, Fox was one of the year's two recipients of the Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing, given under the auspices of Comic-Con International
Comic-Con International
San Diego Comic-Con International, also known as Comic-Con International: San Diego , and commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con, was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention and later the San Diego Comic Book Convention in 1970 by Shel Dorf and a group of San Diegans...
.
Legacy
In 1967, Fox's literary agent, August Lenniger, suggested that Fox donate his notes, correspondence, and samples of his work to the University of OregonUniversity of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
as a tax write-off. Fox donated over fourteen boxes of comics, books, scripts, plot ideas, and fan letters dating back to the 1940s. Today, his records comprise the bulk of the university's Fox Collection.
In 1968, Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
debuted a character named after him, Guy Gardner
Guy Gardner (comics)
Guy Gardner is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. He is a core member of the Green Lantern family of characters, and for a time was also a significant member of the Justice League family of characters.He was created by John Broome and Gil Kane in Green Lantern...
. Another DC character, Atomic Knight
Atomic Knight
Atomic Knight is a DC Comics superhero and was briefly a member of the Outsiders team. He is sometimes depicted as one of a group of Atomic Knights, which first appeared in Strange Adventures #117 .-Original Atomic Knights:...
Gardner Grayle, was also named after him.
Gardner Fox died on December 24, 1986. He was survived by his wife Lynda, his son Jeffrey, his daughter Lynda, and four grandchildren.
In 2002, the Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
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.
Quotes
Gardner Fox speaking at Phil SeulingPhil Seuling
Philip Nicholas Seuling was a comic book fan convention organizer and comics distributor primarily active in the 1970s. Seuling was the organizer of the annual New York Comic Art Convention, originally held in New York City every July 4 weekend throughout the 1970s...
's New York Comic Art Convention
Comic Art Convention
The Comic Art Convention was an American comic-book fan convention held annually New York City, New York, over Independence Day weekend from 1968 through 1983, except for 1977, when it was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and 1978 to 1979, when it was held concurrently in New York and Philadelphia...
, 1971:
External links
- Gardner F. Fox Bibliography at SciFan
- Fox , Gardner F(rancis) at the FictionMags Index
- JSA Members: The Sandman
- The Sandman at Don Markstein's ToonopediaDon Markstein's ToonopediaDon Markstein's Toonopedia was a web encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation. Don D...
- "Enter the Sandman", Once Upon a Dime (Spring 1997)