Mark Gruenwald

Mark Gruenwald
Mark Gruenwald

Born June 18, 1953(1953-06-18)
Oshkosh, Wisconsin[1]
Died August 12, 1996(1996-08-12) (aged 43)
Nationality American
Area(s) Writer, Penciller, Editor
Notable works Captain America
Squadron Supreme
Awards Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award 1987, 1996

Mark E. Gruenwald (June 18, 1953 – August 12, 1996) was an American comic book writer, editor, and occasional penciler. Gruenwald got his start in comics fandom, publishing his own fanzine, Omniverse, which explored the concept of continuity. In 1978 he was hired by Marvel Comics, where he remained for the rest of his career.

Contents

Biography

Hired initially as an assistant editor in January 1978, Gruenwald was promoted to full editorship by Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter in 1982, putting Gruenwald in charge of The Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Spider Woman, and What If.[2][3] During this period, he shared an office with writer/editor Denny O'Neil, whom Gruenwald considered a mentor.[4]

In the late 1980s Gruenwald became executive editor, with a particular remit as the keeper of Marvel continuity. Gruenwald was famous for a perfect recollection of even the most trivial details. An annual contest where fans tried to stump him with obscure questions was eventually discontinued by Marvel as it became clear he would never lose. Gruenwald married singer Belinda Glass in May 1981.[5] They later separated, and he married Catherine Schuller. Gruenwald had a daughter, Sara.[6]

Writer

As a writer, Gruenwald is best-known for creating the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe and his ten-year stint as the writer of Captain America (from 1985 to 1995) – during which contributed several notable characters such as Crossbones, Diamondback and U.S. Agent. During his period as writer, he was in possession of a replica of Captain America's shield – the same shield now owned by Stephen Colbert.[7]

Although it suffered from low sales[citation needed], his sixty-issue run on Quasar (1989–1994) realized Gruenwald's ambition to write his own kind of superhero. However, his magnum opus is widely regarded to be the mid-1980s 12-issue miniseries Squadron Supreme, which told the story of an alternate universe where a group of well-intentioned superheroes decide that they would be best suited to run the planet. Gruenwald's work is notable for the realistic touch he brought to his characters. For example, in the D.P.7 series he created for Marvel's New Universe, the main characters were all regular people who gained odd abilities, and never put on a single costume.

The Bull's Eye

Mark Gruenwald (or "Gru" or "Grueny" as he was often referred to) was a recurring character along with Tom DeFalco in the single-panel comic The Bull's Eye that ran in "Bullpen Bulletins". These strips ran as filler pages in comics during the majority of DeFalco's run as editor-in-chief, and Gruenwald was often depicted as a caricature and foil for DeFalco's antics.

Death and legacy

In 1996, Gruenwald succumbed to a heart attack, the result of an unsuspected congenital heart defect. Gruenwald was a well-known practical joker, and due to his young age, many of his friends and co-workers initially believed the reports of his death to be just another joke. Just days prior, he had done one of his trademark cartwheels down the halls of the Bullpen. In accordance with his request, he was cremated, and his ashes were mixed with the ink used to print the first trade paperback compilation of Squadron Supreme.[8]

The Amalgam Comics book The Exciting X-Patrol #1 is dedicated to his memory. In the DC Universe, a building in Gotham City was named the Von Gruenwald Tower, and in the novel Captain America: Liberty's Torch (written by Tony Isabella and Bob Ingersoll), the lawyer kidnapped to defend the similarly kidnapped Captain in a mock trial before a militia is named Mark Gruenwald, and is described with the same general physical attributes and personality as the real Gruenwald. The lawyer acts heroically throughout the story.

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

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

In 2006, Gruenwald was officially named the "Patron Saint of Marveldom" in the new "Bullpen Bulletins" pages.[9]

Selected bibliography

Regular Writer

  • Spider-Woman #9–20 (Marvel Comics, December 1978 – November 1979) – (co-writer #19–20)
  • Marvel Two-in-One #53–58 (Marvel Comics, July 1979 – December 1979) – (co-writer)
  • Marvel Two-in-One #60–72 (Marvel Comics, February 1980 – February 1981) – (co-writer #60, 64–72)
  • Thor #299–302 (Marvel Comics, September 1980 – December 1980) – (co-writer #300–302)
  • Thor #304–307 (Marvel Comics, February 1981 – May 1981) – (co-writer)
  • What If? #25–28 (Marvel Comics, February 1981 – August 1981) – (Eternals story)
  • Thor #311–314 (Marvel Comics, September 1981 – December 1981) – (Tales of Asgard story; co-writer)
  • Marvel Super-Hero Contest of Champions #1–3 (Marvel Comics, June 1982 – August 1982) – (limited series; co-writer)
  • Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #1–14 (Marvel Comics, January 1983 – March 1984) – (limited series; co-writer #4–14)
  • Hawkeye #1–4 (Marvel Comics, September 1983 – December 1983) – (limited series)
  • Captain America #307–422 (Marvel Comics, July 1985 – December 1993)
  • Captain America #424–443 (Marvel Comics, February 1994 – September 1995)
  • Squadron Supreme #1–12 (Marvel Comics, September 1985 – August 1986) – (limited series)
  • The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (vol. 2) #1–15 (Marvel Comics, December 1985 – March 1987) – (limited series; co-writer)
  • Captain America Annual No. 8 (Marvel Comics, 1986)
  • D.P.7 #1–32 (Marvel Comics, November 1986 – June 1989)
  • D.P.7 Annual No. 1 (Marvel Comics, November 1987)
  • The Pitt (Marvel Comics, March 1988) – (one-shot)
  • The Draft (Marvel Comics, July 1988) – (one-shot)
  • "The Saga of the High Evolutionary: Parts 1–11" (Marvel Comics, 1988) – (back-up story in most 1988 Marvel Annuals)
  • Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe (Marvel Comics, 1989) – (one-shot)
  • Quasar #1–58 (Marvel Comics, October 1989 – May 1994)
  • Quasar No. 60 (Marvel Comics, July 1994)
  • The Avengers #319–324 (Marvel Comics, July 1990 – October 1990) – (Avengers Crew story)
  • U.S.Agent #1–4 (Marvel Comics, June 1993 – September 1993) – (limited series)
  • Captain America Annual No. 12 (Marvel Comics, 1993)
  • Avengers: The Terminatrix Objective #1–4 (Marvel Comics, September 1993 – December 1993) – (limited series)
  • Starblast #1–4 (Marvel Comics, January 1994 – April 1994) – (limited series)
  • Starmasters #1–3 (Marvel Comics, December 1995 – February 1996) – (limited series)
  • Captain America: The Legend No. 1 (Marvel Comics, September 1996) – (one-shot)
  • Thor: The Legend No. 1 (Marvel Comics, September 1996) – (one-shot)

Fill-in Writer

Penciller

  • What If? No. 32 (Marvel Comics, April 1982) – (Avengers story; co-penciller; inks also)
  • What If? No. 34 (Marvel Comics, August 1982) – (co-penciller)
  • Marvel Team-Up Annual No. 5 (Marvel Comics, 1982)
  • The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) No. 279 (Marvel Comics, January 1983)
  • Hawkeye #1–4 (Marvel Comics, September 1983 – December 1983) – (limited series)
  • "What if the Universe Ceased to Exist?" What If? No. 43 (Marvel Comics, February 1984)
  • Questprobe No. 1 (Marvel Comics, August 1984)

Editor-in-Chief

  • Fantastic Four #397–410 (Marvel Comics, December 1994 – January 1996)
  • Namor the Sub-Mariner #60–62 (Marvel Comics, January 1995 – March 1995)
  • Fantastic Force #5–17 (Marvel Comics, January 1995 – January 1996)
  • Force Works #9–19 (Marvel Comics, March 1995 – January 1996)
  • Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #102–105 (Marvel Comics, March 1995 – June 1995)

Executive Editor

  • The War #1–4 (Marvel Comics, June 1989 – March 1990)

Editor

Assistant Editor

  • John Carter, Warlord of Mars No. 14 (Marvel Comics, July 1978)
  • What If? #11–16 (Marvel Comics, October 1978 – August 1979)
  • Howard the Duck No. 30 (Marvel Comics, March 1979)
  • Battlestar Galactica #1–2 (Marvel Comics, March 1979 – April 1979)
  • Marvel Preview No. 19 (Marvel Comics, Summer 1979)
  • What If? #19–28 (Marvel Comics, February 1980 – August 1981)
  • Conan the Barbarian #113–115 (Marvel Comics, August 1980 – October 1980)
  • What If? No. 31 (Marvel Comics, February 1982)

Colorist

DC Comics

The artwork of Merlyn in Who's Who in the DC Universe is the only known artwork by Gruenwald for a comics company aside from Marvel Comics. Before being hired by Marvel, he wrote text articles for DC Comics official fanzine Amazing World of DC Comics. Articles by Gruenwald include "The Martian Chronicles" (a history of the Martian Manhunter) in issue #13[10] and several articles on the history of the Justice League in issue #14.[11]

Notes

  1. ^ "Pro File on: Mark Gruenwald," "Bullpen Bulletins," X-Men Annual No. 11 (1987).
  2. ^ "Avengers Assemble! A Memo From... Mark!" Avengers No. 222 (Marvel Comics, August 1982).
  3. ^ Shooter, Jim. "Bullpen Bulletins," Marvel comics cover-dated November 1983.
  4. ^ Gruenwald, Mark. "Mark's Remarks," Iron Man No. 223 (October 1987).
  5. ^ Shooter, Jim. "Bullpen Bulletins," Marvel comics cover dated August 1982.
  6. ^ Hembeck, Fred. "The Fred Hembeck Show: Episode 72 – The Mark Gruenwald Show", Quick Stop Entertainment (Sep. 14, 2006). Accessed Mar. 26, 2009.
  7. ^ Jones, Seth. "WWC: Civil War & Remembrance Panel – Updated!", Comic Book Resources (Aug. 11, 2007). Accessed Sept. 29, 2008.
  8. ^ Cronin, Brian. "Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #1," Comic Book Resources (June 3, 2005). Accessed Sept. 29, 2008.
  9. ^ Son of M No. 2 (March 2006), among others.
  10. ^ Amazing World of DC Comics No. 13 (Oct. 1976)
  11. ^ Amazing World of DC Comics No. 14 (March–April 1977)

References

External links

Preceded by
Tom DeFalco		 Marvel Comics Group Editor-in-Chiefs, Avengers titles;

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

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

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