Steve Gerber, CREATOR of Howard the Duck, RIP

[BeardedOne]

Please forgive the formating, or lack thereof...



News Howard the Duck Creater
Gerber Dies
By KATHLEEN HENNESSEY,
AP
Posted: 2008-02-16 11:06:45

LAS VEGAS (Feb. 16) -

Steve Gerber,
the comic book writer and creator whose
signature character was the alienated,
cigar-chomping Howard the Duck, has
died. He was 60. Gerber, who also cocreated
Marvel’s “Omega the Unknown”
and created the 1980s animated series
“Thundarr the Barbarian,” suffered from
pulmonary fibrosis.
He died Sunday in a Las Vegas hospital
from complications related to the disease,
said Mary Skrenes, a friend and writing
partner on “Omega” and other comics.
The “Howard the Duck” series became a
fast hit after its January 1976 debut on
Marvel and remains a cult favorite. Its
lead, a disgruntled duck from another
universe with a bombshell sidekick
named Beverly “Thunder-Thighs”
Switzler, was hailed as both smart and
subversive.
The adjectives could be applied to
Gerber, Skrenes said.
“Howard was his voice. Steve was able to
do social commentary and sort of sneak it
up on you,” she said. “Sometimes it was
obvious what the message was there,
and other times is was really subtle
because it took place in a mystical realm
or outer space.”
Or in Cleveland, where Howard was a
lone talking duck “trapped in a world he
never made!” according to the comic’s
tagline.
Gerber split with Marvel in 1978 amid a
dispute over the rights to the character.
He sued the company and settled out of
court.
Skrenes said Gerber was not closely
involved in George Lucas’ 1986 “Howard
the Duck” film, which fared poorly at the
box office.
Gerber also worked in television as a
story editor on “G.I. Joe” and “Dungeon &
Dragons.”
More recently, Gerber and Skrenes
created “Hard Time” for DC Comics, the
story of a 15-year-old boy convicted in a
Columbine-like school shooting who
discovers he has special powers. Gerber
was working on a revival of the DC
Comics’ Dr. Fate series at the time of his
death.
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“He was the kind of guy people would
give an old, moribund idea to and he
would come up with a fresh idea for it,”
said Mark Evanier, a friend.
Gerber was born Sept. 20, 1947, in St.
Louis and received a bachelor’s degree
from St. Louis University, before joining
Marvel as an assistant editor in 1972. He
is survived by his mother, Bernice; his
daughter, Samantha Voll; and three
siblings.
Private services are pending.
2008-02-16 09:49:15