Legendary Batman writer, Denny O'Neil dies at age 81
The iconic Batman writer and editor has passed away
PC Gaming Show
By
June 12, 2020
The iconic Batman writer and editor has passed away.
Dennis J. "Denny" O'Neil has died at age 81. As
confirmed by his family, the legendary comic book writer died at home of
natural causes on the night of June 11.
O’Neil was best known for his work on Batman, which included
writing Batman, Detective Comics, and Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, as
well as editing DC’s Batman titles from 1986 to 2000. He, editor Julius
Schwartz, and artist Neal Adams are credited for guiding the Dark Knight back
to his darker roots after a period of campiness brought on by the success of
the 1960s Batman TV series.
During his time on Batman, he created/co-created Ra’s al
Ghul, Talia al Ghul, Leslie Thompkins, Azrael, and Richard Dragon; he was also
involved in the revitalization of the Joker and Two-Face as modern DC villains,
and oversaw the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin.
Alongside Adams, O’Neil also reinvigorated the characters of
Green Arrow and Green Lantern by pairing them up as best friends and
“hard-traveling heroes” who ventured the country righting wrongs while
exploring complex issues of politics and social justice – one of the first
comic book runs to do so in a nuanced way.
Also at DC, he wrote the iconic Superman vs. Muhammad Ali
one-shot, the Armageddon 2001 event, as well as memorable runs on Justice
League and the Question.
O’Neil also enjoyed a fruitful stint at Marvel, writing
Amazing Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Daredevil, and was involved in the creation
of Madame Web, Hydro-Man, Obadiah Stane, Lady Deathstrike, and the concept for
the Transformers - including naming Optimus Prime. During his time editing at
Marvel, he was the one who hired then-newcomer Frank Miller to take over the
Daredevil title.
The writer also branched out to TV, writing episodes of Logan’s Run, Superboy,
Batman: The Animated Series, and G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.
In addition to writing and editing, O’Neil taught at Manhattan’s School
of Visual Arts, was on
the Hero Initiative’s Board of Directors, and wrote the instructional book The
DC Guide to Writing Comics.
Late in his career, O'Neil was recognized in a broad sense
for his accomplishments. The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library honored him as
the key speaker at its "Comic Books and Social Justice" weekend in
December 2018, and the city of Phoenix,
AZ proclaimed May 25, 2019 "Dennis O'Neil Day" in recognition of his
impact both in the comic industry and to American society in general.
O’NEIL, Dennis (Dennis
J. O’Neil)
Born: 5/3/1939, St. Louis, Missouri,
U.S.A.
Died: 6/11/2020, Nyack, New York,
U.S.A.
Dennis O’Neil’s
westerns – comicbook writer:
Rawhide Kid – 1966-1968
Ghost Rider – 1967
Kid Colt Outlaw – 1967-1969
Two Gun Kid – 1967-1968
Bat Lash – 1968-1969
Wander - 1968-?
Wander - 1968-?
All-Star Western – 1971
He also wrote this, but I don't know how long he stayed with the series. It survived long after he left.
ReplyDeletehttp://westerncomicsadventures.blogspot.com/2011/09/wander-man-from-sirius-5.html?m=1
Thanks Will. I've added it to the obit.
ReplyDelete