Gray Morrow

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Gray Morrow
Tarzan, Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, The Illustrated Roger Zelazny
AwardsNominated for Hugo Award in 1966, 1967, and 1968

Dwight Graydon "Gray" Morrow

El Diablo
.

Biography

Early life and career

Morrow was born March 7, 1934, in

comic-strip artist Allen Saunders, Morrow submitted strip samples to various syndicates with no luck.[5]

Undaunted, he moved to New York City in winter 1955 and by the following spring had met fellow young comics artists

cover-dated July 1956 to June 1957.[9]

Morrow illustrated several stories for EC Comics in the 1950s, including horror, suspense and science fiction. He later did covers and stories for the company's New Trend comics and Picto-Fiction magazines.[9]

In late 1956, Morrow was drafted

Gilberton Company, publisher of the Classics Illustrated comic-book series of literary adaptations], and I was given a script. One thing led to another and I was soon working on a regular basis.[10]

Prior to his Gilberton stint, Morrow contributed to one of the first black-and-white

penciling and inking two four-page stories by an unknown writer, "The Stalker" and "Burn!"[9]

1960s to 1970s

In the early 1960s, Morrow anonymously

African-American whalers
:

[T]he page rate [at Gilberton in general] wasn't much for the accuracy and authenticity they expected, but it was a challenge to 'do it right.' Roberta and Len Cole were demanding but genial editors. One job I do remember ... something about whaling, got me in dutch [i.e. trouble] with Roberta. My research indicated that many of the whalers were black — so that's what I drew. She had a fit and insisted they all be redrawn to 'avoid controversy.'[10]

In the end, the problematic chapter, "The Long Voyage", retained what one comics historian called "a respectable number of African-American whalemen."[10] Morrow, however, recalled, "[T]hey had me make them all white. I had to change their features."[8]

Concurrently, Morrow also illustrated entries in the

Teddy Roosevelt, Young Rough Rider,[15] and Abner Doubleday: Young Baseball Pioneer,[16]
were reprinted by successor publishers in the 1980s and 1990s.

Morrow next began a three-year association with

war-comics magazine Blazing Combat, through 1967.[9] He also painted four horror covers for Warren. For competitor Skywald Publications, he drew the eight-page "The Skin And Bones Syndrome" for Psycho #1 (Jan. 1971), and co-created the muck-monster Man-Thing, with writers Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway, in Marvel Comics' first entry into the adult-oriented comics-magazine market, the black-and-white Savage Tales #1 (May 1971).[17]

Gray Morrow by Michael Netzer

By 1970, Morrow was married to Betty Morrow, who wrote a story he drew, "The Journey", in the early

Creatures on the Loose #20-21 (Nov. 1972 - Jan. 1973), and virtually his only Marvel superhero story, a 10-page Falcon feature in Captain America #144 (Dec. 1971).[9]

By 1973, Morrow had served as an uncredited

Tarzan Sunday strip from 1983 to 2001.[4] He recalled trying out for Prince Valiant, saying he provided a sample "when [strip creator] Hal Foster decided to go into semi-retirement. It was done in August and published in October or November of '71. It was done as a sample when Foster interviewed [me] and a couple of others (Wally Wood and John Cullen Murphy) to take over."[20]

Through 1974 and early 1975, he edited and frequently drew stories for

Red Circle Comics, including Chilling Adventures in Sorcery, its successor Red Circle Sorcery, and the single-issue The Super Cops, based on two real-life New York City Police Department detectives.[9] Following this, he specialized in covers and stories for such black-and-white Marvel magazines as Masters of Terror, Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction and Marvel Preview. Afterward, through 1976, he was art director of Charlton Comics' black-and-white magazine Space: 1999, based on the TV series of that name.[9] Active in the early independent comics of the 1970s, Morrow contributed mostly spot illustrations, covers and pinups rather than stories to titles including publisher David Jablin's Imagination #1 (1971); Mark Feldman's I'll Be Damned #4 (1971); John Carbonaro's Phase #1 (Sept. 1971); Doug Murray & Richard Garrison Heritage #1A and 1B (1972); and Gary Berman & Adam Malin's Infinity #2, 3B, 4-5 (1970?-1973).[21]

Perry Rhodan #20: The Thrall of Hypno (Ace Books, 1972). Cover art by Morrow

In 1978, he began publishing, in

Playboy feature "Amora", which he both wrote and drew,[1] was collected as Heritage presents ... Amora, from the Forest Park, Georgia publisher Heritage in 1971.[25] He illustrated and colored each of the several Roger Zelazny stories that the author self-adapted for the 96-page graphic short-story collection The Illustrated Roger Zelazny, produced by Byron Preiss Enterprizes and published by Baronet Publishing in February 1979.[9]

In addition to comics, Morrow in the 1960s and 1970s was an illustrator for many

paperback-book series.[7] He did regular interior artwork for Galaxy Science Fiction from 1964 to 1968 including the illustrations for the original Galaxy Science Fiction publication of the Hugo-winning novella Soldier, Ask Not by Gordon R. Dickson.[citation needed] Additionally, he drew for satirical-humor magazine National Lampoon[7]

Later career

In the 1980s, he wrote and drew

Greek gods. Through the decade he did sporadic but diverse work for Marvel and DC, ranging from stories of Lois Lane[26] to those of Mark Hazzard: Merc, as well as horror and science-fiction stories for Eclipse Comics; satirical humor for Cracked; "The Sex Vampires from Outer Space" and other stories for the same publisher's black-and-white comics magazine Monsters Attack; and Marvel Graphic Novel: Dreamwalker (1989), a 63-page superhero/espionage thriller written by actors Miguel Ferrer and Bill Mumy.[9] He drew the comics adaptations of the Sheena and Supergirl[27] movies in 1984. Morrow briefly drew DC's Spectre series in 1988.[28]

The following decade, continuing his trend of wide-ranging work, he drew the superhero feature "Powerline", by writers

independent comics publishers as Aardwolf Publishing, Dark Horse Comics and NBM, and the underground comix publisher Rip Off Press. His last new work was his posthumously published contribution, with four other artists, to the 10-page story "Letters From a Broken Apple", written by Neil Kleid, in Alternative Comics' benefit one-shot 9-11 Emergency Relief (Jan. 2002).[9]

Other work

Morrow worked in

The Animation Guild, I.A.T.S.E. Local 839.[29]

He painted or drew the theatrical

one-sheet for the Al Adamson horror film Five Bloody Graves (1970), and drew the King Kong cover of the premiere issue of The Monster Times.[30]

Personal life

By 1973, when he was living in Brooklyn,[8] Morrow was married with a family that included adopted children.[31]

He was living in Kunkletown, Pennsylvania, and suffering from Parkinson's disease[23] when he died November 6, 2001,[3][2] from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.[4] He was survived by his later wife, Pocho Morrow.[23]

Awards

Morrow was nominated for the Hugo Award for best professional artist in 1966,[32] 1967,[33] and 1968.[34] In 2005, he was posthumously inducted into the Oklahoma Cartoonists Associates Hall of Fame in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, located in the Toy and Action Figure Museum.[35][36]

Bibliography

Books

  • Morrow, Gray; Seuling, Phil (1970). Dark Domain. Kew Gardens, New York: Screen Facts Press.[37]
  • Morrow, Gray (1994). Babes & Bimbos: The Unseen Art of Gray Morrow. Morristown, New Jersey: C.T. Ltd. Editions.[38]

Comics

Alternative Comics

Archie Comics

Baronet Publishing

Charlton Comics

Dark Horse Comics

DC Comics

Paradox Press
  • The Big Book Of Bad (1998)
  • The Big Book of Hoaxes (1996)
  • The Big Book of Losers (1997)
  • The Big Book of the '70s (2000)
  • The Big Book of the Weird Wild West (1998)
  • The Big Book of Thugs (1996)
  • The Big Book of Vice (1999)

Eclipse Comics

Fantagraphics

  • Cosmic Kliti #1 (1991)

Forbidden Fruit

  • Gray Morrow's Private Commissions #1–2 (1992)

Gilberton Company

Globe Communications

  • Cracked #228, 241 (1987–1988)
  • Monsters Attack #1–5 (1989–1990)

Hamilton Comics

HM Communications, Inc.

  • Heavy Metal #v1#10, #v1#12–13, #v2#1, #v2#3–8, #v3#1, #v3#3, #v3#5, #v6#8 (1978–1982)

Marvel Comics

Epic Comics

Pacific Comics

Penthouse

Valiant Comics

  • Nintendo Comics System #1 (1991)

Warren Publishing

  • Blazing Combat #1–3 (1965–1966)
  • Creepy #1–7, 9–10, 13, 20, 24, 26, 55, 87 (1964–1977)
  • Eerie #2, 4, 15, 19 (1966–1968)

Wonderful Publishing Company

References

  1. ^ a b Bails, Jerry; Ware, Hames. "Morrow, Gray". Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928-1999. Archived from the original on June 17, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  2. ^ a b Gray Morrow at the Social Security Death Index. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  3. ^ a b Applegate, Aaron (November 14, 2001). "Comic book legend and Kunkletown resident dies at 67". Pocono Record. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  4. ^
    Lambiek Comiclopedia. Archived
    from the original on November 10, 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d e "An Interview with Gray Morrow". The Collector (27). Clairton, Pennsylvania: Bill G. Wilson: 40. Winter 1973.
  6. ISBN 978-1893905085
    .
  7. ^ a b c d e The Collector, p. 41
  8. ^ a b c d e Roach, Cooke, p. 73
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Gray Morrow at the Grand Comics Database
  10. ^
    McFarland & Co. p. 217
    .
  11. ^ Jones, pp. 333, 334.
  12. ^ a b Jones, p. 221.
  13. ^ Jones, pp. 343, 346-348.
  14. ^ Crispus Attucks, Black Leader of Colonial Patriots. WorldCat. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  15. ^ Teddy Roosevelt, Young Rough Rider. WorldCat. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  16. ^ Abner Doubleday: Young Baseball Pioneer (1965) and 1995 editions. WorldCat. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  17. ISBN 978-0756641238
    . Savage Tales ... was more notable for the debut of Marvel's mindless swamp monster, the Man-Thing, in an origin story written by Gerry Conway and illustrated by Gray Morrow.
  18. ^ Roach, Cooke, p. 74
  19. OCLC 213309017
  20. ^ The Collector, p. 43
  21. ^ Arndt, Richard J. (August 20, 2007). "The Early Independents". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011.
  22. OCLC 769472763
    .
  23. ^ a b c "NYCC '11: Hermes Press to publish Gray Morrow's Orion" (Press release). Hermes Press. October 17, 2011. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  24. ^ Per Arndt, Orion had originated with a six-page story in original publisher Wally Wood's witzend #2 (1967), with chapters two and three premiering in publisher Sal Quartuccio's Hot Stuf' #2 (Winter 1975) and #4 (1977), respectively.
  25. ^ Heritage presents ... Amora. WorldCat. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  26. ^ Zeno, Eddy (July 2012). "In Search of Social Issues The Real and Fictional Heroes of DC Comics". Back Issue! (57). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 57.
  27. ^ Wells, John (October 2015). "Supergirl in Bronze". Back Issue! (84). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 22. When the Supergirl movie made its US premiere on November 21, 1984, the only comic book on the stands in support of it was a one-shot adaptation written by Joey Cavalieri and drawn by Gray Morrow.
  28. ^ Powers, Thomas (August 2018). "Ghostly Reflections: Doug Moench and the Spectre". Back Issue! (106). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 60–70.
  29. ^ "In Memoriam". The Animation Guild, I.A.T.S.E. Local 839. Archived from the original on February 20, 2012. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  30. ^ The Collector, p. 43 and inside back cover.
  31. ^ Roach, Cooke, p. 75. Question: "Did you have children?" Morrow: "Adopted children."
  32. ^ "1966 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society. Archived from the original on May 7, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  33. ^ "1967 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society. Archived from the original on May 7, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  34. ^ "1968 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society. Archived from the original on May 7, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  35. ^ "Gray Morrow (1934-2001)" (PDF). Oklahoma Cartoonists Hall of Fame. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 8, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  36. ^ Bru-Hed (December 12, 2005). "New Cartoonists Hall of Fame Collection & Museum!". Comics Buyer's Guide. Iola, Wisconsin. Archived from the original on June 17, 2013. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  37. ^ Dark Domain. WorldCat.org. Retrieved March 24, 2012
  38. ^ Babes & Bimbos: The Unseen Art of Gray Morrow. WorldCat.org. Retrieved March 24, 2012

Further reading

External links
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