Joe Gill
Joe Gill | |
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Bill Finger Award 2020 posthumously[1] |
Joseph P. Gill (July 13, 1919 – December 17, 2006)
Biography
Early life and career
Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Gill began writing for comic books for the New York City-based Timely Comics, the first predecessor of Marvel Comics, during the 1940s period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books. The vast majority of his work went unsigned, both in the manner of that time and during his staff-writing position at one company from the 1950s to 1980s, making a comprehensive bibliography difficult or impossible to compile.
In addition, Gill's Timely stories were actually written, often pseudonymously for
As Gill recalled his start in the business, via his brother, Ray Gill, "My brother was an editor at
Around this time, Gill met future
Spillane and Ray Gill insisted Joe go into freelance writing with them. When superheroes fell out of favor in the post-war years, Gill began scripting teen-humor, Western and other genre comics for Timely. Following an industry downturn around 1948, he eventually found his way to the low-budget comic-book publisher Charlton Comics, based in Derby, Connecticut.[citation needed]
Charlton Comics and the Silver Age
At Charlton, beginning in the early 1950s, Gill became the company's primary staff writer for the next thirty years. He was known for his speed, often finishing a full-length comics script in a day and writing as much as an estimated 100 to 125 pages a week across a number of genres, from
In 1960, as the industry was returning to superheroes for what would become known as the
The character would eventually become a stalwart of the DC stable, as would Blue Beetle, an old Fox Comics superhero revived by Gill and artists Bill Fraccio and Tony Tallarico as a campy, comedic character in Blue Beetle #1 (June 1964).[citation needed]
In 1967, Charlton editor
Later life and career
When Giordano was hired at industry leader
In 1975, Gill and artist
In 1983, Gill wrote two stories featuring Secret Agent X-9 for King Features Syndicate. These stories were illustrated by Jack Sparling and only saw print in European comic books.[citation needed]
When Charlton Comics ceased publication in 1986, Gill retired from comic-book scripting save for an occasional freelance story for DC. His final recorded credit is as one of the colorists on the small-press superhero comic Ebony Warrior #2 (June–July 1993), published by
Gill, who suffered from complications from a fall at the Shady Knoll Health Center in
Awards
- 1974 Shazam Award – nomination for Best Writer (Humor Division)[8]
- 2020 Bill Finger Award posthumously[9]
References
- ^ Six Posthumous Recipients to Receive 2020 Bill Finger Award
- ^ Social Security Death Index, Joseph P. Gill
- ^ a b c Mark Evanier, "Joe Gill, R.I.P.", POV Online (column of January 16, 2007).
- ^ Cooke, Jon B., & Christopher Irving. "The Charlton Empire: A Brief History of the Derby, Connecticut Publisher", Comic Book Artist #9, August 2000. Access date 2010-04-27. WebCitation archive.
- ^ a b c Higbee, Matthew (January 20, 2007). "Seymour's Joe Gill died in anonymity: Comic book writer was the real deal". Connecticut Post. Archived from the original on January 22, 2007.
- ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9.)
Captain Atom was born in a tale by artist Steve Ditko and writer Joe Gill.
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has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ 'Nuff Said! Guest List. WebCitation archive.
- ^ "1974 Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards". Archived from the original on March 18, 2007.
- ^ Six Posthumous Recipients to Receive 2020 Bill Finger Award
Further reading
- Joe Gill interview, Comic Book Artist #9 (Aug. 2000), pp. 22–24
- Comic Book Artist #9 (Aug. 2000): "The Charlton Comics Story: 1945–1968"
- Comic Book Artist #12 (March 2001): "The Charlton Comics Story: 1972–1983"