Larry Hama
Larry Hama | |
---|---|
Born | June 7, 1949 |
Nationality | American |
Area(s) | Writer, Penciller, Editor |
Notable works | G.I. Joe Bucky O'Hare Nth Man Wolverine |
Awards | Inkpot Award (2012)[1] |
Military career | |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Army |
Years of service | 1969–1971 |
Unit | 18th Engineer Brigade US Army Corps of Engineers |
Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
Larry Hama (
During the 1970s, he was seen in minor roles on the TV shows M*A*S*H and Saturday Night Live, and appeared on Broadway in two roles in the original 1976 production of Stephen Sondheim's Pacific Overtures.
He is best known to American comic book readers as a writer and editor for
Early life
Hama was born June 7, 1949, in New York City.
Career
Early career
Hama sold his first comics work to the
High-school classmate
Hama began penciling for comics a year-and-a-half later, making an auspicious debut succeeding character co-creator
At DC, Hama became an editor of the titles Wonder Woman, Mister Miracle, Super Friends, and The Warlord, and the TV-series licensed property Welcome Back, Kotter from 1977 to 1978. He then joined Marvel as an editor in 1980.
Acting
Hama had a brief acting career in the mid-1970s, despite never having pursued the field. The casting director for the musical Pacific Overtures, Joanna Merlin, called Hama because an actor friend of his gave her his name when asked if he knew any other Asian actors. He told her that he had never acted before and could neither sing nor dance, but Merlin was persistent, and when informed that casting was less than a minute away from his workplace at Continuity Comics, he agreed to audition and was ultimately cast in three roles.[8]
He also played a role in the 1976 M*A*S*H episode "The Korean Surgeon" and a Saturday Night Live spoof of Apocalypse Now. However, though he had made a living as an actor for roughly a year, Hama ultimately discarded his acting career, explaining, "I always basically saw myself as an artist, not as anything else."[8]
G.I. Joe
Hama is best known as the writer of the
Hama also wrote the majority of the G.I. Joe action figures'
Hama said in 1986 that G.I. Joe had an unexpected female following due to such strong female characters as
"Most of the girls that write in [with letters to the comic] say that the reason they like the comic is that the women characters are simply part of the team. They’re not treated as any different from the other team members. They don't go around with their palms nailed to their foreheads. They’re competent, straightforward, and they go ahead and get the job done. They also participate emotionally. They have their likes and dislikes. They’re not ill-treated and they're not running around being worrywarts."[11]
Hasbro sculptors sometimes used real people's likenesses when designing its action figures. In 1987, Hasbro released the
In 2006, Hama returned to his signature characters with the
In December 2007, Hasbro released 25th-anniversary comic-book figure two-packs that featured original stories by Hama. These new Hasbro-published issues were designed to take place between the panels of the Marvel series.[15]
In September 2008, IDW announced a new line of G.I. Joe comics with one series, G.I. Joe Origins, to be primarily written by Hama.[16] He wrote the first five issues, as the series was originally intended to be a miniseries, and returned to write four more issues (including #19, which was a Snake Eyes "silent issue") over the course of the book's 23-issue run. IDW later revived the Marvel Comics continuity with Hama taking the helm of a new ongoing series, picking up where the Marvel series left off with issue #155 1/2.
In June 2023, Skybound announced the continuation of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero at Image. This would continue on from the IDW run, starting with issue #301.[17]
Other work
At Marvel in the early 1980s, Hama edited the humor magazine , a gritty Marvel series about the Vietnam War.
He also was an editor on
Hama wrote the 16-issue Marvel series
While working at Neal Adams' Continuity Associates, Hama co-developed a series he and comic book artist Michael Golden first created in 1978, Bucky O'Hare, the story of a green anthropomorphic rabbit and his mutant mammal sidekicks in an intergalactic war against space amphibians. Bucky O'Hare went on to become a comic, cartoon, video game, and toy line.
Hama is credited as a writing consultant on the 2004 independent animated film The Easter Egg Adventure and he also contributed scripts to the second season of the animated series Robotboy.
In 2006,
In February 2008,
On September 19, 2012, Hama released his three-part vampire novel entitled The Stranger.[21]
On December 17, 2012, Hama portrayed himself in a Christmas-themed episode of the Adult Swim series Robot Chicken.[22] In 2014, Hama began working with award-winning filmmaker Mark Cheng on an original film project, called Ghost Source Zero.[23][24] The film was distributed by Sony Pictures in 2018.[25]
In August 2014, Red Giant Entertainment announced that Larry Hama was writing the company's new Monster Isle monthly series debuting in November.[26]
Bibliography
- As writer
- Avengers #326-333
- Bat-Thing #1
- Batman #575-581
- Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #121-122
- Batman: Shadow of the Bat #90
- Batman: Toyman #1-4
- Before the Fantastic Four: Ben Grimm and Logan #1-3
- Cable #16
- Conan the Barbarian #117, 221, 224
- Conan #1-7, 10-11
- Convergence: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1-2
- Convergence: Wonder Woman #1-2
- Daredevil #193
- Daredevil & Captain America: Dead on Arrival #1
- Detective Comics #736
- Echo of Futurepast #1-6 (Bucky O'Hare segments only)
- Elektra#14-19
- Generation X #33-44, 46-47
- G.I. Joe (IDW) #0 (five-page story)
- G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (Marvel) #1-7 (6-7 - dialogue only), 10–19, 21–118, 120–142, 144–152, 155
- G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (Hasbro) #21B, 32.5, 36.5, 4-12[note 1]
- G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (IDW) #155.5, 156-300
- G.I. Joe A Real American Hero Annual (IDW) #1
- G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (Skybound) #301-Present
- G.I. Joe: Battle Corps (Hasbro) #1-4 (with Paul Kirchner)
- G.I. Joe: Declassified (Devil's Due) #1-3
- G.I. Joe: Frontline (Devil's Due) #1-4
- G.I. Joe: Order of Battle (Marvel) #1-4
- G.I. Joe: Origins (IDW) #1-5, 8–10, 19
- G.I. Joe: Resolute (Hasbro), #1-2, 4-6[note 2]
- G.I. Joe: Special Missions (Marvel), issues 1-23, 25, 27-28
- G.I. Joe vs. Cobra (Hasbro), issues 1-6[note 3]
- G.I. Joe vs. Cobra (Fun Publications) #1 (with David S. Lane)
- G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom (Hasbro) #7-10[note 4]
- G.I. Joe Yearbook (Marvel) #1-4
- Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon (Marvel) #1-6[27]
- Kitty Pryde, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Marvel) #1-3[28]
- Legends of the Dark Claw #1
- Marvel Comics Presents #25
- Marvel Graphic Novel: Wolfpack
- Marvel Holiday Special 1992
- Maverick#1
- Mort the Dead Teenager #1-4
- Onslaught Epilogue #1
- The Punisher War Zone #20-25
- Sabretooth#1-4
- Snake Eyes: Declassified (Devil's Due), trade paperback (five-page story: "Silent Prelude")
- Spider-Man Team-Up#6
- Spider-Man: The Venom Agenda #1
- Spy Hunter & Paper Boy #1-6
- Star Wars #48
- The Stranger #1-3[29]
- Storm Shadow (Devil's Due) #1-7
- Team X/Team 7
- Unknown Soldier #211
- Venom: Along Came A Spider#1-4
- Venom: Carnage Unleashed#1-4
- Venom: Finale #1-3
- Venom: The Hunted#1-3
- Venom: License To Kill#1-3
- Venom: Sinner Takes All#1-5
- Venom: Tooth and Claw#1-3
- Venom: On Trial#1-3
- Weapon X #1-4
- Wild Thing#1-5
- Wolfpack #1-3
- Wolverine (vol. 2) #-1, 31–43, 45–57, 60–109, 111–118, Annual #1995
- Wolverine: Patch #1-5
- X-Men: Age of Apocalypse One Shot #1
- X-Men Annual 1996
- X-Men Legends #7-8 (Upcoming)[30]
- X-Men Unlimited #9
- As artist
- Daredevil (Marvel) #196 (pencil breakdowns)
- G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (Marvel) #21, 26, 35 (partial), 36 (partial)
- Marvel Premiere #16-19
- As writer and artist
- Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja (Marvel) #1-16 (story and cover layouts)
As editor
- Peter Porker the spectacular Spider Ham(Marvel) #1-17
Notes
- ^ There were no issues #1-3 to this series. The first three issues were written to accompany the A Real American Hero issues #21, 32 and 36 originally written for Marvel.
- Amazon.com exclusive available for download only; #6 ("Splash-Bang") was an Amazon mail-in exclusive. Issue #3 ("Cold Comfort") was never released.[citation needed]
- ^ This series is continued in G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom #7-10
- ^ This series picks up after Hasbro's G.I. Joe vs. Cobra #6.
References
- ^ Inkpot Award
- ^ Mitchel, Bill (June 3, 2009). "In-Depth: Larry Hama on G.I. Joe, The 'Nam & More". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on June 7, 2009.
- ISBN 978-0-87341-256-8.
- ^ "Larry Hama". (interview) JoeGuide.com. July 1998. Archived from the original on June 9, 2008. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
- Newsarama.com. Archivedfrom the original on March 4, 2016.
- Lambiek Comiclopedia. Archived April 30, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Shooter, Jim. "Bullpen Bulletins," Iron Man #148 (July 1981).
- ^ Fictioneer Books. pp. 36–45.
- ^ ToyFare #105 (Wizard Entertainment, May 2006).
- ^ "Yo Joe Filecard Gallery". Yojoe.com. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
- Comics Interview#37 (month n.a., 1986), via JoeGuide.com Retrieved January 9, 2011
- ^ "Yo Joe! Tunnel Rat". Yojoe.com. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
- ^ "Larry Hama interview". UnderGroundOnline.com. Archived from the original on June 14, 2008. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
- ^ Meyer, Fred (May 19, 2007). "Larry Hama Discusses the Storm Shadow Monthly Title from Devil's Due Publishing". JoeBattlelines.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
- ^ "Larry Hama Enlists With G.I. Joe Movie!". Latinoreview.com. January 30, 2008. Archived from the original on May 25, 2009. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
- ^ Ekstrom, Steve (September 12, 2008). "G.I. Joe Roundtable, Part 1: Hama, Dixon, Gage & More". Newsarama.com. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011.
- ^ Cronin, Brian (June 15, 2023). "Larry Hama Continues His Iconic G.I. Joe Run at Skybound". CBR. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
- ^ Arnold, Mark (September 2016). "What The--?!: Obnoxio the Clown". Back Issue! (91). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 68–71.
- ^ Shooter, Jim. "Bullpen Bulletins," Marvel comics cover-dated November 1983.
- ^ Devil's Due Publishing press release: "Special San Diego Comic-Con Announcement", July 36 2007
- Amazon.com. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
- ^ Casey, Dan (16 December 2012). "A Real American Hero: Larry Hama on "Robot Chicken," "G.I. Joe," and More". Nerdist.
- ^ "Epic cyberpunk action, Ghost Source Zero". Retrieved 14 February 2014.
- ^ "G.I. Joe Writer/Artist Larry Hama Crowdfunding Cyberpunk Action Series Ghost Source Zero". 27 February 2014.
- ^ "Review: GHOST SOURCE ZERO Hacks Into Your Inner Fanboy With Veritable Promise". Film Combat Syndicate. 27 August 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
- ^ "Transmedia Legend Larry Hama Takes Red Giant to MONSTER ISLE". MarketWired. August 26, 2014.
- ^ "Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon (2021) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel". Marvel Entertainment. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
- ^ "FLASHBACK REVIEW: Kitty Pryde Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 (1997)". The Geeksverse. June 2, 2011. Archived from the original on January 11, 2017.
- Comics Beat.
- ^ "The Legendary Larry Hama Returns to His Wolverine Run in 'X-Men Legends' #7". Marvel Entertainment. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
External links
- Larry Hama at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
- Larry Hama at IMDb
- Larry Hama at the Grand Comics Database
- "JBL Interview with Larry Hama, Part One", JoeBattlelines.com, 2005, n.d.
- Richards, Dave. "Hama Talks: G.I. Joe: Declassified", Comic Book Resources, April 26, 2006
- Pullen, Travis. "Interview with: Larry Hama", Filmfodder.com, March 31, 2009, | The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine copy of that interview
- Mitchel, Bill. "In-Depth: Larry Hama on G.I. Joe, The 'Nam and More", Comic Book Resources, June 3, 2009
- Larry Hama interview[permanent dead link], "The Comic Book Haters" podcast (2006), | The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine copy of that podcast