John Broome (writer) facts for kids

John Broome (born May 4, 1913 – died March 14, 1999) was an American writer for comic books. He wrote many stories for DC Comics. He also used other names like John Osgood and Edgar Ray Meritt. With artist Gil Kane, he helped create the famous supervillain Sinestro.

Biography

Early Life and Golden Age Comics

John Broome was born Irving Broome. When he was young, he loved reading science fiction stories. In the 1940s, he started writing for science fiction magazines. He also began writing for some of the very first American comic books.

His friend, Julius Schwartz, became an editor at what would later be called DC Comics. Schwartz asked Broome to write superhero stories. Broome then wrote for characters like the Flash, Green Lantern, and Sargon the Sorcerer. His first known story for DC was a Flash adventure in All-Flash #22 in May 1946.

During the 1940s, Broome mainly wrote stories for Green Lantern and the superhero team the Justice Society of America. He also wrote some tales for the Atom, Hawkman, and Doctor Mid-Nite. These stories appeared in comics like Sensation Comics and All Star Comics. Broome and artist Irwin Hasen created the villain Per Degaton for the Justice Society in 1947. This time period is often called the "Golden Age of Comic Books".

The Silver Age of Comic Books

In the 1950s, Broome started writing science fiction stories for DC. He created characters like Captain Comet with artist Carmine Infantino in Strange Adventures #9 (June 1951). He also created Detective Chimp and the Phantom Stranger with Infantino. Later, he created the Atomic Knights with artist Murphy Anderson.

This new era for comics is known as the "Silver Age of Comic Books". John Broome was very important in bringing back superheroes. He wrote many stories for the new Flash, also known as Barry Allen. This new Flash was introduced in Showcase #4 (October 1956). Broome created many of Flash's main villains, including Captain Boomerang (1960), Abra Kadabra (1962), and Professor Zoom (1963). Captain Boomerang even appeared in the 2016 Suicide Squad movie! Broome also introduced Flash's allies, Kid Flash and the Elongated Man.

Broome, along with artist Gil Kane and editor Julius Schwartz, created Hal Jordan, the Silver Age Green Lantern, in Showcase #22 (October 1959). Broome became the main writer for Green Lantern's own comic series. He wrote stories where Hal Jordan's girlfriend, Carol Ferris, became the villain Star Sapphire. He also created Black Hand and Guy Gardner.

In 1964, Broome worked with editor Julius Schwartz and artist Carmine Infantino to give Batman a "New Look". They removed some of the sillier parts of Batman's stories and made them more serious. This new style started in Detective Comics #327 (May 1964).

Later Life and Retirement

In the late 1960s, John Broome and his wife, Peggy, moved to Paris, France. He continued to write for DC Comics from there. His last Batman story was in Detective Comics #388 (June 1969). His final Flash story appeared in The Flash #194 (February 1970), and his last Green Lantern story was in Green Lantern #75 (March 1970).

After that, Broome stopped writing comic books. He traveled and later taught English in Japan. He came back to the United States in 1998 and attended his first comic book convention, San Diego Comic-Con International.

John Broome passed away on March 14, 1999, at the age of 85. He was in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on vacation with his wife.

Awards

John Broome received an Alley Award in 1964 for "Best Short Story". This award was for his story "Doorway to the Unknown!" in The Flash #148 (November 1964), which he created with artist Carmine Infantino. He also received an Inkpot Award in 1998. After his death, he was given the Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing in 2009.

Homages

Many creators have honored John Broome and artist Gil Kane in their works.

• In the novel In Darkest Night, a place in Coast City is named the "Kane/Broome Institute for Space Studies".
• The "Broome Kane Galaxy" is named after them in the animated movie Emerald Knights.
• In the 2011 Green Lantern movie, a bar is named "Broome's Bar".
• In the Green Lantern: The Animated Series episode "Steam Lantern," the main character's real name is Gil Broome.
• In The Flash TV show episode "The New Rogues", an industrial building is called "Broome Industries".