Marv Wolfman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Marv Wolfman |
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Wolfman at the 2023 WonderCon
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| Born | Marvin Arthur Wolfman May 13, 1946 New York City, U.S. |
| Area(s) | Writer, Editor |
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Notable works
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The Tomb of Dracula Blade The Amazing Spider-Man Daredevil Nova The New Teen Titans Crisis on Infinite Earths Adventures of Superman Nightwing |
| Awards | Shazam Award (1973) Inkpot Award (1979) Eagle Award (1982, 1984) Jack Kirby Award (1985, 1986) Scribe Award (2007) National Jewish Book Award (2008) |
| Spouse(s) | Michele Wolfman (divorced) Noel Watkins |
| Children | 1 |
Marvin "Marv" Arthur Wolfman (born May 13, 1946) is a famous American writer of comic books and novels. He is best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics. At Marvel, he co-created the vampire hunter Blade. At DC, he worked with artist George Pérez to create the popular series The New Teen Titans and the universe-changing story Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Wolfman has created or helped create many well-known characters. These include the heroes Cyborg, Raven, Starfire, and Nova. He also created the expert thief Black Cat and the skilled assassin Bullseye. He is also known for creating the supervillain Deathstroke and for giving Dick Grayson his new identity as Nightwing.
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Early Life and First Steps
Marv Wolfman was born in Brooklyn, New York City. His father was a police officer and his mother was a housewife. When he was 13, his family moved to Flushing, Queens. He attended the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan because he dreamed of becoming a cartoonist.
Before becoming a professional writer, Wolfman was very active in comic book fandom. He even published a story by the now-famous author Stephen King in his own fan magazine, called a fanzine.
Career in Comics
Starting at DC Comics
Wolfman began his professional career at DC Comics in 1968. He and his friend Len Wein created a character named Jonny Double. They also wrote for the Teen Titans comic book.
Wolfman and artist Gil Kane created an origin story for Wonder Girl in Teen Titans #22. This issue also gave the character her famous red costume.
Moving to Marvel Comics
In 1972, Wolfman moved to Marvel Comics. He eventually became the editor-in-chief, which meant he was in charge of all the comics. However, he stepped down from this role so he could have more time to write stories.
Creating Famous Characters
At Marvel, Wolfman and artist Gene Colan created the horror comic The Tomb of Dracula. This series was very popular and is where they introduced the character Blade. Blade later became the star of his own movie series.
Wolfman also co-created the villain Bullseye in the Daredevil comic. With artist John Buscema, he created the superhero Nova. He also wrote for The Amazing Spider-Man. In those stories, he introduced the clever thief Black Cat.
Return to DC Comics
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In 1980, Wolfman returned to DC Comics. He teamed up with artist George Pérez to relaunch the Teen Titans series. They called it The New Teen Titans.
The New Teen Titans
The New Teen Titans was a huge success. Wolfman and Pérez introduced new characters that became fan favorites. These included Cyborg, the mysterious Raven, and the alien princess Starfire. They joined existing members like Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, and Beast Boy. The team often fought against the deadly assassin Deathstroke, another one of Wolfman's creations.
Crisis on Infinite Earths
In 1985, DC Comics celebrated its 50th anniversary. To mark the occasion, Wolfman and Pérez created Crisis on Infinite Earths. This was a 12-issue series that changed the entire DC Universe. The story brought together almost every character DC had ever created. It simplified DC's long and complicated history by combining different universes into one. Many heroes and villains died in the series, making it a major event in comic book history.
Working on Superman
After Crisis, Wolfman helped relaunch the Superman comics. He changed the character of Superman's enemy, Lex Luthor. Instead of being just a mad scientist, Wolfman wrote him as a powerful and corrupt businessman. This version of Lex Luthor has been used in many comics, TV shows, and movies since.
Writing for TV and Games
In the 1990s, Wolfman began writing for television and animation. He wrote for the Disney show DuckTales and was an editor for the Disney Adventures magazine.
He also worked on many action cartoons. He was a writer for Batman: The Animated Series and Spider-Man: The Animated Series. In the late 1990s, he developed the Transformers TV show Beast Machines.
In the 2000s, Wolfman wrote a novel based on the movie Superman Returns. He also wrote for the Nightwing comic book series and helped create a new version of the hero Vigilante. In 2011, he was a writer for the video game Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two.
Recent Work
Wolfman continues to be active in the world of comics and entertainment. In 2019, DC published Man and Superman, his acclaimed retelling of Superman's origin story. He also co-wrote an episode of the TV show Arrow for its Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event. He even made a cameo appearance in the show.
In 2021, he and George Pérez appeared as cartoon versions of themselves in the show Teen Titans Go!. In 2023, he returned to Marvel to write a special comic about Blade called What If…? Dark: Tomb of Dracula.
Personal Life
Wolfman is married to Noel Watkins. He has a daughter, Jessica Morgan, from a previous marriage.
Awards and Recognition
Marv Wolfman has won many awards for his work in comics.
- Inkpot Award in 1979.
- Eagle Awards in 1982, 1984, and 1985 for The New Teen Titans.
- Jack Kirby Awards in 1985 and 1986 for Crisis on Infinite Earths (with George Pérez).
- In 1985, DC Comics named him one of the Fifty Who Made DC Great.
- In 2011, he was inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame, one of the highest honors in comics.
- Hero Initiative Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.
See also
In Spanish: Marv Wolfman para niños
