Steve Gerber facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Steve Gerber
Gerber circa 1979
Born	Stephen Ross Gerber (1947-09-20)September 20, 1947 St. Louis, Missouri
Died	February 10, 2008(2008-02-10) (aged 60) Las Vegas, Nevada
Nationality	American
Area(s)	Writer, Editor
Pseudonym(s)	Reg Everbest
Notable works	Howard the Duck The Defenders Man-Thing Omega the Unknown
Awards	Eagle Award, 1977 Inkpot Award, 1978 Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame, 2010 Bill Finger Award, 2013

Stephen Ross Gerber (born September 20, 1947 – died February 10, 2008) was an American writer who created comic books. He is famous for making the funny Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck. He also worked on other well-known comics like Man-Thing, Omega the Unknown, The Defenders, and Daredevil. Gerber often put long text pages inside his comic stories, such as in his graphic novel, Stewart the Rat. After he passed away, he was honored in the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2010.

Who Was Steve Gerber?

Steve's Early Life

Steve Gerber was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He was one of four children. When he was young, he loved comics. He even had a letter published in Fantastic Four #19 in 1963! At just 13 or 14, he started one of the first fan magazines about comics, called Headline. He went to college at the University of Missouri–St. Louis and other universities, where he studied communications.

Starting His Career

Gerber first worked as a writer for an advertising company in St. Louis. During this time, he wrote short stories. Some of these stories, like "And the Birds Hummed Dirges," later appeared in Crazy Magazine when he became its editor.

In 1972, Gerber asked Roy Thomas, who was then the editor-in-chief at Marvel Comics, if he could write comics. Thomas gave him a test, and Gerber passed! He then got a job as an editor and writer at Marvel Comics.

Gerber's first comic books came out in December 1972. These included Adventure into Fear #11 and The Incredible Hulk #158. He started by writing superhero stories for comics like Daredevil and Iron Man. He also wrote scary fantasy stories for magazines like Monsters Unleashed. He even became the editor of Crazy Magazine, a funny, satirical comic.

Creating Man-Thing and Howard the Duck

Gerber created one of his most famous series, Man-Thing, starting in Adventure into Fear #11 (December 1972). Man-Thing is a swamp-monster who can feel what others feel. Gerber came up with the famous line for the series: "Whatever knows fear burns at the Man-Thing's touch!" After a few issues, Man-Thing got his own comic book series. In the last issue, Gerber even appeared as a character in the story!

With artist Val Mayerik, Gerber also created Howard the Duck. Howard first appeared as a small character in a Man-Thing story in 1973. Howard then got his own special features before getting his own comic book, Howard the Duck #1, in January 1976. Gerber wrote 27 issues of this series. The comic became very popular and gained many fans. Marvel even helped promote Howard by having him "run" for president in the 1976 U.S. presidential campaign!

Marvel tried to make a Howard the Duck newspaper comic strip from 1977 to 1978. Gerber wrote it at first. However, he was later replaced by another writer, Marv Wolfman. This caused some disagreements.

Other Comic Book Work

Gerber often worked with writer Mary Skrenes. Together, they created Omega the Unknown, a story about a strange connection between a superhero and a boy. Gerber also wrote the first issue of Marvel Comics Super Special which featured the rock band KISS. He helped create characters like Starhawk and Aleta Ogord. He also wrote stories for characters like Daimon Hellstrom (a.k.a. the Son of Satan) and Morbius the Living Vampire.

Gerber liked to bring back old, forgotten characters. In The Defenders, he brought back three characters called the Headmen. He also brought back the Guardians of the Galaxy from 1969, first as guest stars and then in their own feature in Marvel Presents.

Toward the end of his time at Marvel, he wrote stories for Hanna-Barbera cartoons using the secret name Reg Everbest.

The Battle for Howard the Duck

In 1978, Gerber stopped working on the Howard the Duck comic series. Later, in 1980, Gerber filed a lawsuit against Marvel. He believed he should own the character Howard the Duck.

Working for DC Comics

During the 1970s and early 1980s, Gerber also worked for DC Comics. He wrote for comics like Metal Men, Mister Miracle, and The Flash. Gerber also wrote for independent comic companies. One of his first big projects outside Marvel was the graphic novel Stewart the Rat.

The Lawsuit Ends

In 1981, Gerber worked with Jack Kirby to create Destroyer Duck. This was a comic book made to help raise money for his court case against Marvel.

The lawsuit was settled in 1982. Gerber agreed that he had created Howard the Duck while working for Marvel. This meant Marvel owned all rights to the character.

Career in the 1980s and 1990s

In the early 1980s, Gerber and Frank Miller suggested new ideas for DC's biggest characters: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. But their ideas were not used.

Gerber returned to Marvel in 1983. He wrote various projects for Marvel, including Void Indigo and a Man-Thing story in Marvel Comics Presents. For DC, he wrote A. Bizarro. At Marvel, Gerber wrote 12 issues of The Sensational She-Hulk, which even featured Howard the Duck. He also wrote for Cloak and Dagger and Toxic Crusaders. He also wrote a comic book about the backstory of Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Television Work

Gerber also worked in television. He helped write the "Contagion" episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

In animated television, Gerber was a story editor for shows like The Transformers, G.I. Joe, and Dungeons & Dragons. He also created Thundarr the Barbarian. In 1998, he won an Daytime Emmy Award for his work on The New Batman/Superman Adventures.

Ultraverse and 2000s Work

Gerber was one of the people who started the Malibu Comics superhero world called the Ultraverse. He helped create characters like Sludge and Exiles. For Image Comics, he co-created The Cybernary.

In 2002, he created a new Howard the Duck comic series for Marvel. For DC, he created Nevada in 1998 and Hard Time.

Later, Gerber wrote the Helmet of Fate: Zauriel comic and continued writing the Doctor Fate story in the Countdown to Mystery series for DC Comics. He was still working on stories even when he was in the hospital. Gerber passed away before he could finish the last part of the Doctor Fate story. To honor him, four different writers finished the story.

In 2010, Comics Bulletin ranked Gerber's work on The Defenders as the best Marvel comic from the 1970s. His comic Omega the Unknown was also ranked highly.

After his death, a Man-Thing story Gerber had started in the 1980s was finally finished and published in 2012. It was called The Infernal Man-Thing.

Steve Gerber's Passing

In 2007, Steve Gerber was diagnosed with a lung condition called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He was hospitalized but kept working on his comics. He was waiting for a lung transplant. On February 10, 2008, Steve Gerber passed away in a Las Vegas hospital due to problems from his condition. His last comic work was writing Countdown to Mystery: Doctor Fate for DC Comics.

At the time of his death, Steve Gerber was separated from his wife, Margo Macleod. He had a daughter named Samantha Gerber.

Steve Gerber's Influence in Comics

One of Steve Gerber's secret writing names, Reg Everbest, inspired the real name of the first Foolkiller character, which was Ross G. Everbest. Gerber used the name Reg Everbest for Marvel's Hanna-Barbera stories after he was not allowed to work for Marvel by Jim Shooter. Later, another writer, Roger Stern, named the original Foolkiller "Ross G. Everbest" in The Amazing Spider-Man #225, as a tribute to Gerber.

The Marvel villain Thundersword is thought to be a funny take on Gerber and his creation Thundarr the Barbarian. Thundersword is a TV writer who gets superpowers and fights against the media.

Awards and Honors

Steve Gerber received many awards and nominations for his work:

• 1977: Eagle Award for Favourite Single Comicbook Story for Howard the Duck #3: "Four Feathers of Death".
• 1977: Eagle Award for Howard the Duck as Favourite Comicbook – Humour.
• 1977: Eagle Award for Howard the Duck as Favourite New Comic Title.
• 1978: Inkpot Award.
• 2010: Inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame.
• 2013: Received the Bill Finger Award.

Television Shows Steve Gerber Wrote For

(Shows where he was the main writer are in bold)

• The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show (1979)
• Thundarr the Barbarian (1980-1981)
• Goldie Gold and Action Jack (1981)
• Dungeons & Dragons (1983)
• G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1985): main writer for season 1
• The Transformers (1986-1987): main writer for season 3
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989)
• Superman: The Animated Series (1997)
• The New Batman Adventures (1997)