Mark Waid

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Mark Waid

Mark Waid signing an issue of Superman: Birthright.
Born March 21, 1962 (1962-03-21) (age 46)
Hueytown, Alabama
Nationality American
Area(s) Writer, Editor
Notable works The Flash, Captain America, Superman: Birthright, 52, Kingdom Come

Mark Waid (born March 21, 1962 in Hueytown, Alabama) is an American comic book writer.

Contents

[edit] Career

Entering the field during the mid-1980s as an editor and writer with Fantagraphics Books' comic book fan magazine, Amazing Heroes, Waid was soon hired to serve as an editor for DC Comics where he worked on titles such as Secret Origins and Legion of Super-Heroes. He has stated that his comics work was heavily influenced by Adventure Comics #369-370 (1968), a Legion story by Jim Shooter & Mort Weisinger: "It's a blueprint for everything I write." [1]

In 1990 Waid left editorial work for freelance writing assignments. He worked for DC's short-lived Impact Comics line where he wrote The Comet and wrote dialogue for Legend of the Shield.

In 1992 Waid began the assignment which would bring him to wider recognition in the comics industry, when he was hired to write The Flash by then editor Brian Augustyn. The comic starred one of DCs flagship characters, and in an acclaimed eight-year run, Waid and a number of artists, most notably Greg LaRocque and Mike Wieringo and in the final year with Augustyn as co-writer, brought the modern Flash out from the shadow of his predecessors and increased his powers dramatically.

Waid's initial success on Flash was acknowledged by DCs competitor Marvel Comics when Marvel editors Matt Idelson and Mark Gruenwald hired him as Gruenwald's successor as writer on Captain America. Waid's first run on the title, with artist Ron Garney, met with positive critical and fan reaction, which grew stronger when the stint was ended prematurely after less than a year by Marvel executives to make way for Heroes Reborn, a reinvention of the character by Rob Liefeld.

Although his second run on the character was not as universally praised as his first, Waid's prestige had been boosted by the whole affair and he went on to be one of the most prolific comic writers of the late 1990s.

In 1996, Waid, with artist Alex Ross, released his best-known work, the graphic novel Kingdom Come. This story, set in the future of the DC Universe, depicted the fate of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and other heroes as the world around them changed. It was written in reaction to the "grim and gritty" comics of the 1980s and 1990s, and while many of the events in the story were intense, a steady optimism filled the series. Many of the ideas introduced here have been integrated into the present-day DC universe, and Waid himself wrote a less successful follow-up to the series, The Kingdom.

Waid also had acclaimed runs on DC's JLA, the Flash spinoff series Impulse and Crossgen's Ruse.

Among the projects he served as editor for was Grant Morrison's critically acclaimed run on Doom Patrol. Waid and Morrison later tag-teamed on a number of projects that would successfully reestablish DC's JLA to prominence. Waid's contributions included JLA: Year One, as well as work on the ongoing series. The two writers also helped develop the concept of Hypertime to help explain problems with continuity in the DC Universe.

In 2003, Waid re-released a series named Empire (with Barry Kitson), whose protagonist was a Doctor Doom-like supervillain named Golgoth who had successfully defeated all superheroes and conquered the world. The series was originally published by Gorilla Comics, a company formed by Waid, Kurt Busiek and several others, but the company folded after only two issues were produced. Empire was completed under the DC Comics label but is in its own distinct universe.

Waid began an acclaimed run as writer of Fantastic Four in 2002 and by the next year, Waid's fan-favorite run on the Fantastic Four was threatened when Marvel executives sought to reinvent aspects of the series. When Waid and artist Mike Wieringo were replaced on the title after refusing to acquiesce to the editiorial changes, the resulting fan backlash led to Waid and Wieringo's reinstatement on the title within weeks. The FF backlash was also a contributing factor to then Marvel Publisher Bill Jemas leaving his position. Waid and Wieringo have since completed their run on Fantastic Four.

In 2003 Waid wrote the origin of the "modern" Superman with "Superman: Birthright", a 12 part limited series, which is considered as the new official origin story of the Man of Steel. "Birthright" contains lots of characters and elements from Silver- and Modern Age Superman-comics and homages to "Superman: The Movie" and the television show "Smallville".

Waid returned to writing Legion of Super-Heroes in December 2004, teaming again with Barry Kitson. He wrapped up his run on the book in mid-2007, with issue 30.

Waid, along with past collaborator Grant Morrison, and other prominent DC Universe creators Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka, and Keith Giffen played an editorial role in guiding the DC Universe after the events of the company's Infinite Crisis event. Together, they wrote a weekly series named 52 that lasted for one year and covered the events that take place during the year in the DC Universe following Infinite Crisis.

In 2005, Waid signed a two-year exclusive contract with DC Comics. Among the projects covered by that contract were a new launch of The Brave and the Bold with artist George Pérez and a brief return to The Flash.

On July 27, 2007, at the San Diego Comic Con, Boom! Studios announced that in August of that year Waid would join Boom! as Editor-in-Chief. As his non-creator assignments at DC lapse, he has stated that all his future creator-owned work will be with Boom!.[1]

[edit] Awards

His work in comics has won him several awards, including the Comics Buyer's Guide Award for Favorite Writer in 1997.

[edit] Selected bibliography

[edit] Regular writer

[edit] Fill-in writer

[edit] Editor

[edit] Associate editor

[edit] References

  1. ^ Mark Waid Named EiC of Boom! Studios, July 27, 2007, Comic Book Resources

[edit] External links

Preceded by
None		 The Comet writer
1991–1992
(with Tom Lyle in 1991-92)		 Succeeded by
None
Preceded by
None		 The Legend of the Shield writer
1991–1992
(with Grant Miehm)		 Succeeded by
Grant Miehm & Adam Blaustein
Preceded by
William Messner-Loebs		 Flash writer
1992–1997
(with Brian Augustyn in 1996-97)		 Succeeded by
Grant Morrison & Mark Millar
Preceded by
Barry Kitson		 L.E.G.I.O.N. '93 writer
1993
(with Barry Kitson)		 Succeeded by
Tom Peyer
Preceded by
Robert Loren Fleming		 Valor writer
1993–1994		 Succeeded by
Kurt Busiek
Preceded by
Michael Jan Friedman		 Justice League Task Force writer
1994–1995
(with Christopher Priest in 1995)		 Succeeded by
Christopher Priest
Preceded by
Tom McCraw		 Legion of Super-Heroes writer
1994–1995
(with Tom McCraw)		 Succeeded by
Tom Peyer & Tom McCraw
Preceded by
Tom Bierbaum & Mary Bierbaum		 Legionnaires writer
1994
(with Tom Peyer)		 Succeeded by
Tom Peyer
Preceded by
None		 Impulse writer
1995–1997		 Succeeded by
William Messner-Loebs
Preceded by
Mark Gruenwald		 Captain America writer
1995–1996		 Succeeded by
Rob Liefeld & Jeph Loeb
Preceded by
Scott Lobdell		 X-Men (vol. 2) writer
1996		 Succeeded by
Scott Lobdell
Preceded by
Terry Kavanagh		 The Avengers writer
1996		 Succeeded by
Rob Liefeld & Jeph Loeb
Preceded by
Bob Layton		 X-O Manowar (vol. 2) writer
1997–1998
(with Brian Augustyn)		 Succeeded by
Brian Augustyn
Preceded by
Mike Carlin
(in 1985)		 Ka-Zar writer
1997–1998		 Succeeded by
Christopher Priest
Preceded by
James Robinson		 Captain America (vol. 3) writer
1998–1999		 Succeeded by
Dan Jurgens
Preceded by
Joe Kelly		 JLA writer
1998		 Succeeded by
Grant Morrison
Preceded by
Mark Millar		 Flash writer
1998–2000
(with Brian Augustyn)		 Succeeded by
Pat McGreal
Preceded by
Grant Morrison		 JLA writer
2000–2001		 Succeeded by
Joe Kelly
Preceded by
None		 Crux writer
2001–2002		 Succeeded by
Chuck Dixon
Preceded by
Barbara Kesel		 Sigil writer
2001–2002		 Succeeded by
Chuck Dixon
Preceded by
None		 Ruse writer
2001–2002		 Succeeded by
Scott Beatty
Preceded by
None		 Negation writer
2002
(with Tony Bedard)		 Succeeded by
Tony Bedard
Preceded by
Adam Warren		 Fantastic Four writer
2002–2005		 Succeeded by
Karl Kesel