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| death_date ={{death date and age|2017|9|10|1948|6|12}}
| death_date ={{death date and age|2017|9|10|1948|6|12}}
| death_place = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], U.S.
| death_place = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], U.S.
| nationality = American
| area =
| area =
| write = y
| write = y
| edit = y
| edit = y
| alias =
| alias =
| notable works = [[Swamp Thing]]<br>[[Wolverine (character)|Wolverine]]<br>[[X-Men]]<br>[[Human Target|The Human Target]]<br>[[Justice League]]
| notable works = [[Swamp Thing]]<br />[[Wolverine (character)|Wolverine]]<br />[[X-Men]]<br />[[Human Target|The Human Target]]<br />[[Justice League]]
| awards = [[Shazam Award]], 1972, 1973<br />[[Inkpot Award]], 1979<br />''Comics Buyers Guide'' Award, 1982<br />[[List of Eisner Award winners#The Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame|Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame]], 2008
| awards = [[Shazam Award]], 1972, 1973<br />[[Inkpot Award]], 1979<br />''Comics Buyers Guide'' Award, 1982<br />[[List of Eisner Award winners#The Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame|Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame]], 2008
|spouse=[[Glynis Oliver]] ({{circa}} 1972–1985)<br />{{marriage|Christine Valada|1991| |}}
| subcat = American
|spouse=[[Glynis Wein|Glynis (Oliver) Wein]] (?–?)<br>Christine Valada
}}
}}
'''Leonard Norman Wein'''<ref name=nytimesobit /> ({{IPAc-en|w|iː|n}}; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating [[DC Comics]]' [[Swamp Thing]] and [[Marvel Comics]]' [[Wolverine (character)|Wolverine]], and for helping revive the Marvel [[superhero]] team the [[X-Men]] (including the co-creation of [[Nightcrawler (comics)|Nightcrawler]], [[Storm (Marvel Comics)|Storm]], and [[Colossus (comics)|Colossus]]). Additionally, he was the editor for writer [[Alan Moore]] and illustrator [[Dave Gibbons]]' influential DC [[miniseries]] ''[[Watchmen]]''.
'''Leonard Norman Wein'''<ref name=nytimesobit /> ({{IPAc-en|w|iː|n}}; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating [[DC Comics]]' [[Swamp Thing]] and [[Marvel Comics]]' [[Wolverine (character)|Wolverine]], and for helping revive the Marvel [[superhero]] team the [[X-Men]] (including the co-creation of [[Nightcrawler (comics)|Nightcrawler]], [[Storm (Marvel Comics)|Storm]], and [[Colossus (comics)|Colossus]]). Additionally, he was the editor for writer [[Alan Moore]] and illustrator [[Dave Gibbons]]' influential DC [[miniseries]] ''[[Watchmen]]''.


Wein was inducted into the [[List of Eisner Award winners#The Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame|Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame]] in 2008.
Wein was inducted into the [[List of Eisner Award winners#The Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame|Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame]] in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Past Recipients- 2000s |url=https://www.comic-con.org/awards/2000s |access-date=October 26, 2022 |website=Comic-con International: San Diego |publisher=SAN DIEGO COMIC CONVENTION |archive-date=October 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141006153947/http://www.comic-con.org/awards/2000s |url-status=dead }}</ref>


==Early life and education==
==Biography==
Wein was born on June 12, 1948, in New York City,<ref name=nytimesobit /> and was raised in a [[American Jews|Jewish]] household.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.marvwolfman.com/marv/Speaking_with_Len_Wein_Part_Two.html |title=Speaking With Len Wein Part Two |first=Marv |last=Wolfman |date=n.d. |publisher=MarvWolfman.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131226115657/http://www.marvwolfman.com/marv/Speaking_with_Len_Wein_Part_Two.html |archive-date=December 26, 2013 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> One of two children of Phillip and Rosalyn (née Bauman) Wein,<ref name=michaelwein /> he lived in [[The Bronx]] until age 7, when he moved with his family to [[Levittown, New York]], on [[Long Island]]. There he graduated from [[Division Avenue High School]] in 1966, and went on to an art degree from nearby [[Farmingdale State College]].<ref name=newsdayobit>{{cite news|url=http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/celebrities/len-wein-wolverine-comics-co-creator-dies-levittown-native-was-69-1.14149174|title=Len Wein, 'Wolverine' comics co-creator, dies; ex-Levittown resident was 69|date=September 12, 2017|first= Frank|last=Lovece|access-date=September 12, 2017|work=[[Newsday]]| location =New York City/Long Island}}</ref> Wein's younger brother, Michael, died in 2007.<ref name=michaelwein>{{cite news|url=http://www.virginiamn.com/obituaries/michael-s-wein/article_5f7123c6-39db-57be-96f0-0a4bc2c000df.html|title=Michael S. Wein|date=March 7, 2007|access-date=September 12, 2017|work=Mesabi Daily News|location=[[Virginia, Minnesota]]|archive-date=September 12, 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170912234009/http://www.virginiamn.com/obituaries/michael-s-wein/article_5f7123c6-39db-57be-96f0-0a4bc2c000df.html|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
===Early life and career===
Wein was born on June 12, 1948, in New York City,<ref name=nytimesobit /> and was raised in a [[American Jews|Jewish]] household.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.marvwolfman.com/marv/Speaking_with_Len_Wein_Part_Two.html |title=Speaking With Len Wein Part Two |first=Marv |last=Wolfman |date=n.d. |publisher=MarvWolfman.com |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/6HnocUd1O?url=http://www.marvwolfman.com/marv/Speaking_with_Len_Wein_Part_Two.html |archivedate=July 2, 2013 |deadurl=no |df=mdy-all }}</ref> One of two children of Phillip and Rosalyn (née Bauman) Wein,<ref name=michaelwein /> he lived in [[The Bronx]] until age 7, when he moved with his family to [[Levittown, New York]], on [[Long Island]]. There he graduated from [[Division Avenue High School]] in 1966, and went on to an art degree from nearby [[Farmingdale State College]].<ref name=newsdayobit>{{cite news|url=http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/celebrities/len-wein-wolverine-comics-co-creator-dies-levittown-native-was-69-1.14149174|title=Len Wein, ‘Wolverine’ comics co-creator, dies; ex-Levittown resident was 69|date=September 12, 2017|first= Frank|last=Lovece|accessdate=September 12, 2017|work=[[Newsday]]| location =New York City/Long Island}}</ref> Wein's younger brother, Michael, died in 2007.<ref name=michaelwein>{{cite news|url=http://www.virginiamn.com/obituaries/michael-s-wein/article_5f7123c6-39db-57be-96f0-0a4bc2c000df.html|title=Michael S. Wein|date=March 7, 2007|accessdate=September 12, 2017|work=Mesabi Daily News|location=[[Virginia, Minnesota]]|archivedate=September 12, 2017|archiveurl=https://archive.is/20170912234009/http://www.virginiamn.com/obituaries/michael-s-wein/article_5f7123c6-39db-57be-96f0-0a4bc2c000df.html|deadurl=no|df=mdy-all}}</ref>


In a 2003 interview, Len Wein recalled that he "was a very sickly kid. While I was in the hospital at age seven, my dad brought me a stack of comic books to keep me occupied. And I was hooked. When my eighth grade art teacher, Mr. Smedley, told me he thought I had actual art talent, I decided to devote all my efforts in that direction in the hope that I might someday get into the comics biz."<ref name=wolfmaninterview1>{{cite web |url=http://www.comicsbulletin.com/wolfman/104904908691023.htm |title=Speaking With... Len Wein |last=Wolfman |first=Marv |authorlink=Marv Wolfman |date=March 30, 2003 |department="What Th--?" (column) |work=[[Comics Bulletin]] |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/5v1pNP1CU?url=http://www.comicsbulletin.com/wolfman/104904908691023.htm |archivedate=December 16, 2010 |deadurl=yes |accessdate= |quote= |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
In a 2003 interview, Len Wein recalled having been "a very sickly kid. While I was in the hospital at age seven, my dad brought me a stack of comic books to keep me occupied. And I was hooked. When my eighth grade art teacher, Mr. Smedley, told me he thought I had actual art talent, I decided to devote all my efforts in that direction in the hope that I might someday get into the comics biz."<ref name=wolfmaninterview1>{{cite web |url=http://www.comicsbulletin.com/wolfman/104904908691023.htm |title=Speaking With... Len Wein |last=Wolfman |first=Marv |author-link=Marv Wolfman |date=March 30, 2003 |department="What Th--?" (column) |work=[[Comics Bulletin]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525031215/https://www.webcitation.org/5v1pNP1CU?url=http://www.comicsbulletin.com/wolfman/104904908691023.htm |archive-date=May 25, 2024 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>


Approximately once a month, as a teenager, Wein and his friend [[Marv Wolfman]] took [[DC Comics]]' weekly Thursday afternoon tour of the company's offices.<ref name=wolfmaninterview1 /> Wolfman was active in [[fanzine]] culture, and together he and Wein produced sample superhero stories to show to the DC editorial staff. At that point, Wein was more interested in becoming an artist than a writer.<ref name="SilverAgeSage" /> In a 2008 interview, Wein said his origins as an artist have helped him "describe art to an artist so that I can see it all in my own head", and claimed he "used to have artists, especially at DC, guys like [[Irv Novick]] and a few of the others, who would come into the office waiting for their next assignment and ask [editor] [[Julie Schwartz]], 'Do you have any Len Wein scripts lying around? He's always easy to draw.'"<ref name="SilverAgeSage" />
Approximately once a month, as a teenager, Wein and his friend [[Marv Wolfman]] took [[DC Comics]]' weekly Thursday afternoon tour of the company's offices.<ref name=wolfmaninterview1 /> Wolfman was active in [[fanzine]] culture,<ref>Siegel, Howard P. "Made in America," ''[[BEM (magazine)|BEM]]'' #16 (Dec. 1977).</ref> and together he and Wein produced sample superhero stories to show to the DC editorial staff. At that point, Wein was more interested in becoming an artist than a writer.<ref name="SilverAgeSage" /> In a 2008 interview, Wein said his origins as an artist have helped him "describe art to an artist so that I can see it all in my own head", and claimed he "used to have artists, especially at DC, guys like [[Irv Novick]] and a few of the others, who would come into the office waiting for their next assignment and ask [editor] [[Julie Schwartz]], 'Do you have any Len Wein scripts lying around? He's always easy to draw.'"<ref name="SilverAgeSage" />


==Career==
Eventually, DC editor [[Joe Orlando]] hired both Wolfman and Wein as freelance writers.<ref name="SilverAgeSage">{{cite web |url=http://www.wtv-zone.com/silverager/interviews/wein.shtml |title=Len Wein Interview |first=Bryan D. |last=Stroud |year=2008 |publisher=The Silver Age Sage |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/6Hnnyxsad?url=http://www.wtv-zone.com/silverager/interviews/wein.shtml |archivedate=July 2, 2013 |deadurl=no |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Wein's first professional comics story was "Eye of the Beholder" in DC's ''[[Teen Titans]]'' #18 (Dec. 1968), for which he co-created, with Wolfman, [[Red Star (comics)|Red Star]], the first official Russian superhero in the DC universe. [[Neal Adams]] was called upon to rewrite and redraw a ''Teen Titans'' story which had been written by Wein and Wolfman. The story, titled "Titans Fit the Battle of Jericho!", would have introduced DC's first African American superhero but was rejected by publisher [[Carmine Infantino]].<ref>{{cite book|last= Cronin|first= Brian|title= Was Superman a Spy?: And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed|publisher= [[Plume (publisher)|Plume]]|year = 2009|location= New York, New York
DC editor [[Joe Orlando]] hired both Wolfman and Wein as freelance writers.<ref name="SilverAgeSage">{{cite web |url=http://www.wtv-zone.com/silverager/interviews/wein.shtml |title=Len Wein Interview |first=Bryan D. |last=Stroud |year=2008 |publisher=The Silver Age Sage |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102143629/http://www.wtv-zone.com/silverager/interviews/wein.shtml |archive-date=November 2, 2013 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Wein's first professional comics story was "Eye of the Beholder" in DC's ''[[Teen Titans]]'' #18 (Dec. 1968), for which he co-created, with Wolfman, [[Red Star (comics)|Red Star]], the first official Russian superhero in the DC universe. [[Neal Adams]] was called upon to rewrite and redraw a ''Teen Titans'' story which had been written by Wein and Wolfman. The story, titled "Titans Fit the Battle of Jericho!", would have introduced DC's first African American superhero but was rejected by publisher [[Carmine Infantino]].<ref>{{cite book|last= Cronin|first= Brian|title= Was Superman a Spy?: And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed|publisher= [[Plume (publisher)|Plume]]|year = 2009|location= New York, New York
|pages= |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=SFgiXbVykSIC&pg=PT67&dq=Teen+Titans+Len+Wein+Marv+Wolfman+Joshua#v=onepage&q=Teen%20Titans%20Len%20Wein%20Marv%20Wolfman%20Joshua&f=false|isbn= 9780452295322}}</ref> The revised story appeared in ''Teen Titans'' #20 (April 1969).
|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=SFgiXbVykSIC&q=Teen+Titans+Len+Wein+Marv+Wolfman+Joshua&pg=PT67|isbn= 9780452295322}}</ref> The revised story appeared in ''Teen Titans'' #20 (April 1969).


Later that year, Wein was writing [[anthology|anthological]] mystery stories for DC's ''[[House of Secrets (DC Comics)|The House of Secrets]]'' and Marvel's ''Tower of Shadows'' and ''Chamber of Darkness''. He additionally began writing for DC's [[Romance comics|romance]] comic ''Secret Hearts'' and the company's toyline tie-in ''[[Hot Wheels]]''; [[Skywald Publications]]' [[Horror comics|horror]]-comics magazines ''Nightmare'' and ''Psycho'' and its short-lived [[Western comics|Western]] comic books ''The Bravados'' and ''The Sundance Kid''; and [[Gold Key Comics]]' ''[[Mod Wheels]]'', ''[[Boris Karloff]] Tales of Mystery'', the toyline tie-in ''Microbots'',<ref>{{cite journal|last= Friedt|first= Stephan|title= Here Come the Microbots|journal= [[Back Issue!]]|issue= 76|pages= 11–13|publisher= [[TwoMorrows Publishing]]|date= October 2014|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref> and the [[TV-series]] tie-ins ''[[Star Trek (comics)#Gold Key|Star Trek]]'' and ''[[The Twilight Zone#Comic books|The Twilight Zone]]''.
Later that year, Wein was writing [[anthology|anthological]] mystery stories for DC's ''[[House of Secrets (DC Comics)|The House of Secrets]]'' and [[Maevel Comics|Marvel]]'s ''Tower of Shadows'' and ''Chamber of Darkness''. He additionally began writing for DC's [[Romance comics|romance]] comic ''[[Secret Hearts]]'' and the company's toyline tie-in ''[[Hot Wheels]]''; [[Skywald Publications]]' [[Horror comics|horror]]-comics magazines ''Nightmare'' and ''Psycho'' and its short-lived [[Western comics|Western]] comic books ''The Bravados'' and ''The Sundance Kid''; and [[Gold Key Comics]]' ''[[Mod Wheels]]'', ''[[Boris Karloff]] Tales of Mystery'', the toyline tie-in ''Microbots'',<ref>{{cite journal|last= Friedt|first= Stephan|title= Here Come the Microbots|journal= [[Back Issue!]]|issue= 76|pages= 11–13|publisher= [[TwoMorrows Publishing]]|date= October 2014|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref> and the [[TV-series]] tie-ins ''[[Star Trek (comics)#Gold Key|Star Trek]]'' and ''[[The Twilight Zone#Comic books|The Twilight Zone]]''.


===DC and Marvel Comics===
===DC and Marvel Comics===
Wein's first [[superhero]] work for Marvel was a one-off story in ''[[Daredevil (Marvel Comics series)|Daredevil]]'' #71 (Dec. 1970) co-written with staff writer/editor [[Roy Thomas]]. Wein later began scripting sporadic issues of such DC superhero titles as ''[[Adventure Comics]]'' (featuring [[Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)|Supergirl]] and [[Zatanna]]), ''[[The Flash (comic book)|The Flash]]'', and ''[[Superman (comic book)|Superman]]'', while continuing to write anthological mysteries, along with well-received stories for the semi-anthological [[occult]] title ''The [[Phantom Stranger]]'' #14–26 (Aug. 1971 – Sept. 1973).
Wein's first [[superhero]] work for Marvel was a one-off story in ''[[Daredevil (Marvel Comics series)|Daredevil]]'' #71 (Dec. 1970) co-written with staff writer/editor [[Roy Thomas]]. Wein later began scripting sporadic issues of such DC superhero titles as ''[[Adventure Comics]]'' (featuring [[Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)|Supergirl]] and [[Zatanna]]), ''[[The Flash (comic book)|The Flash]]'', and ''[[Superman (comic book)|Superman]]'', while continuing to write anthological mysteries, along with well-received stories for the semi-anthological [[occult]] title ''The [[Phantom Stranger]]'' #14–26 (Aug. 1971 – Sept. 1973).


Wein and artist [[Bernie Wrightson]] created the [[Horror fiction|horror]] character the [[Swamp Thing]] in ''The House of Secrets'' #92 (July 1971).<ref>{{cite book|last=McAvennie|first= Michael|last2=Dolan|first2=Hannah, ed.|chapter= 1970s|title= DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]]|year=2010|location= London, United Kingdom|isbn= 978-0-7566-6742-9 |page= 146 |quote = 'Swamp Thing' was the name of Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson's turn-of-the-century tale, and its popularity with readers led a modernized version of the character into his own series a year later.}}</ref> Over the next several decades, the Swamp Thing would star in DC series and miniseries – including an initial 1972–76 series begun by Wein and Wrightson,<ref>McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 153: "Following his debut in ''House of Secrets'' #92 in 1971, the Swamp Thing grew into his own series, albeit with a reimagining of his origins by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson."</ref> and the early 1980s ''The Saga of the Swamp Thing'', edited by Wein and featuring early work by writer [[Alan Moore]]—as well as two theatrical films, and a [[Television syndication|syndicated]] television series. [[Abby Holland|Abigail Arcane]], a major supporting character in the character's mythos, was introduced by Wein and Wrightson in ''Swamp Thing'' #3 (March 1973).<ref>McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 154: "Scribe Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson left Swamp Thing some company...the woman who would become Swamp Thing's soul mate, Abigail Arcane."</ref> Wein wrote the second story featuring [[Man-Thing]] (written circa May 1971, published in June 1972), introducing [[Mockingbird (Marvel Comics)|Barbara Morse]] and the concept that "Whatever Knows Fear Burns at the Man-Thing's Touch!", and later edited [[Steve Gerber]]'s run on that title.
Wein and artist [[Bernie Wrightson]] created the [[Horror fiction|horror]] character the [[Swamp Thing]] in ''The House of Secrets'' #92 (July 1971).<ref>{{harvnb|McAvennie|2010|p=146}}: "Swamp Thing' was the name of Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson's turn-of-the-century tale, and its popularity with readers led a modernized version of the character into his own series a year later."</ref> Over the next several decades, the Swamp Thing would star in DC series and miniseries – including an initial 1972–76 series begun by Wein and Wrightson,<ref>{{harvnb|McAvennie|2010|p=153}}: "Following his debut in ''House of Secrets'' #92 in 1971, the Swamp Thing grew into his own series, albeit with a reimagining of his origins by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson."</ref> and the early 1980s ''The Saga of the Swamp Thing'', edited by Wein and featuring early work by writer [[Alan Moore]]—as well as two theatrical films, and a [[Television syndication|syndicated]] television series. [[Abby Holland|Abigail Arcane]], a major supporting character in the character's mythos, was introduced by Wein and Wrightson in ''Swamp Thing'' #3 (March 1973).<ref>{{harvnb|McAvennie|2010|p=154}}: "Scribe Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson left Swamp Thing some company... the woman who would become Swamp Thing's soul mate, Abigail Arcane."</ref> Wein wrote the second story featuring [[Man-Thing]] (written circa May 1971, published in June 1972), introducing [[Mockingbird (Marvel Comics)|Barbara Morse]] and the concept that "Whatever Knows Fear Burns at the Man-Thing's Touch!", and later edited [[Steve Gerber]]'s run on that title.


Wein wrote a well-regarded run of ''[[Justice League|Justice League of America]]'' (issues #100–114) wherein, together with artist [[Dick Dillin]], he re-introduced the [[Seven Soldiers of Victory]] in issues #100–102<ref>McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 152 "Through an impromptu team-up of the JLA and the Justice Society on Earth-2, writer Len Wein and artist Dick Dillin ushered in the return of DC's Seven Soldiers of Victory."</ref> and the [[Freedom Fighters (comics)|Freedom Fighters]] in issues #107–108.<ref>McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 156 "The annual Justice League-Justice Society get-together resulted in scribe Len Wein and artist Dick Dillin transporting both teams to the alternate reality of Earth-X. There, Nazi Germany ruled after winning a prolonged World War II and only a group of champions called the Freedom Fighters remained to oppose the regime."</ref> In the fall of 1972, Wein and writers [[Gerry Conway]] and [[Steve Englehart]] crafted a [[metafiction]]al unofficial [[Intercompany crossover|crossover]] spanning titles from both major comics companies. Each comic featured Englehart, Conway, and Wein, as well as Wein's first wife [[Glynis Wein|Glynis]], [[List of comics creators appearing in comics|interacting with]] Marvel or DC characters at the [[Rutland Halloween Parade]] in [[Rutland (city), Vermont|Rutland, Vermont]]. Beginning in ''[[Amazing Adventures]]'' #16 (by Englehart with art by [[Bob Brown (comics)|Bob Brown]] and [[Frank McLaughlin (artist)|Frank McLaughlin]]), the story continued in ''Justice League of America'' #103 (by Wein, Dillin and [[Dick Giordano]]), and concluded in ''[[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]]'' #207 (by Conway and penciler [[John Buscema]]). As Englehart explained in 2010, "It certainly seemed like a radical concept and we knew that we had to be subtle (laughs) and each story had to stand on its own, but we really worked it out. It's really worthwhile to read those stories back to back to back – it didn't matter to us that one was at DC and two were at Marvel – I think it was us being creative, thinking what would be really cool to do."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/10/30/rutland-halloween-parade-marvel-dc-crossover/ |title=The Rutland Halloween Parade: Where Marvel and DC First Collided |last=Larnick |first=Eric |date=October 30, 2010 |publisher=[[Townsquare Media|ComicsAlliance]] |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/63ia1MoQZ?url=http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/10/30/rutland-halloween-parade-marvel-dc-crossover/ |archivedate=December 6, 2011 |deadurl=yes |accessdate=December 5, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2010/10/01/comic-book-legends-revealed-280/ |title=Comic Book Legends Revealed #280 |last=Cronin |first=Brian |date=October 1, 2010 |publisher=[[Comic Book Resources]] |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/63iZZ9PQQ?url=http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2010/10/01/comic-book-legends-revealed-280/ |archivedate=December 6, 2011 |deadurl=yes |accessdate=December 5, 2011 |quote= |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>[http://www.comics.org/issue/25821/ ''Amazing Adventures'' #16 (Jan. 1973)], [http://www.comics.org/issue/25700/ ''Justice League of America'' #103 (Dec. 1972)], and [http://www.comics.org/issue/25851/ ''Thor'' #207 (Jan. 1973)] at the Grand Comics Database</ref> [[Libra (DC Comics)|Libra]], a [[supervillain]] created by Wein and Dillin in ''Justice League of America'' #111 (June 1974),<ref>McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 160 "Through the words of scripter Len Wein and the art of Dick Dillin, the masked menace of Libra established himself as a grave threat to the World's Greatest Heroes."</ref> would play a leading role in [[Grant Morrison]]'s ''[[Final Crisis]]'' storyline in 2008.
Wein wrote a well-regarded run of ''[[Justice League|Justice League of America]]'' (issues #100–114) wherein, together with artist [[Dick Dillin]], he re-introduced the [[Seven Soldiers of Victory]] in issues #100–102<ref>{{harvnb|McAvennie|2010|p=152}}: "Through an impromptu team-up of the JLA and the Justice Society on Earth-2, writer Len Wein and artist Dick Dillin ushered in the return of DC's Seven Soldiers of Victory."</ref> and the [[Freedom Fighters (comics)|Freedom Fighters]] in issues #107–108.<ref>{{harvnb|McAvennie|2010|p=156}}: "The annual Justice League-Justice Society get-together resulted in scribe Len Wein and artist Dick Dillin transporting both teams to the alternate reality of Earth-X. There, Nazi Germany ruled after winning a prolonged World War II and only a group of champions called the Freedom Fighters remained to oppose the regime."</ref> [[Libra (DC Comics)|Libra]], a [[supervillain]] created by Wein and Dillin in ''Justice League of America'' #111 (June 1974),<ref>{{harvnb|McAvennie|2010|p=160}}: "Through the words of scripter Len Wein and the art of Dick Dillin, the masked menace of Libra established himself as a grave threat to the World's Greatest Heroes."</ref> would play a leading role in [[Grant Morrison]]'s ''[[Final Crisis]]'' storyline in 2008.


In the fall of 1972, Wein and writers [[Gerry Conway]] and [[Steve Englehart]] crafted a [[metafiction]]al unofficial [[Intercompany crossover|crossover]] spanning titles from both major comics companies. Each comic featured Englehart, Conway, and Wein, as well as Wein's first wife [[Glynis Wein|Glynis]], [[List of comics creators appearing in comics|interacting with]] Marvel or DC characters at the [[Rutland Halloween Parade]] in [[Rutland (city), Vermont|Rutland, Vermont]]. Beginning in Marvel's ''[[Amazing Adventures]]'' #16 (by Englehart with art by [[Bob Brown (comics)|Bob Brown]] and [[Frank McLaughlin (artist)|Frank McLaughlin]]), the story continued in DC's ''Justice League of America'' #103 (by Wein, Dillin and [[Dick Giordano]]), and concluded in Marvel's ''[[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]]'' #207 (by Conway and penciler [[John Buscema]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2010/10/01/comic-book-legends-revealed-280/ |title=Comic Book Legends Revealed #280 |last=Cronin |first=Brian |date=October 1, 2010 |website=[[Comic Book Resources]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120116162032/http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2010/10/01/comic-book-legends-revealed-280/ |archive-date=January 16, 2012 |url-status=dead |access-date=December 5, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>[http://www.comics.org/issue/25821/ ''Amazing Adventures'' #16 (Jan. 1973)], [http://www.comics.org/issue/25700/ ''Justice League of America'' #103 (Dec. 1972)], and [http://www.comics.org/issue/25851/ ''Thor'' #207 (Jan. 1973)] at the Grand Comics Database</ref> As Englehart explained in 2010, "It certainly seemed like a radical concept and we knew that we had to be subtle (laughs) and each story had to stand on its own, but we really worked it out. It's really worthwhile to read those stories back to back to back – it didn't matter to us that one was at DC and two were at Marvel – I think it was us being creative, thinking what would be really cool to do."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/10/30/rutland-halloween-parade-marvel-dc-crossover/ |title=The Rutland Halloween Parade: Where Marvel and DC First Collided |last=Larnick |first=Eric |date=October 30, 2010 |publisher=[[Townsquare Media|ComicsAlliance]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111094055/http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/10/30/rutland-halloween-parade-marvel-dc-crossover/ |archive-date=January 11, 2012 |url-status=dead |access-date=December 5, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
Wein co-created the [[Human Target]] with artist [[Carmine Infantino]]<ref>McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 153 "Starting as a back-up feature in the pages of ''Action Comics'', scribe Len Wein and artist Carmine Infantino introduced Christopher Chance, a master of disguise who would turn himself into a human target – provided you could meet his price."</ref> and wrote the character's appearances as a backup feature in ''[[Action Comics]]'', ''[[Detective Comics]]'', and ''[[The Brave and the Bold]]''. The character was adapted into a short-lived [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] [[Human Target (1992 TV series)|television series]] starring [[Rick Springfield]] which debuted in July 1992,<ref>{{cite magazine |url= http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/human-target/202148|title= ''Human Target''|date= n.d.|magazine= [[TV Guide]]|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20150205162337/http://www.tvguide.com/shows/human-target-202148/|archivedate= February 5, 2015|deadurl= no|df=mdy-all|accessdate= January 31, 2011}}</ref> and was briefly revived in 2010 for a [[Human Target (2010 TV series)|two-season series]] on [[Fox Broadcasting|Fox]] that starred [[Mark Valley]], [[Chi McBride]], and [[Jackie Earle Haley]].


Wein co-created the [[Human Target]] with artist [[Carmine Infantino]]<ref>{{harvnb|McAvennie|2010|p=153}}: "Starting as a back-up feature in the pages of ''Action Comics'', scribe Len Wein and artist Carmine Infantino introduced Christopher Chance, a master of disguise who would turn himself into a human target – provided you could meet his price."</ref> and wrote the character's appearances as a backup feature in ''[[Action Comics]]'', ''[[Detective Comics]]'', and ''[[The Brave and the Bold]]''. The character was adapted into a short-lived [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] [[Human Target (1992 TV series)|television series]] starring [[Rick Springfield]] which debuted in July 1992,<ref>{{cite magazine |url= https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/human-target/202148|title= ''Human Target''|date= n.d.|magazine= [[TV Guide]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150205162337/http://www.tvguide.com/shows/human-target-202148/|archive-date= February 5, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all|access-date= January 31, 2011}}</ref> and was briefly revived in 2010 for a [[Human Target (2010 TV series)|two-season series]] on [[Fox Broadcasting|Fox]] that starred [[Mark Valley]], [[Chi McBride]], and [[Jackie Earle Haley]].
He briefly wrote the "[[Batman]]" feature in ''Detective Comics'' and produced a storyline with artist [[Jim Aparo]] and in which Batman was framed for the murder of [[Talia al Ghul]]<ref>{{cite book|last= Manning|first= Matthew K.|last2=Dougall|first2=Alastair, ed.|chapter= 1970s|title= Batman: A Visual History|publisher= [[Dorling Kindersley]]|year= 2014|location= London, United Kingdom|page= 118|isbn= 978-1465424563|quote= Len Wein and artist Jim Aparo began a five-issue uninterrupted storyline that was quite an event in 1975. In this interesting tale, Batman was framed for murder by his old enemy Ra's al Ghul.}}</ref> and battled [[Sterling Silversmith]] for the first time.<ref>Manning "1970s" in Dougall, p. 118</ref>


He briefly wrote the "[[Batman]]" feature in ''Detective Comics'' and produced a storyline with artist [[Jim Aparo]] and in which Batman was framed for the murder of [[Talia al Ghul]]<ref>{{harvnb|Manning|2014|p=118}}: "Len Wein and artist Jim Aparo began a five-issue uninterrupted storyline that was quite an event in 1975. In this interesting tale, Batman was framed for murder by his old enemy Ra's al Ghul."</ref> and battled [[Sterling Silversmith]] for the first time.{{sfn|Manning|2014|p=118}}
In the early 1970s, Wein began writing regularly for [[Marvel Comics]]. He succeeded [[Roy Thomas]] as editor-in-chief of the color-comics line in 1974, staying a little over a year before handing the reins to Wolfman. Remaining at Marvel as a writer, Wein had lengthy runs on ''[[Marvel Team-Up]]'',<ref>{{cite book|last = Manning|first = Matthew K.|last2= Gilbert|first2= Laura, ed.|chapter= 1970s|title = Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging|publisher = [[Dorling Kindersley]]|year = 2012|location= London, United Kingdom|page = 68|isbn = 978-0756692360}}</ref> ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man]]'',<ref>Manning "1970s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 85: "To signify the start of this new era Spider-Man's new regular chronicler writer Len Wein would come onboard with [''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #151]."</ref> ''[[The Incredible Hulk (comic book)|The Incredible Hulk]]'', ''[[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]]'', and ''[[Fantastic Four (comic book)|Fantastic Four]]'', as well as shorter runs on such titles as ''[[The Defenders (comic book)|The Defenders]]''<ref>{{cite journal|last = DeAngelo|first = Daniel|title = The Not-Ready-For-Super-Team Players A History of the Defenders|journal = Back Issue!|issue = 65|pages = 6–7|publisher = TwoMorrows Publishing|date = July 2013|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref> and "[[Brother Voodoo]]". Wein co-created [[Wolverine (character)|Wolverine]] with [[Roy Thomas]],<ref>https://www.semissourian.com/story/2555171.html</ref> artists [[John Romita Sr.]] and [[Herb Trimpe]] during his run on ''The Incredible Hulk''.<ref>{{cite book|last = Sanderson|first = Peter|authorlink = Peter Sanderson|last2= Gilbert|first2= Laura, ed.|chapter= 1970s|title = Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History|publisher = [[Dorling Kindersley]]|year = 2008|location= London, United Kingdom|page = 167|isbn =978-0756641238|quote= Len Wein wrote and Herb Trimpe drew Wolverine's cameo appearance in ''The Incredible Hulk'' #180 and his premiere in issue #181.}}</ref> Wein's story "Between Hammer and Anvil" from ''The Incredible Hulk'' vol. 2, #182 (Dec. 1974) was later cited in [[Tony Isabella]]'s book ''1,000 Comics You Must Read''.<ref>{{cite journal|last= Buttery| first= Jarrod|date= February 2014|title= Hulk Smash!: The Incredible Hulk in the 1970s|journal= Back Issue!|issue= 70|pages= 11–12|publisher= TwoMorrows Publishing|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref>


In the early 1970s, Wein began writing regularly for Marvel Comics. He succeeded [[Roy Thomas]] as editor-in-chief of the color-comics line in 1974, staying a little over a year before handing the reins to Wolfman. Remaining at Marvel as a writer, Wein had lengthy runs on ''[[Marvel Team-Up]]'',{{sfn|Manning|Cowsill|2012|p=68}} ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man]]'',<ref>{{harvnb |Manning|Cowsill|2012|p=85}}: "To signify the start of this new era Spider-Man's new regular chronicler writer Len Wein would come onboard with [''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #151]."</ref> ''[[The Incredible Hulk (comic book)|The Incredible Hulk]]'', ''[[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]]'', and ''[[Fantastic Four (comic book)|Fantastic Four]]'', as well as shorter runs on such titles as ''[[The Defenders (comic book)|The Defenders]]''<ref>{{cite journal|last = DeAngelo|first = Daniel|title = The Not-Ready-For-Super-Team Players A History of the Defenders|journal = Back Issue!|issue = 65|pages = 6–7|publisher = TwoMorrows Publishing|date = July 2013|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref> and "[[Brother Voodoo]]". Wein co-created [[Wolverine (character)|Wolverine]] with artist [[John Romita Sr.]] during his run on ''The Incredible Hulk''.<ref>{{harvnb|Sanderson|2008|p=167}}: "Len Wein wrote and Herb Trimpe drew Wolverine's cameo appearance in ''The Incredible Hulk'' #180 and his premiere in issue #181."</ref> Wein's story "Between Hammer and Anvil" from ''The Incredible Hulk'' vol. 2, #182 (Dec. 1974) was later cited in [[Tony Isabella]]'s book ''1,000 Comics You Must Read''.<ref>{{cite journal|last= Buttery| first= Jarrod|date= February 2014|title= Hulk Smash!: The Incredible Hulk in the 1970s|journal= Back Issue!|issue= 70|pages= 11–12|publisher= TwoMorrows Publishing|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref>
In 1975, he and artist [[Dave Cockrum]] revived the [[Stan Lee]] / [[Jack Kirby]] [[Mutant (Marvel Comics)|mutant]]-superhero team the [[X-Men]] after a half-decade's hiatus, reformatting the membership in ''[[Giant-Size X-Men]]'' #1 (May 1975).<ref>Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 169: "[Editor Roy] Thomas realized that if ''X-Men'' was to be successfully revived, it needed an exciting new concept. Thomas came up with just such an idea: the X-Men would become an international team, with members from other countries as well as the United States. Writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum were assigned to the new project and the result was ''Giant-Size X-Men'' #1."</ref> Among the characters the duo created for the series were [[Nightcrawler (comics)|Nightcrawler]], [[Storm (Marvel Comics)|Storm]], [[Colossus (comics)|Colossus]], and [[Thunderbird (comics)|Thunderbird]]. Wein plotted the early "new X-Men" stories with artist Cockrum. These issues were then scripted as ''[[Uncanny X-Men]]'' #94-95 by [[Chris Claremont]], who subsequently developed the title into one of Marvel's leading franchises.


In 2009, Claremont said, "The history of modern comics would be incredibly different if you took [Wein's] contributions out of the mix. The fact he doesn't get credit for it half the time is disgraceful. We owe a lot of what we are – certainly on the X-Men – to Len and to Dave [Cockrum]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mania.com/legends-chris-claremont_article_114549.html |title=Legends: Chris Claremont |first=Kurt Anthony |last=Krug |date=April 22, 2009 |publisher=Mania.com |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/6Ic97Rj2w?url=http://www.mania.com/legends-chris-claremont_article_114549.html |archivedate=August 4, 2013 |deadurl=yes |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
In 1975, he and artist [[Dave Cockrum]] revived the [[Stan Lee]] / [[Jack Kirby]] [[Mutant (Marvel Comics)|mutant]]-superhero team the [[X-Men]] after a half-decade's hiatus, reformatting the membership in ''[[Giant-Size X-Men]]'' #1 (May 1975).<ref>{{harvnb|Sanderson|2008|p=169}}: "[Editor Roy] Thomas realized that if ''X-Men'' was to be successfully revived, it needed an exciting new concept. Thomas came up with just such an idea: the X-Men would become an international team, with members from other countries as well as the United States. Writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum were assigned to the new project and the result was ''Giant-Size X-Men'' #1."</ref> Among the characters the duo created for the series were [[Nightcrawler (comics)|Nightcrawler]], [[Storm (Marvel Comics)|Storm]], [[Colossus (comics)|Colossus]], and [[Thunderbird (John Proudstar)|Thunderbird]]. Wein plotted the early "new X-Men" stories with artist Cockrum. These issues were then scripted as ''[[Uncanny X-Men]]'' #94-95 by [[Chris Claremont]], who subsequently developed the title into one of Marvel's leading franchises. In 2009, Claremont said, "The history of modern comics would be incredibly different if you took [Wein's] contributions out of the mix. The fact he doesn't get credit for it half the time is disgraceful. We owe a lot of what we are – certainly on the X-Men – to Len and to Dave [Cockrum]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mania.com/legends-chris-claremont_article_114549.html |title=Legends: Chris Claremont |first=Kurt Anthony |last=Krug |date=April 22, 2009 |publisher=Mania.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512011226/http://www.mania.com/legends-chris-claremont_article_114549.html |archive-date=May 12, 2013 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>


===Return to DC===
===Return to DC===
In 1977, following an offer to script the "[[Batman]]" feature in ''[[Detective Comics]]'', Wein left Marvel to work exclusively at DC Comics as a scriptwriter and editor.
In 1977, following an offer to script the "[[Batman]]" feature in ''[[Detective Comics]]'', Wein left Marvel to work exclusively at DC Comics as a scriptwriter and editor.
[[File:Len Wein (1117477734).jpg|thumb|Len Wein in July 1982]]


He scripted ''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]'' and collaborated on ''[[Green Lantern (comic book)|Green Lantern]]'' with artists [[Dave Gibbons]] and [[Mark Farmer]]. On his first issue of ''Batman'', #307 (Jan. 1979), he created Wayne Foundation executive [[Lucius Fox]],<ref>McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 180 "''Batman'' #307 (Jan. 1979) Writer Len Wein and artist John Calnan introduced Bruce Wayne's new executive, Lucius Fox, in this issue of ''Batman''."</ref> later portrayed by [[Morgan Freeman]] in the movies ''[[Batman Begins]]'', ''[[The Dark Knight (film)|The Dark Knight]]'', and ''[[The Dark Knight Rises]]''. With artist [[Marshall Rogers]], Wein co-created the third version of the supervillain [[Clayface#Preston Payne|Clayface]] in ''Detective Comics'' #478 (Aug. 1978).<ref>McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 179: "Writer Len Wein and artist Marshall Rogers vividly depicted Batman's battle with a third Clayface."</ref> He wrote ''[[The Untold Legend of the Batman]]'', the first Batman [[miniseries]], in 1980<ref>Manning, Matthew K. "1980s" in Dolan, p. 187 "Written by Len Wein, with art by John Byrne and Jim Aparo, ''The Untold Legend of the Batman''...delved into the origin of the fabled Dark Knight."</ref> and the following year wrote a [[Intercompany crossover|DC-Marvel crossover]] between Batman and the [[Hulk]] in ''[[DC Special Series]]'' #27 (Fall 1981).<ref>Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 195 "Written by Len Wein and illustrated by José Luis García-López, the comic saw...Batman and the Hulk doing battle with both the Joker and Marvel's ultra-powerful Shaper of Worlds."</ref> ''[[Pandora Pann]]'' was a proposed series by Wein and artist [[Ross Andru]] which was to have been published in 1982 but other commitments prevented Wein from writing it and the [[List of comics solicited but never published|project was cancelled]].<ref>{{cite journal|last= Mangels|first= Andy|authorlink= Andy Mangels|title= Opening the Box: Pandora Pann's Lost Adventures|journal= Back Issue!|issue= 46|page= 37|publisher= TwoMorrows Publishing|date= February 2011|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref> As editor, he worked on the first twelve-issue limited series ''[[Camelot 3000]]'', and such successful series as ''[[Teen Titans|The New Teen Titans]]'', ''[[All-Star Squadron]]'', ''[[Batman and the Outsiders]]'', ''[[Who's Who in the DC Universe]]'', and [[Alan Moore]] and [[Dave Gibbons]]'s acclaimed and highly influential ''[[Watchmen]]''.<ref>{{gcdb|type=editor|search= Len+Wein|title= Len Wein (editor)}}</ref> In 1986, he wrote a revival of the ''[[Blue Beetle]]'',<ref>Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 219 "The Blue Beetle swung into his own DC series with the help of writer Len Wein and artist Paris Cullins."</ref> two issues of the ''[[DC Challenge]]'' limited series,<ref>{{cite journal|last= Greenberger|first= Robert|authorlink= Robert Greenberger|title= It Sounded Like a Good Idea at the Time: A Look at the ''DC Challenge!''|journal= Back Issue!|issue= 98|pages= 36–43|publisher= TwoMorrows Publishing|date= August 2017|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref> and dialogued the miniseries ''[[Legends (comics)|Legends]]'' over the plots of [[John Ostrander]].<ref>Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 221 "DC's next big crossover showcased John Byrne's pencils on all six of the miniseries' issues. Entitled ''Legends'', this new limited series was plotted by writer John Ostrander and scripted by Len Wein...By the series' end, the stage was set for several new ongoing titles, including...the ''Suicide Squad'', as well as the ''Justice League''."</ref> The following year, Wein scripted the rebooted ''[[Wonder Woman]]'' series over [[penciller]] [[George Pérez]]'s plots. With artist [[Steve Erwin]], Wein co-created the superhero [[Gunfire (comics)|Gunfire]].
He scripted ''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]'' and collaborated on ''[[Green Lantern (comic book)|Green Lantern]]'' with artists [[Dave Gibbons]] and [[Mark Farmer]]. On his first issue of ''Batman'', #307 (Jan. 1979), he created Wayne Foundation executive [[Lucius Fox]],<ref>{{harvnb|McAvennie|2010|p=180}}: "''Batman'' #307 (Jan. 1979) Writer Len Wein and artist John Calnan introduced Bruce Wayne's new executive, Lucius Fox, in this issue of ''Batman''."</ref> later portrayed by [[Morgan Freeman]] in the movies ''[[Batman Begins]]'', ''[[The Dark Knight]]'', and ''[[The Dark Knight Rises]]''. With artist [[Marshall Rogers]], Wein co-created the third version of the supervillain [[Clayface#Preston Payne|Clayface]] in ''Detective Comics'' #478 (Aug. 1978).<ref>{{harvnb|McAvennie|2010|p=179}}: "Writer Len Wein and artist Marshall Rogers vividly depicted Batman's battle with a third Clayface."</ref> He wrote ''[[The Untold Legend of the Batman]]'', the first Batman [[miniseries]], in 1980<ref>{{harvnb|Manning|2010|p=187}}: "Written by Len Wein, with art by John Byrne and Jim Aparo, ''The Untold Legend of the Batman''... delved into the origin of the fabled Dark Knight."</ref> and the following year wrote a [[Intercompany crossover|DC-Marvel crossover]] between Batman and the [[Hulk]] in ''[[DC Special Series]]'' #27 (Fall 1981).<ref>{{harvnb|Manning|2010|p=195}}: "Written by Len Wein and illustrated by José Luis García-López, the comic saw... Batman and the Hulk doing battle with both the Joker and Marvel's ultra-powerful Shaper of Worlds."</ref> ''[[Pandora Pann]]'' was a proposed series by Wein and artist [[Ross Andru]] which was to have been published in 1982 but other commitments prevented Wein from writing it and the [[List of comics solicited but never published|project was cancelled]].<ref>{{cite journal|last= Mangels|first= Andy|author-link= Andy Mangels|title= Opening the Box: Pandora Pann's Lost Adventures|journal= Back Issue!|issue= 46|page= 37|publisher= TwoMorrows Publishing|date= February 2011|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref> As editor, he worked on the first twelve-issue limited series ''[[Camelot 3000]]'', and such successful series as ''[[Teen Titans|The New Teen Titans]]'', ''[[All-Star Squadron]]'', ''[[Batman and the Outsiders]]'', ''[[Who's Who in the DC Universe]]'', and [[Alan Moore]] and [[Dave Gibbons]]'s acclaimed and highly influential ''[[Watchmen]]''.<ref>{{gcdb|type=editor|search= Len+Wein|title= Len Wein (editor)}}</ref> In 1986, he wrote a revival of the ''[[Blue Beetle]]'',<ref>{{harvnb|Manning|2010|p=219}}: "The Blue Beetle swung into his own DC series with the help of writer Len Wein and artist Paris Cullins."</ref> two issues of the ''[[DC Challenge]]'' limited series,<ref>{{cite journal|last= Greenberger|first= Robert|author-link= Robert Greenberger|title= It Sounded Like a Good Idea at the Time: A Look at the ''DC Challenge!''|journal= Back Issue!|issue= 98|pages= 36–43|publisher= TwoMorrows Publishing|date= August 2017|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref> and dialogued the miniseries ''[[Legends (comics)|Legends]]'' over the plots of [[John Ostrander]].<ref>{{harvnb|Manning|2010|p=221}}: "DC's next big crossover showcased John Byrne's pencils on all six of the miniseries' issues. Entitled ''Legends'', this new limited series was plotted by writer John Ostrander and scripted by Len Wein.... By the series' end, the stage was set for several new ongoing titles, including... the ''Suicide Squad'', as well as the ''Justice League''."</ref> The following year, Wein scripted the rebooted ''[[Wonder Woman]]'' series over [[penciller]] [[George Pérez]]'s plots. With artist [[Steve Erwin]], Wein co-created the superhero [[Gunfire (comics)|Gunfire]].


===Later career===
===Later career===
Following his second stint at DC and a move to the West Coast, Wein served as editor-in-chief of ''[[Disney Comics]]'' for three years in the early 1990s. After leaving Disney, Wein began writing and story editing for such animated television series as ''X-Men'', ''Batman'', ''Spider-Man'', ''Street Fighter'', ''[[ExoSquad]]'', ''[[Phantom 2040]]'', ''[[Godzilla]]'', ''[[Pocket Dragon Adventures]]'', ''[[ReBoot]]'' and ''[[Shadow Raiders|War Planets: Shadow Raiders]]''. In 2001, he and Wolfman wrote the screenplay ''Gene Pool'' for the production company Helkon, and later wrote a prequel to the screenplay for a one-shot comic book for [[IDW Publishing]].
Following his second stint at DC and a move to the West Coast, Wein served as editor-in-chief of ''[[Disney Comics (publishing)|Disney Comics]]'' for three years in the early 1990s. After leaving Disney, Wein began writing and story editing for such animated television series as ''X-Men'', ''Batman'', ''Spider-Man'', ''Street Fighter'', ''[[ExoSquad]]'', ''[[Phantom 2040]]'', ''[[Godzilla]]'', ''[[Pocket Dragon Adventures]]'', ''[[ReBoot]]'' and ''[[Shadow Raiders|War Planets: Shadow Raiders]]''. In 2001, he and Wolfman wrote the screenplay ''Gene Pool'' for the production company Helkon, and later wrote a prequel to the screenplay for a one-shot comic book for [[IDW Publishing]].


Wein collaborated with writer [[Kurt Busiek]] and artist [[Kelley Jones]] on the four-issue [[miniseries]] ''[[Conan (Dark Horse Comics)|Conan: The Book of Thoth]]'' for [[Dark Horse Comics]]. He has scripted the comics series ''[[Victorian (comics)|The Victorian]]'' for [[Penny-Farthing Press]] and has written comic-book stories for [[Bongo Comics]]' TV-series tie-ins ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and ''[[Futurama]]''.<!--The following sentence can't be phrased that way, since it's a disallowed temporal ref; please say instead: "So-and-so announced on such-and-when that Wein would write...-->
Wein collaborated with writer [[Kurt Busiek]] and artist [[Kelley Jones]] on the four-issue [[miniseries]] ''[[Conan (Dark Horse Comics)|Conan: The Book of Thoth]]'' for [[Dark Horse Comics]]. He scripted the comics series ''The Victorian'' for Penny-Farthing Press and wrote comic-book stories for [[Bongo Comics]]' TV-series tie-ins ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and ''[[Futurama]]''.<!--The following sentence can't be phrased that way, since it's a disallowed temporal ref; please say instead: "So-and-so announced on such-and-when that Wein would write...-->


From 2005 to 2008, Wein appeared as a recurring panelist on the Los Angeles-based stage revival of the TV game show ''[[What's My Line?]]'' He has written episodes of the [[Cartoon Network]] animated series ''[[Ben 10: Alien Force]]'', ''[[Ben 10: Ultimate Alien]]'', ''[[Ben 10: Omniverse]]''<ref name="Rogers">{{cite web |url=http://www.newsarama.com/5298-len-wein-retells-75-years-of-dcu-history-in-legacies.html |title=Len Wein Retells 75 Years of DCU History in ''Legacies'' |first=Vaneta |last=Rogers |date=May 18, 2010 |publisher=[[Newsarama]] |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/6HnnDEP8N?url=http://www.newsarama.com/5298-len-wein-retells-75-years-of-dcu-history-in-legacies.html |archivedate=July 2, 2013 |deadurl=no |accessdate=February 1, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> and the ''[[The Super Hero Squad Show|Marvel Super Hero Squad]].''<ref name="Rogers" />
From 2005 to 2008, Wein appeared as a recurring panelist on the Los Angeles-based stage revival of the TV game show ''[[What's My Line?]]'' He wrote episodes of the [[Cartoon Network]] animated series ''[[Ben 10: Alien Force]]'', ''[[Ben 10: Ultimate Alien]]'', ''[[Ben 10: Omniverse]]''<ref name="Rogers">{{cite news |url=http://www.newsarama.com/5298-len-wein-retells-75-years-of-dcu-history-in-legacies.html |title=Len Wein Retells 75 Years of DCU History in ''Legacies'' |first=Vaneta |last=Rogers |date=May 18, 2010 |work=[[Newsarama]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225223401/http://www.newsarama.com/5298-len-wein-retells-75-years-of-dcu-history-in-legacies.html |archive-date=December 25, 2013 |url-status=live |access-date=February 1, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> and the ''[[The Super Hero Squad Show|Marvel Super Hero Squad]].''<ref name="Rogers" />


Wein was interviewed for commentary tracks on comics-related DVDs, including the animated ''[[Justice League: The New Frontier]]'' film, the live-action ''[[Spider-Man in film|Spider-Man]], [[Fantastic Four (film series)|Fantastic Four]]'' and ''[[X-Men (film series)|X-Men]]'' films, the ''[[X-Men Origins: Wolverine]]'' film, the ''[[Watchmen (film)|Watchmen]]'' film, the ''[[Swamp Thing (1990 TV series)|Swamp Thing]]'' TV-series sets, the ''Human Target'' first season TV series, and the July 2008 [[History (U.S. TV channel)|History Channel]] specials ''Batman Unmasked'' and ''Batman Tech''.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://lenwein.blogspot.com/2008/07/tivo-alert.html|title= Tivo Alert!|first= Len|last= Wein|date= July 15, 2008|publisher= WeinWords|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20131229112005/http://lenwein.blogspot.com/2008/07/tivo-alert.html|archivedate= December 29, 2013|deadurl= no|df=mdy-all|accessdate= February 1, 2011}}</ref>
Wein was interviewed for commentary tracks on comics-related DVDs, including the animated ''[[Justice League: The New Frontier]]'' film, the live-action ''[[Spider-Man in film|Spider-Man]], [[Fantastic Four in film|Fantastic Four]]'' and ''[[X-Men (film series)|X-Men]]'' films, the ''[[X-Men Origins: Wolverine]]'' film, the ''[[Watchmen (film)|Watchmen]]'' film, the ''[[Swamp Thing (1990 TV series)|Swamp Thing]]'' TV-series sets, the ''Human Target'' first season TV series, and the July 2008 [[History (U.S. TV channel)|History Channel]] specials ''Batman Unmasked'' and ''Batman Tech''.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://lenwein.blogspot.com/2008/07/tivo-alert.html|title= Tivo Alert!|first= Len|last= Wein|date= July 15, 2008|publisher= WeinWords|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131229112005/http://lenwein.blogspot.com/2008/07/tivo-alert.html|archive-date= December 29, 2013|url-status=live|df=mdy-all|access-date= February 1, 2011}}</ref>


He wrote the storyline for the ''Watchmen'' video game, ''[[Watchmen: The End Is Nigh|The End Is Nigh]]'', which serves as a backstory to both the comic and the film adaptation.<ref>{{cite news|first= Stephen|last= Totilo|title= ''Watchmen'' Video Game Preview: Rorschach And Nite Owl Star In Subversive Prequel Set In 1970s|publisher= [[MTV News]]|date= July 23, 2008|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1591385/20080723/id_0.jhtml|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20121026004340/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1591385/watchmen-video-game-be-set-1970s.jhtml|archivedate=October 26, 2012 |deadurl= no|df=mdy-all|accessdate= January 31, 2011}}</ref>
He wrote the storyline for the ''Watchmen'' video game, ''[[Watchmen: The End Is Nigh|The End Is Nigh]]'', which serves as a backstory to both the comic and the film adaptation.<ref>{{cite news|first= Stephen|last= Totilo|title= ''Watchmen'' Video Game Preview: Rorschach And Nite Owl Star In Subversive Prequel Set In 1970s|publisher= [[MTV News]]|date= July 23, 2008|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1591385/20080723/id_0.jhtml|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121026004340/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1591385/watchmen-video-game-be-set-1970s.jhtml|archive-date=October 26, 2012 |url-status=dead|df=mdy-all|access-date= January 31, 2011}}</ref>
[[File:LenWein2011.png|thumb|Wein in 2011]]
[[File:LenWein2011.png|thumb|Wein in 2011]]
Wein returned to comics writing for DC in the late 2000s,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2010/01/07/dan-didio-talks-legacies-whos-who |title=Dan Didio Talks ''Legacies'', ''Who's Who'' |date=January 7, 2010 |publisher=DC Comics |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/6HnnZWhNp?url=http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2010/01/07/dan-didio-talks-legacies-whos-who |archivedate=July 2, 2013 |deadurl=no |df=mdy-all }}</ref> where he collaborated in the DC Comics nostalgic event ''[[DC Retroactive]]'' writing stories for the [[One-shot (comics)|one-shot]] specials ''Batman – The '70s'' (September 2011) drawn by [[Tom Mandrake]]<ref>[http://www.comics.org/issue/862586/ ''DC Retroactive: Batman – The '70s''] at the Grand Comics Database</ref> and ''Green Lantern – The '80s'' (October 2011) drawn by [[Joe Staton]]. The hardcover collection of his 10-issue ''[[DC Universe: Legacies]]'' was published in August 2011.<ref>{{cite book |title=DC Universe: Legacies|last=Wein |first=Len|year=2011|publisher=DC Comics|isbn= 9781401231330|pages= 336}}</ref> In 2012, Wein worked on the ''[[Before Watchmen]]'' project, writing the mini-series ''[[Ozymandias (comics)|Ozymandias]]'' with art by [[Jae Lee]] and the serialized feature "[[Curse of the Crimson Corsair]]" with art by ''Watchmen'' colorist [[John Higgins (comics)|John Higgins]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2012/02/01/dc-entertainment-officially-announces-%25e2%2580%259cbefore-watchmen%25e2%2580%259d |title=DC Entertainment Officially Announces ''Before Watchmen'' |first=David |last=Hyde |date=February 1, 2012 |publisher=DC Comics |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/69gYoIwk2?url=http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2012/02/01/dc-entertainment-officially-announces-%E2%80%9Cbefore-watchmen%E2%80%9D |archivedate=August 5, 2012 |deadurl=no |accessdate=August 4, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The hardcover collection of the ''Ozymandias'' storyline spent several weeks on the ''New York Times'' Bestseller List in 2013.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2013-07-28/hardcover-graphic-books/list.html|title= ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list Hardcover Graphic Books|date= July 28, 2013|newspaper= [[The New York Times]]|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20131216220449/http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2013-07-28/hardcover-graphic-books/list.html|archivedate= December 16, 2013|deadurl= no|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In 2015, he and [[José Luis García-López]] produced ''[[Batman '66|Batman '66: The Lost Episode]]'', a comics adaptation of a [[Two-Face]] story pitch by [[Harlan Ellison]] originally intended for the [[Batman (TV series)|''Batman'' television series]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/11/20/batman-66-the-lost-episode-1-review|title= ''Batman '66'': The Lost Episode #1 Review|first= Jesse|last= Schedeen|date= November 20, 2014|publisher= [[IGN]]|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20141123031251/http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/11/20/batman-66-the-lost-episode-1-review|archivedate= November 23, 2014|deadurl= no|df=mdy-all|quote= Writer Harlan Ellison got as far as pitching a Two-Face-themed episode before the combination of the villain's gruesome appearance and Ellison's conflicts with ABC executives killed the idea. Decades later, that pitch has become the inspiration for this oversized ''Batman '66'' comic.}}</ref> In 2016, DC published a six-issue limited ''Swamp Thing'' series by Wein and artist [[Kelley Jones]].
Wein returned to comics writing for DC in the late 2000s,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2010/01/07/dan-didio-talks-legacies-whos-who |title=Dan Didio Talks ''Legacies'', ''Who's Who'' |date=January 7, 2010 |publisher=DC Comics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131226024818/http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2010/01/07/dan-didio-talks-legacies-whos-who |archive-date=December 26, 2013 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> where he collaborated in the DC Comics nostalgic event ''[[DC Retroactive]]'' writing stories for the [[One-shot (comics)|one-shot]] specials ''Batman – The '70s'' (September 2011) drawn by [[Tom Mandrake]]<ref>[http://www.comics.org/issue/862586/ ''DC Retroactive: Batman – The '70s''] at the Grand Comics Database</ref> and ''Green Lantern – The '80s'' (October 2011) drawn by [[Joe Staton]]. The hardcover collection of his 10-issue ''[[DC Universe: Legacies]]'' was published in August 2011.<ref>{{cite book |title=DC Universe: Legacies|last=Wein |first=Len|year=2011|publisher=DC Comics|isbn= 9781401231330|pages= 336}}</ref> In 2012, Wein worked on the ''[[Before Watchmen]]'' project, writing the mini-series ''[[Ozymandias (Watchmen)|Ozymandias]]'' with art by [[Jae Lee]] and the serialized feature "[[Curse of the Crimson Corsair]]" with art by ''Watchmen'' colorist [[John Higgins (comics)|John Higgins]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2012/02/01/dc-entertainment-officially-announces-%25e2%2580%259cbefore-watchmen%25e2%2580%259d |title=DC Entertainment Officially Announces ''Before Watchmen'' |first=David |last=Hyde |date=February 1, 2012 |publisher=DC Comics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702203035/http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2012/02/01/dc-entertainment-officially-announces-%25e2%2580%259cbefore-watchmen%25e2%2580%259d |archive-date=July 2, 2012 |url-status=live |access-date=August 4, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The hardcover collection of the ''Ozymandias'' storyline spent several weeks on the ''New York Times'' Bestseller List in 2013.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2013-07-28/hardcover-graphic-books/list.html|title= ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list Hardcover Graphic Books|date= July 28, 2013|newspaper= [[The New York Times]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131216220449/http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2013-07-28/hardcover-graphic-books/list.html|archive-date= December 16, 2013|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In 2015, he and [[José Luis García-López]] produced ''[[Batman '66|Batman '66: The Lost Episode]]'', a comics adaptation of a [[Two-Face]] story pitch by [[Harlan Ellison]] originally intended for the [[Batman (TV series)|''Batman'' television series]].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/11/20/batman-66-the-lost-episode-1-review|title= ''Batman '66'': The Lost Episode #1 Review|first= Jesse|last= Schedeen|date= November 20, 2014|website= [[IGN]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141123031251/http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/11/20/batman-66-the-lost-episode-1-review|archive-date= November 23, 2014|url-status=live|df=mdy-all|quote= Writer Harlan Ellison got as far as pitching a Two-Face-themed episode before the combination of the villain's gruesome appearance and Ellison's conflicts with ABC executives killed the idea. Decades later, that pitch has become the inspiration for this oversized ''Batman '66'' comic.}}</ref> In 2016, DC published a six-issue limited ''Swamp Thing'' series by Wein and artist [[Kelley Jones]].


===Personal life===
==Personal life==
Wein's first wife was [[Glynis Oliver]],<ref>Thomas, Roy. "[[Bullpen Bulletins]]," Marvel comics cover-dated January 1974.</ref> a comics [[colorist]] who spent years on the ''X-Men'' titles. Following their divorce, he married Christine Valada, a photographer and attorney, in 1991, and became stepfather to Michael Bieniewicz-Valada.<ref name=nytimesobit>{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/11/arts/design/len-wein-influential-comic-book-writer-dies-at-69.html|title=Len Wein, Influential Comic Book Writer, Dies at 69|first= Neil |last=Genzlinger|date=September 11, 2017|accessdate=September 12, 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>
Wein's first wife was [[Glynis Oliver]],<ref>{{cite news|last=Thomas |first=Roy |title=[[Bullpen Bulletins]] |work= Marvel comics cover-dated January 1974}}</ref> a comics [[colorist]] who spent years on the ''X-Men'' titles; they were married some time prior to 1972. Following their 1985 divorce,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.comics.org/creator/5020/|title=Glynis Oliver (b. 1949)|work=Grand Comics Database|quote=Spouse - Len Wein (b. 1948). Notes: Divorced in 1985.}}</ref> he married Christine Valada, a photographer and attorney, in 1991, and became stepfather to Michael Bieniewicz-Valada.<ref name=nytimesobit>{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/11/arts/design/len-wein-influential-comic-book-writer-dies-at-69.html|title=Len Wein, Influential Comic Book Writer, Dies at 69|first= Neil |last=Genzlinger|date=September 11, 2017|access-date=September 12, 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>


On April 6, 2009, Wein's California home burned down with considerable loss of property and mementos, including his [[Shazam Award]]s. He and his wife also lost their dog, Sheba, to the fire.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.newsfromme.com/2009/04/06/dreadful-news/|title= Dreadful News|first= Mark|last= Evanier|authorlink= Mark Evanier|date= April 6, 2009|publisher= News From ME|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20150917033943/http://www.newsfromme.com/2009/04/06/dreadful-news/|archivedate= September 17, 2015|deadurl= no|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
On April 6, 2009, Wein's California home burned down with considerable loss of property and mementos, including his [[Shazam Award]]s. He and his wife also lost their dog, Sheba, to the fire.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.newsfromme.com/2009/04/06/dreadful-news/|title= Dreadful News|first= Mark|last= Evanier|author-link= Mark Evanier|date= April 6, 2009|publisher= News From ME|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150917033943/http://www.newsfromme.com/2009/04/06/dreadful-news/|archive-date= September 17, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Beginning October 26, 2009, Valada appeared on and won the television game show ''[[Jeopardy!]]'', becoming a four-time champion with winnings of over $60,000. She indicated on the show that she would use the money to recover or replace much of the artwork and books the couple lost in the fire.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.j-archive.com/showplayer.php?player_id=6450|title= Christine Valada|first= Christine|last= Valada|publisher= J-Archive.com|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150912054754/http://www.j-archive.com/showplayer.php?player_id=6450|archive-date= September 12, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all|access-date= March 28, 2010}}</ref>


Beginning October 26, 2009, Valada appeared on and won the television game show ''[[Jeopardy!]]'', becoming a four-time champion with winnings of over $60,000. She indicated on the show that she would use the money to recover or replace much of the artwork and books the couple lost in the fire.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.j-archive.com/showplayer.php?player_id=6450|title= Christine Valada|first= Christine|last= Valada|publisher= J-Archive.com|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20150912054754/http://www.j-archive.com/showplayer.php?player_id=6450|archivedate= September 12, 2015|deadurl= no|df=mdy-all|accessdate= March 28, 2010}}</ref>
Wein underwent triple-bypass heart surgery on February 10, 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.newsfromme.com/2015/02/10/a-public-plea/|title= A Public Plea|first= Mark|last= Evanier|date= February 10, 2015|publisher= News From ME|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150917034802/http://www.newsfromme.com/2015/02/10/a-public-plea/|archive-date= September 17, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> He died on September 10, 2017.<ref name=nytimesobit />

Wein underwent triple-bypass heart surgery on February 10, 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.newsfromme.com/2015/02/10/a-public-plea/|title= A Public Plea|first= Mark|last= Evanier|date= February 10, 2015|publisher= News From ME|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20150917034802/http://www.newsfromme.com/2015/02/10/a-public-plea/|archivedate= September 17, 2015|deadurl= no|df=mdy-all}}</ref> He died on September 10, 2017.<ref name=nytimesobit />


==Awards==
==Awards==
* Won Shazam Awards for Best Writer (Dramatic) for ''[[Swamp Thing (comic book)|Swamp Thing]]'' and for Best Individual Story (Dramatic), for "Dark Genesis" in ''Swamp Thing ''#1 (with [[Bernie Wrightson]]) in 1972.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/shazam72.php|title= 1972 Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards|date= n.d.|publisher= Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20150908090346/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/shazam72.php|archivedate= September 8, 2015|deadurl= no|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
* 1972:<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/shazam72.php|title= 1972 Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards|date= n.d.|publisher= Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150908090346/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/shazam72.php|archive-date= September 8, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
** [[Shazam Award]] for Best Writer (Dramatic) for ''[[Swamp Thing (comic book)|Swamp Thing]]''
* Nominated in the same categories in 1973. He and Wrightson won the Shazam Award that year for Best Continuing Feature again for ''Swamp Thing''.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/shazam73.php|title= 1973 Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards|date= n.d.|publisher= Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20150908085304/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/shazam73.php|archivedate= September 8, 2015|deadurl= no|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
** Shazam Award (with [[Bernie Wrightson]]) for Best Individual Story (Dramatic), for "Dark Genesis" in ''Swamp Thing ''#1
* Won a [[Comic Fan Art Award]] in 1974 for Favorite Pro Writer
* Won an [[Inkpot Award]] in 1977.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/inkpot.php|title= Inkpot Award Winners |publisher= Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20120709055558/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/inkpot.php|archivedate= July 9, 2012|deadurl= no|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
* 1973:<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/shazam73.php|title= 1973 Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards|date= n.d.|publisher= Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150908085304/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/shazam73.php|archive-date= September 8, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
** Shazam Award (with Bernie Wrightson) for Best Continuing Feature for ''Swamp Thing''
* Won the 1982 ''[[Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award]]'' as Best Editor.<ref>''Comics Buyer's Guide 1996 Annual'' Krause Publications 1995 pp. 30–31</ref>
** (nomination) Shazam Award for Best Writer (Dramatic) for ''Swamp Thing''
* Nominated in 1998 for the [[Bram Stoker Award]], given by the [[Horror Writers Association]], for the one-shot ''[[The Dreaming (comics)|The Dreaming: Trial and Error]]'', from DC's [[Vertigo (DC Comics)|Vertigo]] imprint.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.horror.org/stokerwinnom.htm|title=Past Stoker Award Nominees & Winners|date= n.d.|publisher= [[Horror Writers Association]]|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20000824165952/http://www.horror.org/stokerwinnom.htm|archivedate= August 24, 2000|deadurl= yes|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
** (nomination) Shazam Award (with Bernie Wrighton) for Best Individual Story (Dramatic) for "A Clockwork Horror" in ''Swamp Thing'' #6
* Inducted into the [[List of Eisner Award winners#The Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame|Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame]] in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/briefings/letters/14877/|title= Jackie Estrada on the 2008 Eisner Awards|first= Jackie|last= Estrada|date= July 31, 2008|publisher= [[Tom Spurgeon|The Comics Reporter]]|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20120406095300/http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/briefings/letters/14877/|archivedate= April 6, 2012|deadurl= no|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
** [[Comic Fan Art Award]] (nomination) for Favorite Pro Writer<ref name=Miller>{{cite news|last=Miller |first=John Jackson |url= http://www.cbgxtra.com/knowledge-base/for-your-reference/goethecomic-fan-art-award-winners-1971-74 |title=GOETHE/COMIC FAN ART AWARD WINNERS, 1971-74 |work=Comics Buyer's Guide |date=July 19, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920035152/http://www.cbgxtra.com/knowledge-base/for-your-reference/goethecomic-fan-art-award-winners-1971-74 |archive-date=September 20, 2010 }}</ref>
* 1974:
** [[Comic Fan Art Award]] for Favorite Pro Writer<ref name=Miller />
** Comic Fan Art Award (with Bernie Wrightson and [[Joe Orlando]]) for Favorite Comic-Book Story for "Night of the Bat" in ''Swamp Thing'' #7<ref name=Miller />
* 1977 [[Inkpot Award]]<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/inkpot.php|title= Inkpot Award Winners |publisher= Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120709055558/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/inkpot.php|archive-date= July 9, 2012|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
* 1982 ''[[Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award]]'' for Best Editor<ref>{{cite news|title=Comics Buyer's Guide 1996 Annual |publisher= Krause Publications |date=1995 |pages=30–31}}</ref>
* 1998 (nomination) [[Bram Stoker Award]], given by the [[Horror Writers Association]], for the one-shot ''[[The Dreaming (comics)|The Dreaming]]: Trial and Error'', from DC's [[Vertigo Comics|Vertigo]] imprint<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.horror.org/stokerwinnom.htm|title=Past Stoker Award Nominees & Winners|date= n.d.|publisher= [[Horror Writers Association]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20000824165952/http://www.horror.org/stokerwinnom.htm|archive-date= August 24, 2000|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
* 2008 [[List of Eisner Award winners#The Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame|Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame]]<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/briefings/letters/14877/|title= Jackie Estrada on the 2008 Eisner Awards|first= Jackie|last= Estrada|date= July 31, 2008|publisher= [[Tom Spurgeon|The Comics Reporter]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120406095300/http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/briefings/letters/14877/|archive-date= April 6, 2012|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>


==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
===Comic books===
=== Bongo Comics ===

==== Bongo Comics ====

* ''[[Futurama Comics]]'' #30 (2007)
* ''[[Futurama Comics]]'' #30 (2007)
* ''[[Simpsons Comics]]'' #129, 138 (2007, 2008)
* ''[[Simpsons Comics]]'' #129, 138 (2007, 2008)
* ''[[Treehouse of Horror]]'' #11, 19 (2005, 2013)
* ''[[Treehouse of Horror]]'' #11, 19 (2005, 2013)


====Comico====
===Comico===
*''[[Justice Machine]]'' #27–29, ''Annual'' #1 (1989)
*''[[Justice Machine]]'' #27–29, ''Annual'' #1 (1989)


====DC Comics====
===DC Comics===
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
*''[[Action Comics]]'' #419–420, 422–423, 425–426, 429, 432 ([[Human Target]]); #515 ([[Atom (Ray Palmer)|Atom]]); #519 ([[Aquaman]]) (1972–1981)
*''[[Action Comics]]'' #419–420, 422–423, 425–426, 429, 432 ([[Human Target]]); #515 ([[Atom (Ray Palmer)|Atom]]); #519 ([[Aquaman]]) (1972–1981)
Line 109: Line 111:
*''[[All-Star Western]]'' #11 ([[El Diablo (comics)|El Diablo]]) (1972)
*''[[All-Star Western]]'' #11 ([[El Diablo (comics)|El Diablo]]) (1972)
*''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]'' #255, 307–310, 312–319, 321—324, 326–327 (1974–1980)
*''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]'' #255, 307–310, 312–319, 321—324, 326–327 (1974–1980)
*''[[Batman '66|Batman '66: The Lost Episode]]'' #1 (2015)
*''[[Batman '66|Batman '66: The Lost Episode]]'' #1 (2015)
*''Batman: A Word to the Wise'' #1 (promo) (1992)
*''Batman: A Word to the Wise'' #1 (promo) (1992)
*''[[Batman Black and White]]'' vol. 2 #5 (2014)
*''[[Batman Black and White]]'' vol. 2 #5 (2014)
*''Batman: Hidden Treasures'' #1 (afterword) (2010)
*''Batman: Hidden Treasures'' #1 (afterword) (2010)
*''Batman: Nevermore'' #1–5 (2003)
*''Batman: Nevermore'' #1–5 (2003)
*''[[Before Watchmen]]: Comedian'' #1–2 (2012)
*''[[Before Watchmen]]: Comedian'' #1–2 (2012)
*''Before Watchmen: Dollar Bill'' #1 (2013)
*''Before Watchmen: Dollar Bill'' #1 (2013)
*''Before Watchmen: Minutemen'' #1–2 (2012)
*''Before Watchmen: Minutemen'' #1–2 (2012)
*''Before Watchmen: Nite Owl'' #1–2 (2012)
*''Before Watchmen: Nite Owl'' #1–2 (2012)
*''Before Watchmen: Ozymandias'' #1–6 (2012–2013)
*''Before Watchmen: Ozymandias'' #1–6 (2012–2013)
*''Before Watchmen: Rorschach'' #1 (2012)
*''Before Watchmen: Rorschach'' #1 (2012)
*''Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre'' #1–2 (2012)
*''Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre'' #1–2 (2012)
*''[[Ted Kord|Blue Beetle]]'' #1–24 (1986–1988)
*''[[Ted Kord|Blue Beetle]]'' #1–24 (1986–1988)
*''[[The Brave and the Bold]]'' #143–144 (Human Target) (1978)
*''[[The Brave and the Bold]]'' #143–144 (Human Target) (1978)
*''[[DC Implosion|Cancelled Comic Cavalcade]]'' #2 (Deadman) (1978)
*''[[DC Implosion|Cancelled Comic Cavalcade]]'' #2 (Deadman) (1978)
*''[[Convergence (comics)|Convergence:]] Detective Comics'' #1–2 (2015)
*''[[Convergence (comics)|Convergence:]] Detective Comics'' #1–2 (2015)
*''Convergence: Swamp Thing'' #1–2 (2015)
*''Convergence: Swamp Thing'' #1–2 (2015)
*''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]'' #1 (1985)
*''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]'' #1 (1985)
*''[[King Faraday|Danger Trail]]'' #1–4 (1993)
*''[[King Faraday|Danger Trail]]'' #1–4 (1993)
*''[[DC Challenge]]'' #2, 12 (1985–1986)
*''[[DC Challenge]]'' #2, 12 (1985–1986)
*''[[DC Comics Presents]]'' #4–5, 24, 27–29, 38, 61, 66–67 (1978–1984)
*''[[DC Comics Presents]]'' #4–5, 24, 27–29, 38, 61, 66–67 (1978–1984)
*''DC Comics Presents: Batman'' #1 (2004)
*''DC Comics Presents: Batman'' #1 (2004)
*''[[DC Retroactive]]: Batman – The '70s'' #1 (2011)
*''[[DC Retroactive]]: Batman – The '70s'' #1 (2011)
*''DC Retroactive: Green Lantern – The '80s'' #1 (2011)
*''DC Retroactive: Green Lantern – The '80s'' #1 (2011)
*''[[DC Special Series]]'' #27 (Batman/[[Hulk]] [[intercompany crossover]]) (1981)
*''[[DC Special Series]]'' #27 (Batman/[[Hulk]] [[intercompany crossover]]) (1981)
*''[[DC Universe: Legacies]]'' #1–10 (2010–2011)
*''[[DC Universe: Legacies]]'' #1–10 (2010–2011)
*''[[Deathstroke]], the Terminator'' #18, ''Annual'' #2 (1993)
*''[[Deathstroke]], the Terminator'' #18, ''Annual'' #2 (1993)
*''[[Detective Comics]]'' #408, 444–448, 466, 478–479, 500, 514 (Batman); #426 (Elongated Man); #479–480 (Hawkman); #482–485 ([[Etrigan the Demon]]); #483–484, 486, 493 (Human Target); #500 (Slam Bradley) (1971–1982)
*''[[Detective Comics]]'' #408, 444–448, 466, 478–479, 500, 514 (Batman); #426 (Elongated Man); #479–480 (Hawkman); #482–485 ([[Etrigan the Demon]]); #483–484, 486, 493 (Human Target); #500 (Slam Bradley) (1971–1982)
*''[[The Dreaming (comics)|The Dreaming Special]]'' #1 (1998)
*''[[The Dreaming (comics)|The Dreaming Special]]'' #1 (1998)
*''[[Final Crisis]]: Secret Files'' #1 (2009)
*''[[Final Crisis]]: Secret Files'' #1 (2009)
*''[[The Flash (comic book)|The Flash]]'' #208, 212, 215, 217 (1971–1972)
*''[[The Flash (comic book)|The Flash]]'' #208, 212, 215, 217 (1971–1972)
*''[[Green Lantern (comic book)|Green Lantern]]'' vol. 2 #128, 172–183, 185–186 (1980–1985)
*''[[Green Lantern (comic book)|Green Lantern]]'' vol. 2 #128, 172–183, 185–186 (1980–1985)
*''Green Lantern Annual'' #5 (1996)
*''Green Lantern Annual'' #5 (1996)
*''[[Gunfire (comics)|Gunfire]]'' #1–13 (1994–1995)
*''[[Gunfire (comics)|Gunfire]]'' #1–13 (1994–1995)
*''[[Heroes Against Hunger]]'' #1 (1986)
*''[[Heroes Against Hunger]]'' #1 (1986)
*''Hot Wheels'' #4–6 (1970–1971)
*''Hot Wheels'' #4–6 (1970–1971)
*''[[House of Mystery]]'' #191, 197, 199, 221, 223, 276, 300, 303 (1971–1982)
*''[[House of Mystery]]'' #191, 197, 199, 221, 223, 276, 300, 303 (1971–1982)
*''[[House of Secrets (DC Comics)|House of Secrets]]'' #84–85, 92, 94–98, 127 (1970–1975)
*''[[House of Secrets (DC Comics)|House of Secrets]]'' #84–85, 92, 94–98, 127 (1970–1975)
*''[[Human Target]]'' #1–6 (2010)
*''[[Human Target]]'' #1–6 (2010)
*''[[JLA (comic book)|JLA 80-Page Giant]]'' #2 (1999)
*''[[JLA (comic book)|JLA 80-Page Giant]]'' #2 (1999)
*''[[Jonah Hex]]'' #49, 51–52 (1981)
*''[[Jonah Hex]]'' #49, 51–52 (1981)
*''[[Justice League Dark]]: [[Futures End]]'' #1 (2014)
*''[[Justice League Dark]]: [[Futures End]]'' #1 (2014)
*''[[Justice League|Justice League of America]]'' #100–114, ''Annual'' #1 (1972–1983)
*''[[Justice League|Justice League of America]]'' #100–114, ''Annual'' #1 (1972–1983)
*''Justice League of America'' vol. 2 #29–30, 35–37 (2009)
*''Justice League of America'' vol. 2 #29–30, 35–37 (2009)
*''Justice League Special'' #1 (1990)
*''Justice League Special'' #1 (1990)
*''[[Justice League: Cry for Justice]]'' #1–2, 4–6 (backup stories) (2009–2010)
*''[[Justice League: Cry for Justice]]'' #1–2, 4–6 (backup stories) (2009–2010)
*''[[Korak (character)|Korak, Son of Tarzan]]'' #46–51 (1972–1973)
*''[[Korak (character)|Korak, Son of Tarzan]]'' #46–51 (1972–1973)
*''[[Legends (comics)|Legends]]'' #1–6 (1986–1987)
*''[[Legends (comics)|Legends]]'' #1–6 (1986–1987)
*''[[List_of_The_New_52_publications#Miniseries|Legends of Tomorrow]]'' (Metal Men feature) #1–6 (2016)
*''[[List of The New 52 publications#Miniseries|Legends of Tomorrow]]'' (Metal Men feature) #1–6 (2016)
*''[[Mister Miracle]]'' vol. 2 #7–13 (1989–1990)
*''[[Mister Miracle]]'' vol. 2 #7–13 (1989–1990)
*''[[Mystery in Space]]'' #113 (1980)
*''[[Mystery in Space]]'' #113 (1980)
*''[[Teen Titans|The New Titans]]'' #88 (1992)
*''[[Teen Titans|The New Titans]]'' #88 (1992)
*''[[Phantom Stranger]]'' vol. 2 #14–26 (1971–1973)
*''[[Phantom Stranger]]'' vol. 2 #14–26 (1971–1973)
*''Secret Hearts'' #149 (1971)
*''Secret Hearts'' #149 (1971)
*''[[Secret Origins]]'' vol. 2 #2, 19, 44 (1986–1989)
*''[[Secret Origins]]'' vol. 2 #2, 19, 44 (1986–1989)
*''[[The Shadow#Comic strips, comic books, and graphic novels|The Shadow]]'' #4 (1974)
*''[[The Shadow#Comic strip|The Shadow]]'' #4 (1974)
*''[[Showcase (comics)|Showcase '93]]'' #1–2, 10 (1993)
*''[[Showcase (comics)|Showcase '93]]'' #1–2, 10 (1993)
*''Showcase '94'' #1–2 (1994)
*''Showcase '94'' #1–2 (1994)
*''[[Secrets of Sinister House|Sinister House of Secret Love]]'' #2 (1971)
*''[[Secrets of Sinister House|Sinister House of Secret Love]]'' #2 (1971)
*''[[Star Trek (DC Comics)|Star Trek]]'' #31–37, 39–40 (1986–1987)
*''[[Star Trek (DC Comics)|Star Trek]]'' #31–37, 39–40 (1986–1987)
*''[[Superboy (comic book)|Superboy]] and the [[Legion of Super-Heroes (1958 team)|Legion of Super-Heroes]]'' #246–247 (1978–1979)
*''[[Superboy (comic book)|Superboy]] and the [[Legion of Super-Heroes (1958 team)|Legion of Super-Heroes]]'' #246–247 (1978–1979)
*''[[Supergirl (comic book)|Supergirl]]'' #1–2 (Zatanna backup stories) (1972–1973)
*''[[Supergirl (comic book)|Supergirl]]'' #1–2 (Zatanna backup stories) (1972–1973)
*''[[Superman (comic book)|Superman]]'' #246, 248, 251, 254, 258, 336–342, 344, 370–371, ''Special'' #3 (1971–1985)
*''[[Superman (comic book)|Superman]]'' #246, 248, 251, 254, 258, 336–342, 344, 370–371, ''Special'' #3 (1971–1985)
*''[[Superman/Batman]] Annual'' #3 (2009)
*''[[Superman/Batman]] Annual'' #3 (2009)
*''[[Swamp Thing (comic book)|Swamp Thing]]'' #1–13 (1972–1974)
*''[[Swamp Thing (comic book)|Swamp Thing]]'' #1–13 (1972–1974)
*''Swamp Thing'' miniseries #1–6 (2016)
*''Swamp Thing'' miniseries #1–6 (2016)
*''Swamp Thing Winter Special'' #1 (2018)
*''Swamp Thing Winter Special'' #1 (2018) (Posthumous release)
*''Tales of the [[Green Lantern Corps]]'' #1–3 (1981)
*''Tales of the [[Green Lantern Corps]]'' #1–3 (1981)
*''Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Annual'' #1 (1985)
*''Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Annual'' #1 (1985)
*''[[Teen Titans]]'' #18 (1968)
*''[[Teen Titans]]'' #18 (1968)
*''Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger'' #19 (2014)
*''Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger'' #19 (2014)
*''[[The Untold Legend of the Batman]]'' #1–3 (1980)
*''[[The Untold Legend of the Batman]]'' #1–3 (1980)
*''[[Weird War Tales]]'' #3, 10, 22–23, 30, 36, 40, 108 (1972–1982)
*''[[Weird War Tales]]'' #3, 10, 22–23, 30, 36, 40, 108 (1972–1982)
*''[[Weird Worlds (comics)|Weird Worlds]]'' #1–3 (1972)
*''[[Weird Worlds (comics)|Weird Worlds]]'' #1–3 (1972)
*''[[The Witching Hour (DC Comics)|The Witching Hour]]'' #13 (1971)
*''[[The Witching Hour (DC Comics)|The Witching Hour]]'' #13 (1971)
*''[[Wonder Woman]]'' #212 (1974)
*''[[Wonder Woman]]'' #212 (1974)
*''Wonder Woman'' vol. 2 #3–16 (1987–1988)
*''Wonder Woman'' vol. 2 #3–16 (1987–1988)
*''[[World's Finest Comics]]'' #207–208 (1971)
*''[[World's Finest Comics]]'' #207–208 (1971)
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}


==== Dark Horse ====
=== Dark Horse ===
* ''[[Conan (Dark Horse Comics)|Conan]]: The Book of Thoth'' #1–4 (with Kurt Busiek) (2006)


===Defiant Comics===
* ''[[Conan (Dark Horse Comics)|Conan]]: The Book of Toth'' #1–4 (with Kurt Busiek) (2006)
*''[[Dark Dominion]]'' #1–3, 5–7, 10 (1993–1994)

====Defiant Comics====
*''[[Dark Dominion]]'' #1–3, 5–7, 10 (1993–1994)
*''[[The Good Guys (comics)|The Good Guys]]'' #8 (1994)
*''[[The Good Guys (comics)|The Good Guys]]'' #8 (1994)
*''[[Warriors of Plasm]]'' #5–7 (1993–1994)
*''[[Warriors of Plasm]]'' #5–7 (1993–1994)
*''Warriors of Plasm Graphic Novel'' #1 (1993)
*''Warriors of Plasm Graphic Novel'' #1 (1993)


==== Disney Comics ====
=== Disney Comics ===

* ''[[Dick Tracy]]'' #3 (1990)
* ''[[Dick Tracy]]'' #3 (1990)


====Eclipse Comics====
===Eclipse Comics===
*''[[Airboy]]'' #38–40 (1988)
*''[[Airboy]]'' #38–40 (1988)


==== Gold Key ====
=== Gold Key ===

* ''[[The Twilight Zone|The Twillight Zone]]'' #35–37, 39–41, 47, 73, 79 (1973–1979)
* ''[[The Twilight Zone|The Twillight Zone]]'' #35–37, 39–41, 47, 73, 79 (1973–1979)


==== IDW Publishing ====
=== IDW Publishing ===


* ''Gene Pool'' OGN (with Marv Wolfman) (2003)
* ''Gene Pool'' OGN (with Marv Wolfman) (2003)


==== Image Comics ====
=== Image Comics ===


* ''21'' #1–3 (1996)
* ''21'' #1–3 (1996)
Line 221: Line 220:
*''[[Supreme (comics)|Supreme]] Annual'' #1 (1995)
*''[[Supreme (comics)|Supreme]] Annual'' #1 (1995)


====Marvel Comics====
===Marvel Comics===
{{div col}}
{{div col}}
*''[[Marvel 2099|2099 Unlimited]]'' #10 (1995)
*''[[Marvel 2099|2099 Unlimited]]'' #10 (1995)
*''[[The Amazing Spider-Man]]'' #151–180, ''Annual'' #10 (1975–1978)
*''[[The Amazing Spider-Man]]'' #151–180, ''Annual'' #10 (1975–1978)
*''[[Astonishing Tales]]'' #8 (1971)
*''[[Astonishing Tales]]'' #8 (1971)
*''[[Chamber of Darkness]]'' #6 (1970)
*''[[Chamber of Darkness]]'' #6 (1970)
*''[[Conan the Barbarian (comics)|Conan the Barbarian]]'' #116 (1980)
*''[[Conan the Barbarian (comics)|Conan the Barbarian]]'' #116 (1980)
*''[[Tower of Shadows|Creatures on the Loose]]'' #11, 13 (1971)
*''[[Tower of Shadows|Creatures on the Loose]]'' #11, 13 (1971)
*''[[Daredevil (Marvel Comics series)|Daredevil]]'' #124 (1975)
*''[[Daredevil (Marvel Comics series)|Daredevil]]'' #124 (1975)
*''[[The Defenders (comic book)|The Defenders]]'' #12–19 (1974–1975)
*''[[The Defenders (comic book)|The Defenders]]'' #7, #12–19 (1973–1975)
*''[[Dracula Lives]]'' #8 (1974)
*''[[Dracula Lives]]'' #8 (1974)
*''[[Fantastic Four (comic book)|Fantastic Four]]'' #154–156, 182, 184–188, 191–194 (1975–1978)
*''[[Fantastic Four (comic book)|Fantastic Four]]'' #154–156, 182, 184–188, 191–194 (1975–1978)
*''Giant-Size Chillers'' #1, 3 (1975)
*''Giant-Size Chillers'' #1, 3 (1975)
*''Giant-Size Defenders'' #2 (1974)
*''Giant-Size Defenders'' #2 (1974)
*''Giant-Size Man-Thing'' #5 (1975)
*''Giant-Size Man-Thing'' #5 (1975)
*''Giant-Size Spider-Man'' #1–2 (1974)
*''Giant-Size Spider-Man'' #1–2 (1974)
*''[[Giant-Size X-Men]]'' #1 (1975)
*''[[Giant-Size X-Men]]'' #1 (1975)
*''[[The Incredible Hulk (comic book)|The Incredible Hulk]]'' #179–220, 222, ''Annual'' #5–6 (1974–1978)
*''[[The Incredible Hulk (comic book)|The Incredible Hulk]]'' #179–220, 222, ''Annual'' #5–6 (1974–1978)
*''[[Iron Man]]'' #82–85 (1976)
*''[[Iron Man]]'' #82–85 (1976)
*''[[Kull of Atlantis|Kull the Conqueror]]'' #8 (1973)
*''[[Kull of Atlantis|Kull the Conqueror]]'' #8 (1973)
*''[[Marvel Comics Presents]]'' #11, 47, 53–56, 67, 69 (1989–1991)
*''[[Marvel Comics Presents]]'' #11, 47, 53–56, 67, 69 (1989–1991)
*''[[Marvel Feature]]'' #11 (1973)
*''[[Marvel Feature]]'' #11 (1973)
*''[[Marvel Premiere]]'' #16 (1974)
*''[[Marvel Premiere]]'' #16 (1974)
*''[[Marvel Preview]]'' #2, 10 (1975–1977)
*''[[Marvel Preview]]'' #2, 10 (1975–1977)
*''[[Marvel Spotlight]]'' #30 (1976)
*''[[Marvel Spotlight]]'' #30 (1976)
*''[[Marvel Team-Up]]'' #12–27 (1973–1974)
*''[[Marvel Team-Up]]'' #12–27 (1973–1974)
*''[[Midnight Sons]] Unlimited'' #1 (1993)
*''[[Midnight Sons]] Unlimited'' #1 (1993)
*''[[Power Man and Iron Fist|Power Man]]'' #17–19, 21 (1974)
*''[[Power Man and Iron Fist|Power Man]]'' #17–19, 21 (1974)
*''[[Savage Tales]]'' #6 (1974)
*''[[Savage Tales]]'' #6 (1974)
*''Shadows and Light'' #1 (1998)
*''Shadows and Light'' #1 (1998)
*''Spoof'' #1 (1970)
*''Spoof'' #1 (1970)
*''[[Strange Tales]]'' #169–174 (1973–1974)
*''[[Strange Tales]]'' #169–174 (1973–1974)
*''[[Tales of the Zombie]]'' #6 (1973)
*''[[Tales of the Zombie]]'' #6 (1973)
*''[[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]]'' #242–253, 255–271 (1975–1978)
*''[[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]]'' #213, 242–253, 255–271, ''Annual'' #6 (1973–1978)
*''[[Tower of Shadows]]'' #3 (1970)
*''[[Tower of Shadows]]'' #3 (1970)
*''[[Ultraforce]]'' vol. 2 #10–15 (1996)
*''[[Ultraforce]]'' vol. 2 #10–15 (1996)
*''Ultraverse Unlimited'' #2 (1996)
*''Ultraverse Unlimited'' #2 (1996)
*''Uncanny Origins'' #12, 14 (1997)
*''Uncanny Origins'' #12, 14 (1997)
*''[[Werewolf by Night]]'' #5–8 (1973)
*''[[Werewolf by Night]]'' #5–8 (1973)
*''[[Western Gunfighters]]'' #5–7 (1971–1972)
*''[[Western Gunfighters]]'' #5–7 (1971–1972)
*''[[Worlds Unknown]]'' #7–8 (1974)
*''[[Worlds Unknown]]'' #7–8 (1974)
*''[[Uncanny X-Men|X-Men]]'' #94–95 (1975)
*''[[Uncanny X-Men|X-Men]]'' #94–95 (1975)
*''X-Men: Black Sun'' #2 (2000)
*''X-Men: Black Sun'' #2 (2000)
*''X-Men: Gold'' #1 (2014)
*''X-Men: Gold'' #1 (2014)
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}


==== Skywald Publications ====
=== Skywald Publications ===

* ''Blazing Six-Guns'' #1–2 (1971)
* ''Blazing Six-Guns'' #1–2 (1971)
* ''Bravados'' #1 (1971)
* ''Bravados'' #1 (1971)
Line 274: Line 272:
* ''Sundance Kid'' #1 (1971)
* ''Sundance Kid'' #1 (1971)


==== Warren Publishing ====
=== Warren Publishing ===

* ''[[Vampirella]]'' #10 (1971)
* ''[[Vampirella]]'' #10 (1971)


===Television===
==Television==
{{unreferenced section|date=September 2022}}
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
*''[[Action Man (2000 TV series)|Action Man]]''(2001)
*''[[The Transformers (TV series)|The Transformers]]'' (1986)
*''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'' (1992)
** "Tower Of Power"
*''[[Avengers Assemble (TV series)]] (2015)
*''[[X-Men: The Animated Series]]'' (1993-1994, 1997)
*''[[Conan and the Young Warriors]]'' (1994)
** "The Dark Avengers"
*''[[Avengers: United They Stand]]''(1999)
*''[[Exosquad]]'' (1994)
*''[[Phantom 2040]]'' (1994-1995)
** "Command Decision"
*''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]''(1992)
*''[[G.I. Joe Extreme]]'' (1995)
*''[[Iron Man (1994 TV series)|Iron Man]]'' (1995)
** "Moon of the Wolf"
*''[[Ultraforce]]'' (1995)
** "Off Balance"
*''[[Spider-Man (1994 TV series)|Spider-Man]]'' (1995-1996)
** "Blind as a Bat"(co-written with Mike Underwood)
*''[[Gargoyles (TV series)|Gargoyles]]'' (1996)
** "The Demon's Quest: Part Two"(co-written with Denny O'Neil)
*''[[Beast Wars: Transformers]] (1997)
*''[[Hypernauts]]'' (1996)
*''[[Street Fighter (TV series)|Street Fighter]]'' (1996)
** "Tangled Web"
*''[[The Incredible Hulk (1996 TV series)|The Incredible Hulk]]'' (1996)
*''[[Beast Machines: Transformers]] (2000)
*''[[Beast Wars: Transformers]]'' (1997)
** "Savage Noble"
*''[[Ben 10: Alien Force]] (2009-2010)
*''[[Mummies Alive!]]'' (1997)
*''[[ReBoot]]'' (1997-1999)
** "Trade-Off"
*''[[Godzilla: The Series]]'' (1998)
** "Vendetta"
*''[[Ben 10: Ultimate Alien]] (2010)
*''[[Pocket Dragon Adventures]]'' (1998)
*''[[RoboCop: Alpha Commando]]'' (1998-1999)
** "Hit 'Em Where They Live"
*''[[Shadow Raiders]]'' (1998-1999)
** "...Nor Iron Bars A Cage"
*''[[Ben 10: Omniverse]] (2012-2014)
*''[[Avengers: United They Stand]]'' (1999)
*''[[Beast Machines: Transformers]]'' (2000)
** "Have I Got A Deal For You"
*''[[Kong: The Animated Series]]'' (2000)
** "Rules of Engagement"
*''[[Action Man (2000 TV series)|Action Man]]'' (2001)
** "Max's Monster"
*''[[Kappa Mikey]]'' (2006)
** "It's a Mad,Mad,Mad Ben World,Part 2"
*''[[Beware the Batman]]''(2014)
*''[[Ben 10: Alien Force]]'' (2009-2010)
*''[[Ben 10: Ultimate Alien]]'' (2010)
** "Attraction"
*''[[Conan and the Young Warriors]] (1994)
*''[[The Super Hero Squad Show]]'' (2011)
*''[[Ben 10: Omniverse]]'' (2012-2014)
** "Covenant"
*''[[Exosquad]] (1994)
*''[[Beware the Batman]]'' (2014)
*''[[Avengers Assemble (TV series)|Avengers Assemble]]'' (2015)
** "Expendable"
*''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 TV series)|Transformers: Robots in Disguise]]'' (2016-2017)
** "Miracle"
** "Call of the Unknown"
*''[[GI Joe Extreme]]''(1995)
** "Crawling from the Wreckage"
*''[[Godzilla: The Series]]''(1998)
** "What Dreams May Come"
*''[[The Incredible Hulk (1996 TV series)]] (1996)
** "Man to Man,Beast to Beast"
*''[[Iron Man (1994 TV series)|Iron Man]]''(1995)
** "Fire and Rain"
*''[[Kappa Mikey]] (2006)
** "The Fugi-Kid" (co-written with Colin Jost and Chris Reisig)
*''[[Kong: The Animated Series]] (2000)
** "Howling Jack" (co-written with Romain van Leimt)
*''[[Mummies Alive!]] (1997)
** "Tree O'Clock Rock" (story: Mark Edens, teleplay: Len Wein)
*''[[Pocket Dragon Adventures]] (1998)
*''[[Phantom 2040]] (1994-1995)
** "Dark Orbit, Part One"
** "Sanctuary"(story: [[Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens]], teleplay: Len Wein)
*''[[ReBoot]] (1997-1999)
** "Between A Raccoon & A Hard Place"
** "Web Riders on the Storm"
** "Mousetrap" (story,co-written with Ian Pearson,Phil Mitchell,and Gavin Blair)
** "Showdown"
** "System Crash" (story,co-written with Ian Pearson,Phil Mitchell,Gavin Blair,Marv Wolfman,and Dan DiDio)
** "End Prog" (story,co-written with Ian Pearson,Phil Mitchell,Gavin Blair,Marv Wolfman,and Dan DiDio)
*''[[Robocop: Alpha Commando]]''(1998)
*''[[Shadow Raiders]](1998-1999,co-story editor with Dan DiDio)
** "Behold The Beast"
** "Uneasy Hangs The Head"
** "Ragnarok,Part Two"
*''[[Spider-Man (1994 TV Series)|Spider-Man: The Animated Series]]''(1996)
** "The Alien Costume: Part One" (co-written with [[John Semper]], Meg McLaughlin, and Stan Berkowitz)
** "Venom Returns" (co-written with John Semper and Stan Berkowitz)
*''[[Street Fighter (TV series)]]''(1996)
** "Chunnel Vision"
** "Cammy and the Bachelor" (story: Will Meuginot,teleplay:Len Wein)
** "Cammy Must Die!" (story:Will Meuginot,teleplay:Len Wein)
*''[[The Super Hero Squad Show]] (2011)
** "So Pretty When They Explode!"
*''[[The Transformers (TV series)]]''(1986)
** "Webworld" (co-written with [[Diane Duane]])
*''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 TV series)]] (2016-2017)
** "Cover Me"
** "Prepare For Departure"
*''[[Ultraforce]] (1995)
** "Pump It Up" (co-written with [[Marty Isenberg]] and [[Robert N. Skir]])
* ''[[X-Men (TV series)|X-Men: The Animated Series]]''(1993-1997)
** "Repo Man"
** "Reunion (Part 1)"
** "Out of the Past- Part II"
** "Old Soldiers"
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}


==References==
==References==
=== Citations ===
{{reflist|30em}}
{{reflist|30em}}

=== Sources ===
* {{cite book|editor-first=Hannah|editor-last=Dolan|title= DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]]|year=2010|location= London, United Kingdom|isbn= 978-0-7566-6742-9 |page=}}
** {{cite book|last1=McAvennie|first1= Michael|editor-last=Dolan|chapter= 1970s|title= DC Comics Year By Year|year=2010}}
** {{cite book|last1=Manning|first1= Matthew K.|editor-last=Dolan|chapter= 1980s|title= DC Comics Year By Year|year=2010}}
* {{cite book|last1 = Manning|first1 = Matthew K.|last2= Cowsill|first2= Alan|chapter= 1970s|title = Spider-Man Chronicle: Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging|publisher = [[Dorling Kindersley]]|year = 2012|location= London, United Kingdom|page = 68|isbn = 978-0756692360}}
* {{cite book|last1= Manning|first1= Matthew K.|chapter= 1970s|title= Batman: A Visual History|publisher= [[Dorling Kindersley]]|year= 2014|location= London, United Kingdom|page=|isbn= 978-1465424563}}
* {{cite book|last1 = Sanderson|first1 = Peter|author-link1 = Peter Sanderson|chapter= 1970s|title = Marvel Chronicle: A Year by Year History|publisher = [[Dorling Kindersley]]|year = 2008|location= London, United Kingdom|page =|isbn =978-0756641238|quote=}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{sister project links|d=Q51057|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|wikt=no|s=no|species=no|c=Category:Len Wein}}
{{Wikiquote}}
*{{cite web |editor-last1=Bails |editor-first1=Jerry |editor-first2=Hames |editor-last2=Ware |url= http://www.bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=WEIN%2c+LEN|title=Len Wein |work=Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928-1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070511094504/http://www.bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=WEIN%2c+LEN |archive-date=May 11, 2007 |url-status=live|df= mdy-all}}
{{Commonscat}}
*{{cite web |authorlink=Jerry Bails |editor-last1=Bails |editor-first1=Jerry |editor-first2=Hames |editor-last2=Ware |url= http://www.bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=WEIN%2c+LEN|title=Len Wein |work=Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928-1999 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070511094504/http://www.bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=WEIN%2c+LEN |archivedate=May 11, 2007 |deadurl=no|df= mdy-all}}
*{{gcdb|type=writer|search=Len+Wein|title=Len Wein}}
*{{gcdb|type=writer|search=Len+Wein|title=Len Wein}}
*{{Comicbookdb|type=creator|id=322|title=Len Wein}}
*{{Comicbookdb|type=creator|id=322|title=Len Wein}}
Line 379: Line 333:
*{{IMDb name|0918083|Len Wein}}
*{{IMDb name|0918083|Len Wein}}
*[http://www.maelmill-insi.de/UHBMCC/namw9.htm#N468 Len Wein] at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
*[http://www.maelmill-insi.de/UHBMCC/namw9.htm#N468 Len Wein] at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
*{{cite web|url=http://www.fantasticfourheadquarters.co.uk/blog/len-wein-interview |title=Len Wein Interview |date=July 12, 2016 | publisher=FantasticFourHeadquarters.co.uk|accessdate= September 12, 2017|archivedate=October 12, 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012003105/http://www.fantasticfourheadquarters.co.uk/blog/len-wein-interview|deadurl=no}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.fantasticfourheadquarters.co.uk/blog/len-wein-interview |title=Len Wein Interview |date=July 12, 2016 |publisher=FantasticFourHeadquarters.co.uk |access-date=September 12, 2017 |archive-date=October 12, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012003105/http://www.fantasticfourheadquarters.co.uk/blog/len-wein-interview |url-status=dead }}


{{S-start}}
{{S-start}}
Line 387: Line 341:
{{Succession box|title=''[[The Incredible Hulk (comic book)|The Incredible Hulk]]'' writer| before=[[Gerry Conway]] and Roy Thomas| after=[[Roger Stern]]| years=1974–1977}}
{{Succession box|title=''[[The Incredible Hulk (comic book)|The Incredible Hulk]]'' writer| before=[[Gerry Conway]] and Roy Thomas| after=[[Roger Stern]]| years=1974–1977}}
{{Succession box|title=''[[The Amazing Spider-Man]]'' writer| before=Gerry Conway| after=Marv Wolfman| years=1975–1978}}
{{Succession box|title=''[[The Amazing Spider-Man]]'' writer| before=Gerry Conway| after=Marv Wolfman| years=1975–1978}}
{{Succession box|title=''[[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]]'' writer| before=[[Bill Mantlo]]| after=Roy Thomas| years=1975–1978<br/>(with Marv Wolfman in 1976)}}
{{Succession box|title=''[[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]]'' writer| before=[[Bill Mantlo]]| after=Roy Thomas| years=1975–1978<br />(with Marv Wolfman in 1976)}}
{{Succession box|title=''[[Iron Man]]'' writer| before=Mike Friedrich| after=Bill Mantlo| years=1976<br/>(with [[Roger Slifer]] in part of the run)}}
{{Succession box|title=''[[Iron Man]]'' writer| before=Mike Friedrich| after=Bill Mantlo| years=1976<br />(with [[Roger Slifer]] in part of the run)}}
{{Succession box|title=''[[Fantastic Four (comic book)|Fantastic Four]]'' writer| before=Gerry Conway| after=Marv Wolfman| years=1977–1978}}
{{Succession box|title=''[[Fantastic Four (comic book)|Fantastic Four]]'' writer| before=Gerry Conway| after=Marv Wolfman| years=1977–1978}}
{{Succession box|title=''[[Detective Comics]]'' writer| before=[[Steve Englehart]] | after=[[Dennis O'Neil]] | years=1978}}
{{Succession box|title=''[[Detective Comics]]'' writer| before=[[Steve Englehart]] | after=[[Dennis O'Neil]] | years=1978}}
Line 403: Line 357:
{{end}}
{{end}}


{{DC Comics mystery titles|state=collapsed}}
{{Marvel Comics|state=collapsed}}
{{Marvel Comics|state=collapsed}}
{{Swamp Thing|state=collapsed}}
{{Swamp Thing|state=collapsed}}
{{Freedom Fighters|state=collapsed}}
{{Freedom Fighters|state=collapsed}}
{{Wolverine|state=collapsed}}
{{Wolverine|state=collapsed}}
{{Inkpot Award 1970s}}

{{Animation Writers Caucus}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


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[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American writers]]
[[Category:20th-century American Jews]]
[[Category:21st-century American writers]]
[[Category:20th-century American male writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American Jews]]
[[Category:21st-century American male writers]]
[[Category:American comics writers]]
[[Category:American comics writers]]
[[Category:Comic book editors]]
[[Category:Comic book editors]]
[[Category:Farmingdale State College alumni]]
[[Category:Farmingdale State College alumni]]
[[Category:Inkpot Award winners]]
[[Category:Inkpot Award winners]]
[[Category:Jewish American writers]]
[[Category:Jewish American comics creators]]
[[Category:Jewish American comics writers]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics editors-in-chief]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics editors-in-chief]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics writers]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics writers]]

Latest revision as of 14:19, 1 August 2024

Len Wein
Wein (right), with Swamp Thing cosplayer, at CONvergence 2005
BornLeonard Norman Wein
(1948-06-12)June 12, 1948
New York City, U.S.
DiedSeptember 10, 2017(2017-09-10) (aged 69)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Area(s)Writer, Editor
Notable works
Swamp Thing
Wolverine
X-Men
The Human Target
Justice League
AwardsShazam Award, 1972, 1973
Inkpot Award, 1979
Comics Buyers Guide Award, 1982
Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame, 2008
Spouse(s)Glynis Oliver (c. 1972–1985)
Christine Valada
(m. 1991)

Leonard Norman Wein[1] (/wn/; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men (including the co-creation of Nightcrawler, Storm, and Colossus). Additionally, he was the editor for writer Alan Moore and illustrator Dave Gibbons' influential DC miniseries Watchmen.

Wein was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2008.[2]

Early life and education

[edit]

Wein was born on June 12, 1948, in New York City,[1] and was raised in a Jewish household.[3] One of two children of Phillip and Rosalyn (née Bauman) Wein,[4] he lived in The Bronx until age 7, when he moved with his family to Levittown, New York, on Long Island. There he graduated from Division Avenue High School in 1966, and went on to an art degree from nearby Farmingdale State College.[5] Wein's younger brother, Michael, died in 2007.[4]

In a 2003 interview, Len Wein recalled having been "a very sickly kid. While I was in the hospital at age seven, my dad brought me a stack of comic books to keep me occupied. And I was hooked. When my eighth grade art teacher, Mr. Smedley, told me he thought I had actual art talent, I decided to devote all my efforts in that direction in the hope that I might someday get into the comics biz."[6]

Approximately once a month, as a teenager, Wein and his friend Marv Wolfman took DC Comics' weekly Thursday afternoon tour of the company's offices.[6] Wolfman was active in fanzine culture,[7] and together he and Wein produced sample superhero stories to show to the DC editorial staff. At that point, Wein was more interested in becoming an artist than a writer.[8] In a 2008 interview, Wein said his origins as an artist have helped him "describe art to an artist so that I can see it all in my own head", and claimed he "used to have artists, especially at DC, guys like Irv Novick and a few of the others, who would come into the office waiting for their next assignment and ask [editor] Julie Schwartz, 'Do you have any Len Wein scripts lying around? He's always easy to draw.'"[8]

Career

[edit]

DC editor Joe Orlando hired both Wolfman and Wein as freelance writers.[8] Wein's first professional comics story was "Eye of the Beholder" in DC's Teen Titans #18 (Dec. 1968), for which he co-created, with Wolfman, Red Star, the first official Russian superhero in the DC universe. Neal Adams was called upon to rewrite and redraw a Teen Titans story which had been written by Wein and Wolfman. The story, titled "Titans Fit the Battle of Jericho!", would have introduced DC's first African American superhero but was rejected by publisher Carmine Infantino.[9] The revised story appeared in Teen Titans #20 (April 1969).

Later that year, Wein was writing anthological mystery stories for DC's The House of Secrets and Marvel's Tower of Shadows and Chamber of Darkness. He additionally began writing for DC's romance comic Secret Hearts and the company's toyline tie-in Hot Wheels; Skywald Publications' horror-comics magazines Nightmare and Psycho and its short-lived Western comic books The Bravados and The Sundance Kid; and Gold Key Comics' Mod Wheels, Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery, the toyline tie-in Microbots,[10] and the TV-series tie-ins Star Trek and The Twilight Zone.

DC and Marvel Comics

[edit]

Wein's first superhero work for Marvel was a one-off story in Daredevil #71 (Dec. 1970) co-written with staff writer/editor Roy Thomas. Wein later began scripting sporadic issues of such DC superhero titles as Adventure Comics (featuring Supergirl and Zatanna), The Flash, and Superman, while continuing to write anthological mysteries, along with well-received stories for the semi-anthological occult title The Phantom Stranger #14–26 (Aug. 1971 – Sept. 1973).

Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson created the horror character the Swamp Thing in The House of Secrets #92 (July 1971).[11] Over the next several decades, the Swamp Thing would star in DC series and miniseries – including an initial 1972–76 series begun by Wein and Wrightson,[12] and the early 1980s The Saga of the Swamp Thing, edited by Wein and featuring early work by writer Alan Moore—as well as two theatrical films, and a syndicated television series. Abigail Arcane, a major supporting character in the character's mythos, was introduced by Wein and Wrightson in Swamp Thing #3 (March 1973).[13] Wein wrote the second story featuring Man-Thing (written circa May 1971, published in June 1972), introducing Barbara Morse and the concept that "Whatever Knows Fear Burns at the Man-Thing's Touch!", and later edited Steve Gerber's run on that title.

Wein wrote a well-regarded run of Justice League of America (issues #100–114) wherein, together with artist Dick Dillin, he re-introduced the Seven Soldiers of Victory in issues #100–102[14] and the Freedom Fighters in issues #107–108.[15] Libra, a supervillain created by Wein and Dillin in Justice League of America #111 (June 1974),[16] would play a leading role in Grant Morrison's Final Crisis storyline in 2008.

In the fall of 1972, Wein and writers Gerry Conway and Steve Englehart crafted a metafictional unofficial crossover spanning titles from both major comics companies. Each comic featured Englehart, Conway, and Wein, as well as Wein's first wife Glynis, interacting with Marvel or DC characters at the Rutland Halloween Parade in Rutland, Vermont. Beginning in Marvel's Amazing Adventures #16 (by Englehart with art by Bob Brown and Frank McLaughlin), the story continued in DC's Justice League of America #103 (by Wein, Dillin and Dick Giordano), and concluded in Marvel's Thor #207 (by Conway and penciler John Buscema).[17][18] As Englehart explained in 2010, "It certainly seemed like a radical concept and we knew that we had to be subtle (laughs) and each story had to stand on its own, but we really worked it out. It's really worthwhile to read those stories back to back to back – it didn't matter to us that one was at DC and two were at Marvel – I think it was us being creative, thinking what would be really cool to do."[19]

Wein co-created the Human Target with artist Carmine Infantino[20] and wrote the character's appearances as a backup feature in Action Comics, Detective Comics, and The Brave and the Bold. The character was adapted into a short-lived ABC television series starring Rick Springfield which debuted in July 1992,[21] and was briefly revived in 2010 for a two-season series on Fox that starred Mark Valley, Chi McBride, and Jackie Earle Haley.

He briefly wrote the "Batman" feature in Detective Comics and produced a storyline with artist Jim Aparo and in which Batman was framed for the murder of Talia al Ghul[22] and battled Sterling Silversmith for the first time.[23]

In the early 1970s, Wein began writing regularly for Marvel Comics. He succeeded Roy Thomas as editor-in-chief of the color-comics line in 1974, staying a little over a year before handing the reins to Wolfman. Remaining at Marvel as a writer, Wein had lengthy runs on Marvel Team-Up,[24] The Amazing Spider-Man,[25] The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Fantastic Four, as well as shorter runs on such titles as The Defenders[26] and "Brother Voodoo". Wein co-created Wolverine with artist John Romita Sr. during his run on The Incredible Hulk.[27] Wein's story "Between Hammer and Anvil" from The Incredible Hulk vol. 2, #182 (Dec. 1974) was later cited in Tony Isabella's book 1,000 Comics You Must Read.[28]

In 1975, he and artist Dave Cockrum revived the Stan Lee / Jack Kirby mutant-superhero team the X-Men after a half-decade's hiatus, reformatting the membership in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975).[29] Among the characters the duo created for the series were Nightcrawler, Storm, Colossus, and Thunderbird. Wein plotted the early "new X-Men" stories with artist Cockrum. These issues were then scripted as Uncanny X-Men #94-95 by Chris Claremont, who subsequently developed the title into one of Marvel's leading franchises. In 2009, Claremont said, "The history of modern comics would be incredibly different if you took [Wein's] contributions out of the mix. The fact he doesn't get credit for it half the time is disgraceful. We owe a lot of what we are – certainly on the X-Men – to Len and to Dave [Cockrum]".[30]

Return to DC

[edit]

In 1977, following an offer to script the "Batman" feature in Detective Comics, Wein left Marvel to work exclusively at DC Comics as a scriptwriter and editor.

Len Wein in July 1982

He scripted Batman and collaborated on Green Lantern with artists Dave Gibbons and Mark Farmer. On his first issue of Batman, #307 (Jan. 1979), he created Wayne Foundation executive Lucius Fox,[31] later portrayed by Morgan Freeman in the movies Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises. With artist Marshall Rogers, Wein co-created the third version of the supervillain Clayface in Detective Comics #478 (Aug. 1978).[32] He wrote The Untold Legend of the Batman, the first Batman miniseries, in 1980[33] and the following year wrote a DC-Marvel crossover between Batman and the Hulk in DC Special Series #27 (Fall 1981).[34] Pandora Pann was a proposed series by Wein and artist Ross Andru which was to have been published in 1982 but other commitments prevented Wein from writing it and the project was cancelled.[35] As editor, he worked on the first twelve-issue limited series Camelot 3000, and such successful series as The New Teen Titans, All-Star Squadron, Batman and the Outsiders, Who's Who in the DC Universe, and Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's acclaimed and highly influential Watchmen.[36] In 1986, he wrote a revival of the Blue Beetle,[37] two issues of the DC Challenge limited series,[38] and dialogued the miniseries Legends over the plots of John Ostrander.[39] The following year, Wein scripted the rebooted Wonder Woman series over penciller George Pérez's plots. With artist Steve Erwin, Wein co-created the superhero Gunfire.

Later career

[edit]

Following his second stint at DC and a move to the West Coast, Wein served as editor-in-chief of Disney Comics for three years in the early 1990s. After leaving Disney, Wein began writing and story editing for such animated television series as X-Men, Batman, Spider-Man, Street Fighter, ExoSquad, Phantom 2040, Godzilla, Pocket Dragon Adventures, ReBoot and War Planets: Shadow Raiders. In 2001, he and Wolfman wrote the screenplay Gene Pool for the production company Helkon, and later wrote a prequel to the screenplay for a one-shot comic book for IDW Publishing.

Wein collaborated with writer Kurt Busiek and artist Kelley Jones on the four-issue miniseries Conan: The Book of Thoth for Dark Horse Comics. He scripted the comics series The Victorian for Penny-Farthing Press and wrote comic-book stories for Bongo Comics' TV-series tie-ins The Simpsons and Futurama.

From 2005 to 2008, Wein appeared as a recurring panelist on the Los Angeles-based stage revival of the TV game show What's My Line? He wrote episodes of the Cartoon Network animated series Ben 10: Alien Force, Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, Ben 10: Omniverse[40] and the Marvel Super Hero Squad.[40]

Wein was interviewed for commentary tracks on comics-related DVDs, including the animated Justice League: The New Frontier film, the live-action Spider-Man, Fantastic Four and X-Men films, the X-Men Origins: Wolverine film, the Watchmen film, the Swamp Thing TV-series sets, the Human Target first season TV series, and the July 2008 History Channel specials Batman Unmasked and Batman Tech.[41]

He wrote the storyline for the Watchmen video game, The End Is Nigh, which serves as a backstory to both the comic and the film adaptation.[42]

Wein in 2011

Wein returned to comics writing for DC in the late 2000s,[43] where he collaborated in the DC Comics nostalgic event DC Retroactive writing stories for the one-shot specials Batman – The '70s (September 2011) drawn by Tom Mandrake[44] and Green Lantern – The '80s (October 2011) drawn by Joe Staton. The hardcover collection of his 10-issue DC Universe: Legacies was published in August 2011.[45] In 2012, Wein worked on the Before Watchmen project, writing the mini-series Ozymandias with art by Jae Lee and the serialized feature "Curse of the Crimson Corsair" with art by Watchmen colorist John Higgins.[46] The hardcover collection of the Ozymandias storyline spent several weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List in 2013.[47] In 2015, he and José Luis García-López produced Batman '66: The Lost Episode, a comics adaptation of a Two-Face story pitch by Harlan Ellison originally intended for the Batman television series.[48] In 2016, DC published a six-issue limited Swamp Thing series by Wein and artist Kelley Jones.

Personal life

[edit]

Wein's first wife was Glynis Oliver,[49] a comics colorist who spent years on the X-Men titles; they were married some time prior to 1972. Following their 1985 divorce,[50] he married Christine Valada, a photographer and attorney, in 1991, and became stepfather to Michael Bieniewicz-Valada.[1]

On April 6, 2009, Wein's California home burned down with considerable loss of property and mementos, including his Shazam Awards. He and his wife also lost their dog, Sheba, to the fire.[51] Beginning October 26, 2009, Valada appeared on and won the television game show Jeopardy!, becoming a four-time champion with winnings of over $60,000. She indicated on the show that she would use the money to recover or replace much of the artwork and books the couple lost in the fire.[52]

Wein underwent triple-bypass heart surgery on February 10, 2015.[53] He died on September 10, 2017.[1]

Awards

[edit]

Bibliography

[edit]

Bongo Comics

[edit]

Comico

[edit]

DC Comics

[edit]

Dark Horse

[edit]
  • Conan: The Book of Thoth #1–4 (with Kurt Busiek) (2006)

Defiant Comics

[edit]

Disney Comics

[edit]

Eclipse Comics

[edit]

Gold Key

[edit]

IDW Publishing

[edit]
  • Gene Pool OGN (with Marv Wolfman) (2003)

Image Comics

[edit]
  • 21 #1–3 (1996)
  • Cyberforce/Strykeforce: Opposing Forces #2 (with Steve Gerber) (1995)
  • Outlaw Territory (anthology) Volume 2 (2011)
  • Supreme Annual #1 (1995)

Marvel Comics

[edit]

Skywald Publications

[edit]
  • Blazing Six-Guns #1–2 (1971)
  • Bravados #1 (1971)
  • Nightmare #1 (1970)
  • Sundance Kid #1 (1971)

Warren Publishing

[edit]

Television

[edit]

References

[edit]

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Genzlinger, Neil (September 11, 2017). "Len Wein, Influential Comic Book Writer, Dies at 69". The New York Times. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  2. ^ "Past Recipients- 2000s". Comic-con International: San Diego. SAN DIEGO COMIC CONVENTION. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  3. ^ Wolfman, Marv (n.d.). "Speaking With Len Wein Part Two". MarvWolfman.com. Archived from the original on December 26, 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Michael S. Wein". Mesabi Daily News. Virginia, Minnesota. March 7, 2007. Archived from the original on September 12, 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  5. ^ Lovece, Frank (September 12, 2017). "Len Wein, 'Wolverine' comics co-creator, dies; ex-Levittown resident was 69". Newsday. New York City/Long Island. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  6. ^ a b Wolfman, Marv (March 30, 2003). "Speaking With... Len Wein". "What Th--?" (column). Comics Bulletin. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024.
  7. ^ Siegel, Howard P. "Made in America," BEM #16 (Dec. 1977).
  8. ^ a b c Stroud, Bryan D. (2008). "Len Wein Interview". The Silver Age Sage. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013.
  9. ^ Cronin, Brian (2009). Was Superman a Spy?: And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed. New York, New York: Plume. ISBN 9780452295322.
  10. ^ Friedt, Stephan (October 2014). "Here Come the Microbots". Back Issue! (76). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 11–13.
  11. ^ McAvennie 2010, p. 146: "Swamp Thing' was the name of Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson's turn-of-the-century tale, and its popularity with readers led a modernized version of the character into his own series a year later."
  12. ^ McAvennie 2010, p. 153: "Following his debut in House of Secrets #92 in 1971, the Swamp Thing grew into his own series, albeit with a reimagining of his origins by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson."
  13. ^ McAvennie 2010, p. 154: "Scribe Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson left Swamp Thing some company... the woman who would become Swamp Thing's soul mate, Abigail Arcane."
  14. ^ McAvennie 2010, p. 152: "Through an impromptu team-up of the JLA and the Justice Society on Earth-2, writer Len Wein and artist Dick Dillin ushered in the return of DC's Seven Soldiers of Victory."
  15. ^ McAvennie 2010, p. 156: "The annual Justice League-Justice Society get-together resulted in scribe Len Wein and artist Dick Dillin transporting both teams to the alternate reality of Earth-X. There, Nazi Germany ruled after winning a prolonged World War II and only a group of champions called the Freedom Fighters remained to oppose the regime."
  16. ^ McAvennie 2010, p. 160: "Through the words of scripter Len Wein and the art of Dick Dillin, the masked menace of Libra established himself as a grave threat to the World's Greatest Heroes."
  17. ^ Cronin, Brian (October 1, 2010). "Comic Book Legends Revealed #280". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on January 16, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  18. ^ Amazing Adventures #16 (Jan. 1973), Justice League of America #103 (Dec. 1972), and Thor #207 (Jan. 1973) at the Grand Comics Database
  19. ^ Larnick, Eric (October 30, 2010). "The Rutland Halloween Parade: Where Marvel and DC First Collided". ComicsAlliance. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  20. ^ McAvennie 2010, p. 153: "Starting as a back-up feature in the pages of Action Comics, scribe Len Wein and artist Carmine Infantino introduced Christopher Chance, a master of disguise who would turn himself into a human target – provided you could meet his price."
  21. ^ "Human Target". TV Guide. n.d. Archived from the original on February 5, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
  22. ^ Manning 2014, p. 118: "Len Wein and artist Jim Aparo began a five-issue uninterrupted storyline that was quite an event in 1975. In this interesting tale, Batman was framed for murder by his old enemy Ra's al Ghul."
  23. ^ Manning 2014, p. 118.
  24. ^ Manning & Cowsill 2012, p. 68.
  25. ^ Manning & Cowsill 2012, p. 85: "To signify the start of this new era Spider-Man's new regular chronicler writer Len Wein would come onboard with [The Amazing Spider-Man #151]."
  26. ^ DeAngelo, Daniel (July 2013). "The Not-Ready-For-Super-Team Players A History of the Defenders". Back Issue! (65). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 6–7.
  27. ^ Sanderson 2008, p. 167: "Len Wein wrote and Herb Trimpe drew Wolverine's cameo appearance in The Incredible Hulk #180 and his premiere in issue #181."
  28. ^ Buttery, Jarrod (February 2014). "Hulk Smash!: The Incredible Hulk in the 1970s". Back Issue! (70). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 11–12.
  29. ^ Sanderson 2008, p. 169: "[Editor Roy] Thomas realized that if X-Men was to be successfully revived, it needed an exciting new concept. Thomas came up with just such an idea: the X-Men would become an international team, with members from other countries as well as the United States. Writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum were assigned to the new project and the result was Giant-Size X-Men #1."
  30. ^ Krug, Kurt Anthony (April 22, 2009). "Legends: Chris Claremont". Mania.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2013.
  31. ^ McAvennie 2010, p. 180: "Batman #307 (Jan. 1979) Writer Len Wein and artist John Calnan introduced Bruce Wayne's new executive, Lucius Fox, in this issue of Batman."
  32. ^ McAvennie 2010, p. 179: "Writer Len Wein and artist Marshall Rogers vividly depicted Batman's battle with a third Clayface."
  33. ^ Manning 2010, p. 187: "Written by Len Wein, with art by John Byrne and Jim Aparo, The Untold Legend of the Batman... delved into the origin of the fabled Dark Knight."
  34. ^ Manning 2010, p. 195: "Written by Len Wein and illustrated by José Luis García-López, the comic saw... Batman and the Hulk doing battle with both the Joker and Marvel's ultra-powerful Shaper of Worlds."
  35. ^ Mangels, Andy (February 2011). "Opening the Box: Pandora Pann's Lost Adventures". Back Issue! (46). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 37.
  36. ^ Len Wein (editor) at the Grand Comics Database
  37. ^ Manning 2010, p. 219: "The Blue Beetle swung into his own DC series with the help of writer Len Wein and artist Paris Cullins."
  38. ^ Greenberger, Robert (August 2017). "It Sounded Like a Good Idea at the Time: A Look at the DC Challenge!". Back Issue! (98). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 36–43.
  39. ^ Manning 2010, p. 221: "DC's next big crossover showcased John Byrne's pencils on all six of the miniseries' issues. Entitled Legends, this new limited series was plotted by writer John Ostrander and scripted by Len Wein.... By the series' end, the stage was set for several new ongoing titles, including... the Suicide Squad, as well as the Justice League."
  40. ^ a b Rogers, Vaneta (May 18, 2010). "Len Wein Retells 75 Years of DCU History in Legacies". Newsarama. Archived from the original on December 25, 2013. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
  41. ^ Wein, Len (July 15, 2008). "Tivo Alert!". WeinWords. Archived from the original on December 29, 2013. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
  42. ^ Totilo, Stephen (July 23, 2008). "Watchmen Video Game Preview: Rorschach And Nite Owl Star In Subversive Prequel Set In 1970s". MTV News. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
  43. ^ "Dan Didio Talks Legacies, Who's Who". DC Comics. January 7, 2010. Archived from the original on December 26, 2013.
  44. ^ DC Retroactive: Batman – The '70s at the Grand Comics Database
  45. ^ Wein, Len (2011). DC Universe: Legacies. DC Comics. p. 336. ISBN 9781401231330.
  46. ^ Hyde, David (February 1, 2012). "DC Entertainment Officially Announces Before Watchmen". DC Comics. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  47. ^ "The New York Times Best Seller list Hardcover Graphic Books". The New York Times. July 28, 2013. Archived from the original on December 16, 2013.
  48. ^ Schedeen, Jesse (November 20, 2014). "Batman '66: The Lost Episode #1 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on November 23, 2014. Writer Harlan Ellison got as far as pitching a Two-Face-themed episode before the combination of the villain's gruesome appearance and Ellison's conflicts with ABC executives killed the idea. Decades later, that pitch has become the inspiration for this oversized Batman '66 comic.
  49. ^ Thomas, Roy. "Bullpen Bulletins". Marvel comics cover-dated January 1974.
  50. ^ "Glynis Oliver (b. 1949)". Grand Comics Database. Spouse - Len Wein (b. 1948). Notes: Divorced in 1985.
  51. ^ Evanier, Mark (April 6, 2009). "Dreadful News". News From ME. Archived from the original on September 17, 2015.
  52. ^ Valada, Christine. "Christine Valada". J-Archive.com. Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
  53. ^ Evanier, Mark (February 10, 2015). "A Public Plea". News From ME. Archived from the original on September 17, 2015.
  54. ^ "1972 Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac. n.d. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015.
  55. ^ "1973 Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac. n.d. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015.
  56. ^ a b c Miller, John Jackson (July 19, 2005). "GOETHE/COMIC FAN ART AWARD WINNERS, 1971-74". Comics Buyer's Guide. Archived from the original on September 20, 2010.
  57. ^ "Inkpot Award Winners". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012.
  58. ^ "Comics Buyer's Guide 1996 Annual". Krause Publications. 1995. pp. 30–31.
  59. ^ "Past Stoker Award Nominees & Winners". Horror Writers Association. n.d. Archived from the original on August 24, 2000.
  60. ^ Estrada, Jackie (July 31, 2008). "Jackie Estrada on the 2008 Eisner Awards". The Comics Reporter. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012.

Sources

[edit]
[edit]
Preceded by Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief
1974–1975
Succeeded by
Preceded by
n/a
Swamp Thing writer
1972–1974
Succeeded by
Preceded by Justice League of America writer
1972–1974
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas
The Incredible Hulk writer
1974–1977
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Gerry Conway
The Amazing Spider-Man writer
1975–1978
Succeeded by
Marv Wolfman
Preceded by Thor writer
1975–1978
(with Marv Wolfman in 1976)
Succeeded by
Roy Thomas
Preceded by
Mike Friedrich
Iron Man writer
1976
(with Roger Slifer in part of the run)
Succeeded by
Bill Mantlo
Preceded by
Gerry Conway
Fantastic Four writer
1977–1978
Succeeded by
Marv Wolfman
Preceded by Detective Comics writer
1978
Succeeded by
Preceded by Justice League of America editor
1979–1984
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Ross Andru
The Flash editor
1979–1982
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Ross Andru
Wonder Woman editor
1979–1982
Succeeded by
Marv Wolfman
Preceded by World's Finest Comics editor
1981–1982
Succeeded by
Mike W. Barr
Preceded by
n/a
The New Teen Titans editor
1980–1983
Succeeded by
Marv Wolfman and George Pérez
Preceded by
n/a
All-Star Squadron editor
1981–1982
Succeeded by
Roy Thomas
Preceded by
n/a
Saga of the Swamp Thing editor
1982–1984
Succeeded by
Preceded by
n/a
Watchmen editor
1986–1987
Succeeded by
Preceded by Wonder Woman writer
1987–1988
Succeeded by
George Pérez
Preceded by Justice League of America writer
2009–2009
Succeeded by