Bill Mantlo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bill Mantlo (born November 9, 1951) is an American comic-book writer, primarily at Marvel Comics, and an attorney, best-known for his work on two licensed toy properties whose adventures occurred in the Marvel Universe: the Eagle Award-winning Micronauts and the long-running Rom.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Career

Mantlo's early work at Marvel included a short stint as a colorist. He soon transitioned to writer, and by the mid- to late-1970s had written issues of nearly every Marvel title. Aside from the licensed properties Micronauts and Rom a.k.a. Rom: Spaceknight, his notable work included runs as regular writer on The Incredible Hulk, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Cloak and Dagger (starring two characters he created), and Alpha Flight.

By the mid-1980s, Mantlo was enrolled in law school. While continuing to write for Marvel, his workload began to decrease. He wrote briefly for DC Comics in 1988, scripting the Invasion! miniseries. By this time he had passed the bar exam and was engaged in full-time work as a public defender in New York City.

In 1992, Mantlo was struck by a car while rollerblading. He suffered severe head trauma and spent over a year in a coma. He has since been institutionalized and is not expected to fully recover.

[edit] Benefit

In May 2006, writer-artist David Yurkovich dedicated his 2004 graphic novel Less Than Heroes to Mantlo, and afterward created The Bill Mantlo Benefit Book project. Proceeds from the book, planned for a Spring 2007 release, are earmarked for the costs of maintaining Mantlo's daily care. It includes interviews with former industry colleagues including Marv Wolfman, Ed Hannigan, Tony Isabella, and George Pérez; an introduction by Mantlo's brother, Michael Mantlo; and previously unpublished Mantlo fiction, including a short comics story entitled Aftermath, which Yurkovich is illustrating.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Gerry Conway
Thor writer
1975
Succeeded by
Len Wein
Preceded by
Roger Slifer & Len Wein
Iron Man writer
1976
Succeeded by
Archie Goodwin
Preceded by
Gerry Conway
Iron Man writer
1977–1978
(with Gerry Conway in early 1977)
Succeeded by
Bob Layton & David Michelinie
Preceded by
Steven Grant
Incredible Hulk writer
1980–1985
Succeeded by
John Byrne
Preceded by
Steve Gerber
Howard the Duck writer
1979–1981
Succeeded by
Steven Grant