| Cary Bates | |
|---|---|
Bates during an interview in 1974. |
|
| Born | 1948 [1] Pennsylvania |
| Nationality | American |
| Area(s) | Writer |
| Notable works | Action Comics Captain Atom Flash Superman |
Cary Bates (born 1948 in Pennsylvania) is an American comic book, animation television and film writer.
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Bates began submitting ideas for comic book covers to DC Comics at the age of 13, and a number of them were bought and published, the first as the cover to Superman #167 (February 1964). Bates began to sell stories to DC when he was 17.[2]
Bates is best known for his work for DC Comics on such titles as Action Comics, Captain Atom, The Flash, Legion of Super-Heroes and Superman. He began working for the publisher in 1963 and continued to do so up until the early 1990s. His other work includes the comic strips The Lone Ranger (1980–1983), Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1981–1983), and Disney's Gargoyles during the 1990s. In 2008 he returned after a more than 15 year absence to write True Believers, a limited series for Marvel Comics, about a team trying to get to the bottom of secrets and rumours in the Marvel Universe.[3]
Bates appeared in his own comics several times, along side superheroes like the Silver Age version of The Flash and the Justice League of America.
He also was head scriptwriter on the 1980s-1990s live action Superboy television series, and co-wrote (with Mario Puzo and John Briley) the 1992 film Christopher Columbus: The Discovery, produced by Superman: The Movie producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind.
Bates made a return writing Superman, this time as an Elseworlds story called Superman: The Last Family of Krypton, which was published in August 2010. Bates collaborated in the DC Comics nostalgic event DC Retroactive writing stories for the one-shot specials The Flash: the 1970s (with art by Benito Gallego and Sal Buscema), and Justice League of America: The 1970s (drwan by Gordon Purcell and Andy Smith), both released with September 2011 cover dates.[4]
Comics work include:
| Preceded by Leo Dorfman |
Action Comics writer 1972–1980 |
Succeeded by Marv Wolfman |
| Preceded by Len Wein |
The Flash writer 1972–1985 |
Succeeded by Mike Baron (The Flash vol.2) |
| Preceded by Elliot S! Maggin |
Superman writer 1974–1976 |
Succeeded by Gerry Conway |
| Preceded by Dennis O'Neil |
Justice League writer 1975 |
Succeeded by Elliot S! Maggin |
| Preceded by Gerry Conway |
Superman writer 1980–1984 |
Succeeded by Elliot S! Maggin & Bob Rozakis |
| Preceded by N/A |
Captain Atom writer 1987–1991 |
Succeeded by Kelly Puckett |