Linda Fite

Linda Fite is an American writer and editor who wrote the entire run of the Marvel Comics series The Cat (including the never-published fifth issue).^[1]

Fite was hired by Marvel as an editorial assistant/production assistant. Though she continually appealed to editor Roy Thomas for writing assignments,^[1] from 1968–1971 the only writing jobs she was given were short back-up features in The Uncanny X-Men and Rawhide Kid. In 1972 she got her first offer to be a regular writer, on Claws of the Cat, an early and unsuccessful attempt to appeal to female superhero comic readers. It was not a flattering assignment; Fite was selected only because Marvel's editorial staff felt a series targeted towards female readers should have a female creative team, and she found the character unappealing: "I thought, 'A cat? Oh, my God, how original. We’ll have a woman and we’ll call her Cat and she can be in catfights.' But I was just happy to have the chance to do it."^[1] She infused the series with a woman's liberation tone, but it was cancelled after only four issues due to poor sales.^[1]

Other stories she wrote included a fill-in issue of Night Nurse. While serving as an assistant to Marvel editor-in-chief Stan Lee, she helped bring fledgling artist Barry Windsor-Smith to the company by responding with an encouraging note to some art he had sent to the Marvel offices. The note prompted Smith and a friend to fly from England and camp out near the Marvel Comics offices.^[2] She also wrote and illustrated a one-page story for an East Coast independent/underground comic published by Flo Steinberg, Big Apple Comix (Sept. 1975).

Fite works for the Times Herald-Record, a daily newspaper based in Middletown, New York.^[3]

Fite was married to Marvel Comics artist Herb Trimpe,^[4] with whom she has three children.^[5]

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