Comics
“Ghost Rider” Co-creator Gary Friedrich Has Passed Away
Gary Friedrich, the co-creator of Marvel’s “Ghost Rider” and “Son of Satan”, has died at 75 of complications from Parkinson’s Disease, reports Heat Vision.
The writer was a childhood friend of Marvel writer and editor Roy Thomas, who announced the death of Friedrich, shared on Facebook by Friedrich’s Marvel contemporary, Tony Isabella. According to Thomas, “[O]ne of my oldest and dearest friends, Gary Friedrich, passed away last night, from the effects of Parkinson’s, which he had had for several years. That and his near-total hearing loss had left him feeling isolated in recent years, and his wife Jean seems content that he is finally at peace.”
Writes the site:
Thomas recommended Friedrich as a freelancer to Charlton Comics editor Dick Giordano in the early 1960s. After breaking in with stories for the independent publisher’s romance comics line, he moved on to work with Sam Grainger and Steve Ditko for Charlton’s superhero comics, including dialoging the first appearances of the Blue Beetle.
At the same time, Friedrich had started writing for Marvel, initially providing stories for its western line including Rawhide Kid and the western incarnation of Ghost Rider. From there, he branched out into the publisher’s war comics, including issues of Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos and Combat Kelly and the Deadly Dozen, as well as occasional contributions to its superhero line throughout the late 1960s.
By far his most well-known contributions to Marvel come in its nascent horror line of the early 1970s; in addition to his work adapting Mary Shelley’s novel into comics as Monster of Frankenstein with artist Mike Ploog, the two collaborated to create Johnny Blaze, the motorcycle-riding demon known as (the second) Ghost Rider in 1973. The first issue of Blaze’s series also introduced Daimon Hellstrom, also known as the Son of Satan, who would go on to become a recurring character throughout the Marvel Universe in subsequent years.
Friedrich’s part in the creation of Ghost Rider would be a point of conflict between himself and Marvel in later years, with the writer filing suit against Marvel, Sony Pictures, Columbia TriStar Motion Pictures, Hasbro and other companies in 2007 alleging that the character had been exploited without his permission, and that both film and merchandizing rights had reverted to him in 2001. The case was ruled in Marvel’s favor in late December 2011, and upon appeal, the two sides settled in 2013.
Comics
‘Curse of the Where Wolf’ Bites Into August Release With Trio of Werewolf Theatrical Screenings [Exclusive Preview]
Larry Chaney‘s hairy misadventures are continuing in the sequel graphic novel Curse of the Where Wolf from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese, and Jack Morelli, and its author is celebrating with a trio of horror’s greatest werewolf films.
The Curse of the Where Wolf hits shelves on August 7 from Encyclopocalypse Publications.
That coincides with the launch of a theatrical screening event in Houston, Texas, featuring a trio of seminal werewolf flicks turning 45 this year: The Howling on August 7, Wolfen on August 14, and An American Werewolf in London on August 21.
Each screening features a “werewolf in film” presentation as well as a book signing from Where Wolf author and River Oaks Theatre artistic director Rob Saucedo.
In the new graphic novel, “Being a werewolf sucks. Reporter Larry Chaney wanted to be a hero. Instead, he became a werewolf. Now, caught between incredible new powers and a desire to eat everything (and everyone) in sight, Larry must find a cure for his curse. Or die trying.”
“With Where Wolf, I wanted to tell a whodunit set in a furry convention, so the story was pretty contained within a very specific setting and genre. With Curse of the Where Wolf, I wanted to celebrate everything I love about the possibility of comic books. Curse of the Where Wolf is a funny book, in every sense of the phrase, but it’s also an earnest look at a person’s struggle to become a better version of themselves, especially when the alternative is to become a literal monster,” Saucedo says of Curse.
The original graphic novel was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on Fangoria before being collected by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2023 and has already been optioned for film, podcast, and television development ahead of launch by producers James Fino (“The Freak Brothers” for Tubi, “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim) and Charles Horak (First Date for Magnolia Pictures).
Expect Larry to find himself in even weirder situations in the 362-page full color sequel; Saucedo has provided Bloody Disgusting with exclusive art pages from the upcoming graphic novel that showcase lupine humor.
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