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
‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics
Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.
Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.
In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”
The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”
Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”
“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.
Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”
Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.
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Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover
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Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)
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Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)
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Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)
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Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)
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Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)
Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.
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