Bill Mantlo Explained

Name.:Bill Mantlo
Birth Name:William Timothy Mantlo
Birth Place:Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Write:y
Awards:Eagle Award (1979)
Spouse:Karen Pocock
Birth Date:9 November 1951
Notable Works:Rocket Raccoon
Cloak and Dagger
Rom: Spaceknight
The Micronauts
The Incredible Hulk

William Timothy Mantlo (born November 9, 1951[1]) is an American comic book writer, primarily at Marvel Comics. He is best known for his work on two licensed toy properties whose adventures occurred in the Marvel Universe: Micronauts and Rom, as well as co-creating the characters Rocket Raccoon and Cloak and Dagger. An attorney who worked as a public defender, Mantlo was the victim of a hit-and-run accident in 1992 and has been in institutional care ever since.

Early life

Bill Mantlo was born in Brooklyn, New York City, the oldest of three sons of William W. and Nancy Mantlo.[2] Growing up as a comics fan, Mantlo attended Manhattan's High School of Art & Design. In college at the Cooper Union School of Art,[3] he focused on painting and photography. Following his graduation, Mantlo held various civil service positions and worked as a portrait photographer.

Career

Comics

A connection with a college friend in 1974 led Mantlo to a job as an assistant to Marvel Comics production manager John Verpoorten. Mantlo's first credits were as a colorist, on several comics cover-dated from October 1974 to April 1975. Soon afterward, Mantlo wrote a fill-in script for a Sons of the Tiger story in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, which led to a permanent writing position on that title.[4] While scripting Deadly Hands, Mantlo and artist George Pérez created White Tiger, comics' first superhero of Hispanic descent.[5]

Around this time, Marvel's then editor-in-chief Marv Wolfman instituted a policy to avoid the many missed deadlines plaguing the company. The policy was to have fill-in stories at the ready, should a title be in danger of missing its deadline.[6] Mantlo quickly became the "fill-in king", creating stories under very tight deadlines, many of which did find their way into print. Wolfman explained that Mantlo "was both good and fast and at that point didn't have a lot of regular assignments."[6] By the mid to late 1970s he had written issues of nearly every Marvel title.

Later, he became a regular writer at Marvel, notably for the licensed properties Micronauts[7] and Rom,[8] also known as Rom: Spaceknight. Mantlo recalled how one Christmas, he examined some action figures from Mego Corporation's Micronauts line, given to his son Adam. He said he began to envision the characters "as small, microscopic even, inhabiting an other-verse apart from, but conjunctive with ours," and specified that,

Mantlo convinced then-editor-in-chief Jim Shooter to obtain the comics license for these toys; Shooter then hired Mantlo to script their series.[9] Mantlo and artist Michael Golden created the Micronauts' backstory of history, mythology, personalities, and an alphabet.[10] Micronauts, along with Moon Knight and Ka-Zar the Savage, became one of Marvel's first ongoing series to be distributed exclusively to comic book stores beginning with issue #38 (Feb. 1982).[11]

Mantlo's first run on The Spectacular Spider-Man featured frequent appearances by the White Tiger. He used the series to wrap up unresolved plot elements from The Champions series[12] and wrote a multiple-issue storyline that included the first work by artist Frank Miller on the Daredevil character.[13] Mantlo concluded his first run on the series with a crossover with the Fantastic Four #218 (May 1980).[14] Mantlo, Mark Gruenwald, and Steven Grant co-wrote Marvel Treasury Edition #25 (1980) which featured a new story starring Spider-Man vs. the Hulk set at the 1980 Winter Olympics.[15]

While writing The Champions he collaborated with artist Bob Hall, who said in 2013, "Bill was a peach — very helpful to me as I got started [in the comics profession] ... I think we were both as enthusiastic as we could get about this particular comic, but more because we were working at Marvel than because of the book itself."[16]

Mantlo began writing The Incredible Hulk with issue #245 (March 1980). His five-year run on the series was noted for his depiction of the Hulk as highly emotional and humanized, rather than bestial and savage.[17] Among the adversaries he created for the series were the U-Foes[18] and the Soviet Super-Soldiers.[19] Summarizing his early years with the Hulk, Mantlo remarked, "I did retreads of old Hulk stories to try and find a new direction, and just kept doing more and more repetition of what had already happened. Then [editor] Al Milgrom said, ‘Well, don’t accept this. If you want to make changes, make them. Take some risks.’ That’s when we decided to give Hulk Bruce Banner’s intelligence. From that point on I felt as if I had finally had a direction and control over the character. So I guess I took a year and half or maybe two years to get to the point."[17] Mantlo and artist Ed Hannigan co-created the superhero pair Cloak and Dagger[20] in The Spectacular Spider-Man #64 (March 1982). Mantlo, Gruenwald, and Grant reunited to co-write Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions,[21] the first limited series published by Marvel Comics. Other work by Mantlo includes runs as the regular writer on Iron Man and Alpha Flight.

Public defender

By the mid-1980s, he was enrolled in law school. Though he continued writing for Marvel, his workload began to decrease due to disputes with management.[22] He wrote briefly for DC Comics in 1988, scripting the Invasion! miniseries.[23] By this time he had passed the bar exam, and in 1987 began working as a Legal Aid Society public defender in The Bronx.[24] [25]

Personal life

Mantlo was married to Karen Mantlo (née Pocock), for some years a letterer in the comics industry. They have a son, Adam, and a daughter, Corinna (born 1980).[26]

On July 17, 1992, Mantlo was struck by a car while rollerblading.[27] The driver of the car fled the scene and was never identified. Mantlo suffered severe head trauma. According to his biographer, cartoonist David Yurkovich, in 2006, "For a while Bill was comatose. Although no longer in a coma, the brain damage he suffered in the accident is irreparable. His activities of daily living are severely curtailed and he resides in a healthcare facility where he receives full-time care."[28]

When Marvel Studios produced Guardians of the Galaxy, they negotiated a compensation package for the rights to Rocket Raccoon. Mantlo's brother credited this arrangement for ensuring he would have care for the rest of his life. They also arranged for Mantlo to have private screenings of that film and its sequel.[29] [30]

Awards

Micronauts won the 1979 Eagle Award for Favourite New Comic Title.[31]

In 2014, Mantlo received the Bill Finger Award.[32]

Selected bibliography

Marvel Comics

Other publishers

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Comics Buyer's Guide #1636 (December 2007); page 135
  2. Web site: Bill Mantlo . Lee K. . Seitz . January 13, 2000 . Rom Spaceknight Revisited! (fan site) . https://web.archive.org/web/20110517105305/http://hiwaay.net/~lkseitz/comics/Rom/comic/mantlo.shtml . May 17, 2011 . live . February 2, 2009. mdy-all.
  3. "Micromails: Meet the Micro-Makers: Bill Mantlo," Micronauts #7 (Marvel Comics, July 1979).
  4. Interview with Bill Mantlo (via InnerspaceOnline.com) . BEM: The Comics News Fanzine . 24 . July 1979 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110211223900/http://www.innerspaceonline.com/BEM24-1.htm . February 11, 2011 . live . February 2, 2009. mdy-all.
  5. Book: Manning, Matthew K.. Gilbert. Laura, ed.. 1970s. Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. Dorling Kindersley. 2012. London, United Kingdom. 96. 978-0756692360. Hector Ayala, aka the White Tiger, had already made history as Marvel Comics' first Hispanic super hero. In [''Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man'' #9's] tale, by writer Bill Mantlo and penciler Sal Buscema, he would join Spider-Man's cast of recurring characters in both his identities..
  6. Eury. Michael. How I Defeated the Dreaded Deadline Doom. Back Issue!. 103 . 4. TwoMorrows Publishing. April 2018. Raleigh, North Carolina.
  7. Book: Sanderson, Peter. Peter Sanderson. Gilbert. Laura, ed.. 1970s. Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History. Dorling Kindersley. 2008. London, United Kingdom. 180. 978-0756641238. The Micronauts comics series, dating from January 1979, was based on toys made by the Japanese company Takara and distributed in the United States by the Mego Corporation..
  8. Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 191: "Prolific writer Bill Mantlo and artist Sal Buscema created a Marvel comics series and a whole mythology around Parker Brothers' toy 'ROM'."
  9. The Micronauts: Gil Kane Thinks Small (via InnerspaceOnline.com) . . 7 . . December 1981 . Stamford, Connecticut . https://web.archive.org/web/20110720132100/http://www.innerspaceonline.com/AH7.htm . July 20, 2011 . live . February 15, 2009. mdy-all.
  10. Lantz. James Heath. Inner-Space Opera: A Look at Marvel's Micronauts Comics. Back Issue!. 76. 41–54. TwoMorrows Publishing. October 2014. Raleigh, North Carolina.
  11. Catron. Michael. Michael Catron. Micronauts to be sold exclusively though comics shops. Amazing Heroes. 2. 22–23. Fantagraphics Books. July 1981. Stamford, Connecticut.
  12. Manning "1970s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 101: "Bill Mantlo was the regular scribe of both Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man and The Champions...The Champions had recently been cancelled, and Mantlo decided to tie up a few of the title's loose ends in his other comic."
  13. Book: Saffel, Steve. Spider-Man the Icon: The Life and Times of a Pop Culture Phenomenon. Titan Books. 2007. 978-1-84576-324-4. A Not-So-Spectacular Experiment. 73. Frank Miller was the guest penciler for The Spectacular Spider-Man #27, February 1979, written by Bill Mantlo. [The issue's] splash page was the first time Miller's [rendition of] Daredevil appeared in a Marvel story..
  14. Manning "1980s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 113: "In the conclusion to a tale that had begun in the pages of Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #42 (May), writer [Bill] Mantlo and artist John Byrne had the latest incarnation of the Frightful Four face off against their Fantastic counterparts.
  15. Manning "1980s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 113: "Spider-Man's fights with the Incredible Hulk were always popular with the fans, so Marvel decided to pitch the wall-crawler against the Hulk when the Mole Man and his gang of villains crashed the festivities of the prestigious Winter Olympics."
  16. Walker. Karen. 'We'll Keep on Fighting 'Til the End': The Story of the Champions. Back Issue!. 65. 20–23. TwoMorrows Publishing. July 2013. Raleigh, North Carolina.
  17. Shayer . Jason . February 2014 . Hulk Smash More!: The Incredible Hulk in the 1980s . Back Issue!. 70 . 50–63 . TwoMorrows Publishing. Raleigh, North Carolina.
  18. [Tom DeFalco|DeFalco, Tom]
  19. DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 201: "The Soviet Super-Soldiers, the Russian equivalent of the Avengers, were a team of super-powered individuals assembled by the Soviet government in this issue by writer Bill Mantlo and artist Sal Buscema."
  20. DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 207: "Cloak and Dagger's first appearance was written by Bill Mantlo and illustrated by Ed Hannigan. A socially conscious writer, Mantlo used the characters to address the problems of teenage runaways and the dangers of illegal drugs."
  21. DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 208: "Plotted by Mark Gruenwald, Steven Grant, and Bill Mantlo, and penciled by John Romita, Jr., Contest of Champions eventually saw print in June 1982."
  22. Kelly. Dave. Mantlo Wants Cloak and Dagger Back! Bill Mantlo's Fall From Grace. Amazing Heroes. 156. 48–50. Fantagraphics Books. January 1, 1989. Seattle, Washington.
  23. Book: Manning, Matthew K.. Dolan. Hannah, ed.. 1980s. DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. 2010. London, United Kingdom. 978-0-7566-6742-9. 235. Crossing over into dozens of titles, DC released the three-issue extra-length volumes of Invasion! by writers Keith Giffen and Bill Mantlo, with pencils by Giffen, Bart Sears, and Todd McFarlane..
  24. News: To the Editor: Grand Juries Can Defend Rights of the Accused. Bill. Mantlo. January 19, 1990. The New York Times. https://web.archive.org/web/20121110053237/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/19/opinion/l-grand-juries-can-defend-rights-of-the-accused-078290.html. November 10, 2012. live. mdy-all. February 15, 2009.
  25. Johnson. Dan. Marvel's Toy Story: Rom's Sal Buscema and Micronauts' Jackson Guice: A 'Pro2Pro' Interview. Back Issue!. 16. TwoMorrows Publishing. May 2006. Raleigh, North Carolina.
  26. Shooter, Jim. "Bullpen Bulletins", Iron Man #148 (July 1981) and other Marvel Comics titles published that month.
  27. Tragic Tale. Bill. Coffin. November 7, 2011. National Underwriter Life & Health. https://web.archive.org/web/20120103180045/http://www.lifehealthpro.com/2011/11/07/tragic-tale?page=4. January 3, 2012. dead. mdy-all. May 23, 2012.
  28. Web site: Friday with David Yurkovich . Greg . Hatcher . October 27, 2006 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20110911050551/http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2006/10/27/friday-with-david-yurkovich/ . September 11, 2011 . live . February 2, 2009. mdy-all.
  29. News: Mantlo . Mike . How Rocket Raccoon Rescued My Brother, Famed Marvel Writer Bill Mantlo (Guest Column) . 20 January 2023 . The Hollywood Reporter . 4 May 2017.
  30. News: Johnston . Rich . Talking To Michael Mantlo About Bill, Marvel And Rocket Raccoon . 20 January 2023 . Bleeding Cool News And Rumors . 25 February 2014 . en.
  31. Web site: Eagle Awards 1979 . Eagle Awards . https://web.archive.org/web/20120404025035/http://www.eagleawards.co.uk/category/previous-winners/1979/ . April 4, 2012 . dead. mdy-all.
  32. Web site: Finger Award - Robert Kanigher, Bill Mantlo, Jack Mendelsohn to Receive 2014 Bill Finger Award . 2014 . San Diego Comic-Con International . https://web.archive.org/web/20140329180343/http://comic-con.org/awards/bill-finger-award-node . March 29, 2014 . live. mdy-all.
  33. Issue #7 credits Mantlo as the writer of the "Cloak & Dagger" story but the issue was in fact wholly written by "Dr. Strange" writer Peter B. Gillis. The letters pages in later issues corrected this error.

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