by Michael Brown, staff writer
Marvin Arthur “Marv” Wolfman (born May 13, 1946) is an American comic book writer, best known for his lengthy run on Marvel Comics’ The Tomb of Dracula, for which he and artist Gene Colan created the vampire-slayer Blade, and DC Comics’ long-running and highly popular The New Teen Titans.
Wolfman was born in Brooklyn to a police officer father and a hard-working housewife. He attended New York’s School of Art and Design, hoping to be a cartoonist. His decades-long career saw him working with both Marvel and DC. While at Marvel, he and comics legend Gene Colan created The Tomb of Dracula, one of the most successful horror comics in the history of the comic book industry. Wolfman created the character of the vampire-hunting Blade for Tomb, whom Wesley Snipes would later portray on the big screen. While at Marvel, Wolfman would go on to create Daredevil’s arch-nemesis Bullseye in Daredevil #131, create the alter ego of Jessica Drew for Spider-Woman, had Peter Parker propose to Mary Jane Watson for the first time (she would refuse in the following issue) in his first issue of Amazing Spider-Man, and introduced Felicia Hardy a.k.a The Black Cat in Amazing Spider-Man #194 (July 1979).
After a dispute with Marvel, Wolfman found a home at DC where he would relaunch, along with George Perez, the Teen Titans as The New Teen Titans, and was the book that introduced Slade Wilson, a.k.a. Deathstroke the Terminator, a bit of trivia that fans of the hit CW series Arrow might be interested to know. It would be the classic team of Wolfman and Perez who would chronicle DC’s Crisis on Infinite Earths, a 12-issue mini series that celebrated DC’s 50th anniversary, and sought to clear up the confusion that DC’s multiverse was causing storytelling. Other DC credits involve reinventing Lex Luthor for the Superman mythos, and creating the character of Tim Drake, the third Robin.
Marv Wolfman is married to Noel Watkins and they have a daughter, Jessica Morgan.
We at SCIFI.radio wish Mr. Wolfman a very happy birthday and many good years to come!
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Michael Brown is a comics nerd and a father who lives in small town Tennessee. When he’s not making his players mad in his “Shadowrun” RPG or experimenting with new and inventive uses of duct tape on his children, you can find him checking out the latest comics and movies for SCIFI.radio!
