Howard the Duck Creator Dead at 60

Steve Gerber, creator of the cigar-champing quacker, Howard the Duck, as well as Omega the Unknown, has died. He was 60 years old.

Gerber suffered from pulmonary fibrosis, an illness which involves scarring of the lungs, and died from complications due to the disease. The precise cause(s) for the illness are unknown, though it has been linked to cigarette smoking - among many other possibilities. The comics creator has been suffering from the disease for many years.

Entering the comics field as an editor in 1972, Steve Gerber's Howard the Duck became a cult hit upon its release in 1976. He split with Marvel Comics in 1978 and sued them for the rights to the character. The factions settled out of court. Gerber had very little involvement in the movie. Gerber also worked in TV on the shows G.I. Joe and Dungeons & Dragons. He was working on a revival of DC's Dr. Fate at the time of his death.

Gerber's Omega the Unknown was recently revived by New York Times bestselling author, David Lapham, and is one of the better series I've read in the past couple of years. I have only received the first four issues (and only read the first three), but I plan to review it soon. Howard the Duck was also recently revived.

Our deepest condolences go out to his friends and family.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008