Print, in particular, has a way of memorializing real people in such a way that they never seem to die. It makes heroes of criminals and legends of cowards, but most of all, it makes it damned hard to tell fact from fiction. In Mark Gruenwald's case, the whole thing is true:
Renowned for his mastery of Marvel lore, Gruenwald worked in most capacities throughout his career in Comicdom: writer, penciller, editor, et.al. But he found his real calling in, according to most, the 12-issue limited series, Squadron Supreme; he is otherwise best known for his decade-long run on Captain America.
When Gruenwald suffered an unexpected heart attack at the young age of 43, most colleagues and co-workers first thought the reports of his death "greatly exaggerated," as Mark (or "Grueny," as he was sometimes called) was almost as well-known for his practical jokes as for his expansive knowledge of all things Marvel. But it was no joke; Grueny had, in fact, died.
His last request was to have his ashes ground into the ink used to print the tradepaperback edition of Squadron Supreme. About 4,000 copies were printed.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
A rambling melange of pop-culture.
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