Mark Gruenwald (June 18, 1953 — August 12, 1996) was an American comic book writer and editor known for his extensive work at Marvel Comics. He edited many titles but was particularly associated with The Avengers, where he edited more than 80 issues of the main book and launched its first spinoff title, West Coast Avengers. In the late 1980s he was promoted to Marvel's executive editor, with a particular focus on maintaining continuity throughout the huge line, thanks to his encyclopedic knowledge of comic book history.
As a writer, he spent ten years writing Captain America, building up the comic's supporting cast and rogue's gallery. He also wrote the 12-issue Squadron Supreme limited series, one of the earliest Deconstructions of superheroes before Watchmen came out.
Sadly, Gruenwald died from a heart attack when he was only 43 years old. At his request, he was cremated and his remains would be merged with the ink to print the trade paperback of Squadron Supreme volume 1.
Selected bibliography
- Captain America
- The Avengers
- The Mighty Thor
- Spider-Woman
- Fantastic Four
- What If?
- Quasar
- Squadron Supreme
- Silver Surfer
- New Mutants
- D.P. 7
Tropes Demonstrated in his Works:
- Creator Thumbprint: He apparently loved his home state Wisconsin. In Captain America, he made the villain Sidewinder a Wisconsinite, while his hero Quasar also hailed from "America's Dairyland". His love for Wisconsin really showed in D.P.7., as most of the early issues were set there, and many of the characters were from Wisconsin.
