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Darwyn Cooke (November 16, 1962 – May 14, 2016) was a Canadian
comics artist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and g ...
, writer,
cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and ...
, and animator who worked on the comic books ''
Catwoman Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she ...
'', '' DC: The New Frontier'', ''
The Spirit The Spirit is a fictional masked crimefighter created by cartoonist Will Eisner. He first appeared June 2, 1940, as the main feature of a 16-page, tabloid-sized, newsprint comic book insert distributed in the Sunday edition of Register and Trib ...
'' and '' Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter''. His work has been honoured with numerous Eisner,
Harvey Harvey, Harveys or Harvey's may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Harvey'' (play), a 1944 play by Mary Chase about a man befriended by an invisible anthropomorphic rabbit * Harvey Awards ("Harveys"), one of the most important awards ...
, and
Joe Shuster Award The Joe Shuster Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards (or Joe Shuster Awards) are given out annually for outstanding achievements in the creation of comic books, graphic novels, webcomics, and comics retailers and publishers by Canadians. The awards, ...
s.


Early life

Darwyn Cooke was born in Toronto on November 16, 1962. Cooke's father was a construction worker and later ran a union. Cooke's interest in creating comics began after watching ''
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
'' starring Adam West. Cooke's grandmother saved some of his earliest drawings, at 5 years old, of Batman and Robin in crayon on construction paper, with Cooke keeping them after her death. He discovered comics as a child, but did not become passionate about them until he was a teenager. Cooke's desire to be an artist crystallized at 13 years old after reading a reprint of ''Spectacular Spider-Man'' #2, with Cooke purchasing markers and boards the day after reading the comic and attempting to copy John Romita's artwork. The following week, Cooke purchased ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
'' #439, featuring the story "Night of the Stalker," and had found his calling. Cooke also recalled tracing panels of
Will Eisner William Erwin Eisner (March 6, 1917 – January 3, 2005) was an American cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur. He was one of the earliest cartoonists to work in the American comic book industry, and his series ''The Spirit'' (1940–1952) was no ...
's ''
The Spirit The Spirit is a fictional masked crimefighter created by cartoonist Will Eisner. He first appeared June 2, 1940, as the main feature of a 16-page, tabloid-sized, newsprint comic book insert distributed in the Sunday edition of Register and Trib ...
'' as a teenager. He attributed the ability to develop his own style as a byproduct of limited entertainment choices, allowing him to focus on deconstructing the comics that inspired him. His father, however, did not think that comics were a good avenue for a career. Cooke attended
George Brown College George Brown College is a public, fully accredited college of applied arts and technology with three campuses in downtown Toronto (Ontario, Canada). Like many other colleges in Ontario, GBC was chartered in 1966 by the government of Ontario and ...
, but was expelled after a year.


Career

In 1985, Cooke left his family on his own for the first time in order to show his samples at
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
' New York City offices. The trip resulted in his first published comic book work as a professional artist in a five-page crime story in DC Comics' ''
New Talent Showcase ''Showcase'' is a comic anthology series published by DC Comics. The general theme of the series was to feature new and minor characters as a way to gauge reader interest in them, without the difficulty and risk of featuring untested characters i ...
'' #19, which was coincidentally edited by "Night of the Stalker" artist
Sal Amendola Sal Amendola (born 1948, in Italy) is an Italian American comics artist and teacher primarily known for his association with DC Comics. Career Sal Amendola graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 1969 with the school’s then offered 3-year ...
. Economic pressure, however, made Cooke leave comics, as he was only paid $35 per page and produced one page a week. Deciding that comics was not an economically feasible job, Cooke worked in Canada as a magazine
art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...
,
graphic Graphics () are visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone, to inform, illustrate, or entertain. In contemporary usage, it includes a pictorial representation of data, as in design and manufacture, ...
and
product design Product design as a verb is to create a new product to be sold by a business to its customers. A very broad coefficient and effective generation and development of ideas through a process that leads to new products. Thus, it is a major aspect of n ...
er for the next 15 years. He eventually established his own design studio.


Animation


DC animated universe

In the early 1990s, Cooke decided to return to comics, but found little interest for his work at the major publishers. Eventually, he was hired by
Warner Bros. Animation Warner Bros. Animation Inc. is an American animation studio which is part of the Warner Bros. Television Studios division of Warner Bros., a flagship of Warner Bros. Discovery. As the successor to Warner Bros. Cartoons, which was active from 19 ...
after replying to an ad for
storyboard artist A storyboard artist (sometimes called a story artist or visualizer) creates storyboards for advertising agencies and film productions. Work A storyboard artist visualizes stories and sketches frames of the story. Quick pencil drawings and mark ...
s in ''
The Comics Journal ''The Comics Journal'', often abbreviated ''TCJ'', is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels. Known for its lengthy interviews with comic creators, pointed editorials and scathing re ...
'' placed by animator
Bruce Timm Bruce Walter Timm (born February 5, 1961) is an American artist, animator, writer, and producer. He has contributed to building the modern DC Comics animated franchise, most notably '' Batman: The Animated Series'' (1992–1995) and the subseque ...
, with Cooke shocked that there were positions available. His successful pitch included 14 pages that eventually would be published in 2000 as ''Batman: Ego''. Originally freelancing from Toronto, Cooke met his animation colleagues at
San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is co ...
and was approached about moving to Los Angeles full-time. Despite no desire to live in Los Angeles, Cooke moved there to take advantage of "an opportunity to be a part of something that was never going to come around again this way," the ability to associate with creators such as Bruce Timm,
Paul Dini Paul McClaran Dini (; born August 7, 1957) is an American screenwriter and comic creator. He has been a producer and writer for several Warner Bros. Animation/DC Comics animated series, most notably '' Batman: The Animated Series'' (1992–19 ...
, Alan Burnett, and
Eric Radomski Eric Radomski is a producer best known as co-creator and co-producer of '' Batman: The Animated Series''. He has also acted as producer for '' Spawn: The Animated Series'', '' Freakazoid!'', ''Xiaolin Showdown'', ''Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue ...
. Cooke worked as a storyboard artist for four episodes of ''
The New Batman Adventures ''The New Batman Adventures'' (often shortened as ''TNBA'') is an American superhero animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, which aired on Kids' WB from September 13, 1997 to January 16, 1999. Produced by Warner Bro ...
'' as well as a handful of episodes of '' Superman: The Animated Series''. In 1999, he designed and animated the opening sequence for ''
Batman Beyond ''Batman Beyond'' (known as ''Batman of the Future'' outside the United States) is an American superhero animated television series developed by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Alan Burnett. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation in collaborati ...
''. In contrast to most cartoon openings—which adapt music to a finalized group of shots—''Batman Beyond'''s visuals were specifically cut to suit the music, after Cooke's successful pitch of the concept to Bruce Timm. Surprisingly, Cooke employed his personal Macintosh computer in his spare bedroom and
Adobe After Effects Adobe After Effects is a digital visual effects, motion graphics, and compositing application developed by Adobe Inc., and used in the post-production process of film making, video games and television production. Among other things, After Eff ...
for most of the animation, as opposed to Warner Bros.' resources. According to Cooke, the ''Batman Beyond'' team created a strong show in light of what he considered "kind of a disheartening mandate from the network," which wanted a show about the Batman of the future. He believed the
WB Network The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture between the Warner Bros. ...
ultimately disliked the show's level of violence and prematurely ended the show once it could be syndicated. Cooke then worked as a director for Sony Animation's '' Men in Black: The Series'' for a year. In April 2014, Cooke released a ''Batman Beyond'' animated short celebrating the 75th anniversary of Batman.


''Justice League: The New Frontier''

In July 2006, it was announced that Warner Bros. Animation and DC Comics would release a series of direct-to-DVD
DC Universe Animated Original Movies The DC Universe Animated Original Movies (DCUAOM; also known as DC Universe Original Movies or DC Universe Movies or DC Animated Movies) are a series of American direct-to-video superhero animated films based on the DC Comics characters and sto ...
based on important DC comic books. Due to the adamance of DC's then-Senior Vice-president of Creative Affairs Gregory Noveck, the second film to be adapted was Cooke's '' DC: The New Frontier'', produced by Bruce Timm. Due to Cooke's obligations on ''The Spirit'', Stan Berkowitz wrote the film, while Cooke storyboarded ten percent of the film, rewrote and polished dialogue, as well as provided art direction and most of the character design. Cooke praised both Berkowitz and Timm for their ability to preserve many important character moments within the necessary shortening of the story to accommodate the film's runtime, shifting the movie's focus specifically to the
Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
characters. During the scripting process, Cooke intervened to preserve both
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
and
Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning journalist for ...
's places in the film, which had originally been eliminated due to time constraints. Without them, Cooke joked that "We might as well just rename this 'White Guys in the '50s,' because everything else is gone," describing the women as "the heart of the story." Cooke also admitted fearing for the film's outcome until he learned that his former Warner colleague David Bullock would be directing it, praising Bullock as "probably the only person in the world I would have picked ahead of myself to direct it." He also credited his strong previous relationships at Warner Bros. with his comfort on the project.


DC Comics

In the late 1990s, DC Comics art director
Mark Chiarello Mark Chiarello is an American illustrator, art director and comic book editor. Born on Halloween in 1960, he attended Pratt Institute in the 1980's. Career As a comic book illustrator, Chiarello painted the Batman graphic novel Batman/Houdini: T ...
discovered Cooke's years-old proposal for a Batman story while throwing out old pitches, and hired Cooke for what became the 2000
graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
''Batman: Ego'', marking Cooke's permanent move from animation to comics at 37 years old. Described by Cooke as "What if Batman and Bruce Wayne were able to sit down and talk about what it is they do?", the internal dialogue of ''Batman: Ego'' between Bruce Wayne and Batman was inspired by the 1981 film '' My Dinner with Andre''.


Catwoman

In 2001, Cooke and writer
Ed Brubaker Ed Brubaker (; born November 17, 1966) is an American comic book writer, cartoonist and screenwriter who works primarily in the crime fiction genre. He began his career with the semi-autobiographical series '' Lowlife'' and a number of serials i ...
revamped the
Catwoman Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she ...
character. They started with a four-issue serial "Trail of the Catwoman" in ''Detective Comics'' #759–762 in which private detective
Slam Bradley Samuel Emerson "Slam" Bradley is a fictional character that has appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics. He is a private detective who exists in DC's main shared universe. The character concept was created by DC Comics founde ...
attempts to investigate the death of Selina Kyle (a.k.a. Catwoman). According to Cooke, he and Brubaker bonded over the re-introduction of Bradley, who first appeared in 1937's ''Detective Comics'' #1 and pre-dated the super-hero era of comics. The story led into a new ''Catwoman'' title in late 2001 by Brubaker and Cooke, in which the character's costume, supporting cast, and modus operandi were all redesigned and redeveloped. Cooke would stay on the series until issue #4. In 2002, he would write and draw the ''Selina's Big Score'' prequel which detailed what had happened to the character directly before her new series. Cooke regarded ''Selina's Big Score'' as the "single thing I did that I liked the most." While developing '' DC: The New Frontier'', Cooke also drew a short Catwoman back-up story within 2002's '' Just Imagine Stan Lee with Chris Bachalo creating Catwoman''. An untold story concept Cooke held onto involved the return and revenge of Catwoman's betrayed ex-lover Stark in a similar manner to the lead character of the film ''
Point Blank Point-blank range is any distance over which a certain firearm can hit a target without the need to compensate for bullet drop, and can be adjusted over a wide range of distances by sighting in the firearm. If the bullet leaves the barrel paral ...
''.


''DC: The New Frontier''

Cooke's next project was 2004's ''DC: The New Frontier'', a six-issue
miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...
which bridged the gap between the end of the
golden Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall * Golden Cap, Dorset *Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestershi ...
and the start of the
silver age of comic books The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and widespread commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those featuring the superhero archetype. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an int ...
in the
DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lant ...
. Cooke began brainstorming ''The New Frontier'' after completing ''Batman: Ego'' and being steered by Mark Chiarello to do a Justice League story. Preferring not to write a story tied to modern continuity or with short-term consequences, Cooke quickly realized he had little interest in writing about the Justice League unless the focus was on "who they were before they became the Justice League." The story, set in the 1950s, featured dozens of super-heroes and drew inspiration from the period's comic books and movies as well as
Tom Wolfe Thomas Kennerly Wolfe Jr. (March 2, 1930 – May 14, 2018)Some sources say 1931; ''The New York Times'' and Reuters both initially reported 1931 in their obituaries before changing to 1930. See and was an American author and journalist widely ...
's non-fiction account of the start of the U.S. space program '' The Right Stuff'' and the novels of
James Ellroy Lee Earle "James" Ellroy (born March 4, 1948) is an American crime fiction writer and essayist. Ellroy has become known for a telegrammatic prose style in his most recent work, wherein he frequently omits connecting words and uses only short, ...
due to Ellroy's skill in weaving fictional characters into real history. The major DC characters are introduced in ''The New Frontier'' in the same order that DC originally published them, even down to the correct month and year in the story's timeline. For the book's visual style, Cooke was inspired by 1950s advertising along with the works of
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
'
Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He gr ...
and
Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...
's
Alex Toth Alexander Toth (June 25, 1928 – May 27, 2006) was an American cartoonist active from the 1940s through the 1980s. Toth's work began in the American comic book industry, but he is also known for his animation designs for Hanna-Barbera throughout ...
. As Cooke formulated ''The New Frontier'', DC's editorial board pushed major changes from Cooke's original concept including accommodations for DC Comics' present-day continuity; the mandated changes were undone by
Paul Levitz Paul Levitz (; born October 21, 1956) is an American comic book writer, editor and executive. The president of DC Comics from 2002–2009, he worked for the company for over 35 years in a wide variety of roles. Along with publisher Jenette Kahn ...
, who allowed Cooke to preserve his original intent both by setting the story out of continuity as well as offering Cooke an advance payment on his work. Cooke subsequently worked on ''Catwoman'' and ''Selina's Big Score'' before returning to work on ''The New Frontier''. Cooke employed non-linear narrative that increasingly tied together toward the conclusion, likening the approach to films like '' Memento'', ''
Pulp Fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Vin ...
'', and ''
The Limey ''The Limey'' is a 1999 American crime film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Lem Dobbs. The film features Terence Stamp, Lesley Ann Warren, Luis Guzmán, Barry Newman, Nicky Katt, and Peter Fonda. The plot concerns an English career ...
''. Cooke placed a significant focus on
Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...
Hal Jordan, intending to illustrate "why the character was cool" in light of the character's dramatic changes in the 1994 " Emerald Twilight" story arc, which he regarded as a wholly out-of-place gimmick for Jordan to merely boost sales. To be accurate regarding Jordan's role as a
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
pilot, Cooke spoke with two fighter pilots as well as fellow comic writer & artist
Mike Allred Michael Dalton Allred is an American comic book artist and writer most famous for his independent comics creations, ''Madman'' and ''iZombie''. His style is often compared to pop art, as well as commercial and comic art of the 1950s and 1960s ...
, who had previously been stationed in Germany while serving in the Air Force. While clarifying that he did not approve of
John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
's personal flaws, Cooke cited Kennedy's 1960 "New Frontier" speech—which both inspired the title and concluded the book—as "the first time he promise of modern Americawas ever properly articulated." For 2006's collected
Absolute Edition DC Comics Absolute Edition is a series of archival quality printings of graphic novels published by DC Comics and its imprints WildStorm Productions and Vertigo. Each is presented in a hardcover and slipcased edition with cloth bookmark consisting ...
of the series, Cooke proposed including up to 48 additional pages, later negotiated down to 13 in order to hit a 400-page page count. The additional material provided more backstory for
The Flash The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...
and J'onn J'onnz, as well as the
Suicide Squad The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...
on Dinosaur Island. Cooke admitted surprise at this deluxe edition being released so soon after the original release due to retailer demand, citing a three-year wait for an Absolute Edition of
Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including '' Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', '' The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and '' From He ...
's ''
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'' (''LoEG'') is a comic book series (inspired by the 1960 British film ''The League of Gentlemen'') co-created by writer Alan Moore and artist Kevin O'Neill which began in 1999. The series spans four volum ...
''. In a 2014 interview, ''New Frontier'' co-editor Chiarello named the book as the work he was the most proud of his involvement in, calling it "as pure a comic-reading experience as any comic that's ever been published."


Other projects

In 2004, Cooke also contributed to DC's artist-centric anthology project ''
Solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Comics * ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series * Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...
''. His issue (#5, Aug. 2005) featured several different stories in different styles with a framing sequence featuring Slam Bradley, and was originally intended by Cooke to be his final mainstream comic before other palatable DC projects pulled him back. In 2006, ''Solo'' #5 won an Eisner Award for " Best Single Issue." In November 2006, Cooke and writer
Jeph Loeb Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III () is an American film and television writer, producer and comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series ''Smallville'' and ''Lost'', writer for the films '' Commando'' and ''Teen Wolf'', and a writer and ...
produced a '' Batman/The Spirit''
intercompany crossover In comic books, an intercompany crossover (also called cross-company or company crossover) is a comic or series of comics in which characters, that at the time of publication are the property or licensed property of one publisher, meet character ...
. This was followed in December by an ongoing ''Spirit'' series written and drawn by Cooke. At the time, Cooke considered ''The Spirit'' "the most exciting and horrifying offer I'd been made in my career," and later described himself as "incredibly reluctant to step into 'Spirit'' creator WillEisner's shoes," despite it "paining him" when he was younger that he might never professionally draw the character. Cooke also expressed regret that he—while having met Will Eisner in the past—never got to consult with Eisner specifically for ''The Spirit''; Eisner had died in 2005. Along with adding new characters such as Ginger Coffee and Hussein Hussein, Cooke revised Ellen Dolan and Ebony White, in particular discarding White's exaggerated
blackface Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non-Black people to portray a caricature of a Black person. In the United States, the practice became common during the 19th century and contributed to the spread of racial stereo ...
-inspired appearance and dialect. In June 2007, Cooke and
J. Bone J. Bone is a Canadian comic book artist and writer who has worked on such titles as DC Comics' '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold'' and ''Super Friends''. He was the inker on the one-shot '' Batman/The Spirit''. Early work J.Bone's first publi ...
won a Joe Shuster Award for "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Artists" for their work on ''Batman/The Spirit'', and Cooke won "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist" for his work on ''The Spirit''. Despite intending a second year of the series, Cooke announced at the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con that his run on ''The Spirit'' would conclude after one year, after artist J. Bone had to step down, and an editorial reshuffle at DC moved editors
Scott Dunbier Scott Dunbier is an American comic book editor, best known as the Special Projects Editor at IDW Publishing. Career Dunbier rose to prominence in the comic book industry as executive editor of the Wildstorm comic book line. After several years a ...
and Kristy Quinn from the book, believing that resulting quality would not be up to his standards. Darwyn Cooke also wrote the first six-issue story arc of the Superman monthly series '' Superman Confidential'', which debuted on November 1, 2006, and featured stories set in Superman's early career. As Cooke developed the plot with artist Tim Sale, he realized he had no creative hook for a Superman story until discovering that, surprisingly, none had been told regarding the character's early fear and uncertainty at the limits of his invulnerability. In June 2007, Cooke was awarded the
Joe Shuster Award The Joe Shuster Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards (or Joe Shuster Awards) are given out annually for outstanding achievements in the creation of comic books, graphic novels, webcomics, and comics retailers and publishers by Canadians. The awards, ...
for "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Writer" for ''Superman Confidential''. Feeling more comfortable with human characters like Catwoman and Batman, Cooke nonetheless had pitched one other unrealized Superman graphic novel around 2002 in collaboration with artist and future ''Justice League: The New Frontier'' director David Bullock. In 2008, Cooke collaborated with
Jimmy Palmiotti James Palmiotti (born August 14, 1961) is an American writer and inker of comic books, who also does writing for games, television and film. Early life Palmiotti attended the High School of Art and Design in New York City. Career Palmiotti star ...
and
Justin Gray Justin Gray is an American comic book writer working mostly for DC Comics. Career Gray has often collaborated with fellow writer Jimmy Palmiotti on series such as ''Hawkman'', '' Jonah Hex'', '' Power Girl'', ''21 Down'', ''Uncle Sam and the F ...
on an issue of ''
Jonah Hex Jonah Woodson Hex is a fictional antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga. Hex is a surly and cynical bounty hunter whose face is scarred on the ...
'' out of a desire to work with the pair, write a Western story, as well as craft a cliché-breaking tale for Hex set within Canada. Cooke playfully made fun of American
conventional wisdom The conventional wisdom or received opinion is the body of ideas or explanations generally accepted by the public and/or by experts in a field. In religion, this is known as orthodoxy. Etymology The term is often credited to the economist John ...
that Canadian weather was always a blizzard, but accepted the premise as a central plot element. Cooke was the writer/artist of ''
Before Watchmen ''Before Watchmen'' is a series of comic books published by DC Comics in 2012. Acting as a prequel to the 1986 12-issue ''Watchmen'' limited series by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, the project consists of eight limited series and on ...
: Minutemen'' and the writer of ''Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre'' in 2012–2013. After originally being pitched to author the entire ''Before Watchmen'' series, Cooke was able to reduce his commitment to only two books, eventually accepting the project after successfully conceptualizing the ''Minutemen'' series. Cooke did not view ''
Watchmen ''Watchmen'' is an American comic book maxiseries by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons and colorist John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 and 1987 before being collected in a single-vo ...
'' as "the Holy Grail" of comics, nor did he feel concerned about original ''Watchmen'' author Alan Moore's opinion on the ''Before Watchmen'' series, but he did initially turn down the project for two years out of concern that his work would not measure up either to the original book or its reputation within the comics industry.


Vertigo

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...
editor
Shelly Bond Shelly Bond ( born Roeberg) is an American comic book editor, known for her two decades at DC Comics' Vertigo (DC Comics) imprint, for which she was executive editor from 2013 to 2016. Career Bond began working in the comics industry as an edito ...
encouraged Cooke to produce a collaborative work. Cooke proposed
Gilbert Hernandez Gilberto Hernández (born February 1, 1957), usually credited as Gilbert Hernandez and also by the nickname Beto (), is an American cartoonist. He is best known for his ''Palomar''/''Heartbreak Soup'' stories in '' Love and Rockets'', an alterna ...
as the writer, believing Hernandez would not be interested. Their collaboration, '' The Twilight Children'', takes place in a Latin American fishing village and mixes elements of
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
and magic realism. The lives of the villagers are disrupted by a sudden increase in supernatural activity and an influx of suspicious investigators.


Marvel Comics

While preparing for ''DC: The New Frontier'' and before creating ''Selina's Big Score'', the success of ''Batman: Ego'' led Cooke to Marvel Comics freelance work such as ''
X-Force X-Force is a fictional team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team first appeared in ''New Mutants#New Muta ...
'', ''
Wolverine The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for " glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscul ...
/
Doop Doop may refer to: * Doop (comics), a Marvel Comics character * D.O.O.P. or Democratic Order of Planets on the television program ''Futurama'' * Doop (band), Dutch duo ** "Doop" (song), 1994 song by the duo See also * Doob (disambiguation) * ...
'' and ''
Spider-Man's Tangled Web ''Spider-Man's Tangled Web'' is a comic book series starring Spider-Man and his supporting cast published by Marvel Comics for 22 issues from June 2001 to March 2003. Overview The title was conceived as an anthology series, where various creat ...
''. Cooke later had a falling out with Marvel and then-Senior Editor
Axel Alonso Axel Alonso () is an American comic book creator and former journalist, best known as the former editor in chief at Marvel Comics, a role which he held from January 2011 until November 2017.Marston, George (November 17, 2017)"AXEL ALONSO Out, CB C ...
after Marvel solicited and praised his business plan for the
Marvel Adventures Marvel Adventures, formerly Marvel Age, was an imprint of Marvel Comics intended for younger audiences, including small children. Unlike the standard comics published by Marvel, which often take place in story arcs spanning several issues, each Marv ...
children's line, yet subsequently passed it onto other creators without the company's communication or his involvement.


IDW Publishing

In July 2009,
IDW Publishing IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW), itself formed in 1999, and is regularly recog ...
published Cooke's '' Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter'', an adaptation of the
Donald Westlake Donald Edwin Westlake (July 12, 1933 – December 31, 2008) was an American writer, with more than a hundred novels and non-fiction books to his credit. He specialized in crime fiction, especially comic capers, with an occasional foray into ...
novel, '' The Hunter'', the first of four
Parker Parker may refer to: Persons * Parker (given name) * Parker (surname) Places Place names in the United States *Parker, Arizona *Parker, Colorado * Parker, Florida * Parker, Idaho * Parker, Kansas * Parker, Missouri * Parker, North Carolina *Park ...
novels Cooke adapted for IDW. The second, ''The Outfit'', was released in October 2010, ''The Score'' was released in July 2012, and ''Slayground'' was published in December 2013, with Cooke handling the entire art direction and physical design.


Image Comics

In January 2015,
Image Comics Image Comics is an American comic book publisher and is the third largest comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry in both unit and market share. It was founded in 1992 by several high-profile illustrators as a venue for creator-ow ...
announced a three-part fully creator-owned project by Cooke entitled ''Revengeance'', originally intended to launch June 2015. Compared by Cooke to
Mickey Spillane Frank Morrison Spillane (; March 9, 1918July 17, 2006), better known as Mickey Spillane, was an American crime novelist, whose stories often feature his signature detective character, Mike Hammer. More than 225 million copies of his books have ...
's ''
I, the Jury ''I, the Jury'' is the 1947 debut novel of American crime fiction writer Mickey Spillane, the first work to feature private investigator Mike Hammer. Plot summary The novel opens as private detective Mike Hammer is called to the apartment of i ...
'', the psychological thriller and dark comedy had been tentatively titled ''Thunder Bay'', and was to be set in Toronto in 1986. Cooke initially pitched the art duties to Tim Sale, but decided to take them up himself after an unsuccessful five-year wait for Sale's availability. ''Revengeance,'' however, remained unreleased at the time of Cooke's death in 2016.


Personal life

Cooke married Marsha Stagg in Las Vegas, Nevada in November 2012 and lived in western Florida. His personal favorite movie was '' The Wizard of Oz'', which he described as "the first movie to scare me ndignite my imagination."


Death

On May 13, 2016, Cooke's wife announced on his official blog that he was battling an "aggressive" form of cancer, stating, "It is with tremendous sadness that we announce Darwyn is now receiving
palliative care Palliative care (derived from the Latin root , or 'to cloak') is an interdisciplinary medical caregiving approach aimed at optimizing quality of life and mitigating suffering among people with serious, complex, and often terminal illnesses. Wit ...
following a bout with aggressive cancer. His brother Dennis and I, along with our families appreciate the outpouring of support we have received. We ask for privacy as we go through this very difficult time." Cooke died the next morning. Comic creators such as Dan DiDio,
Brian Michael Bendis Brian Michael Bendis (; born August 18, 1967) is an American comic book writer and artist. He has won five Eisner Awards for both his creator-owned work and his work on various Marvel Comics books.Bendis, Brian Michael and Oeming, Michael Avon, ' ...
,
Gail Simone Gail Simone (aka Gladys Simonetti) is an American writer best known for her work in comics on DC's ''Birds of Prey'', '' Batgirl'', Dynamite Entertainment's Red Sonja, and for being the longest running female writer on Wonder Woman to date. Othe ...
, Jimmy Palmiotti,
Ed Brubaker Ed Brubaker (; born November 17, 1966) is an American comic book writer, cartoonist and screenwriter who works primarily in the crime fiction genre. He began his career with the semi-autobiographical series '' Lowlife'' and a number of serials i ...
, and
Mark Waid Mark Waid (; born March 21, 1962) is an American comic book writer best known for his work on DC Comics titles ''The Flash'', '' Kingdom Come'' and '' Superman: Birthright'' as well as his work on ''Captain America'', ''Fantastic Four'' and '' Dar ...
expressed condolences, reminisced on working with Cooke, and made recommendations of Cooke's works to fans.


Legacy

Upon Cooke's passing, DC Comics issued a statement describing Cooke as "one of our medium's true innovators," comparing his "bold, direct style" with
Joe Kubert Joseph Kubert (; September 18, 1926 – August 12, 2012) was a Poland, Polish-born Americans, American comic book artist, art teacher, and founder of The Kubert School. He is best known for his work on the DC Comics characters Sgt. Rock and Hawkm ...
, Alex Toth, and Jack Kirby. Cooke acknowledged himself as difficult to work with, a trait that was ultimately recognized as beneficial by his comic book industry peers. Artist Cliff Chiang noted that Cooke's uncompromising nature "opened doors for lots of us."


Awards and honors

Cooke won thirteen Eisner Awards, eight Harvey Awards, and five Joe Shuster Awards for works produced for DC Comics and IDW Publishing, primarily for ''DC: The New Frontier'' and ''Richard Stark's Parker''. In a 2007 interview, Cooke admitted to—while appreciating them—not paying much attention to awards. However, upon winning his first Eisner Award in 2005 for ''DC: The New Frontier'', Cooke did feel gratification for his pursuit of comics as a career and understood that he was genuinely on the right path.


Eisner Awards

*Best Finite Series/Limited Series – 2005 ''DC: The New Frontier'', by Darwyn Cooke (DC) * Best Single Issue/Single Story – 2006 ''Solo'' #5 by Darwyn Cooke (DC) *Best Single Issue/Single Story – 2007 ''Batman/The Spirit'' #1 by Jeph Loeb and Darwyn Cooke (DC) *Best Graphic Album: Reprint – 2007 ''Absolute DC: The New Frontier'', by Darwyn Cooke (DC) *Best Publication Design – 2007 ''Absolute DC: The New Frontier'', designed by Darwyn Cooke (DC) * Best Adaptation from Another Work – 2010 ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter'', adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW) *Best Writer/Artist – 2011 Darwyn Cooke, ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Outfit'' (IDW) *Best Graphic Album: Reprint – 2012 ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Martini Edition'', by Darwyn Cooke (IDW) *Best Short Story – 2012 "The Seventh" by Darwyn Cooke, in ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Martini Edition'' (IDW) * Best Adaptation from Another Medium – 2013 ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Score'', adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW) * Best Adaptation from Another Medium – 2014 ''Richard Stark's Parker: Slayground'', by Donald Westlake, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW) *Best Letterer/Lettering – 2014 Darwyn Cooke, ''Richard Stark's Parker: Slayground'' (IDW) *Best Cover Artist – 2015 Darwyn Cooke, DC Comics Darwyn Cooke Month Variant Covers (DC)


Harvey Awards

*Best Artist or Penciller – 2005 Darwyn Cooke, for ''DC: The New Frontier'' (DC) *Best Continuing or Limited Series – 2005 ''DC: The New Frontier'', by Darwyn Cooke (DC) *Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work – 2007 ''Absolute New Frontier'' by Darwyn Cooke (DC) *Best Cartoonist (Writer/Artist) – 2008 Darwyn Cooke, for ''The Spirit'' (DC) *Best Cartoonist (Writer/Artist) – 2010 Darwyn Cooke, for ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter'' (IDW) *Best Artist or Penciller – 2011 Darwyn Cooke, for ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Outfit'' (IDW) *Best Cartoonist (Writer/Artist) – 2011 Darwyn Cooke, for ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Outfit'' (IDW) *Best Graphic Album of Original Work – 2013 ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Score'', by Darwyn Cooke (IDW) *Harvey Awards Hall of Fame – 2017 (posthumously inducted)


Joe Shuster Awards

*Outstanding Cartoonist (writer and artist) – 2005 Darwyn Cooke for ''DC: The New Frontier'' (DC) *Outstanding Artist – 2007 Darwyn Cooke and J. Bone for ''Batman/The Spirit'' #1 (DC) *Outstanding Cartoonist (writer and artist) – 2007 Darwyn Cooke for ''The Spirit'' #1 (DC) *Outstanding Writer – 2007 Darwyn Cooke for ''Superman Confidential'' #1–2 (DC) *Outstanding Cover – 2010 Darwyn Cooke for ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter'' (IDW)


Bibliography


As penciller or writer/penciller

* '' 9–11: The World's Finest Comic Book Writers & Artists Tell Stories to Remember, Volume Two'' (2002). * ''
All-Star Western ''All-Star Western'' was the name of three American comic book series published by DC Comics, each a Western fiction omnibus featuring both continuing characters and anthological stories. The first ran from 1951 to 1961, the second from 1970 to 1 ...
'' #34 (DC, 2014). Artist. * ''Batman: Ego'' (DC, 2000). A 64-page prestige format Batman story. Writer and artist. * '' Batman/The Spirit'' (DC, 2006). One-shot crossover issue between Batman and The Spirit, featuring some of the supporting casts of both characters (Robin, Catwoman, the Joker, Ebony, P'Gell, Commissioner Dolan and more). Co-written by Cooke and Jeph Loeb, and penciled by Cooke. * ''
Before Watchmen ''Before Watchmen'' is a series of comic books published by DC Comics in 2012. Acting as a prequel to the 1986 12-issue ''Watchmen'' limited series by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, the project consists of eight limited series and on ...
: Minutemen'' #1–6 (DC, 2012). Writer and artist. * ''Catwoman'' vol. 3 #1–4 (DC, 2001–2002). With writer Ed Brubaker. * ''Catwoman: Selina's Big Score'' (DC, 2002). 96-page graphic novel featuring a Selina Kyle story that takes place before ''Catwoman'' vol. 3 #1. * ''Creator-Owned Heroes'' #6–8 (Image, 2012–2013). Cooke wrote and drew three short stories. * '' DC: The New Frontier'' #1–6 (DC, 2004). Writer and artist. * ''
Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...
: Secret Files 2005'' (DC, 2005). Cooke pencils the main story (22 pages), written by
Geoff Johns Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and film and television producer. Johns's work on the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash and Superman, has drawn critical acclaim. He serve ...
. * ''
Jonah Hex Jonah Woodson Hex is a fictional antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga. Hex is a surly and cynical bounty hunter whose face is scarred on the ...
'' vol. 2 #33, 50 (DC, 2008–2009). Artist. * ''Justice League: The New Frontier Special'' (DC, 2008). * ''Revengeance'' (Image, unfinished). * '' Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter'' (IDW, 2009) Adapted from the novel by Richard Stark, illustrated by Cooke. () * ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Man With the Getaway Face – A Prelude to The Outfit'' (IDW, 2010) Oversized (8" x 12") one-shot adapted from the novel by Richard Stark, illustrated by Cooke. Later republished as the first chapter in ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Outfit''. * '' Richard Stark's Parker: The Outfit'' (IDW, 2010) Adapted from the novel by Richard Stark, illustrated by Cooke. () * ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Score'' (IDW, 2012) Adapted from the novel by Richard Stark, illustrated by Cooke. () * ''Richard Stark's Parker: Slayground'' (IDW, 2013) Adapted from the novel by Richard Stark, illustrated by Cooke. () * ''Rocketeer Adventures'' #2 (IDW, 2011). Cooke wrote and drew the 7-page story, "Betty Saves the Day!" * ''
Solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Comics * ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series * Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...
'' #5 (DC, 2005). * ''
Spider-Man's Tangled Web ''Spider-Man's Tangled Web'' is a comic book series starring Spider-Man and his supporting cast published by Marvel Comics for 22 issues from June 2001 to March 2003. Overview The title was conceived as an anthology series, where various creat ...
'' #11, 21 (Marvel, 2002–2003). Cooke wrote and drew "Open All Night!", a Spider-Man Valentine's Day story, and "T'was the Fight Before Xmas", a Spider-Man Christmas story. * ''The Spirit'' #1–6, 8–12 (DC, 2006–2008). Writer and artist. * '' The Twilight Children'' #1–4 (
Vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...
, 2016). With writer Gilbert Hernandez. * ''
Weird War Tales ''Weird War Tales'' was a war comic book title with supernatural overtones published by DC Comics. It was published from September–October 1971 to June 1983. Publication history The original title ran for 12 years and 124 issues. It was ...
'' War One-Shot #1 (DC, 2010). Cooke wrote and drew "Armistice Night." * ''Wolverine/Doop'' #1–2 (Marvel, 2003). Two-issue miniseries written by Peter Milligan that co-stars X-Men's Wolverine and X-Force's Doop. * ''
X-Force X-Force is a fictional team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team first appeared in ''New Mutants#New Muta ...
'' #124 (Marvel, 2002). With writer
Peter Milligan Peter Milligan (born 24 June 1961) is a British comic book writer who has written extensively for both British and American comic book industries. In the UK, Milligan has contributed to numerous anthology titles including '' 2000 AD'', '' Revo ...
.


Backup stories as penciller

* '' Batman: Gotham Knights'' #23 (DC, 2001). A ''
Batman Black and White ''Batman Black and White'' refers to the comic book limited series published by DC Comics featuring 8-page black and white Batman stories. Volumes 1, 4 and 5 of the series feature all-new stories (published in 1996, 2013–14, and 2020–21, res ...
'' backup tale. * ''Detective Comics'' #759–762 (DC, 2001). 4-part "Trail of the Catwoman" back-up story (8 pages in each issue), featuring Sam Bradley, that leads to ''Catwoman'' #1. * '' JSA: All Stars'' #3 (DC, 2003).
Doctor Fate Doctor Fate (also known as Fate) is the name of multiple superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original version of the character was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, debuting in ''More F ...
back-up story. * '' Just Imagine Stan Lee with Chris Bachalo creating Catwoman'' (2002). Cooke drew a short back up story written by
Michael Uslan Michael E. Uslan (; born June 2, 1951) is an American lawyer and film producer. Uslan has also dabbled in writing and teaching, he is known for being the first instructor to teach an accredited course on comic book folklore at any university. Ear ...
and inked by Mike Allred. * ''Legion Worlds'' #2 (DC, 2001). 8-page back-up story. * ''Marvel Double Shot'' #3 (2002). "Who Let the Dad Out?", an eleven-page
Ant-Man Ant-Man is the name of several superheroes appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, Ant-Man's first appearance was in ''Tales to Astonish'' #27 (January 1962) but first appeared in costum ...
story. * ''
X-Statix X-Statix are a team of mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team was specifically designed to be media superstars. The team, created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred, first appears in ''X-Force' ...
'' #1 (2002). Doop back-up story.


As writer

* ''Batman: Gotham Knights'' #33 (DC, 2002). Writer of the back-up story "The Monument", with artist Bill Wray. * ''Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre'' #1–4 (DC, 2012). With artist
Amanda Conner Amanda Conner is an American comics artist and commercial art illustrator. She began her career in the late 1980s for Archie Comics and Marvel Comics, before moving on to contribute work for Claypool Comics' '' Soulsearchers and Company'' and Har ...
. * ''Solo'' #1 (DC, 2004). 11-page story "Date Knight", featuring Batman and Catwoman, with artist Tim Sale. * ''Superman Confidential'' #1–5, 11 (DC, 2006–2008). "Kryptonite," written by Cooke with art by Tim Sale.


Cover work

*''
All-Star Western ''All-Star Western'' was the name of three American comic book series published by DC Comics, each a Western fiction omnibus featuring both continuing characters and anthological stories. The first ran from 1951 to 1961, the second from 1970 to 1 ...
'' #28-#29 (DC, 2014) *''
Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially ...
'' #37 (DC, 2014) *''
Back Issue! ''Back Issue!'' is an American magazine published by TwoMorrows Publishing, based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 2003 and published eight times yearly, it features articles and art about comic books from the 1970s to the present. Edited ...
'' #28 (
TwoMorrows Publishing TwoMorrows Publishing is a publisher of magazines about comic books, founded in 1994 by John and Pam Morrow out of their small advertising agency in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Its products also include books and DVDs. List of magaz ...
, 2008) *''Bad Girls'' #1–#5 (DC, 2003–2004) *''
Batgirl Batgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman. Although the character Betty Kane was introduced into publication in ...
'' #37 (DC, 2014) *''
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
'' #37 (DC, 2014) *'' Batman and Robin'' #37 (DC, 2014) *''Batman & Superman in World's Finest: The Silver Age Omnibus'' vol. 1 (DC, 2016) *''
Batman Beyond ''Batman Beyond'' (known as ''Batman of the Future'' outside the United States) is an American superhero animated television series developed by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Alan Burnett. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation in collaborati ...
'' #4, vol. 2 #23–#24, vol. 4 #1 (DC, 1999–2011) *''Batman: The Golden Age Omnibus'' vol. 1, vol. 2, vol. 3 (DC, 2015–2017) *'' Batman: Gotham Adventures'' #45, #50 (DC, 2002) *''Batman: Gotham Knights'' #12 (DC, 2001) *''
Batman/Superman ''Superman/Batman'' is a monthly comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular superheroes: Superman and Batman. ''Superman/Batman'' premiered in August 2003, an update of the previous series, ''World's ...
'' #17 (DC, 2014) *''Batwing'' #24, #26-#27 (DC, 2013–2014) *''Catwoman'' #37, #46 (DC, 2014–2016) *'' Comic Book Artist'' #3 (
Top Shelf Productions Top Shelf Productions is an American publishing company founded in 1997, originally owned and operated by Chris Staros and Brett Warnock and a small staff. Now an imprint of IDW Publishing, Top Shelf is based in Marietta, Georgia. Top Shelf pu ...
, 2004) *''
The Comics Journal ''The Comics Journal'', often abbreviated ''TCJ'', is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels. Known for its lengthy interviews with comic creators, pointed editorials and scathing re ...
'' #285 (
Fantagraphics Books Fantagraphics (previously Fantagraphics Books) is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, manga, magazines, graphic novels, and the erotic Eros Comix imprint. History Founding Fantagraphics was found ...
, 2007) *''Detective Comics'' vol. 2 #37 (DC, 2014) *'' Elk's Run'' tpb (Speakeasy, 2006) *''
The Flash The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...
'' vol. 3 #7 (DC, 2011) *''Grayson'' #5 (DC, 2014) *''
Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...
'' #37 (DC, 2014) *''
Green Lantern Corps Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic law enforcement organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residin ...
'' #37 (DC, 2014) *'' The Grimoire'' #4 ( Speakeasy Comics, 2005) *''He-Man: The Eternity War'' #1 (DC, 2014) *'' Invincible Returns'' #1 (Image, 2010) *'' It Girl! and the Atomics'' #2 (Image, 2012) *'' iZombie'' #1 (Vertigo, 2010) *''
Jersey Gods ''Jersey Gods'' is a comic book published by Image Comics. It was written by Glen Brunswick, pencilled and inked by Dan McDaid, with colors by Rachelle Rosenberg. The covers were drawn by Mike Allred and coloured by Laura Allred. Alternative cove ...
'' #2 (Image, 2009) *''
Jonah Hex Jonah Woodson Hex is a fictional antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga. Hex is a surly and cynical bounty hunter whose face is scarred on the ...
'' #56 (DC, 2010) *''
Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
'' #33, #37 (DC, 2014) *''
Justice League Adventures While Batman and Superman had their own animated series and comic book follow-ups, the rest of the characters in the would appear in the following comics often. ''The Batman Adventures'' ''The Batman Adventures'' was created as a comic book t ...
'' #7 (DC, 2002) *''
Justice League Dark The Justice League Dark, or JLD, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team would make their debut appearance in ''Justice League Dark'' #1 (September 2011). The Justice League Dark team features some ...
'' #37 (DC, 2014) *''
Justice League United Justice League United or JLU, are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team was created by Jeff Lemire and Mike McKone. First appearing in their eponymous series, ''Justice League United'' #0 (pub ...
'' #7 (DC, 2014) *''
Justice Society of America The Justice Society of America (JSA, or Justice Society (JS)) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic ...
'' #50, #54 (DC, 2011) *'' The Last Resort'' #1–#4 (IDW, 2009) *''Lorna: Relic Wrangler'' #1 (Image, 2011) *''Mirror Mirror'' (Kickstart Comics, 2010) *''The Murder of King Tut'' #1–#5 (IDW, 2010) *''
Painkiller Jane Painkiller Jane is a fictional superhero created by Jimmy Palmiotti and Joe Quesada for Event Comics in 1995. Originally a five-issue mini-series, the character went on to star in numerous crossover titles with the likes of the Punisher, Vampirel ...
'' #3 (
Dynamite Entertainment Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book publisher founded by Nick Barrucci in 2004 at Mount Laurel, New Jersey. It is best known as the owners of '' The Boys'' franchise across several IP medias. Dynamite primarily publishes adaptation ...
, 2007) *''
Rawhide Kid The Rawhide Kid (real name: Johnny Bart, originally given as Johnny Clay) is a fictional Old West cowboy appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A heroic gunfighter of the 19th-century American West who was unjustly wanted a ...
'' #4 (Marvel, 2003) *'' Red Menace'' #1 (
WildStorm Wildstorm Productions, (stylized as WildStorm), is an American comic book imprint. Originally founded as an independent company established by Jim Lee under the name "Aegis Entertainment" and expanded in subsequent years by other creators, Wilds ...
, 2007) *''
Rocketeer The Rocketeer is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books originally published by Pacific Comics. Created by writer/artist Dave Stevens, the character first appeared in 1982 and is an homage to the Saturday matinee serial heroe ...
Adventures 2'' #1–#4 (IDW, 2012) *''Season of the Witch'' #2 (Image, 2005) * ''The Shade'' #4 variant cover (DC, 2012) *''
Sinestro Thaal Sinestro () (or simply Sinestro) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, particularly those featuring Green Lantern. Sinestro is a former Green Lantern Corps member who was dishonorably discharged for abu ...
'' #8 (DC, 2014) *''Spellgame'' #1–#4 (Speakeasy, 2005) *''The Spirit'' #13 (DC, 2008) *'' Stephen Colbert's Tek Jansen'' #3 (
Oni Press Oni Press is an American independent comic book and graphic novel publisher based in Portland, Oregon. In 2019, it became an imprint label following the company's merger with Lion Forge Comics. The merged company, Oni–Lion Forge Publishing Grou ...
, 2008) *''
Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her fir ...
'' #37 (DC, 2014) *''
Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her fir ...
: The Silver Age Omnibus'' Vol. 1 (DC, 2016) *''
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
'' #37 (DC, 2014) *''Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus'' vol. 1–2 (DC, 2013 & 2016) *'' Superman/Wonder Woman'' #14 (DC, 2014) *''
Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...
'' #5 (DC, 2014) *''
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents ''T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents'' is a fictional team of superheroes that appeared in comic books originally published by Tower Comics in the 1960s. They were an arm of the United Nations and were notable for their depiction of the heroes as everyday pe ...
'' vol. 3 #1 (DC, 2011) *'' Torpedo Volumes 1–2'' hc (IDW, 2010) *''
Weird Western Tales ''Weird Western Tales'' is a Western genre comics anthology published by DC Comics from June–July 1972 to August 1980. It is best known for featuring the adventures of Jonah Hex until #38 (Jan.–Feb. 1977) when the character was promoted to hi ...
'' #1 (Vertigo, 2001) *''
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
'' #37 (DC, 2014)


Screenwriting


Television

* ''
Justice League Unlimited ''Justice League Unlimited'' (''JLU'') is a 2004–2006 American superhero animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and ...
'' (2005) * '' DC Nation Shorts: Batman Beyond'' (2014)


Film

* '' Justice League: The New Frontier'' (2008): additional material


References


Further reading

* '' Comic Book Artist'' vol. 2 #3.
Top Shelf Productions Top Shelf Productions is an American publishing company founded in 1997, originally owned and operated by Chris Staros and Brett Warnock and a small staff. Now an imprint of IDW Publishing, Top Shelf is based in Marietta, Georgia. Top Shelf pu ...
, 25-page interview with Darwyn Cooke. * Cooke, Darwyn. "Darwyn Cooke" in ''Solo'' #5. DC Comics, 2005, pg. 48.
The Bat, The Cat, The Thief, and His Ego: A Lost Interview with Darwyn Cooke
Mike Jozic, November 2020 (Originally conducted in 2001)


External links


Darwyn Cooke's blog
* *
Darwyn Cooke
at Mike's Amazing World of Comics

at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators {{DEFAULTSORT:Cooke, Darwyn 1962 births 2016 deaths 20th-century Canadian artists 21st-century Canadian artists Artists from Toronto Canadian animators Canadian art directors Canadian bloggers Canadian cartoonists Canadian comics artists Canadian comics writers Canadian graphic novelists Canadian storyboard artists Comic book letterers DC Comics people Deaths from cancer in Florida Eisner Award winners for Best Cover Artist Eisner Award winners for Best Letterer/Lettering Eisner Award winners for Best Publication Design Eisner Award winners for Best Writer/Artist George Brown College alumni Harvey Award winners for Best Artist or Penciller Harvey Award winners for Best Cartoonist Joe Shuster Award winners for Outstanding Artist Joe Shuster Award winners for Outstanding Cartoonist Joe Shuster Award winners for Outstanding Writer Marvel Comics writers Writers from Toronto