Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor, who was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief 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 ...
. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and '' Conan the Destroyer'') ...
to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E. Howard's character and helped launch a sword and sorcery trend in comics. Thomas is also known for his championing of
Golden Age
The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the '' Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages, Gold being the first and the one during which the G ...
comic-book heroes – particularly the 1940s
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
team the
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 Boo ...
– and for lengthy writing stints on Marvel's ''
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
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 ...
' ''
All-Star Squadron
The All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics superhero team that debuted in ''Justice League of America'' #193 (August 1981) and was created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway. Although the team was introduced in the 1980s, its self-titled serie ...
'', among other titles.
Among the comics characters he co-created are
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 ...
,
Vision
Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to:
Perception Optical perception
* Visual perception, the sense of sight
* Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight
* Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain und ...
Carol Danvers
Carol Susan Jane Danvers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Gene Colan, Danvers first appeared as an officer in the United States Air Force and a colleague of th ...
,
Luke Cage
Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #1 (June 1972) and was created by Archie Go ...
Ultron
Ultron () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, and initially made his debut as an unnamed character in '' The Avengers'' #54 (July ...
,
Yellowjacket
Yellowjacket or yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory social wasps of the genus, genera ''Vespula'' and ''Dolichovespula''. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries. Most of ...
Man-Thing
The Man-Thing (Dr. Theodore "Ted" Sallis) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow, the character first appeared in ''S ...
,
Red Sonja
Red Sonja is a fictional sword and sorcery comic-book superheroine created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics in 1973, partially inspired by Robert E. Howard's character Red Sonya of Rogatino.
Marvel Comics p ...
,
Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock (also known as simply Warlock) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character would first appear in ''Fantastic Four'' #66–67 (cover-dates September 1967 and October 1967) cr ...
Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider is the name of multiple antiheroes and superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Phantom Rider.
The first s ...
,
Squadron Supreme
The Squadron Supreme is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, of which there are several notable alternate versions. The original team was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, derived from the previous ...
Black Knight (Dane Whitman)
Dane Whitman or Black Knight is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The third character to bear the Black Knight name, he was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, and first appeared ...
,
Nighthawk
The nighthawk is a nocturnal bird of the subfamily Chordeilinae, within the nightjar family, Caprimulgidae, native to the western hemisphere. The term "nighthawk", first recorded in the King James Bible of 1611, was originally a local name i ...
Banshee
A banshee ( ; Modern Irish , from sga, ben síde , "woman of the fairy mound" or "fairy woman") is a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member, usually by screaming, wailing, shrieking, or keening. Her name i ...
Thundra
Thundra is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is often aligned with the Fantastic Four. She is a powerful, red haired, amazon-like warrior, or Femizon, from a matriarchal, technologically a ...
,
Arkon
Arkon is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the warlord and ruler of the extra-dimensional world of Polemachus. The concept of the character is that he is a hero from the sword-and-sorcery ge ...
Wendell Vaughn
Quasar (Wendell Elvis Vaughn) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is one of Marvel's cosmic heroes, a character whose adventures frequently take him into outer space or other dimensions. How ...
Red Guardian
Red Guardian (Russian: Красный страж, ''Krasnyy Strazh'') is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Red Guardian is an identity that was created as the Soviet equiv ...
,
Daimon Hellstrom
Daimon Hellstrom, also known as the Son of Satan and Hellstorm, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Daimon made his live-action debut in the Hulu television series '' Helstrom'', played by Tom A ...
,
Brother Voodoo
Brother Voodoo (Jericho Drumm) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #169 (September 1973). The character was created by publisher Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Len W ...
and
Valkyrie
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997: ...
Harvey Awards
The Harvey Awards are given for achievement in comic books. Named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman, the Harvey Awards were founded by Gary Groth in 1988, president of the publisher Fantagraphics, to be the successor to the Kirby Awards that we ...
Hall of Fame in 2022.
Early life
Thomas was born in Jackson, Missouri, United States.Thomas in As a child, he was a devoted comic book fan, and in grade school he wrote and drew his own comics for distribution to friends and family. The first of these was ''All-Giant Comics'', which he recalls as having featured such characters as Elephant Giant. He was enrolled at a parochial Lutheran school and attended St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson. As an adult, Thomas is "not religious" and has been described as a "lapsed Lutheran". He graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 1961 with a BS in Education, having majored in history and social science.
Thomas became an early and active member of Silver Age comic book
fandom
A fandom is a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of empathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significant ...
when it organized in the early 1960s – primarily around
Jerry Bails
Jerry Gwin Bails (June 26, 1933 – November 23, 2006) was an American popular culturist. Known as the "Father of Comic Book Fandom," he was one of the first to approach the comic book field as a subject worthy of academic study, and was a primar ...
, whose enthusiasm for the rebirth of superhero comics during that period led Bails to found the
fanzine
A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by fan (person), enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) ...
'' Alter Ego'', an early focal point of fandom. Thomas, then a high school English teacher, took over as editor in 1964 when Bails moved on to other pursuits. Letters from Thomas appeared regularly in the letters pages of both DC and Marvel Comics, including ''
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, ...
'' #1 (August 1960), ''
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 ...
In 1965, Thomas moved to New York City to take a job 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 ...
as assistant to
Mort Weisinger
Mortimer Weisinger (; April 25, 1915 – May 7, 1978) was an American magazine and comic book editor best known for editing DC Comics' ''Superman'' during the mid-1950s to 1960s, in the Silver Age of comic books. He also co-created such features a ...
, then the editor of the
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 ...
titles. Thomas said he had just accepted a fellowship to study foreign relations at
George Washington University
The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Chartered in 1821 by the United States Congress, GWU is the largest Higher educat ...
when he received a letter from Weisinger, "with whom I had exchanged one or two letters, tops", asking Thomas to become "his assistant editor on a several-week trial basis." Thomas had already written a ''
Jimmy Olsen
Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Olsen is most often portrayed as a young photojournalist working for the ''Daily Planet''. He is close friends with Lois Lane and Clark Kent, and has ...
'' script "a few months before, while still living and teaching in the
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
area," he said in 2005. "I worked at DC for eight days in late June and very early July of 1965" before accepting a job at
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 ...
. The Marvel "
Bullpen Bulletins
"Bullpen Bulletins" (originally titled "Marvel Bullpen Bulletins") was the news and information page that appeared in most regular monthly comic books from Marvel Comics. In various incarnations since its inception in 1965 until its demise in 200 ...
" in ''Fantastic Four'' #61 (April 1967) describes Thomas "admitting that he gave up a scholarship to George Washington University just to write for Marvel!"
This came after his chafing under the notoriously difficult Weisinger, to a point, Thomas said in 1981, that he would go "home to my dingy little room at, coincidentally, the George Washington Hotel in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, during that second week, and actually feeling tears well into my eyes, at the ripe old age of 24." Familiar with editor and chief writer Stan Lee's Marvel work, and feeling them "the most vital comics around", Thomas "just sat down one night at the hotel and – I wrote him a letter! Not applying for a job or anything so mundane as that – I just said that I admired his work, and would like to buy him a drink some time. I figured he just might remember me from '' Alter Ego''." Lee did, and phoned Thomas to offer him a Marvel writing test.
The writer's test, Thomas said in 1998, "was four
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 gre ...
pages from '' Fantastic Four Annual'' #2 ... tan Leehad Sol rodskyor someone take out the dialogue. It was just black-and-white. Other people like
Denny O'Neil
Dennis Joseph O'Neil (May 3, 1939 – June 11, 2020) was an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of titles until his retir ...
and
Gary Friedrich
Gary Friedrich (; August 21, 1943 – August 29, 2018) was an American comic book writer best known for his Silver Age stories for Marvel Comics' '' Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos'', and, in the following era, for the series '' The Monster o ...
took it. But soon afterwards we stopped using it." The day after taking the test, Thomas was at DC, proofreading a
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 ...
story, when Steinberg called asking Thomas to meet with Lee during lunch, where Thomas agreed to work for Marvel.Thomas, ''The Comics Journal'' #61, p. 80 He returned to DC to give "indefinite notice" to Weisinger, but Weisinger ordered him to leave immediately and "I was back at Marvel less than an hour after I first left, and had a ''
Modeling with Millie
''Millie the Model'' was Marvel Comics' longest-running humor title, first published by the company's 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and continuing through its 1950s forerunner, Atlas Comics, to 1970s Marvel. The comic book series deals with ...
'' assignment to do over the weekend. It was a Friday." His employment was announced in the "
Bullpen Bulletins
"Bullpen Bulletins" (originally titled "Marvel Bullpen Bulletins") was the news and information page that appeared in most regular monthly comic books from Marvel Comics. In various incarnations since its inception in 1965 until its demise in 200 ...
" section of ''Fantastic Four'' #47 (Feb. 1966) under the heading "How About That! Department" ("Roy's a fan who's made it!"). Thomas later described his early days at Marvel:
To that point, editor-in-chief Lee had been the main writer of Marvel publications, with his brother,
Larry Lieber
Lawrence D. Lieber (; born October 26, 1931) (Scroll down) is an American comic book artist and writer best known as co-creator of the Marvel Comics superheroes Iron Man, Thor, and Ant-Man; for his long stint both writing and drawing the Marvel ...
, often picking up the slack scripting Lee-plotted stories. Thomas soon became the first new Marvel writer to sustain a presence, at a time when comics veterans such as Robert Bernstein,
Don Rico
Donato Francisco Rico II (September 26, 1912 – March 27, 1985) was an American paperback novelist, screenwriter, wood engraver and comic book writer-artist, who co-created the Marvel Comics characters the Black Widow (Natasha Romanova) with plot ...
, and fellow newcomers
Steve Skeates
Steve Skeates (; born 1943) is an American comic book creator known for his work on such titles as ''Aquaman'', '' Hawk and Dove'', ''T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents'', and ''Plop!'' He has also written under the pseudonyms Chester P. Hazel and Warren Savin ...
(hired a couple of weeks earlier) and O'Neil (brought in at Thomas' recommendation a few months later) did not. His Marvel debut was the romance-comics story "Whom Can I Turn To?" in the ''Millie the Model'' spin-off ''Modeling with Millie'' #44 (Dec. 1965) – for which the credits and the logo were inadvertently left off due to a production glitch, resulting in this being left off most credit lists. Thomas' first Marvel superhero scripting was "My Life for Yours", the "Iron Man" feature in ''
Tales of Suspense
''Tales of Suspense'' is the name of an American comic book anthology series and two one-shot comics published by Marvel Comics. The first, which ran from 1959 to 1968, began as a science-fiction anthology that served as a showcase for such arti ...
'' #73 (Jan. 1966), working from a Lee plot as well as a plot assist from secretary Steinberg. Thomas estimates that Lee rewrote approximately half of that fledgling attempt.
Thomas' earliest Marvel work also included the teen-romance title '' Patsy and Hedy'' #104–105 (Feb.-April 1966), and two " Doctor Strange" stories, plotted by Lee and
Steve Ditko
Stephen John Ditko Page contains two reproductions from school yearbooks. A 1943 Garfield Junior High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen Ditko". A 1945 Johnstown High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen J. Ditko" under extracurricular act ...
, in ''
Strange Tales
''Strange Tales'' is a Marvel Comics anthology series. The title was revived in different forms on multiple occasions. Doctor Strange and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. made their debuts in ''Strange Tales''. It was a showcase for the science ...
'' #143–144 (April–May 1966). Two previously written freelance stories for
Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1945 to 1986, having begun under a different name: T.W.O. Charles Company, in 1940. It was based in Derby, Connecticut. The comic-book line was a division of Charlton ...
also saw print: "The Second Trojan War" in '' Son of Vulcan'' #50 (Jan. 1966) and "The Eye of Horus" in ''
Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle is the name of three fictional superheroes who appear in a number of American comic books published by a variety of companies since 1939. The most recent of the companies to own rights to Blue Beetle is DC Comics, which bought the ri ...
'' #54 (March 1966). "When Stan saw the couple of Charlton stories I'd written earlier in more of a
Gardner Fox
Gardner Francis Cooper Fox (May 20, 1911 – December 24, 1986) was an American writer known best for creating numerous comic book characters for DC Comics. He is estimated to have written more than 4,000 comics stories, including 1,500 for DC ...
style, he wasn't too impressed," Thomas recalled. "It's probably a good thing I already had my job at Marvel at that point! I think I was the right person in the right place at the right time, but there are other people who, had they been there, might have been just as right."
Thomas took on what would be his first long-term Marvel title, the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
series ''
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
''Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos'' was a comic book series created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee and published by Marvel Comics from 1963 to 1981. The main character, Sgt. Nick Fury, later became the leader of Marvel's super-spy agency, S.H.I.E. ...
'', starting with #29 (April 1966) and continuing through #41 (April 1967) and the series' 1966 annual, ''Sgt. Fury Special'' #2. He also began writing the
mutant
In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It ...
-superteam title '' X-Men">ncannyX-Men'' from #20–43 (May 1966 – April 1968), and, finally, took over '' The Avengers'', starting with #35 (Dec. 1966), and continuing until 1972. That notable run was marked by a strong sense of continuity, and stories that ranged from the personal to the cosmic – the latter most prominently with the " Kree-Skrull War" in issues #89–97 (June 1971 – March 1972). Additional work included an occasional " Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D" and "Doctor Strange" story in ''Strange Tales''. When that title became the solo comic ''Doctor Strange'', he wrote the entire run of new stories, from #169–183 (June 1968 – Nov. 1969), mostly with the art team of penciler
and inkerTom Palmer.
As Thomas self-evaluated in a 1981 interview, shortly after leaving Marvel for rival
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 ...
, "One of the reasons Stan liked my writing ... was that after a few issues he felt he could trust me enough that he virtually never again read anything I wrote – well, at least not more than a page or two in a row, just to keep me honest."Thomas, ''The Comics Journal'' #61, p. 78
Thomas eloped in July 1968 to marry his first wife, Jean Maxey, returning to work a day late from a weekend
comic-book convention
A comic book convention or comic-con is an event with a primary focus on comic books and comic book culture, in which comic book fans gather to meet creators, experts, and each other. Commonly, comic conventions are multi-day events hosted at co ...
in
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
, Missouri. Thomas said in 2000 that Brodsky, in the interim, had assigned ''Doctor Strange'' to the writer Archie Goodwin, newly ensconced at Marvel and writing ''
Iron Man
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...
'', but Thomas convinced Brodsky to return it to him. "I got very possessive about ''Doctor Strange''," Thomas recalled. "It wasn't a huge seller, but
y the time it was canceled
Y, or y, is the twenty-fifth and penultimate letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. According to some authorities, it is the sixth (or sevent ...
we were selling in the low 40 percent range of more than 400,000 print run, so it was actually selling a couple hundred thousand copies utat the time you needed to sell even more." He eventually did have a
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
honeymoon, where he scripted the wedding of
Hank Pym
Dr. Henry Jonathan "Hank" Pym () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by penciller Jack Kirby, editor-plotter Stan Lee and writer Larry Lieber, the character first appeared in '' Tales ...
and Janet van Dyne in ''The Avengers'' #60 (Jan.1969).
Thomas, who had turned over ''X-Men'' to other writers, returned with issue #55 (April 1969) when the series was on the verge of cancellation. Additional . While efforts to save it failed – the title ended its initial run with #66 – Thomas' collaboration with artist
Neal Adams
Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 – April 28, 2022) was an American comic book artist. He was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, and was a creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and recognition for Sup ...
through #63 (Dec. 1969) is regarded as a Silver Age creative highlight. Thomas won the 1969
Alley Award
The Alley Award was an American annual series of comic book fan awards, first presented in 1962 for comics published in 1961. Officially organized under the aegis of the Academy of Comic Book Arts and Sciences, the award shared close ties with th ...
that year for Best Writer, while Adams and inkerTom Palmer, netted 1969 Alley Awards for Best Pencil Artist and Best Inking Artist, respectively.
Thomas and artist Barry Smith launched ''
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and '' Conan the Destroyer'') ...
pulp-fiction
Pulp magazines (also referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 to the late 1950s. The term "pulp" derives from the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed. In contrast, magazine ...
sword-and-sorcery character. Thomas, who stepped down from his editorship in August 1974, wrote hundreds of Conan stories in a host of Marvel comics and the black-and-white magazines ''
Savage Tales
''Savage Tales'' is the title of three American comics series. Two were black-and-white comics-magazine anthologies published by Marvel Comics, and the other a color comic book anthology published by Dynamite Entertainment.
Publication history Ma ...
'' and ''
The Savage Sword of Conan
''The Savage Sword of Conan'' was a black-and-white magazine-format comic book series published beginning in 1974 by Curtis Magazines, an imprint of American company Marvel Comics, and then later by Marvel itself. ''Savage Sword of Conan'' starred ...
''. During that time, he and Smith also brought to comics Howard's little-known, sword-wielding woman-warrior
Red Sonja
Red Sonja is a fictional sword and sorcery comic-book superheroine created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics in 1973, partially inspired by Robert E. Howard's character Red Sonya of Rogatino.
Marvel Comics p ...
, initially as a Conan supporting character. Comics historian
Les Daniels
Leslie Noel Daniels III, better known as Les Daniels (October 27, 1943 – November 5, 2011), was an American writer.
Background
Daniels attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he wrote his master's thesis on ''Frankenstei ...
noted that, "''Conan the Barbarian'' was something of a gamble for Marvel. The series contained the usual elements of action and fantasy, to be sure, but it was set in a past that had no relation to the Marvel Universe, and it featured a hero who possessed no magical powers, little humor and comparatively few moral principles."
In 1971, with Stan Lee and
Gerry Conway
Gerard Francis Conway Thomas, Roy. "Roy's Rostrum" ("Bullpen Bulletins") in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #43 and other Marvel Comics cover-dated May 1974. (born September 10, 1952) is an American comic book writer, comic book editor, screenwriter, t ...
, Thomas created
Man-Thing
The Man-Thing (Dr. Theodore "Ted" Sallis) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow, the character first appeared in ''S ...
and wrote the first Man-Thing story in color comics, after Conway and Len Wein had introduced the character in the black-and-white comics magazine ''
Savage Tales
''Savage Tales'' is the title of three American comics series. Two were black-and-white comics-magazine anthologies published by Marvel Comics, and the other a color comic book anthology published by Dynamite Entertainment.
Publication history Ma ...
''. Later that year, Thomas wrote the " Kree-Skrull War" storyline across multiple issues of ''The Avengers'' penciled variously by
Sal Buscema
Sal Buscema (; ; born Silvio Buscema, January 26, 1936) is an American comics artist, primarily for Marvel Comics, where he enjoyed a ten-year run as artist of '' The Incredible Hulk'' and an eight-year run as artist of ''The Spectacular Spider-M ...
, Neal Adams, and John Buscema. Thomas was the first person other than Stan Lee to receive a writer's credit for ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', and he and artist Ross Andru launched the Spider-Man spin-off title ''
Marvel Team-Up
''Marvel Team-Up'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story. The series was originally published from March 1972 through February 1985, and featured Spider-Man as ...
'' in March 1972.
Thomas and Marvel artists co-created many other characters, among them
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 ...
,
Ultron
Ultron () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, and initially made his debut as an unnamed character in '' The Avengers'' #54 (July ...
(including the fictional metal
adamantium
Adamantium is a fictional metal alloy appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and in various games in the Elder Scrolls franchise. It is best known as the substance bonded to the character Wolverine's skeleton and claws. In ...
),
Carol Danvers
Carol Susan Jane Danvers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Gene Colan, Danvers first appeared as an officer in the United States Air Force and a colleague of th ...
,
Morbius the Living Vampire
Morbius the Living Vampire, real name Michael Alexander Morbius, Doctor of Medicine, M.D.,''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 1) #1. Marvel Comics. Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D., is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comi ...
,
Luke Cage
Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #1 (June 1972) and was created by Archie Go ...
Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider is the name of multiple antiheroes and superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Phantom Rider.
The first s ...
,
Doc Samson
Doc Samson (Leonard Skivorski Jr.) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as a superhero and psychiatrist in the Marvel Universe, known as a supporting character in ...
,
Valkyrie
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997: ...
,
Brother Voodoo
Brother Voodoo (Jericho Drumm) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #169 (September 1973). The character was created by publisher Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Len W ...
,
Werewolf by Night
The Werewolf by Night (usually referred to by other characters simply as the Werewolf) is the name applied to two fictional characters who are werewolves appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first incarnation of We ...
,
Banshee
A banshee ( ; Modern Irish , from sga, ben síde , "woman of the fairy mound" or "fairy woman") is a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member, usually by screaming, wailing, shrieking, or keening. Her name i ...
and
Killraven
Killraven (Jonathan Raven) is a character (arts), fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as a freedom fighter in several Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apoca ...
. Thomas also co-created several characters based on already existing characters, including the
Vision
Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to:
Perception Optical perception
* Visual perception, the sense of sight
* Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight
* Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain und ...
,
Yellowjacket
Yellowjacket or yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory social wasps of the genus, genera ''Vespula'' and ''Dolichovespula''. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries. Most of ...
, the
Black Knight
The black knight is a literary stock character who masks his identity and that of his liege by not displaying heraldry. Black knights are usually portrayed as villainous figures who use this anonymity for misdeeds. They are often contrasted with t ...
, and
Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock (also known as simply Warlock) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character would first appear in ''Fantastic Four'' #66–67 (cover-dates September 1967 and October 1967) cr ...
.
Editor-in-chief
In 1972, when Lee became Marvel's publisher, Thomas succeeded him as editor-in-chief. Thomas also continued to script mainstream titles, including Marvel's flagship, '' Fantastic Four''. He launched such new titles as the "non-team" '' The Defenders'', as well as ''
What If
What If may refer to:
Film
* ''What If'', a 2006 TV film starring Niall Buggy
* ''What If...'' (2010 film), an American film
* ''What If...'' (2012 film), a Greek film
* ''What If'' (2013 film) or ''The F Word'', a Canadian-Irish film
Telev ...
'', a title that explored fictional
alternate histories
Alternate history (also alternative history, althist, AH) is a genre of speculative fiction of stories in which one or more historical events occur and are resolved differently than in real life. As conjecture based upon historical fact, alter ...
of Marvel's existing characters and stories. In addition, he indulged his love of Golden Age comic-book heroes in the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
-set superhero series ''
The Invaders
''The Invaders'' is an American science-fiction television series created by Larry Cohen that aired on ABC for two seasons, from 1967 to 1968. Roy Thinnes stars as David Vincent, who after stumbling across evidence of an in-progress invas ...
''. He was instrumental in engineering Marvel's comic-book adaptation of the 1977 film ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'', without which, 1980s Marvel editor
Jim Shooter
James Shooter (born September 27, 1951) is an American writer, editor and publisher for various comic books. He started professionally in the medium at the age of 14, and he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comic ...
believed, " would have gone out of business". In 1975, Thomas wrote the first joint publishing venture between Marvel and DC Comics – a 72-page '' Wizard of Oz'' movie adaptation in an oversized "Treasury Edition" format with art by John Buscema. He and Buscema crafted a comics adaptation of
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
for Marvel in June 1977.
DC Comics
In 1981, after several years of freelancing for Marvel and a dispute with then editor-in-chief
Jim Shooter
James Shooter (born September 27, 1951) is an American writer, editor and publisher for various comic books. He started professionally in the medium at the age of 14, and he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comic ...
, Thomas signed a three-year exclusive writing/editing contract with DC. He marked his return to that company with a two-part ''
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, ...
'' story in ''Green Lantern'' #138–139 (March–April 1981), and briefly wrote '' Batman'', ''
DC Comics Presents
''DC Comics Presents'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1978 to 1986 which ran for 97 issues and four ''Annual''s. It featured team-ups between Superman and a wide variety of other characters in the DC Universe. A recurring bac ...
'', and the '' Legion of Super-Heroes''. DC gave Thomas' work a promotional push by featuring several of his series in free, 16-page insert previews.
Thomas married his second wife, Danette Couto, in May 1981. Danette legally changed her first name to Dann and would become Thomas' regular writing partner. He credits her with the original idea for the ''
Arak, Son of Thunder
Arak is a fictional comic book character and a superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in a special insert in '' The Warlord'' #48 (August 1981) and was created by Roy Thomas and Ernie Colón.
Arak (Bright-Sky-After-Storm) is depict ...
'' series drawn by
Ernie Colón
Ernesto Colón SierraColón in English translation of Via (July 13, 1931 – August 8, 2019) was a stateside Puerto Rican comics artist, known for his wide-ranging career illustrating children's, superhero, and horror comics, as well as main ...
. Writer
Gerry Conway
Gerard Francis Conway Thomas, Roy. "Roy's Rostrum" ("Bullpen Bulletins") in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #43 and other Marvel Comics cover-dated May 1974. (born September 10, 1952) is an American comic book writer, comic book editor, screenwriter, t ...
would also be a frequent collaborator with Thomas; together they wrote a two-part Superman- Shazam team-up in ''DC Comics Presents''; a series of ''
Atari Force
''Atari Force'' is the name of two comic book series published by DC Comics from 1982 to 1986. Both were loosely based on trademarks of Atari, Inc.
Publication history
The first ''Atari Force'' title was a series of minicomics created in 198 ...
Atari
Atari () is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French publisher Atari SA through a subsidiary named Atari Interactive. The original Atari, Inc. (1972–1992), Atari, Inc., ...
2600 video games; and three Justice League-Justice Society crossovers. Conway also contributed ideas to the
talking animal
A talking animal or speaking animal is any non-human animal that can produce sounds or gestures resembling those of a human language. Several species or groups of animals have developed forms of communication which superficially resemble verbal ...
comic ''
Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew!
''Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew!'' is a DC Comics series about a team of talking animal superheroes called the Zoo Crew. The characters first appeared in a 16-page special insert in '' The New Teen Titans'' #16 (February 1982), follo ...
'', created by Thomas and
Scott Shaw
Scott Shaw (born 23 September 1958 in Los Angeles, California) is an American author, martial artist, and filmmaker.
Career
Scott Shaw is an advanced martial artist. He has written a number of books on the martial arts. Shaw has written a numb ...
. Thomas and Conway were to be the co-writers of the ''
JLA/Avengers
''JLA/Avengers'' (issues #2 and 4 are titled ''Avengers/JLA'') is a comic book limited series and crossover published in prestige format by DC Comics and Marvel Comics from September 2003 to March 2004. The series was written by Kurt Busiek, w ...
''
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 ...
but editorial disputes between DC and Marvel caused the project's cancellation. During that era, Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway collaborated on the screenplays for two movies: the
animated feature
These lists of animated feature films compiles animated feature films from around the world and is organized alphabetically under the year of release (the year the completed film was first released to the public). Theatrical releases as well as ...
'' Fire and Ice'' (1983) and '' Conan the Destroyer'' (1984). The duo also worked on a live-action ''X-Men'' film for production company Nelvana that never went into production.
As a solo writer, Roy Thomas wrote ''
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 ...
, updated the character's costume and introduced a new
supervillain
A supervillain or supercriminal is a variant of the villainous stock character that is commonly found in American comic books, usually possessing superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero.
Supervillains are oft ...
ess, the Silver Swan. His final work on the series, issue #300 (Feb. 1983), was co-written with his wife
Dann Thomas
Dann Thomas (born Danette Maxx Couto; January 30, 1952) is an American comic book writer and is married to comic book writer and editor Roy Thomas. She has at times collaborated with her husband on ''All-Star Squadron'', '' Arak, Son of Thunder'' ...
, who, as Roy Thomas noted in 1999 "became the first woman ever to receive scripting credit on the world's foremost super-heroine."Thomas, Roy "The Secret Origins of Infinity, Inc." ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #1 (Summer 1999) TwoMorrows Publishing p. 27
Thomas realized a childhood dream in writing the
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 Boo ...
(JSA). Reviving the Golden Age group in ''
Justice League of America
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 ...
'' #193 and continuing in ''
All-Star Squadron
The All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics superhero team that debuted in ''Justice League of America'' #193 (August 1981) and was created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway. Although the team was introduced in the 1980s, its self-titled serie ...
'', he wrote retro adventures, like those of The Invaders, set in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. In addition to the JSA's high-profile heroes, Thomas revived such characters as Liberty Belle,
Johnny Quick
Johnny Quick are two fictional DC Comics characters, each with the power of superhuman speed. The first was a superhero who first appeared in '' More Fun Comics'' #71 (September 1941) during the Golden Age. The other was a supervillain, an evil ve ...
, the
Shining Knight
Shining Knight ( cy, Marchog Disglair) is the name of multiple fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by Creig Flessel and first appeared in ''Adventure Comics'' #66 (Sep ...
Tarantula
Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although m ...
, and
Neptune Perkins
Paintball
Paintball is a DC Comics supervillain who first appeared in ''Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.'' #2 and was created by Geoff Johns and Leo Moder.
Paul Deisinger is an art teacher who was transformed into a paint-themed criminal and became a mini ...
. He used the series to address the complicated and sometimes contradictory continuity issues surrounding the JSA.
In 1983, Thomas and artist
Jerry Ordway
Jeremiah Ordway (born November 28, 1957) is an American writer, penciller, inker and painter of comic books.
He is known for his inking work on a wide variety of DC Comics titles, including the continuity-redefining ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' ...
created '' Infinity, Inc.'', a group composed of the JSA's children. The characters debuted in ''All-Star Squadron'' #25 (Sept. 1983) and were launched in their own series in March 1984. Thomas wrote several
limited series Limited series may refer to:
*Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series
*Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered
*Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
Crimson Avenger
The Crimson Avenger is the name of three separate fictional characters, superheroes and supervillains who exist in the DC Comics Universe. The character debuted in 1938 and is notable as the first masked hero in DC Comics.
The first Crimson ...
'' as well as two issues of '' DC Challenge''. From 1986 to 1988, Thomas contributed to the '' Secret Origins'' series and wrote most of the stories involving the Golden Age characters including
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 ...
and Batman. In 1986, DC decided to write off the JSA from active continuity. A one-shot issue titled '' The Last Days of the Justice Society'' involved most of the JSA battling the forces of evil while merged with the
Norse gods
Norse is a demonym for Norsemen, a medieval North Germanic ethnolinguistic group ancestral to modern Scandinavians, defined as speakers of Old Norse from about the 9th to the 13th centuries.
Norse may also refer to:
Culture and religion
* Nors ...
Limbo
In Catholic theology, Limbo (Latin '' limbus'', edge or boundary, referring to the edge of Hell) is the afterlife condition of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. Medieval theologians of Western Euro ...
Young All-Stars
The Young All-Stars are a team of fictional DC Comics superheroes. They were created by Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas, and Michael Bair, and introduced in ''Young All-Stars'' #1, dated June 1987. The team members Tsunami, Neptune Perkins, and Dan the Dy ...
'' replaced ''All-Star Squadron'' following the changes to DC's continuity brought about by the ''
Crisis on Infinite Earths
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to Mar ...
'' limited series. Thomas' last major project for DC was an adaptation of
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
Gil Kane
Gil Kane (; born Eli Katz ; April 6, 1926 – January 31, 2000) was a Latvian-born American comics artist whose career spanned the 1940s to the 1990s and virtually every major comics company and character.
Kane co-created the modern-day versio ...
and published in 1989–1990. Since then, Thomas has written a trio of Elseworlds one-shots combining DC characters with classic cinema and literature: ''Superman's
Metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big c ...
'' (1996), ''Superman:
War of the Worlds
''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by '' Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appearance in hardcover was i ...
Jim Shooter
James Shooter (born September 27, 1951) is an American writer, editor and publisher for various comic books. He started professionally in the medium at the age of 14, and he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comic ...
a letter in which he hoped ...
By 1986, Thomas wrote for Marvel's
New Universe
The New Universe is an imprint from Marvel Comics that was published in its original incarnation from 1986 to 1989. It was the first line produced by Marvel Comics utilizing a pre-conceived shared universe concept. It was created by Jim Shooter, ...
Nightmask
Nightmask is a name and identity used by several fictional characters who appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first character to bear the name, Keith Remsen, was created by writer Archie Goodwin, and first appeared in ''Nightma ...
'', co-scripted by his wife
Dann Thomas
Dann Thomas (born Danette Maxx Couto; January 30, 1952) is an American comic book writer and is married to comic book writer and editor Roy Thomas. She has at times collaborated with her husband on ''All-Star Squadron'', '' Arak, Son of Thunder'' ...
Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...
Jean-Marc Lofficier
Jean-Marc Lofficier (; born June 22, 1954) is a French author of books about films and television programs, as well as numerous comics and translations of a number of animation screenplays. He usually collaborates with his wife, Randy Lofficier ( ...
.
Over the next ten years Thomas did less work for the mainstream comics press. For a series of independent publishers, he wrote issues of the
TV-series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed bet ...
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' is an American television series filmed in New Zealand, based on the tales of the classical Greek culture hero Heracles (Hercules was his Roman analogue). Starring Kevin Sorbo as Hercules and Michael Hurst as ...
'' and ''
The X-Files
''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction drama television series created by Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), who ...
'' for
Topps Comics
Topps Comics was a division of Topps, Topps Company, Inc. that published comic books from 1993 to 1998, beginning its existence during a short comics-industry boom that attracted many investors and new companies. It was based in New York City, at ...
. He also wrote for television, and relaunched ''Alter Ego'' as a formal magazine published by
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 ...
in 1999. In 2005, he earned a master's degree in Humanities from
California State University
The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a public university system in California. With 23 campuses and eight off-campus centers enrolling 485,550 students with 55,909 faculty and staff, CSU is the largest four-year public univers ...
.
With Marvel's four-issue miniseries ''Stoker's Dracula'' (Oct. 2004 – May 2005), Thomas and artist
Dick Giordano
Richard Joseph Giordano (; July 20, 1932 – March 27, 2010) was an American comics artist and editor whose career included introducing Charlton Comics' "Action Heroes" stable of superheroes and serving as executive editor of DC Comics.
Early ...
completed an adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel '' Dracula'', which the duo had begun 30 years earlier in 10- to 12-page installments, beginning with Marvel's black-and-white
horror-comics
Horror comics are comic books, graphic novels, black-and-white comics magazines, and manga focusing on horror fiction. In the US market, horror comic books reached a peak in the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, when concern over content and the ...
magazine ''
Dracula Lives!
''Dracula Lives!'' was an American black-and-white horror comics magazine published by Magazine Management, a corporate sibling of Marvel Comics. The series ran 13 issues and one '' Super Annual'' from 1973 to 1975, and starred the Marvel version o ...
'' #5 (March 1974). They had completed 76 pages, comprising roughly one-third of the novel, through issues #6–8 and 10–11 and ''
Marvel Preview
''Marvel Preview'' is a black-and-white comics magazine published by Magazine Management for fourteen issues and the affiliated Marvel Comics Group for ten issues. The final issue additionally carried the imprint Marvel Magazines Group.
Publica ...
'' #8 ("The Legion of Monsters"), before Marvel canceled ''Dracula Lives'' and later many of its other black-and-whites.
''Anthem'', a comic book series by Thomas and artists
Daniel Acuña
Daniel Acuña (born 1974) is a Spanish comic book artist.
Early life
In college, Daniel Acuña studied painting and graduated with a degree in Fine Arts. He cites his early influences as Jack Kirby, the Romitas ( Senior and Junior), Will Eisner ...
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 adaptations ...
. In 2007 Thomas wrote a
Black Knight
The black knight is a literary stock character who masks his identity and that of his liege by not displaying heraldry. Black knights are usually portrayed as villainous figures who use this anonymity for misdeeds. They are often contrasted with t ...
story for Marvel's four-issue miniseries '' Mystic Arcana''.
From 2007 to 2010, Thomas wrote adaptations of classic literature for the Marvel imprint
Marvel Illustrated
Marvel Illustrated was a Marvel Comics publishing imprint specializing in comic book adaptations of classic literature. Each novel's story is told in the form of a limited series, the issues of which are later collected as a trade paperback. Writ ...
, including ''
The Last of the Mohicans
''The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757'' is a historical romance written by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826.
It is the second book of the ''Leatherstocking Tales'' pentalogy and the best known to contemporary audiences. '' The Pathfinder ...
Treasure Island
''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure no ...
'' (2007–2008), ''
The Iliad
The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the '' Ody ...
'' (2008), ''
Moby-Dick
''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is the sailor Ishmael's narrative of the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship ''Pequod'', for revenge against Moby Dick, the giant whi ...
'' (2008), ''
The Picture of Dorian Gray
''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is a philosophical novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American periodical '' Lippincott's Monthly Magazine''.''The Picture of Dorian G ...
'' (2008), ''
The Three Musketeers
''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight ...
'' (2008–2009), and ''
Kidnapped
Kidnapped may refer to:
* subject to the crime of kidnapping
Literature
* ''Kidnapped'' (novel), an 1886 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson
* ''Kidnapped'' (comics), a 2007 graphic novel adaptation of R. L. Stevenson's novel by Alan Grant and Ca ...
'' (2009). In 2010, Marvel Illustrated released a collection of all the '' Dracula'' material adapted by Thomas and Giordano, originally published in the 1970s and mid-2000s.
Later career
In 2011, Roy Thomas wrote the one-shot ''DC Retroactive: Wonder Woman - The '80s'' with art by
Rich Buckler
Rich may refer to:
Common uses
* Rich, an entity possessing wealth
* Rich, an intense flavor, color, sound, texture, or feeling
** Rich (wine), a descriptor in wine tasting
Places United States
* Rich, Mississippi, an unincorporated comm ...
. In 2012, Thomas teamed with artists
Mike Hawthorne
Mike Hawthorne is an American comic book artist known for his work on books such as ''Deadpool'', '' G.I. JOE: Origins'', ''Queen & Country'', '' Conan: Road of Kings'', and his own creator-owned book, ''Hysteria''.
Career
Hawthorne is the crea ...
and
Dan Panosian
Dan Panosian (born 1969) is an American comic book artist, with extensive credits as both a penciller and an inker and has additional credits as an advertising and storyboard artist.
Early life
Dan Panosian was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to artist ...
on Dark Horse's '' Conan: The Road of Kings'', which lasted 12 issues. In 2014, he wrote ''75 Years of Marvel: From the Golden Age to the Silver Screen'' for
Taschen
Taschen is a luxury art book publisher founded in 1980 by Benedikt Taschen in Cologne, Germany. As of January 2017, Taschen is co-managed by Benedikt and his eldest daughter, Marlene Taschen.
History
The company began as Taschen Comics, pu ...
, a 700-page hardcover history of Marvel Comics. The following year, he compiled three volumes of World War II-era comics stories featuring Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman for
Chartwell Books
The Quarto Group is a global illustrated book publishing group founded in 1976. It is domiciled in the United States and listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Quarto creates and sells illustrated books for adults and children, across 50 countri ...
.
Thomas had a cameo appearance as a prison inmate on the third season of ''Marvel's Daredevil'', released in October 2018 on
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
, and wrote a blog entry about this experience.
On November 10, 2018, Thomas visited Stan Lee at Lee's home in
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...
to discuss Thomas' book ''The Stan Lee Story''. Lee told Thomas' manager, John Cimino, "Take care of my boy Roy" before Lee and Thomas were photographed together. Lee died less than 48 hours later.
On February 23, 2019, Jackson, Missouri, declared Roy Thomas Day. In a ceremony, he was awarded the
key to the city
The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...
.
On March 23, 2019, the final ''Amazing Spider-Man'' newspaper comic strip was published. Thomas had been the ghost writer for Stan Lee on the strip since 2000.
Thomas made a return to
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 ...
in 2019 with the release of the ''Captain America and The Invaders: Bahamas Triangle'' one-shot drawn by
Jerry Ordway
Jeremiah Ordway (born November 28, 1957) is an American writer, penciller, inker and painter of comic books.
He is known for his inking work on a wide variety of DC Comics titles, including the continuity-redefining ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' ...
, wrote a
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 ...
origin page for the ''Marvel 1000'' celebration issue and did a two-part '' Savage Sword of Conan'' story with artist Alan Davis. In 2020, Thomas wrote a 10-page story in the Marvel one-shot ''King-Size Conan'' #1. In 2022, Thomas returned to write his most famous co-creation Wolverine, in the first two issues of a new
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 ...
ongoing series called ''X-Men: Legends'' which tells new in-continuity stories of early X-Men adventures. Thomas's two-part story takes place right after ''
The Incredible Hulk
The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...
'' #181 and right before ''
Giant-Size X-Men
''Giant-Size X-Men'' #1 was a special issue of the ''X-Men'' comic book series, published by Marvel Comics in 1975. It was written by Len Wein and illustrated by Dave Cockrum. Though not a regular issue, it contained the first new X-Men story in ...
'' #1 and reveals a missing link mystery about Wolverine's costume.
On February 23, 2021, Thomas criticized Abraham Riesman's controversial Stan Lee biography ''True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee.'' In a guest column in ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'', Thomas took issue with Riesman's assessment of conflicting accounts of the work of Lee and
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 gre ...
, who is credited with co-creating many classic Marvel characters. Thomas stated, "Something like 95 percent of the time,
he book
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
is a very good biography. However, the remaining (and crucial) 5 percent of its content, scattered amid all that painstaking research and well-written prose, renders it often untrustworthy...i.e., a very bad biography. Because the author often insists, visibly and intrusively, on putting his verbal thumb on the scales, in a dispute he seems ill-equipped to judge."
Thomas serves on the Disbursement Committee of the comic-book industry charity
The Hero Initiative
The Hero Initiative, formerly known as A Commitment to Our Roots, or ACTOR, is the first federally recognized not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping comic book creators, writers and artists in need. Founded in late 2000 by a consorti ...
.
Awards
*1969:
Alley Award
The Alley Award was an American annual series of comic book fan awards, first presented in 1962 for comics published in 1961. Officially organized under the aegis of the Academy of Comic Book Arts and Sciences, the award shared close ties with th ...
for Best Writer
*1971:
Shazam Award
The Academy of Comic Book Arts (ACBA) was an American professional organization of the 1970s that was designed to be the comic book industry analog of such groups as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Composed of comic-book profession ...
for Best Writer (Dramatic Division)
* 1971: Goethe Award for Favorite Pro Writer
*1973: Shazam Award for Best Individual Story ("Song of Red Sonja", with artist Barry Smith, in ''Conan the Barbarian'' #24)
* 1973: Goethe Award for Favorite Pro Writer
* 1973: Goethe Award for Favorite Pro Editor
*1974: Shazam for Superior Achievement by an Individual
*1974:
Angoulême International Comics Festival
The Angoulême International Comics Festival (french: Festival international de la bande dessinée d'Angoulême) is the second largest comics festival in Europe after the Lucca Comics & Games in Italy, and the third biggest in the world after ...
Inkpot Award
The Inkpot Award is an honor bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International. It is given to professionals in the fields of comic books, comic strips, animation, science fiction, and related areas of popular culture, at CCI's annual conv ...
* 1974:
Comic Fan Art Award
The Goethe Award, later known as the Comic Fan Art Award, was an American series of comic book fan awards, first presented in 1971 for comics published in 1970. The award originated with the fanzine '' Newfangles'' and then shared close ties with ...
for Favorite Pro Editor
* 1975: Comic Fan Art Award for Favorite Pro Writer
* 1975: Comic Fan Art Award for Favorite Pro Editor
*1977: Favourite Comicbook Writer at the
Eagle Awards
The Eagle Awards were a series of awards for comic book titles and creators. They were awarded by UK fans voting for work produced during the previous year. Named after the UK's ''Eagle'' comic, they were launched in 1977 for comics released in ...
*1977: Nomination: Favourite Single Comicbook Story at the Eagle Awards for ''Fantastic Four'' #176: "Improbable as It May Seem the Impossible Man is Back in Town" with penciler
George Pérez
George Pérez (; June 9, 1954 – May 6, 2022) was an American comic book artist and writer, who worked primarily as a penciller. He came to prominence in the 1970s penciling ''Fantastic Four'' and '' The Avengers'' for Marvel Comics. In the 198 ...
*1978: Nomination: Favourite Writer at the Eagle Awards
*1978: Nomination: Favourite Continued Story at the Eagle Awards for ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' #1–6 with
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairm ...
and
Howard Chaykin
Howard Victor Chaykin (; born October 7, 1950) is an American comic book artist and writer. Chaykin's influences include his one-time employer and mentor, Gil Kane, and the mid-20th century illustrators Robert Fawcett and Al Parker.
Early life ...
*1979: Nomination: Best Comic Book Writer (US) at the Eagle Awards
*1979: Nomination: Best Continued Story at the Eagle Awards for ''Thor'' #272–278 with John Buscema
*1980: Roll of Honour at the Eagle Awards
*1985: Named as one of the honorees by DC Comics in the company's 50th anniversary publication ''
Fifty Who Made DC Great
''Fifty Who Made DC Great'' is a one shot published by DC Comics to commemorate the company's 50th anniversary in 1985. It was published in comic book format but contained text articles with photographs and background caricatures.
Publication h ...
''.
*1996: Author That We Loved at the
Haxtur Award
The Haxtur Award (''Premios Haxtur'') is a Spanish award for comics published in Spain. It is awarded annually at the Salón Internacional del Cómic del Principado de Asturias (International Comics Convention of the Principality of Asturias). It ...
Comic Art Professional Society
The Comic Art Professional Society (CAPS) is an organization of professional cartoonists in the United States.
The organization's stated primary purposes are "to advance the ideals and standards of professional cartooning in its many forms", "to ...
(CAPS)
*2022:
Harvey Awards
The Harvey Awards are given for achievement in comic books. Named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman, the Harvey Awards were founded by Gary Groth in 1988, president of the publisher Fantagraphics, to be the successor to the Kirby Awards that we ...
Hall of Fame
Bibliography
Charlton Comics
* ''
Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle is the name of three fictional superheroes who appear in a number of American comic books published by a variety of companies since 1939. The most recent of the companies to own rights to Blue Beetle is DC Comics, which bought the ri ...
'' #54 (1966)
* ''Charlton Premiere'' #1 (1967)
* ''Romantic Story'' #87 (1967)
* '' Son of Vulcan'' #50 (1966)
Action Comics
''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/Comic anthology, magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as National Allied Publications, and later as National Comics ...
Weekly'' #623–626 (1988)
* ''
All Star Comics
''All Star Comics'' is an American comic book series from All-American Publications, one of three companies that merged with National Periodical Publications to form the modern-day DC Comics. While the series' cover-logo trademark reads ''All ...
80-Page Giant'' #1 (1999)
* ''
All-Star Squadron
The All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics superhero team that debuted in ''Justice League of America'' #193 (August 1981) and was created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway. Although the team was introduced in the 1980s, its self-titled serie ...
Arak, Son of Thunder
Arak is a fictional comic book character and a superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in a special insert in '' The Warlord'' #48 (August 1981) and was created by Roy Thomas and Ernie Colón.
Arak (Bright-Sky-After-Storm) is depict ...
'' #1–50, ''Annual'' #1 (1981–1985)
* ''
Atari Force
''Atari Force'' is the name of two comic book series published by DC Comics from 1982 to 1986. Both were loosely based on trademarks of Atari, Inc.
Publication history
The first ''Atari Force'' title was a series of minicomics created in 198 ...
Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew!
''Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew!'' is a DC Comics series about a team of talking animal superheroes called the Zoo Crew. The characters first appeared in a 16-page special insert in '' The New Teen Titans'' #16 (February 1982), follo ...
'' #1–11, 16, 18 (1982–1983)
* ''
Crimson Avenger
The Crimson Avenger is the name of three separate fictional characters, superheroes and supervillains who exist in the DC Comics Universe. The character debuted in 1938 and is notable as the first masked hero in DC Comics.
The first Crimson ...
DC Comics Presents
''DC Comics Presents'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1978 to 1986 which ran for 97 issues and four ''Annual''s. It featured team-ups between Superman and a wide variety of other characters in the DC Universe. A recurring bac ...
DC Retroactive
''DC Retroactive'' is a line of one-shot comic book issues published by DC Comics. It revisited periods (grouped by decades) of the company's main characters: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Justice League, and the Flash. T ...
: Wonder Woman - The '80s'' #1 (2011)
* ''
DC Special Series
''DC Special Series'' was an umbrella title for one-shots and special issues published by DC Comics between 1977 and 1981. Each issue featured a different character and was often in a different format than the issue before it. ''DC Special Serie ...
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, ...
'' #138–139 (1981)
* ''
Heroes Against Hunger
''Heroes Against Hunger'' is a 1986 all-star benefit comic book for African famine relief and recovery. Published by DC Comics in the form of a "comic jam" or exquisite corpse, the book starred Superman and Batman. Spearheaded by Jim Starlin and B ...
'' #1 (1986)
* ''
History of the DC Universe
''History of the DC Universe'' is a two-issue comic book limited series created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez which was published by DC Comics following the end of ''Crisis on Infinite Earths''.
Publication history
''History o ...
Justice League of America
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 ...
'' #193 (''
All-Star Squadron
The All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics superhero team that debuted in ''Justice League of America'' #193 (August 1981) and was created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway. Although the team was introduced in the 1980s, its self-titled serie ...
'' insert preview), 207–209, 219–220 (1981–1983)
* ''Last Days of the
Justice Society
Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
Captain Carrot
''Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew!'' is a DC Comics series about a team of talking animal superheroes called the Zoo Crew. The characters first appeared in a 16-page special insert in '' The New Teen Titans'' #16 (February 1982), follo ...
'' insert preview) (1982)
* ''The New Teen Titans'' vol. 2, #38 (1987)
* ''The Ring of the Nibelung'' #1–4 (1989–1990)
* '' Secret Origins'' vol. 2, #1, 3, 5–9, 11–13, 15–22, 24–26, 28–31, 42, ''Annual'' #1 (1986–1989)
* '' Shazam!: The New Beginning'' #1–4 (1987)
* ''
The Superman Family
''The Superman Family'' was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1974 to 1982 featuring supporting characters in the ''Superman'' comics. The term "Superman Family" is often used to refer to the extended cast of characters o ...
'' #207 (1981)
* ''
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 ...
's
Metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big c ...
'' #1 (1996)
* ''
Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen
''Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen'' is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from September–October 1954 until March 1974, spanning a total of 163 issues. Featuring the adventures of Superman supporting character Jimmy Olsen, it co ...
'' #91 (1966)
* ''Superman:
War of the Worlds
''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by '' Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appearance in hardcover was i ...
'' #1 (1998)
* '' Swordquest'' #1–3 (1982)
* ''Warlord (DC Comics), The Warlord'' #48 (''Arak, Son of Thunder'' insert preview) (1981)
* ''
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 ...
Young All-Stars
The Young All-Stars are a team of fictional DC Comics superheroes. They were created by Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas, and Michael Bair, and introduced in ''Young All-Stars'' #1, dated June 1987. The team members Tsunami, Neptune Perkins, and Dan the Dy ...
'' #1–29, ''Annual'' #1 (1987–1989)
Don Lawrence Collection
* ''Storm (Don Lawrence), Storm: De Kronieken van Roodhaar'' #1 (2014)
Dynamite Entertainment
* ''
Red Sonja
Red Sonja is a fictional sword and sorcery comic-book superheroine created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics in 1973, partially inspired by Robert E. Howard's character Red Sonya of Rogatino.
Marvel Comics p ...
* ''Alter Ego'' #1–4 (not to be confused with Alter Ego (magazine), the magazine of the same name) (1986)
* ''Elric: Sailor on the Seas of Fate'' #1–7 (1985–1986)
* ''Elric: The Bane of the Black Sword'' #1–6 (1988–1989)
* ''Elric: The Vanishing Tower'' #1–6 (1989–1988)
* ''Elric: The Weird of the White Wolf'' #1–5 (1986–1987)
Ultron
Ultron () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, and initially made his debut as an unnamed character in '' The Avengers'' #54 (July ...
Imperative'' #1 (2001)
* ''
Black Knight
The black knight is a literary stock character who masks his identity and that of his liege by not displaying heraldry. Black knights are usually portrayed as villainous figures who use this anonymity for misdeeds. They are often contrasted with t ...
'' #1–4 (1990)
* ''Captain America (comic book), Captain America'' #215, 217, 423, ''Annual'' #9, 11, 13 (1977–1994)
* ''Captain America: Medusa Effect'' #1 (1994)
* ''Captain America and The Invaders: Bahamas Triangle'' #1 (2019)
* ''Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell), Captain Marvel'' #1–4, 17–21 (1968–1970)
* ''Tigra, The Cat'' #1 (1972)
* ''Chamber of Chills'' #3 (1973)
* ''Chamber of Darkness'' #2–5, 7 (1969–1970)
* ''Conan the Adventurer (comics), Conan the Adventurer'' #1–14 (1994–1995)
* ''
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and '' Conan the Destroyer'') ...
'' #1–115, 240–275; ''Annual'' #2, 4–7; ''Giant-Size'' #1–4 (1970–1982, 1991–1993)
* ''Conan the Savage'' #1–6, 10 (1995–1996)
* ''Conan: Death Covered in Gold'' #1–3 (1999)
* ''Conan: Flame and the Fiend'' #1–3 (2000)
* ''Conan: Scarlet Sword'' #1–3 (1998–1999)
* ''Conan: The Lord of the Spiders'' #1–3 (1998)
* ''Conan: The Ravagers Out of Time'' GN (1992)
* ''Tower of Shadows, Creatures on the Loose'' #10, 16–17 (1971–1972)
* ''Daredevil (Marvel Comics series), Daredevil'' #50–69, 71 (1969–1970)
* ''Doc Savage'' #1 (1972)
* '' Doctor Strange'' #169–178, 180–183 (1968–1969)
* ''Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme'' #5–24, 26–47, 52–56, ''Annual'' #2 (1989–1993)
* ''Dracula Lives'' #1–3, 5–8, 10–11 (1973–1975)
* ''Epic Illustrated'' #2–5, 14, 34 (1980–1986)
* ''Eternals (comics), Eternals: The Herod Factor'' #1 (1991)
* '' Fantastic Four'' #119, 126–133, 136, 157–179, 181, 303, ''Annual'' #11, 22 (1972–1977, 1987–1989)
* ''Fantastic Four Unlimited'' #1–7, 9–12 (1993–1995)
* ''Giant-Size Super-Villain Team-Up'' #1–2 (1975)
* ''Haunt of Horror'' #1 (1974)
* ''Hulk: Broken Worlds'' #1 (2009)
* ''Impossible Man Summer Vacation Spectacular'' #1 (1990)
* ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk'' vol. 2, #105–106, 121–145, 147, 158, 172–178 (1968–1974)
* '' Invaders'' #1–9, 11–23, 25–28, 32–36; ''Annual'' #1; ''Giant-Size'' #1 (1975–1979); ''Giant Size'' #2 (2005)
* ''Invaders'' vol. 2, #1–4 (1993)
* ''Iron Man'' #44, 47; ''Annual'' #11–12 (1972, 1990–1991)
* ''Iron Man and Sub-Mariner'' #1 (1968)
* ''Journey into Mystery'' vol. 2, #1 (1972)
* ''Kid Colt Outlaw'' #127, 136 (1966–1967)
* ''King Conan'' #1–8 (1980–1981)
* ''King-Size Conan'' #1 (2020)
* ''Kull of Atlantis, Kull the Conqueror/Kull the Destroyer'' #1–3, 11, 16 (1972–1976)
* ''Legion of Monsters'' #1 (Dracula story) (1975)
* ''Marvel Comics Presents'' #44 (1990)
* ''Marvel Comics Super Special'' #2 (1978)
* ''Marvel Double Feature:Thunderstrike (Eric Masterson), Thunderstrike/Code: Blue'' (''Code: Blue'' segment) #13–16 (1994–1995)
* ''Marvel Feature'' #1–4 (1971–1972)
* ''Marvel Feature'' vol. 2, #1, 6–7 (1975–1976)
* ''Marvel Graphic Novel'' #2 (Elric) (1982)
* ''Marvel Graphic Novel: Conan of the Isles'' (1989)
* ''Marvel Graphic Novel: Conan the Rogue'' (1991)
* ''Marvel Graphic Novel: Conan: The Horn of Azoth'' (1990)
* ''
Marvel Illustrated
Marvel Illustrated was a Marvel Comics publishing imprint specializing in comic book adaptations of classic literature. Each novel's story is told in the form of a limited series, the issues of which are later collected as a trade paperback. Writ ...
: The Iliad'' #1–8 (2008)
* ''Marvel Illustrated: Kidnapped'' #1–5 (2009)
* ''Marvel Illustrated: The Last of the Mohicans'' #1–6 (2007)
* ''Marvel Illustrated: The Man in the Iron Mask'' #1–6 (2007–2008)
* ''Marvel Illustrated: Moby-Dick'' #1–6 (2008)
* ''Marvel Illustrated: The Picture of Dorian Gray'' #1–6 (2008)
* ''Marvel Illustrated: The Three Musketeers'' #1–6 (2008-2009)
* ''Marvel Illustrated: Treasure Island'' #1–6 (2007-2008)
* ''Marvel Illustrated: The Trojan War'' #1–5 (2009)
* ''Marvel Premiere'' #1–2, 15, 29–30, 33–37 (1972–1977)
* ''
Marvel Preview
''Marvel Preview'' is a black-and-white comics magazine published by Magazine Management for fourteen issues and the affiliated Marvel Comics Group for ten issues. The final issue additionally carried the imprint Marvel Magazines Group.
Publica ...
Marvel Team-Up
''Marvel Team-Up'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story. The series was originally published from March 1972 through February 1985, and featured Spider-Man as ...
'' #1 (1972)
* ''Marvel Treasury Edition, Marvel Treasury of Oz Featuring the Marvelous Land of Oz'' #1 (1976)
* ''Marvel Treasury Edition'' #23 (Conan) (1979)
* ''Marvel Two-in-One'' #20; ''Annual'' #1 (1976)
* ''Millie the Model'' #135–136 (1966)
* ''Modeling with Millie'' #44–46 (1965–1966)
* ''Monsters on the Prowl'' #16 (1972)
* ''Monsters Unleashed (comics), Monsters Unleashed'' #1, 3 (1973)
* ''Mystic Arcana: Black Knight'' #1 (2007)
* ''Namor, the Sub-Mariner'' #42–43; ''Annual'' #1 (1991–1993)
* ''Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (comic book), Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' #4, 6 (1968)
* ''
Nightmask
Nightmask is a name and identity used by several fictional characters who appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first character to bear the name, Keith Remsen, was created by writer Archie Goodwin, and first appeared in ''Nightma ...
Red Sonja
Red Sonja is a fictional sword and sorcery comic-book superheroine created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics in 1973, partially inspired by Robert E. Howard's character Red Sonya of Rogatino.
Marvel Comics p ...
'' #1–15 (1977–1979)
* ''Red Sonja'' vol. 2, #1–2 (1983)
* '' Red Wolf'' #1 (1972)
* ''Human Torch (android), Saga of the Original Human Torch'' #1–4 (1990)
* ''Saga of the Sub-Mariner'' #1–12 (1988–1989)
* '' Savage Sword of Conan'' #1–79, 190–235 (1974–1984, 1991–1995)
* ''Savage Sword of Conan'' vol. 2, #10–11 (2019)
* ''
Savage Tales
''Savage Tales'' is the title of three American comics series. Two were black-and-white comics-magazine anthologies published by Marvel Comics, and the other a color comic book anthology published by Dynamite Entertainment.
Publication history Ma ...
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
''Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos'' was a comic book series created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee and published by Marvel Comics from 1963 to 1981. The main character, Sgt. Nick Fury, later became the leader of Marvel's super-spy agency, S.H.I.E. ...
'' #29–41; ''Annual'' #2 (1966–1967)
* ''Spider-Man/Dr. Strange: The Way to Dusty Death'' #1 (1993)
* ''Julia Carpenter, Spider-Woman'' #1–4 (1993–1994)
* ''Spoof'' #1–2 (1970–1972)
* '' Spitfire and the Troubleshooters'' #5 (1987)
* ''Stan Lee Meets Superheroes, Stan Lee Meets the Thing'' #1 (2006)
* ''Starbrand'' #7 (1987)
* ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
Strange Tales
''Strange Tales'' is a Marvel Comics anthology series. The title was revived in different forms on multiple occasions. Doctor Strange and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. made their debuts in ''Strange Tales''. It was a showcase for the science ...
Tales of Suspense
''Tales of Suspense'' is the name of an American comic book anthology series and two one-shot comics published by Marvel Comics. The first, which ran from 1959 to 1968, began as a science-fiction anthology that served as a showcase for such arti ...
'' #87 (1967)
* ''Tales of the Zombie'' #1 (1973)
* ''Tales to Astonish'' #93–95, 97–98 (1967)
* ''
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
'' #1–14; ''Annual'' #1 (1977–1978)
* ''
Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' is an American television series filmed in New Zealand, based on the tales of the classical Greek culture hero Heracles (Hercules was his Roman analogue). Starring Kevin Sorbo as Hercules and Michael Hurst as ...
'' #1–5 (1996)
* ''Secret City Saga, Jack Kirby's Secret City Saga'' #0–4 (1993)
* ''Mary Shelley's Frankenstein'' #1-4 (1994–1995)
* ''Xena: Warrior Princess (comics), Xena: Warrior Princess'' #1–2 (1997)
* ''Xena: Warrior Princess - The Dragon's Teeth'' #1–3 (1997–1998)
* ''Xena: Warrior Princess Vs Callisto'' #1–3 (1998)
* ''Xena: Warrior Princess: Year One'' #1 (1997)
* ''
The X-Files
''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction drama television series created by Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), who ...
: Season One'' Episodes "Pilot", "Squeeze", "Deep Throat", "Conduit", "Ice", "Space", "Fire", "Beyond the Sea", Shadows" (1997–1998)
TSR, Inc.
* ''Warhawks'' #1–3 (1990)
Screenwriting credits
Television
* ''The New Fantastic Four'' (1978)
* ''The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show'' (1979–1980)
* ''Thundarr the Barbarian'' (1980–1981)
* ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1983 TV series), G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' (1985)
* ''Conan the Adventurer (1992 TV series), Conan the Adventurer'' (1992–1993)
* '' Xena: Warrior Princess'' (1996)
* ''G.I. Joe Extreme'' (1997)
*
Roy Thomas at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
*
at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Roy
1940 births
20th-century American writers
21st-century American writers
American comics writers
American former Christians
American magazine editors
California State University alumni
Comic book editors
DC Comics people
Inkpot Award winners
Living people
Marvel Comics editors-in-chief
Marvel Comics writers
People from Jackson, Missouri
Silver Age comics creators
Southeast Missouri State University alumni
Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame inductees
Writers from Missouri