Barbara "Bobbie" Chase (born August 21) is an editor and writer in the
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
industry. She worked for
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 ...
throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1994–1995, she was one of Marvel Group's Editors-in-Chief, the highest level a female editor has ever achieved at the company. She was Vice President of Talent Development 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 ...
from 2015 to 2020.
As an editor, she has helped launched the careers of such creators as
Salvador Larroca
Salvador Larroca () is a Spanish comic book artist, primarily known for his American work on various ''X-Men'' titles for Marvel Comics.
Career
After several years of working as a cartographer, he began working as a comic artist at Marvel UK, th ...
and
Jamal Igle
Jamal Yaseem Igle . jamaligle.com. Retrieved November 28, 2012. is an American
Peter David
Peter Allen David (born September 23, 1956), often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games.Buxton, Marc (March 29, 2014)"From 'Future Imperfect' to '2099': Peter David's Greatest Hits" Co ...
on his acclaimed run on ''
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 ...
''. She also edited significant runs on the Marvel Comics titles ''
G.I. Joe
''G.I. Joe'' is an American media franchise and a line of action figures owned and produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier ( U.S. Army), Ac ...
Sensational She-Hulk
She-Hulk (Jennifer "Jen" Walters) is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in ''The Savage She-Hulk'' #1 (cov ...
'', ''
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 ...
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 ...
'', ''
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'' #100 ...
Blade
A blade is the portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with an edge that is designed to puncture, chop, slice or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they are to be used on. Histor ...
Alpha Flight
Alpha Flight is a fictional team of Canadian superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters premiered in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #120 (April 1979), and were created to serve as part of the X-Men member W ...
'', and the Marvel/Paramount Comics Star Trek line, including brand-new properties ''
Starfleet Academy
In the fictional universe of ''Star Trek'', Starfleet Academy is where recruits to Starfleet's officer corps are trained. It was created in the year 2161, when the United Federation of Planets was founded. The Academy's motto is "''Ex astri ...
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 ...
'', ''
Red Hood and the Outlaws
''Red Hood and the Outlaws'' is a superhero comic book published by DC Comics. The series was commissioned in response to the growing popularity of the character of Jason Todd, a former protégé of Batman who took a turn as a villain following h ...
'', ''
Birds of Prey
Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predat ...
University of St. Andrews
(Aien aristeuein)
, motto_lang = grc
, mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best
, established =
, type = Public research university
Ancient university
, endowment ...
Chase began working for Marvel in 1985 when she was hired as an assistant editor of Marvel's Special Projects Department. She then went on to do work as a freelance writer and designer.
In 1986 she was promoted to Editor.Chase entry . ''Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999''. Accessed April 21, 2015. She had a lengthy run as editor of Marvel's line of ''G.I. Joe'' comics, including the flagship title '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero''.
In 1988 she took over the editorial reins of ''
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 ...
'', editing that title for 10 years.
In 1989, while editing John Byrne's '' The Sensational She-Hulk'' series, she came into conflict with the creator, and he was ultimately fired from the series. In 1990, she edited the '' Steeltown Rockers''
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 ...
.
During her time at Marvel, Chase was cited in the company's "
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 ...
" news and information page as both "Battling" Bobbie Chase"Bullpen Bulletins," comics cover-dated October 1988. and "Breathtaking" Bobbie Chase."Marvel Bullpen Bulletins," comics cover-dated May 1990.
Because of her tenure on Marvel's ''
G.I. Joe
''G.I. Joe'' is an American media franchise and a line of action figures owned and produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier ( U.S. Army), Ac ...
'' comics, in early 1991 Chase worked with
Hasbro
Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of K ...
and Impel Marketing (
Upper Deck Company
The Upper Deck Company, LLC (colloquially as Upper Deck and Upper Deck Authenticated, Ltd. in the UK), founded in 1988, is a private company primarily known for producing trading cards. Its headquarters are in Carlsbad, California, United Stat ...
) on developing the first sets of
GI Joe
''G.I. Joe'' is an American media franchise and a line of action figures owned and produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier ( U.S. Army), Ac ...
trading cards.
In the early 1990s, Chase had long tenures as editor of ''
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 ...
'' and '' Doctor Strange''. With her associate editor Evan Skolnick, Chase revitalized those monthly series, which were critically lauded and boasted relatively strong sales (taking into account the general sagging of the comic book market at that time).
In late 1994 Chase was made Editor-in-Chief of the company's
Marvel Edge
Marvel Edge was a short-lived Marvel Comics imprint lasting from 1995 to 1996. Some of Marvel's "edgier" (more adult) titles were moved into the Marvel Edge imprint. These included titles featuring such characters as Daredevil, Doctor Strange, ...
imprint, which published comics aimed towards older teens, including such titles as '' Daredevil'', ''
Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme
''Doctor Strange'' is a series of several comic book volumes featuring the character Doctor Strange and published by Marvel Comics, beginning with the original ''Doctor Strange'' comic book series that debuted in 1968.
Publication history Docto ...
'', ''
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 ...
Punisher
The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher made ...
Heroes Return
"Heroes Reborn" is a 1996–97 crossover story arc among comic book series published by the American company Marvel Comics. During this one-year, multi-title story arc, Marvel temporarily outsourced the production of several of its best-known co ...
Peter David
Peter Allen David (born September 23, 1956), often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games.Buxton, Marc (March 29, 2014)"From 'Future Imperfect' to '2099': Peter David's Greatest Hits" Co ...
and
Adam Kubert
Adam Kubert (; born 1959) is an American comics artist known for his work for publishers such as Marvel Comics and DC Comics, including work on ''Action Comics'', '' Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine'', ''The Incredible Hulk'', ''Ultimate Fantas ...
) was nominated for a 1998
Harvey Award
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 ...
for Best Single Issue or Story for ''
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 ...
'' #-1.
She took over the editorial reins of '' Iron Man'' in 1998, staying in charge of that title until 2001. From 1999 to 2001 she was editor of '' Fantastic Four''.
Chase was laid off from Marvel in 2001 when
Joe Quesada
Joseph Quesada (; born January 12, 1962'' Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; page 107) is an American comic book artist, writer, editor, and television producer. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books ...
and
Bill Jemas
Bill Jemas is an American media entrepreneur, writer, and editor, known for his tenure as president of Fleer Entertainment Group during the 1990s, and for his work as vice president of Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2004. During his time at Marvel, Jem ...
took over the top posts.
Children's publishing
After leaving Marvel, Chase served as Editorial Director of the
equine
Equinae is a subfamily of the family Equidae, which have lived worldwide (except Indonesia and Australia) from the Hemingfordian stage of the Early Miocene (16 million years ago) onwards. They are thought to be a monophyletic grouping.B. J. Ma ...
-focused
book sales club
A book sales club is a subscription-based method of selling and purchasing books. It is more often called simply a book club, a term that is also used to describe a book discussion club, which can cause confusion.
How book sales clubs work
Each me ...
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 ...
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 ...
''. She was hired by
Bob Harras
Robert Harras (born January 11, 1959''Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; page 107) is an American comics writer and editor, who was editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics from 1995 to 2000 and editor-in-chief of DC Comics from 2010 to 2020. ...
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 ...
Editorial Director, working on such titles as ''
Red Hood and the Outlaws
''Red Hood and the Outlaws'' is a superhero comic book published by DC Comics. The series was commissioned in response to the growing popularity of the character of Jason Todd, a former protégé of Batman who took a turn as a villain following h ...
'' and '' The Savage Hawkman''. In April 2015 Chase was named Vice President of Talent Development at DC. She was laid off from DC on August 10, 2020.
Personal life
Chase currently resides in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
. Bobbie is married to Craig Kunaschk, who at the time was Marvel's Manager of Business Relations and Direct Sales, and the two have a son, Chase, and a daughter, Clare.
Bibliography
''As writer, unless otherwise noted'':
Marvel Comics
* ''
Star Brand
The Star Brand is the name of a number of similar objects of power in the world of the Marvel Comics. The name "Star Brand" is also often adopted by the wielders of these objects. Three of these Star Brands have been prominently featured in seri ...
'' Annual (1987)
* '' Hulk'' (1988)
* '' Marvel Comics Presents'' #15 (March 1989) — "The Maiden Phoenix, " with
Dwayne Turner
Dwayne Turner (born August 9) is an American comic book artist and illustrator in the film and video game industry.
Biography
Turner began his professional career in the late 1980s while still in collegeMike Gustovich
Michael Gustovich (born November 15, 1953 in Warren, Ohio) is an American artist, known for his comic book art and inking in the 1980s and early 1990s for such publishers as Marvel Comics, DC Comics, First Comics, Comico, and Eclipse Comics. He i ...