Bill DuBay (comics)
Encyclopedia
William Bryan "Bill" DuBay (January 11, 1948 – April 15, 2010 ), whose work sometimes appeared under the pseudonym
s Will Richardson and Dube, was an American
, comic-book editor
, writer
and artist
best-known as editor and writer for Warren Publishing
, including that company's horror
-comics magazines Creepy
, Eerie
and Vampirella
.
. He became interested in comics after an uncle presented him with a gift of comic albums starring the Herge
character Tin-Tin. He began in the comic book
field as a fan artist whose work included writing and drawing a backup feature in the fanzine
Komix Illustrated in 1964, variously writing and drawing features in the fanzines Fantasy Heroes' Hangout and The Voice of Comicdom that same year, and drawing the preexisting superhero
character Powerman in the fanzine
Star-Studded Comics #9 (July 1966), a black-and-white, newsprint magazine published by Texas Trio. That latter story, "The Crimes of the Transmuter", by writer Dave Bibby, was reprinted in the 1997 Hamster Press book Fandom's Finest Comics.
DuBay's earliest credited comic-book works are two satiric
humor stories: the four-page Blooperman story "Bound in the Badcave", written by Gary Friedrich
and appearing in Charlton Comics
' Go-Go #4 (Dec. 1966), and the four-page "Adult Super-Hero Daydreams", penciled by DuBay and written by himself and Roy Thomas
in Not Brand Echh
#13 (May 1969). In between, he published a piece of science fiction
fan art in the "Creepy Fan Club" section of Warren Publishing
's Creepy
#12 (Dec. 1966).
DuBay attended college for two years. He then returned to Warren as a professional with the story "Movie Dissector", written by R. Michael Rosen, in Creepy #32 (April 1970). Publisher James Warren
recalled in a 1999 interview "the first time I saw him. I said, 'You are too young to work for this company, too young to work for anybody. You are a callow youth. You don't even shave yet. Let me see your work'. I took one look and said, 'You're hired'".
In short order, he began writing stories as well as drawing them, beginning with the four-page "Life Species" in Eerie
#30
(Nov. 1970), and then segued out of art to be primarily a writer. He became editor of the Warren line eginning with Creepy #49 and Eerie #43 (both Nov. 1972) and Vampirella #21 (Dec. 1972).
, whose illustrative style provided an alternative to that of American comics artists. For a short time in mid-1974, former Warren editor Archie Goodin
returned, a hire that had DuBay re-assigned to senior editor. When Goodwin departed to work for Marvel Comics
, DuBay, beginning with issues cover-dated September 1974, was once more named Warren Publishing's editor.
He continued in that post until being succeeded by writer Louise Jones
, initially credited as senior editor beginning with the May 1976 issues; DuBay remained as a freelance contributing editor. After four years, Jones, too, decamped for Marvel. DuBay, who had adopted the pseudonym
Will Richardson in the Warren science-fiction anthology
1984 #11 (Feb. 1980), became editor for a third time, under that pen name, beginning with Creepy #117 and Vampirella
#87 (both May 1980) and Eerie
#111 (June 1980).
He was succeeded a year later by Chris Adames, who left after six months to work at Archie Comics
. DuBay returned for his fourth run as editor, with Timothy Moriarty as managing editor. Moriarty in turn succeeded DuBay after four months, becoming Warren's final editor upon the company's folding in 1983.
Other Warren magazines DuBay edited included Comix International, 1984 (renamed 1994 with issue #11), The Rook, The Goblin, and The Spirit. The final Warren editor, Timothy Moriarty, in 2005 described DuBay as "a volatile guy. Very funny and creative, both on the writing and art ends. Sort of like Bruce Willis
, physically and from the way he carried himself. I learned a ton from him, about comic storytelling, writing cover blurbs, composition. We got on well. But toward the end, he was writing, what, 60% of the stories in the comics, and [with] that one style dominating, I felt the comics were getting stale".
, and then became editor of Archie Comics
' short-lived 1980s superhero line, in which he helped revive the company's 1940s characters, including the Black Hood
and the Comet. He then edited the three-issue Pacific Comics
superhero anthology Bold Adventure (Nov. 1983 - June 1984), and wrote the features "Anaconda" and "The Weirdling".
As he described his 1980s career in a mid-2000s interview,
In 1984, DuBay began a career in animation. That year, he was hired by Stan Lee
to help build the animation studio Marvel Productions
. DuBay left Marvel to head a department at 20th Century Fox
, where he worked on the Fox Kids
branded programming block. Later, he and Rook co-creator Budd Lewis formed Time Castle Books to publish collections and planned graphic novels starring their character.
bankruptcy
, that original artwork purchased by Harris Comics was not Warren's to sell.
. His children are Crystal, Lisa, Bill, Daniel and Leina. Two months before his April 15, 2010 death in Portland
, Oregon
, DuBay married Venessa Hart.
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
s Will Richardson and Dube, was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, comic-book editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
best-known as editor and writer for Warren Publishing
Warren Publishing
Warren Publishing was an American magazine company founded by James Warren, who published his first magazines in 1957 and continued in the business for decades...
, including that company's horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
-comics magazines Creepy
Creepy
Creepy was an American horror-comics magazine launched by Warren Publishing in 1964. Like Mad, it was a black-and-white newsstand publication in a magazine format and thus did not require the approval or seal of the Comics Code Authority. The anthology magazine was initially published quarterly but...
, Eerie
Eerie
Eerie was an American magazine of horror comics introduced in 1966 by Warren Publishing. Like Mad, it was a black-and-white newsstand publication in a magazine format and thus did not require the approval or seal of the Comics Code Authority. Each issue's stories were introduced by the host...
and Vampirella
Vampirella
Vampirella is a fictional character, a comic book vampire heroine created by Forrest J Ackerman and costume designer Trina Robbins in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazine Vampirella #1 . Writer-editor Archie Goodwin later developed the character from horror-story hostess, in...
.
Early career
DuBay was the first of seven children born to Dorothy and Richard DuBay, the latest in a multigenerational family line of Lucases, Searses, and Spreckles in San Francisco, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He became interested in comics after an uncle presented him with a gift of comic albums starring the Herge
Hergé
Georges Prosper Remi , better known by the pen name Hergé, was a Belgian comics writer and artist. His best known and most substantial work is the 23 completed comic books in The Adventures of Tintin series, which he wrote and illustrated from 1929 until his death in 1983, although he was also...
character Tin-Tin. He began in the comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
field as a fan artist whose work included writing and drawing a backup feature in the fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
Komix Illustrated in 1964, variously writing and drawing features in the fanzines Fantasy Heroes' Hangout and The Voice of Comicdom that same year, and drawing the preexisting superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
character Powerman in the fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
Star-Studded Comics #9 (July 1966), a black-and-white, newsprint magazine published by Texas Trio. That latter story, "The Crimes of the Transmuter", by writer Dave Bibby, was reprinted in the 1997 Hamster Press book Fandom's Finest Comics.
DuBay's earliest credited comic-book works are two satiric
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
humor stories: the four-page Blooperman story "Bound in the Badcave", written by Gary Friedrich
Gary Friedrich
Gary Friedrich . is an American comic book writer best known for his Silver Age stories for Marvel Comics' Sgt...
and appearing in Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1946 to 1985, having begun under a different name in 1944. It was based in Derby, Connecticut...
' Go-Go #4 (Dec. 1966), and the four-page "Adult Super-Hero Daydreams", penciled by DuBay and written by himself and Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
in Not Brand Echh
Not Brand Echh
Not Brand Echh was a satiric comic book series published by Marvel Comics that parodied its own superhero stories as well as those of other comics publishers. Running for 13 issues , it included among its contributors such notable writers and artists as Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Gene Colan, Bill...
#13 (May 1969). In between, he published a piece of science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
fan art in the "Creepy Fan Club" section of Warren Publishing
Warren Publishing
Warren Publishing was an American magazine company founded by James Warren, who published his first magazines in 1957 and continued in the business for decades...
's Creepy
Creepy
Creepy was an American horror-comics magazine launched by Warren Publishing in 1964. Like Mad, it was a black-and-white newsstand publication in a magazine format and thus did not require the approval or seal of the Comics Code Authority. The anthology magazine was initially published quarterly but...
#12 (Dec. 1966).
DuBay attended college for two years. He then returned to Warren as a professional with the story "Movie Dissector", written by R. Michael Rosen, in Creepy #32 (April 1970). Publisher James Warren
James Warren (publisher)
James Warren is a magazine publisher and founder of Warren Publishing.Magazines published by Warren include Creepy, Vampirella and Famous Monsters of Filmland...
recalled in a 1999 interview "the first time I saw him. I said, 'You are too young to work for this company, too young to work for anybody. You are a callow youth. You don't even shave yet. Let me see your work'. I took one look and said, 'You're hired'".
In short order, he began writing stories as well as drawing them, beginning with the four-page "Life Species" in Eerie
Eerie
Eerie was an American magazine of horror comics introduced in 1966 by Warren Publishing. Like Mad, it was a black-and-white newsstand publication in a magazine format and thus did not require the approval or seal of the Comics Code Authority. Each issue's stories were introduced by the host...
#30
(Nov. 1970), and then segued out of art to be primarily a writer. He became editor of the Warren line eginning with Creepy #49 and Eerie #43 (both Nov. 1972) and Vampirella #21 (Dec. 1972).
Warren Publishing
DuBay, listed as managing editor until being formally credited as editor with the issues cover-dated September 1973, revamped the line by giving the magazines a graphic redesign, dropping fan-participation pages, instituting new features, and creating a unified look and feel. He also presided over the introduction of a stable of freelance artists from SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, whose illustrative style provided an alternative to that of American comics artists. For a short time in mid-1974, former Warren editor Archie Goodin
Archie Goodwin (comics)
Archie Goodwin was an American comic book writer, editor, and artist. He worked on a number of comic strips in addition to comic books, and is best known for his Warren and Marvel Comics work...
returned, a hire that had DuBay re-assigned to senior editor. When Goodwin departed to work for Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, DuBay, beginning with issues cover-dated September 1974, was once more named Warren Publishing's editor.
He continued in that post until being succeeded by writer Louise Jones
Louise Simonson
Louise Simonson, born Mary Louise Alexander , is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as Power Pack, X-Factor, New Mutants, Superman: The Man of Steel, and Steel...
, initially credited as senior editor beginning with the May 1976 issues; DuBay remained as a freelance contributing editor. After four years, Jones, too, decamped for Marvel. DuBay, who had adopted the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Will Richardson in the Warren science-fiction anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
1984 #11 (Feb. 1980), became editor for a third time, under that pen name, beginning with Creepy #117 and Vampirella
Vampirella
Vampirella is a fictional character, a comic book vampire heroine created by Forrest J Ackerman and costume designer Trina Robbins in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazine Vampirella #1 . Writer-editor Archie Goodwin later developed the character from horror-story hostess, in...
#87 (both May 1980) and Eerie
Eerie
Eerie was an American magazine of horror comics introduced in 1966 by Warren Publishing. Like Mad, it was a black-and-white newsstand publication in a magazine format and thus did not require the approval or seal of the Comics Code Authority. Each issue's stories were introduced by the host...
#111 (June 1980).
He was succeeded a year later by Chris Adames, who left after six months to work at Archie Comics
Archie Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
. DuBay returned for his fourth run as editor, with Timothy Moriarty as managing editor. Moriarty in turn succeeded DuBay after four months, becoming Warren's final editor upon the company's folding in 1983.
Other Warren magazines DuBay edited included Comix International, 1984 (renamed 1994 with issue #11), The Rook, The Goblin, and The Spirit. The final Warren editor, Timothy Moriarty, in 2005 described DuBay as "a volatile guy. Very funny and creative, both on the writing and art ends. Sort of like Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
, physically and from the way he carried himself. I learned a ton from him, about comic storytelling, writing cover blurbs, composition. We got on well. But toward the end, he was writing, what, 60% of the stories in the comics, and [with] that one style dominating, I felt the comics were getting stale".
Later career
DuBay wrote and drew a story for a 1983 issue of the anthological comics magazine Heavy MetalHeavy Metal (magazine)
Heavy Metal is an American science fiction and fantasy comics magazine, known primarily for its blend of dark fantasy/science fiction and erotica. In the mid-1970s, while publisher Leonard Mogel was in Paris to jump-start the French edition of National Lampoon, he discovered the French...
, and then became editor of Archie Comics
Archie Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
' short-lived 1980s superhero line, in which he helped revive the company's 1940s characters, including the Black Hood
Black Hood Comics
Black Hood Comics was the name of an American anthology comic book series published by MLJ Magazines Inc., more commonly known as MLJ Comics, for eleven issues between Winter 1943 and Summer 1946...
and the Comet. He then edited the three-issue Pacific Comics
Pacific Comics
Pacific Comics was an independent comic book publisher that flourished from 1981-1984. It was also a chain of comics shops and a distributor. It began out of a San Diego, California, comic book shop owned by brothers Bill and Steve Schanes...
superhero anthology Bold Adventure (Nov. 1983 - June 1984), and wrote the features "Anaconda" and "The Weirdling".
As he described his 1980s career in a mid-2000s interview,
In 1984, DuBay began a career in animation. That year, he was hired by Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
to help build the animation studio Marvel Productions
Marvel Productions
Marvel Productions Ltd. , last called New World Animation, was a television and film studio subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment Group , based in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, then New World Entertainment and News Corporation/Fox...
. DuBay left Marvel to head a department at 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
, where he worked on the Fox Kids
Fox Kids
Fox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
branded programming block. Later, he and Rook co-creator Budd Lewis formed Time Castle Books to publish collections and planned graphic novels starring their character.
Other
In 2003, DuBay was among 58 former Warren freelancers and editors who protested to Robert Fisher, the court-appointed trustee overseeing Warren Communications' involuntary Chapter 7Chapter 7, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 7 of the Title 11 of the United States Code governs the process of liquidation under the bankruptcy laws of the United States...
bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
, that original artwork purchased by Harris Comics was not Warren's to sell.
Personal life
DuBay was married to Peggy Buckler, sister of noted comic-book artist Rich BucklerRich Buckler
Rich Buckler is an American comic book artist and penciller, best known for his work on Marvel Comics' The Fantastic Four in the mid-1970s and, with writer Doug Moench, co-creating the character Deathlok in Astonishing Tales #25...
. His children are Crystal, Lisa, Bill, Daniel and Leina. Two months before his April 15, 2010 death in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, DuBay married Venessa Hart.
External links
- Arndt, Richard J. "The Warren Magazines". July 3, 2005 version with five interviews. Accessed 24 December 2007. Link updated 11 October 2009. WebCite archive.
- Arndt, Richard J. "The Warren Magazines: Interviews" (requires scrolling down). February 3, 2010 update with nine interviews. Accessed 22 September 2010. WebCitation archive.
- "A Spirited Relationship: Will Eisner discusses his experiences with Warren", Comic Book ArtistComic Book ArtistComic Book Artist was an American magazine founded by Jon B. Cooke devoted to anecdotal histories of American comic books, with emphasis on comics published since the 1960s...
#4 (Winter 1999). WebCitation archive. - Bill DuBay (Will Richardson, Dube) at the [Lambiek Comiclopedia]]. Archived October 18, 2011