Gary Groth
Encyclopedia
Gary Groth is an American
comic book
editor
, publisher and critic
. He is editor-in-chief of The Comics Journal
and a co-founder of Fantagraphics Books
.
area.
and Pauline Kael
, and gonzo journalists like Hunter S. Thompson
, the teenage Groth published Fantastic Fanzine, a comics fanzine
(whose name referenced the Marvel Comics title Fantastic Four
). Later, after turning down an editorial assistant position at Marvel Comics
in 1973, Groth worked briefly as a production and layout assistant at the movie and comics magazine Mediascene, which was edited by Jim Steranko
.
After dropping out of his fourth college in 1974, Groth and his financial partner Michael Catron
put on a rock and roll
convention that ended in financial failure. Nonetheless, he and Catron dabbled in music publishing with the short-lived magazine Sounds Fine.
named The Nostalgia Journal—quickly renaming it The Comics Journal
. Groth's Comics Journal applied rigorous critical standards to comic books. It disparaged formulaic superhero
books and work for hire
publishers and favored artists like R. Crumb and Art Spiegelman
and creator ownership of copyrights. It featured lengthy, freewheeling interviews with comics professionals, often conducted by Groth himself.
.
Groth and Light were friends before Light published Groth's final issue of Fantastic Fanzine; Light's expedient business methods met with Groth's disapproval. Fandom: Confidential, Ron Frantz's history of the WE Seal of approval program
(WSA), outlines Groth's confrontations with Light at conventions and via late night collect calls. Light in turn cashed a check for a Comics Journal advertisement that he refused to print. Groth acquired a copy of the WSA mailing list, and without authorization, used it to solicit subscriptions; Groth later apologized for what he claimed was a misunderstanding, and soon after broke ties with WSA. In 1983 when Light sold TBG, a Groth editorial denounced Light. Light's subsequent libel suit against Groth was eventually dismissed.
Groth's 1991 Comics Journal editorial "Lies We Cherish: The Canonization of Carol Kalish
", which criticized the then-recently deceased former Marvel Comics Vice President of New Product Development for "selling cretinous junk to impressionable children", caused controversy within the industry, including outrage by Kalish's friend and colleague, writer Peter David
.
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
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...
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...
, publisher and critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
. He is editor-in-chief of The Comics Journal
The Comics Journal
The Comics Journal, often abbreviated TCJ, is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels...
and a co-founder of Fantagraphics Books
Fantagraphics Books
Fantagraphics Books is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, magazines, graphic novels, and the adult-oriented Eros Comix imprint...
.
Early life
Groth is the son of a U.S. Navy contractor and was raised in the Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
area.
Fanzines and Marvel Comics
Inspired by film critics like Andrew SarrisAndrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris is an American film critic and a leading proponent of the auteur theory of criticism.-Career:Sarris is generally credited with popularizing the auteur theory in the U.S...
and Pauline Kael
Pauline Kael
Pauline Kael was an American film critic who wrote for The New Yorker magazine from 1968 to 1991. Earlier in her career, her work appeared in City Lights, McCall's and The New Republic....
, and gonzo journalists like Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter Stockton Thompson was an American journalist and author who wrote The Rum Diary , Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 .He is credited as the creator of Gonzo journalism, a style of reporting where reporters involve themselves in the action to...
, the teenage Groth published Fantastic Fanzine, a comics 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...
(whose name referenced the Marvel Comics title Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
). Later, after turning down an editorial assistant position at 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...
in 1973, Groth worked briefly as a production and layout assistant at the movie and comics magazine Mediascene, which was edited by Jim Steranko
Jim Steranko
James F. Steranko is an American graphic artist, comic book writer-artist-historian, magician, publisher and film production illustrator....
.
After dropping out of his fourth college in 1974, Groth and his financial partner Michael Catron
Michael Catron
Michael Catron is former publisher of Apple Comics and co-founder of Fantagraphics as well as a classically trained Shakespearian actor....
put on a rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
convention that ended in financial failure. Nonetheless, he and Catron dabbled in music publishing with the short-lived magazine Sounds Fine.
Fantagraphics
In 1976 Groth founded Fantagraphics Books, Inc. with Catron, and took over an adzineZine
A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier....
named The Nostalgia Journal—quickly renaming it The Comics Journal
The Comics Journal
The Comics Journal, often abbreviated TCJ, is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels...
. Groth's Comics Journal applied rigorous critical standards to comic books. It disparaged formulaic 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 —...
books and work for hire
Work for hire
A work made for hire is an exception to the general rule that the person who actually creates a work is the legally recognized author of that work...
publishers and favored artists like R. Crumb and Art Spiegelman
Art Spiegelman
Art Spiegelman is an American comics artist, editor, and advocate for the medium of comics, best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning comic book memoir, Maus. His works are published with his name in lowercase: art spiegelman.-Biography:Spiegelman was born in Stockholm, Sweden, to Polish Jews...
and creator ownership of copyrights. It featured lengthy, freewheeling interviews with comics professionals, often conducted by Groth himself.
Controversy
Groth's first editorial in The Nostalgia Journal #27, began a lengthy feud with Alan Light, founder, and at that time, publisher of The Buyer's Guide for Comics FandomComics Buyer's Guide
Comics Buyer's Guide , established in 1971, is the longest-running English-language periodical reporting on the American comic book industry...
.
Groth and Light were friends before Light published Groth's final issue of Fantastic Fanzine; Light's expedient business methods met with Groth's disapproval. Fandom: Confidential, Ron Frantz's history of the WE Seal of approval program
WE Seal of approval program
WE Seal of Approval Program was a consumer protection/anti mail fraud program that assisted collectors of nostalgia between 1970 and 1984 who had been victimized by fraudulent advertisers in hobbyist magazines. It aided collectors of comic books, Star Trek, movie memorabilia, pulp magazines, and...
(WSA), outlines Groth's confrontations with Light at conventions and via late night collect calls. Light in turn cashed a check for a Comics Journal advertisement that he refused to print. Groth acquired a copy of the WSA mailing list, and without authorization, used it to solicit subscriptions; Groth later apologized for what he claimed was a misunderstanding, and soon after broke ties with WSA. In 1983 when Light sold TBG, a Groth editorial denounced Light. Light's subsequent libel suit against Groth was eventually dismissed.
Groth's 1991 Comics Journal editorial "Lies We Cherish: The Canonization of Carol Kalish
Carol Kalish
Carol Kalish was an American writer, editor, comic book retailer, and sales manager. She worked as Direct Sales Manager and Vice President of New Product Development at Marvel Comics from 1981 to 1991...
", which criticized the then-recently deceased former Marvel Comics Vice President of New Product Development for "selling cretinous junk to impressionable children", caused controversy within the industry, including outrage by Kalish's friend and colleague, writer Peter David
Peter David
Peter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...
.
External links
- Sequential Tart: Interview with Gary Groth (2000)
- Comics Reporter: Short Interview with Gary Groth and Kim Thompson
- Comics Reporter: Short Interview With Greg Sadowski and Gary Groth (On Fantagraphics' Harvey KurtzmanHarvey KurtzmanHarvey Kurtzman was an American cartoonist and the editor of several comic books and magazines. Kurtzman often signed his name H. Kurtz, followed by a stick figure Harvey Kurtzman (October 3, 1924, Brooklyn, New York – February 21, 1993) was an American cartoonist and the editor of several comic...
TCJ library book) - Inkstuds: One-hour podcast interview with Gary Groth and Kim ThompsonKim ThompsonKim Thompson is an American comic book editor, translator, and publisher, best known as vice president and co-publisher of Seattle-based Fantagraphics Books. Along with co-publisher Gary Groth, Thompson has for almost thirty years used his position to further the cause of alternative comics in the...
- Discussion of Groth's Fantastic Fanzine #10, as well as pdf of the entire issue
- Discussion of Groth's Fantastic Fanzine #12, as well as pdf of the entire issue
- Spurgeon, Tom and Jacob Covey. Comics As Art: We Told You So. Publication delayed indefinitely—preliminary versions of chapter 1, chapter 2 and chapter 3 posted by Fantagraphics.