Mike Gold (comics)
Encyclopedia
Michael Gold was media coordinator for the defense for the Chicago Conspiracy Trial, is a former Group Editor and Director of Editorial Development at DC Comics
, co-founder of First Comics
, and the co-founder and director of communication National Runaway Switchboard
as well as a disk jockey in Chicago in the 70s.
Gold launched First Comics
in 1983 with a line-up of creators including Frank Brunner
, Mike Grell
, Howard Chaykin
, Joe Staton
, Steven Grant
, Timothy Truman
, and John Ostrander
. Among the titles Gold edited were Chaykin's satirical futuristic cop series American Flagg; Ostrander and Truman's GrimJack
; Mike Baron
& Steve Rude
's Nexus
; Badger
; Jim Starlin
's space opera series Dreadstar
and Mike Grell
's Jon Sable Freelance
, which was briefly adapted for TV.
In 1986, Gold left First Comics and returned to DC, where he edited Legends
, The Shadow
, The Question
, Action Comics Weekly, Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters
, Blackhawk
, and Hawkworld
.
In 2005, Gold revived Jon Sable Freelance and GrimJack for IDW Publishing
with new miniseries and reprint collections of the First Comics issues, and would also publish a complete collection of Mars.
In 2006, Gold co-founded ComicMix with Brian Alvey
and Glenn Hauman
.
In 2011, he received the first Humanitarian Award from the Hero Initiative during the Harvey Awards ceremony at the Baltimore Comic-Con.
Gold has worked with the Organic Theater Company
of Chicago and the American Shakespeare Theatre
, been involved with numerous political efforts, and a significant contributor to an award-winning Head Start
and early childhood education program for the Child Care Center of Stamford. His writings have appeared in a wide range of newspapers and magazines, including The Chicago Tribune, The Realist
and MacUser
magazine.
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, co-founder of First Comics
First Comics
First Comics was an American comic-book publisher that was active from 1983–1991, known for titles like American Flagg!, Grimjack, Nexus, Badger, Dreadstar, and Jon Sable...
, and the co-founder and director of communication National Runaway Switchboard
National Runaway Switchboard
The National Runaway Switchboard is the federally designated national communications system for runaway and homeless youth, their parents and families, teens in crisis, and anyone else who might benefit from its services. It is confidential, anonymous, non-judgmental, non-directive, and free. The...
as well as a disk jockey in Chicago in the 70s.
Gold launched First Comics
First Comics
First Comics was an American comic-book publisher that was active from 1983–1991, known for titles like American Flagg!, Grimjack, Nexus, Badger, Dreadstar, and Jon Sable...
in 1983 with a line-up of creators including Frank Brunner
Frank Brunner
Frank Brunner is an American comic book artist and illustrator best known for his work at Marvel Comics in the 1970s.-Comics:...
, Mike Grell
Mike Grell
Mike Grell is a comic book writer and artist, known for his work on books such as Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Jon Sable Freelance.-Early life:...
, Howard Chaykin
Howard Chaykin
Howard Victor Chaykin is an American comic book writer and artist famous for his innovative storytelling and sometimes controversial material...
, Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Joe Staton is an American illustrator and writer of comic books.-Career:Staton started his work with Charlton Comics in 1971 and gained notability as the artist of the super-hero book E-Man...
, Steven Grant
Steven Grant
Steven Grant is an American comic-book writer best known for his 1985-1986 Marvel Comics mini-series Punisher, with artist Mike Zeck and for his creator-owned character Whisper.-Biography:...
, Timothy Truman
Timothy Truman
Timothy Truman is an American writer, artist and musician. He is best known for his stories and Wild West-style comic book art, and in particular, for his work on Grimjack , Scout, and the reinvention of Jonah Hex, with Joe R. Lansdale...
, and John Ostrander
John Ostrander
John Ostrander is an American writer of comic books. He is best known for his work on Suicide Squad, Grimjack and Star Wars: Legacy, series he helped create.-Career:...
. Among the titles Gold edited were Chaykin's satirical futuristic cop series American Flagg; Ostrander and Truman's GrimJack
GrimJack
Grimjack is the main character of a comic book originally published by First Comics. John Ostrander and Timothy Truman are credited as co-creators of the character, although Ostrander had been developing Grimjack with artist Lenin Delsol before Truman's arrival on the project...
; Mike Baron
Mike Baron
Mike Baron is the creator of comic books Badger and Nexus. He lives in Fort Collins, Colorado.-Biography:Mike Baron broke into comics with an illustrated text piece in the 1974 debut issue of Marvel Comics's Comix Book...
& Steve Rude
Steve Rude
-Career:In 1981, Rude became widely known in the comics world when he and writer Mike Baron created Nexus, an independent science fiction comic book with a large supporting cast. For the series, Rude designed a dozen or so distinctive alien races, including the Thunes, the Amphibs, the Quattros,...
's Nexus
Nexus (comics)
Nexus is an American comic book series created by writer Mike Baron and penciler Steve Rude in 1981. The series is a combination of the superhero and science fiction genres, set 500 years in the future.-Publication history:...
; Badger
Badger (comics)
The Badger is a comic book character and series created by writer Mike Baron in 1983. The series began publication with the short-lived Capital Comics company before First Comics acquired the title and continued publshing it through the 1980s and early 1990s. The series ended when First Comics also...
; Jim Starlin
Jim Starlin
James P. "Jim" Starlin is an American comic book writer and artist. With a career dating back to the early 1970s, he is best known for "cosmic" tales and space opera; for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock; and for creating or co-creating the Marvel characters...
's space opera series Dreadstar
Dreadstar
Dreadstar was the first comic series published by American publisher Epic Comics, an imprint of Marvel Comics, in 1982. It was centered on Vanth Dreadstar, sole survivor of the entire Milky Way galaxy, and an ensemble cast of crewmates, including cyborg sorcerer Syzygy Darklock, and their struggle...
and Mike Grell
Mike Grell
Mike Grell is a comic book writer and artist, known for his work on books such as Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Jon Sable Freelance.-Early life:...
's Jon Sable Freelance
Jon Sable
Jon Sable Freelance is an American comic book series, one of the first series created for the fledging publisher First Comics in 1983. It was written and drawn by Mike Grell and was a fully creator-owned title...
, which was briefly adapted for TV.
In 1986, Gold left First Comics and returned to DC, where he edited Legends
Legends (comics)
"Legends" was a comic book crossover story line that ran through a six-issue, self titled limited series and various other titles published by DC Comics in 1986 and 1987...
, The Shadow
The Shadow
The Shadow is a collection of serialized dramas, originally in pulp magazines, then on 1930s radio and then in a wide variety of media, that follow the exploits of the title character, a crime-fighting vigilante in the pulps, which carried over to the airwaves as a "wealthy, young man about town"...
, The Question
Question (comics)
The Question is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by DC Comics. The original was created by writer-artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Blue Beetle #1...
, Action Comics Weekly, Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters
Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters
Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters is a three-issue prestige format comic book miniseries published in 1987 by DC Comics. Written and drawn by Mike Grell, it stars the character Green Arrow.-Plot summary:...
, Blackhawk
Blackhawk (comics)
Blackhawk, a long-running comic book series, was also a film serial, a radio series and a novel. The comic book was published first by Quality Comics and later by DC Comics. The series was created by Will Eisner, Chuck Cuidera, and Bob Powell, but the artist most associated with the feature is Reed...
, and Hawkworld
Hawkworld
Hawkworld is a comic book series that was published by DC Comics. The initial story line was published as a three-issue mini-series and then, based on the high sales and interest level generated by this limited series, launched as an ongoing monthly book...
.
In 2005, Gold revived Jon Sable Freelance and GrimJack for IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
with new miniseries and reprint collections of the First Comics issues, and would also publish a complete collection of Mars.
In 2006, Gold co-founded ComicMix with Brian Alvey
Brian Alvey
Brian Alvey along with Jason Calacanis co-founded the publishing company Weblogs, Inc., home to such blogs as Engadget, Autoblog, Joystiq, TV Squad, Cinematical and Slashfood. Time Warner's America Online purchased Weblogs, Inc. in October 2005. In November 2006, AOL also purchased the blogging...
and Glenn Hauman
Glenn Hauman
Glenn Hauman is an American writer, editor, publisher and comic book colorist. He has worked in a variety of roles in print and electronic publishing, including software and website development, as well as for his TV and novel work within the Star Trek and X-Men franchises.-Career:Hauman worked was...
.
In 2011, he received the first Humanitarian Award from the Hero Initiative during the Harvey Awards ceremony at the Baltimore Comic-Con.
Gold has worked with the Organic Theater Company
Organic Theater Company
Organic Theater Company, a Chicago theatre, was founded in the 1970s by artistic director Stuart Gordon. The theater company was incorporated in 1972...
of Chicago and the American Shakespeare Theatre
American Shakespeare Theatre
The American Shakespeare Theatre was a theater company based in Stratford, Connecticut, United States. It was formed in 1955 by Lawrence Langner, Lincoln Kirstein, and Joseph Verner Reed. Plays were produced at the Festival Theatre in Stratford from 1955 until the company ceased operations in...
, been involved with numerous political efforts, and a significant contributor to an award-winning Head Start
Head Start
The Head Start Program is a program of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families....
and early childhood education program for the Child Care Center of Stamford. His writings have appeared in a wide range of newspapers and magazines, including The Chicago Tribune, The Realist
The Realist
The Realist was a pioneering magazine of "social-political-religious criticism and satire," intended as a hybrid of a grown-ups version of Mad and Lyle Stuart's anti-censorship monthly The Independent. Edited and published by Paul Krassner, and often regarded as a milestone in the American...
and MacUser
MacUser
MacUser is a biweekly computer magazine published by Dennis Publishing Ltd. and licensed by Felden in the UK.In 1985 Felix Dennis’ Dennis Publishing, the creators of MacUser in the UK, licensed the name and “mouse-rating” symbol for MacUser to Ziff-Davis Publishing for use in the rest of the world....
magazine.