Remembering my old friend and collaborator, the brilliant Keith Giffen, on what would have been his 72nd birthday. More than a year after his passing, it's still hard to believe we live in a Giffenless world.
Keith—wherever in the multiverse you are, know that you are still sorely missed.
Here's to him and all who knew and loved him. The world is definitely missing a little bit of brilliance with his passing. A phenomenal talent. Karlos
ReplyDeletePhenomenal indeed, Karlos.
DeleteGiffen never got the credit he deserved for the MCU. Gunn clearly tapped into Giffen's style of writing the Marvel Cosmology.
ReplyDeleteJack
Could very well be. James is a big fan of our Justice League and I'd bet he's very familiar with all of Keith's work.
DeleteI was reading an issue of Giffenls THanos run...by the way, he was one of a small group who Starlin approved of visa vi his baby... and the tone and feel wee very similar.
DeleteIt is also worth noting that run was where GIffen brought back Star-Lord from being the most obscure of Marvel characters.
I'd say the bet is probably safe.
I think Keith was the one who introduced Groot into the Guardians mythology, as well.
DeleteI believe you are correct, and in Groot's first story he was an invader from the stars who could speak full sentences.
DeleteSo, not unlike Stan Lee (with Kirby) with the Silver Age Captain America, Denny O'Neil with modern Green Arrow, and Geoff Johns with the resurrected Green Lantern (among others), Giffen could be seen as essentially having creating an iconic character from scratch, using the form of an existing one.
Jack
That's one of the fascinating (and confusing) things about comics. A character can exist, and clearly be the creation of a specific writer or artist (or both), and yet it can be a later creator who defines that character in a way that makes it iconic and true.
DeleteEarlier this year, a guy I knew from my old comic shop died, and their was a get together to commemorate him.
ReplyDeleteWhile there, I ran into a few people I had not seen in a while. ONe was a huge JLI fan, he was actually one of the people to push me into picking it up.
During or time chatting, we talked about how the series was done. He was largely out of the comics scene. He had heard, but was not aware of any tributes.
However, where I told him all the good will Giffen had in passing, and specifically what you had said in memorize at the time.
He was very happy to learn that one of the people responsible for one of his favorite comic got so much respect in his passing. And that the team that created it had a true bond and friendship...even years after.
So that is kind of nice, right?
Jack
VERY nice.
DeleteRIP
ReplyDelete🙏
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