Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Bob Kanigher

If you don't know who Bob Kanigher was, you deserve to.

He wrote and edited for DC for about a thousand years, particularly Wonder Woman, Flash, and the Justice League. He created (deep breath!)...

Black Canary
Star Sapphire
The Rose and the Thorn
The Trigger Twins
Poison Ivy
Rex the Wonder Dog
King Faraday
The Metal Men
and based on his own substantial war experience,
Johnny Cloud
Enemy Ace
The Haunted Tank
Capt. Storm
and, yes,
SGT. ROCK.

He was also a stone-cold, ripped, military man-babe.

You go, Bob!

17 comments:

Harvey Jerkwater said...

Kanigher was one of the greats. He could write gritty war action or stuff as loopy as the Metal Men. I think he was even the insane genius behind GI Robot.

(Look, a robot soldier is obvious. Give that robot soldier a robot dog, and that's cool. Give the robot dog a hatch in his back that spits out a robot cat, and you've got Towering Comic Genius.)

Grant Morrison only wishes he were Robert Kanigher.

Anonymous said...

His tenure as editor of Wonder Woman was a beautiful thing: Egg Fu, the Glop, Bird-boy & Mer-boy, Wonder Tot, the "Impossible Tales of the Wonder Family,"...good times. I think he was proud of how nonsensical WW was. His finest hour was when he himself appeared in a WW comic and fired the entire supporting cast. The Glop looked so sad.

Morrison will be the first to admit his love for Kanigher--and Haney--I think.

Anonymous said...

I hadn't known that Kanigher was responsible for the Trigger Twins, one of my favorite Western titles of all. Good going, Mr. K!

Harvey Jerkwater said...

What I said wasn't a dig on Morrison. Dude, I wish I were Robert Kanigher.

The Grant certainly carries forth the banner of Weird Bob K, and god bless 'im for it.

Dorian said...

Why don't more comic creators look like that?

Marionette said...

He also created Wonder Girl, although not Donna Troy, and although his Sgt. Rock tales were generally quite sensible, he did do one story about their weapons having a conversation.

He was completely bonkers as an editor, and I am told that the character in the story "Gimme my Check" in the back of Destroyer Duck #1 is a scarily accurate portrait.

Anonymous said...

That's what I loved about "Impossible Tales of the Wonder Family." It was the adventures of Hippolyta, Wonder Woman, Wonder Girl, and Wonder Tot. And since this was before Donna Troy, those last three were THE SAME PERSON. All thanks to a mishap with an enchanted scrapbook.

Now you'd think this was perfectly acceptable for a one-off "imaginary story." But they did Wonder Family like every third issue. For YEARS.

I get the feeling when Ross Andru was reassigned to Metal Men, he said "oh thank God, Bob, something normal to draw!"

Scipio said...

Amen, Dorian! Think how it would change convention attendance....

Harvey Jerkwater said...

For what it's worth, I look exactly like that in my own mind.

Except, you know, in color.

Of course, in my mind, I'm also King of Norway, so take it as you will.

Scipio said...

Hm.

Then I recommend putting a sweater on (in your mind).

It's cold in Norway.

Anonymous said...

Sweet Jesus H. Christ.

Mr. Kanigher was unbelievably hot. Where on earth did you get this picture of him and are there any with even less clothing?

Anonymous said...

Duh, I clicked the link and answered my own question. Yeesh. I was blinded by my lust.

Scipio said...

He WAS Sgt. Rock.

And rather wacky, judging from the stories they tell us ... and the stories HE told us!

Sleestak said...

Frank Frazetta had a look also.

http://www.frazettaartgallery.com/ff/bio/1950/1950.html

Anonymous said...

There are a few books on the subject, some very

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TMNTNostrilsAsker said...

It IS fair to write that he co-created Silver Age version of Wonder Woman and practically a co-creator in same vein Ryan Ottley was now made to be co-creator or Invincible, of course not before H.G. Peter who is still to this day mostly unknown even THO without him there wouldn't be Wonder Woman we now know.

Robert was an absolute juggernaut, unparalleled.