By [ad_1]
Brian Augustyn, a longtime comic book writer and editor probably best known for his work on The Flash series in the 1990s with writer Mark Waid, has passed away at the age of 67. It was Waid who announced the passing of his longtime friend and colleague today on Facebook, revealing that Augustyn had suffered a severe stroke over the weekend and that he passed away today.
Augustyn became a comic book editor working in the indie field before getting a gig at NOW Comics. In 1987, Mike Gold was the editor of DC’s then upcoming newly revamped Action Comics, which was being turned into a weekly anthology. There was a lot of work involved in a project like that and so Gold needed two assistant editors. Gold hired Augustyn to be one of those assistants (Robert Geenberger was the other). Augustyn soon became a solo editor of his own at DC, taking over The Flash from Barbara Kesel in 1989, among other series.
During this period, Augustyn also did some writing work as a freelancer, with his most important work being 1989’s Gotham by Gaslight one-shot (with art by Mike Mignola and P. Craig Russell). The comic, about Batman fighting Jack the Ripper in 19th Century Gotham City, saw a sequel, Batman: Master of the Future, in 1991 (art by Eduardo Barreto), but more importantly, it introduced the concept of what we know refer to as “Elseworlds” comics, DC comics featuring DC’s iconic characters in different realities and settings.
In 1991, Augustyn was in charge of the launch of Impact, DC’s new line of books featuring licensed versions of Archie’s superhero characters, like the Shield, the Fly and the Comet. It was at this point that Augustyn first hired a former DC editor named Mark Waid to write Legend of the Shield and The Comet. Augustyn then took over the Justice League titles, starting with Justice League Quarterly in late 1991, and Waid was hired as the writer of that series, as well.
In 1992, Augustyn then picked Waid as the new writer of The Flash, succeeding William Messner-Loebs (Messner-Loebs was moving to another series that Augustyn had picked up as an editor, Wonder Woman) and the two men helped to reshape the Flash over the course of the 1990s, introducing major concepts like the Speed Force and bringing in characters like a redefined Quicksilver (now Max Mercury), Jesse Quick (who had debuted in Justice Society of America #1 in 1992 by Len Strazewski and Mike Parobeck, a series also edited by Augustyn) and a new hero, Impulse, who soon received his own series.
Augustyn continued freelance writing, as well, with a Black Condor series in 1992 featuring a new Black Condor created by Augustyn and Rags Morales.
During his time as an editor, Augustyn was responsible for “discovering,” or at least giving the big break for a number of major creators on the wide variety of comics that Augustyn edited for DC (it seemed like Augustyn, at one time or another, edited every single non-Batman or Superman DC series), such as Waid (Impact, Justice League Quarterly and The Flash), Humberto Ramos (Matt Wayne and Frank Pittarese discovered Ramos, but Augustyn having him launch Impulse with Waid really broke Ramos’ career), Mike Wieringo (The Flash), Travis Charest (Darkstars), Mike Parobeck (Impact and then Justice Society of America), Howard Porter (The Ray) and Oscar Jimenez (The Flash). Of course, the late, great DC talent recruiter, Neal Pozner, must be given a nod here, as well, but it was Augutyn who ultimately hired these artists.
In 1996, Augustyn became a full-time writer, joining Waid as the official co-writer on The Flash (the two had worked so closely that it was like they were co-writers before officially becoming co-writers). In 1998, he launched Crimson with Ramos for Image’s Cliffhanger imprint, as well as Out There, in 2001. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Augustyn also co-wrote The Life Story of the Flash with Waid, as well as Justice League Year One for DC and X-O Manowar for Valiant Comics. Just a few year ago, he and Waid wrote the excellent Archie: 1941 series, bringing the Elseworlds approach to Archie, as well.
In his Facebook announcement of Augustyn’s passing, Waid added:
If you’ve ever been a friend, colleague, or fan of Brian’s…I’m asking you to send a card or a note to his wife Nadine and daughters Carrie and Allie to express your condolences and tell them what he meant to you. I believe it would mean a lot to them. I realize we live in an ephemeral era of emails and texts, but something tangible, something on paper, something they can treasure, would be appreciated. Send to the following address and I will pass everything along, so please keep it to letters and cards if you will. Thank you.
Send to:
Mark Waid for the Augustyns
c/o Humanoids
6464 Sunset Blvd, Suite 1180
Los Angeles, CA 90028
About The Author
[ad_2]
