Bob Haney

Infobox Comics creator


imagesize =
caption =
birthname = Robert Haney
birthdate = 1926
location = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
deathdate = death date|2004|11|25|mf=y
deathplace = La Mesa, California
nationality = American
area = Writer
alias =
notable works = Teen Titans, Super-Sons
awards = Alley Award, Inkpot Award

Robert "Bob" Haney (1926 - November 25, 2004) was an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. He co-created the Silver Age Teen Titans as well as characters such as Metamorpho, Eclipso, Cain, and the Super-Sons.

Biography

Early life and career

Haney grew up in Philadelphia, wear he read popular newspaper comic strips like "Prince Valiant" and "Flash Gordon", and was a regular listener of radio dramas. Earning his master's degree from Columbia University, he embarked on a writing career, publishing a number of novels under a variety of assumed names.

In 1948, Haney broke into the comics industry. From 1948 to 1955 Haney wrote crime and war comics for a number of publishers, including Fawcett, Standard, Hillman, Harvey, and St. John.

DC Comics

In large part due to the Frederic Wertham scare and the U.S Senate Subcommittee hearings on juvenile delinquency, most of Haney's publishers went out of business during the period, but around 1956 he connected with DC Comics. Thus began a long association with DC, which lasted almost thirty years, with Haney scripting just about every sort of comic DC published.Evanier, Mark. "Bob Haney, R.I.P." [http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2004_12_05.html News From Me] , December 5, 2004. Retrieved on February 2, 2008.]

Besides the "Teen Titans" and "Doom Patrol", other DC titles Haney worked on include "Sgt. Rock", "World's Finest Comics" (where he created the Super-Sons), "The Brave and the Bold", "Blackhawk", "The Unknown Soldier" and "Deadman". With artists Joe Orlando and Jack Sparling, Haney co-created Cain and his gargoyle Gregory for "House of Mystery", characters that are now much better known for their appearances in Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman".

Haney frequently claimed to have co-created the Doom Patrol with Arnold Drake, but Drake insisted that he merely called in Haney for help in meeting a deadline. [Guay, George, "The Life and Death of the Doom Patrol," "Amazing Heroes" #6, November 1981, Zam, Inc., Stamford, CT, p. 39.]

Haney's stories in the 1960s and 70s, especially with the Teen Titans and the Super-Sons, often dealt with youth culture and current issues, but by the late 1970s and early 80s, Haney struggled to produce material that DC's editors considered timely or contemporary. This led to occasional clashes with the DC editorial staff and ultimately to Haney's departure from the company (and comics in general).

Animation

In the 1960s Haney contributed scripts to the "Superman" and "Aquaman" cartoon shows; and in the 1980s, after leaving DC, wrote for several Rankin-Bass animated shows, including "Thundercats", "Silverhawks" and "Karate Kat".

Later life

When comics and animation work petered out in the late 1980s, Haney turned to other forms of writing, including a book on carpentry. His last few years were spent in San Felipe in Baja, Mexico.

Awards

Haney's industry recognitions included the 1968 Alley Award for Best Full-Length Story ("Track of the Hook" in Brave and the Bold #79, drawn by Neal Adams); and a 1997 Inkpot Award from Comic-Con International.

Notes

References

*

External links

* [http://www.blueroadrunner.com/haney.htm Profile of Haney]
* [http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2004_12_05.html Mark Evanier obit]
* [http://www.blueroadrunner.com/Hgallery/index.htm Photo gallery of Haney]