RIP Veteran Comics And TV Writer Gerry Conway

Goodbye To A Familiar Comics Creative Figure

The sad news reached us earlier this week that writer Gerry Conway, best known as the creator of Marvel’s Punisher and for long runs on DC’s Justice League Of America and Marvel’s Amazing Spider-man, has just passed away at the age of 73…

Gerry Conway’s professional debut was in DC’s horror book House of Secrets#81 in 1969. He moved on to work for Marvel’s horror anthologies Tower Of Shadows and Chamber Of Chills. Also at Marvel, he wrote for Iron Man, Daredevil and The Incredible Hulk. he wrote the first issue of Marvel’s Tomb of Dracula in 1972.

At the age of 19, Conway began writing Amazing Spider-man, a run which lasted for 38 issues and introduced The Punisher in #129. He also wrote for Marvel’s Fantastic Four from #133–152. After a couple more years at Marvel, he moved over to DC, writing a revival of All-Star Comics and he also wrote the first Marvel/ DC crossover, Superman vs The Amazing Spider-man, a 96 page tabloid oneshot.

He continued to write for DC on books like Superman, Detective Comics, Metal Men, Justice League of America and the licensed character Tarzan. He also worked at Marvel on books like  The Avengers, The Defenders, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, The Spectacular Spider-Man and the premiere issues of Ms. Marvel and Logan’s Run.

Conway wrote DC’s flagship superhero team Justice League Of America for eight years from 1978 to 1986. In the 1980s, Conway also wrote Batman and Detective Comics for DC as well as writing licensed book Atari Force there too.

From 1988 to 1990, Conway came back to Marvel to write both Web of Spider-man and Spectacular Spider-man.

He left comics in the 1990s and pursued a successful career in TV writing. He wrote, and later produced, such TV series as Father Dowling Mysteries, Diagnosis: Murder, Matlock, Under Suspicion, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Baywatch Nights, Perry Mason telefilms, Law & Order, The Huntress, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and two episodes of the acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series (“Appointment in Crime Alley”, “Second Chance”).

He came back to comics to write The Last Days Of Animal Man at DC in 2009 and in 2015 he returned to Marvel to write its Carnage book for 16 issues.

Conway had been ill with pancreatic cancer since 2022 and he passed away earlier this week at the age of 73. Everyone at Tripwire would like to offer our condolences to his friends and family. Here’s a small cover gallery of just a few books he wrote: