Comic Book Writer Bill Mantlo Could Really Use a Hand

I have read a lot of sad stories about comics creators who came on hard times. Never have I read one as sad as Bill Mantlo’s.

Last week, National Underwriter Life & Health Magazine published this story about Mantlo’s history and where he is now. It is truly heartbreaking, regardless if you know the man’s work or not. The short version is that after being involved in a hit and run car accident in 1992, Mantlo suffered severe brain damage, and was left unable to move or speak with any sort of effectiveness. Mantlo is mostly known for writing Marvel comics in the 1970s and 1980s, including creating Cloak and Dagger, and long stints on Incredible Hulk, ROM, and the Micronauts.

More than anything, you should go and read the article. It is lengthy, but incredible informative, both on his comics career, and his current situation.

Marvel Comics writer Greg Pak has long been a fan of Mantlo’s and has been banging the drum to help get support sent Mantlo’s way. If you have any desire or ability to contribute, here is where you can do so.

As always, we try very hard to keep this website a place where you can talk about comics and the things we love about them. But sometimes, there are important things that need a spotlight. We also have a rule about politics, and that this is not the place to discuss them. That is still the case. Regardless of your feelings on healthcare and the way that industry runs or how the government deals with it, this is not the place for that debate, and we hope you understand that.

Comments

  1. Thank you Josh for the information and sharing your appropriate policy on political discussion.

  2. His last journal entry was especially troubling: http://www.lifehealthpro.com/2011/11/11/tragic-tale—bills-last-words

    Now that I am in probably the best financial situation of my life thus far, this is exactly the cause that I would like to be apart of.

  3. It truly is a heartbreaking tale. One everyone should read and if they can help make that tiny bit happier

  4. That last paragraph really got to me for some reason.

  5. This is so sad.

    Cloak and Dagger, Rom, Micronauts. These bring back some good memories.

  6. He was very talented. He took basically a throwaway comic made for a cheap kid’s toy and made it a rich corner of the Marvel U, made all the more mysterious by the fact that Marvel no longer has the rights and can’t go in and muck with his storyline.

  7. I really appreciate the reminder about keeping this discussion civil. Mantlo’s story is tragic no matter what your beliefs about how health care should work.

    I donated $50 to the Hero Initiative after reading that story last week.

  8. I grew up on his peter parker run .

  9. I’m only 19 but I started reading comics by collecting bronze age comics and I really enjoyed his Human Fly issues from the 70’s. Also his fill-in issues of Avengers. Its sad, I had no idea that this had happened until I read the article.

  10. That’s pretty terrible. Seriously, one of the worst things that could ever happen to a person

  11. I read this after reading the article on toy tie-ins. That article reminded me of my love for Micronauts and this article tells me that one of the main people responsible for those comics is in dire straits. I’m heartbroken to hear this happened in 1992 and I only just now happened to hear of it.

    That said… thanks, Josh, for this post.

  12. Bill Mantlo also created Rocket Raccoon (w/ Keith Giffen).

  13. That you for the post. I got emotional as I read and relived the emotional / mental awareness from reading his works as an extremely young minority. Cloak and Dagger was different – that book allowed an introverted kid to connect with a medium that was fun but a bit more remote. It is sad to see this, truly so – Thank you for the post, thank you for the information on how to make a difference. Hopefully the story is not over, and it is not too late for him to be shown that he molded some heroes from the mass he inspired