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Gerber was a mad genius. And like all mad geniuses, he drove the people who actually knew him crazy.

Finally....Someone talks about Howard the Duck and not just the 80's movie.

I was at the SanDiegoCon banquet in 1986 when Steve Gerber tottered into the hall late. He'd just been to the premiere of HOWARD THE DUCK. The poor bastard looked absolutely sick and devastated, as if he'd just been forced to watch his child violated. That was my first inkling the movie wasn't gonna help the comics industry look cool.

Sure, the weird stuff is where he made his mark, but his run on Defenders was damned good writing. Consistently more entertaining than Avengers or even Fantastic Four.

Great Episode! Gerber was like the proto-Morrison, just producing some really surreal and crazy stuff when that kind of thing was more accidental than anything else. Was really sad when he passed.

Steve Gerber was the only person who could write Howard the Duck properly.

I remember when Howard the duck first hit the scene and then when Howard the duck # 1 came into the comic book store that I worked for. The first issue sold out immediately and started to resell for $20

I like Gerber, but one important aspect of the Destroyer Duck controversy was that Jack Kirby wasn't properly compensated for his work.

Man, he died without ever getting the full rights to his character, and now Marvel is owned by the company that thought his character looked too close to their own duck character. Im glad he paved they way for stuff like this in comics though, a real visionary.

Steve Gerber walked so grant Morison could run

I sort of lived through much of this as I am 53 and I started reading comics when I was like 9 or 10 (1977/78). Destroyer Duck was the coolest thing. We felt like we were really helping "the Cause" by buying it.

It was very funny to see raid shadow legends ad on this channel, but even though we all know about the quality of this product, I'm so happy that Chris gets such sponsorships, I'm really hoping he can make a living out of his KZfaq channel, he truly deserves that!

The ending where it was emphasized that Steve Gerber wasn’t interested in Tv or animation, he was interested in comic books. This is important; comic books are a medium unto themselves and more people need to understand that.

Gotta hand it to Gerber. He was playing chess while they were playing checkers.

I'm writing this from memory, so the details might be a bit off. But Gerber claimed that "Giant Sized Man-Thing" really wasn't intentional. The story he told was that literally no one caught the double meaning until he met a new neighbor, mentioned he wrote comics, and then showed her one of the comics he wrote (GSMT, obviously). At that, she made a comment like, "oh, you write *those* types of comics", at which point Gerber considered the title and realized what she meant. Could it be true? I dunno. But his response to the double meaning of "Doctor Bong" was usually "oh, no, I have no idea what you mean, wink, wink". That he actually acknowledged the GSMT double meaning, and had a story about how he realized it, does make it somewhat plausible, at least. And, honestly, it's not like it was the only "Giant Sized" comic Marvel was putting out; it was fairly common for them to do "Giant Sized" versions of other titles (Giant Sized X-Men #1 probably being the most famous), so it's certainly possible someone said "okay, let's do a Giant Sized version of Man-Thing without a second thought. On the other hand, Steve Gerber being Steve Gerber, him realizing the implications of the title all along is also completely believable, so... take it as you will.

Is this your first sponsor Chris, I don't remember, congrats, you deserve all the money!!!

I came across your channel the other week with the bob kane video. Since then i have watched nothing but your vidoes, i cant get enough!

Thank you Chris for this video, I been wanting a Steve Gerber video for awhile. He is underrated in the names of great comic writers and his Man Thing run was excellent.

Chris, adoramos tus vídeos que no solo exploran las historias si no las cuestiones detrás de la industria.

Loved Howard the Duck. He's the reason I got into comics & learned to draw. Also loved how he's an editorial vehicle. We could use more comics like his today.

Great overview. Howard the Duck was a favorite series of mine. I thought it was filled with action, satire and political commentary done in a unique and creative way! Gerber could write the hell out of an entertaining story!

Excellent! This was really informative. Before this video? I was strongly under the belief that Gerber was totally wronged by "Evil MegaCorp. Marvel", but, after watching this video? Im unsure if anybody was in the wrong. It seems that Steve had his wires-crossed, and was making demands from an erroneous starting-point. I enjoyed this content a lot, and: I've also got some new titles to check out aswell! If anybody want to read some other good 'ol Gerber recommendations, then try "Man Thing". Those are great. And the issues illustrated by the mighty Mike Ploog are just beautiful to look at. (Ploog studied under Eisner, and it shows). Cheers Chris, And Happy New Year to all the Comics Tropes Fans "LiL'JpD."

Man-Thing #5 The Night of the Laughing Dead was among my favorite comics of this period. Steve Gerber and Mike Ploog's storytelling collaboration was excellent. I even made my non-comic reader friend read this story.

7:06 I think I should mention that Gerber apparently claimed that Dr Bong one was unintentional. He did say that people lately explained him other meanings for bong.

As a preteen I absolutely adored Steve Gerber's work . Loved it . The Defenders were MY team in the early 1970's and I still have and occasionally reread those crazy stories !

Was Gerber's (legendary) deadline lateness a product of writer's block, procrastination or perfectionism? Did he (or his colleagues) ever offer a perspective? Great episode as always! Thank you, Chris!

Pretty sure Steve Orlando just brought back Omega The Unknown into the Marvel canon through the recent Darkhold mini-event

I first read Gerber when he wrote the Ultraverse title Sludge. Unfortunately it was canceled when Malibu was bought out by Marvel and all the Ultraverse characters have been in some type of legal limbo......

I don't really read comics but I love learning about them through your vids, thanks dawg!

Howard asked the tough questions such as why Red Sonja wore a metal bikini. It's something every fan always wondered but Howard the Duck was the only one to ask it.

Chris, you're looking great, and your show's looking even better. Watching this was a blast, and your channel has been a close ally through some hard times. Thank you for your content and see you next time

Yep, The Nexus was introduced in Man-thing. Nexus is mentioned in WandaVision.

I know he's had a long, respected career, but every time I see Roy Thomas all I can think of is House Roy, hapless lackey to Funky Flashman. I love me some petty Jack Kirby.

My friends pointed out to me a while ago that how badly I want in MCU version of a Howard the Duck movie is directly proportional to how drunk I am. If I'm slightly tipsy, I will express mild interest in seeing it. If I'm completely borderline blackout drunk I will start screaming, "Imma read you line for line the fan script that I wrote!!!" Whenever I get to that point, my friends always say "Ah shit. Steve's Howard-the-Duck drunk. Better cut him off."

Great fix for the focus issue.....just move closer to the camera !! 😂😂😂

Great work as always! The Howard the Duck saga is something I’ve been fascinated by but never knew all the ins and outs that you put here. Really enjoyed learning about this.

I was so proud to see Howard fighting in the Battle of Earth alongside the Avengers, the army of Asgard, the sorcerers, the Ravagers, the army of Wakanda, and the guardians of the galaxy.

I am so happy that you upload weekly videos again. I hope the best for your channel!

I'm not sure if it falls within there purview of this channel but it would be kinda neat to see an episode about Pogo

Gerber wrote an episode of Star Trek the Next Generation where Riker is in a fake alternate future where he has a child that was very similar to a two-part episode of G.I. Joe with Shipwreck.

Genuinely happy to see that you’re sponsored

I think a great episode would be about the floating/sliding timeline that Marvel and DC uses. As always, great episode Chris!

Old comics drama sounds so much like old wrestling drama. Like, "The WWF screwed over the wrestler so hard that they had a massive falling out with everyone hating everyone..... and then a few years later he was rehired by the WWE and went on to have several title runs..... before it all happened again...."

Sponsors! Congtatulations Chris!

I only recently found and subscribed to your channel (around 2-3 weeks ago) but I've already binged nearly all your content. Truly great stuff, thank you for all the amazing work you do Chris! You are very appreciated

I bought the masterwork of Howard the Duck in Comixology for less than a dollar, so this video is the perfect companion

Chris, this is one of those videos of yours that really reminds me what a wonderful job you do. So many Gerber retrospectives concentrate on his "funny" work, they include the issues of non-Howard material he worked on that parody something else or are intended as satire and that's about it. They have a vision of Gerber as a funny guy. However you showed Gerbers more serious work, his commentaries on violence, his use of "real world villainy" (as he called it) in Defenders and Captain America, etc. Truly one of the best and more complete looks at Gerber, flaws and all Thank you so much for all of your videos. I hope you keep doing them for many years to come. Your love of the form radiates out of each one and reminds me why I love comics as much as I do. They're very much the highlight of my week sometimes. Thanks for all you do.

Yeahh!!!! It is the first time I feel glad to see a sponsor in a video. Congratulations, Chris.

Hey man, your comic book industry deep dives are always appreciated and very interesting. 👍🏻

Love you Chris. Best comic book youtuber of all time. You can feel the passion and love in every video. Life has been a bit messy recently and quite stressful but it all goes away when I watch your videos. Thanks for being you Chris.

Great vid, I'm so happy you got a sponsor. Hopefully, more to come!

Thanks Chris for another great video

Thanks for posting this! Steve was my all time favorite comic writer!

Phenomenal video! I always love hearing behind the scenes stuff regarding Howard the Duck

I haven't really sat down and read comics and in least 3 years. Things just got too wild and my attention drifted elsewhere. I greatly appreciate your content and your deep dives into the stories behind the stories. I love putting on one of your videos while doing chores.

Honestly Chris I’m so happy to see you taking ads, especially from such big companies like RSL and MagicSpoon!! I have absolutely no issue watching or skipping through an ad if it means you’re more properly compensated for your hard work. Congrats and thanks for the great videos!! :)

Great video! Thanks!!!

Great video! I'm loving the extra output

Awesome video. I love Howard the Duck. I was around when it was new and on the shelves and enjoyed seeing his covers and ads each time, but didn't give it much appreciation beyond his appearance with Spider-Man in a Team-Up. It wasn't until getting a stack of them out if a 50c box decades later that I realized how cool he and his writers were. Artists too. After that I learned a little bit about the behind the scenes connected to him in some letters page/editorial from some non-big-two publisher. Thanks for connecting the dots for me.

In my view, Gereber's most underrated work was the cartoon Thundarr The Barbarian. That Saturday Morning cartoon started off with being in a post-apocalypse. I always felt it ironic that Disney tried to get Marvel to change Howard The Duck when Howard and Donald were completely different characters ...and then decades later buy Marvel. At least Gerber gets credit for creating Howard when Howard shows up in the MCU. In any case, as much I love the Howard character and even Man-Thing... if you work for a company, ad you have a contract, any work you do for that company, while the company will give you credit for creating or helping create something, they own that work.

Great video, Chris! Super interesting! Thanks.

You do the best reviews about comic artists I idolise from my childhood, In-depth but uncontrived. I share your love for the medium . Thank you !!

I saw Howard the Duck as a kid (and it was as mentioned meant for kids), and I liked it very much (except from the guitar playing at the end).

i've been waiting for this video since i first started watching you.

Glad to see that sponsors are coming through for you

Best comic channel. So much great, researched content and a great presenter. Just love this.

Steve Gerber has long been a favorite of mine. Howard the Duck is very important to me.

It only just occurred to me that the fact that Gerber established Man-Thing defending the universe by just mindlessly fighting whoever showed up is kind of a great commentary on who the proactive characters are in superhero comics (hint: it's not the heroes).

Commenting and liking to bless you on the algorithm, keep up the good work

Howard the Duck has long been a favorite of mine. That Gerber run is very important to me.

thanks for a great video. Always so fascinating

Hey Chris! Have you ever read any of Paul Chadwick’s Concrete comics? I think it’s something you’d really like and I think you’re likely already a fan. I’d like to suggest some comics and comic creators to be in future episodes. Along with Chadwick’s Concrete, David Lapham’s Stray Bullets and James Kochalka’s Sketchbook Diaries are some comics that I think would make fun episodes. Evan Dorkin’s Milk and Cheese is another comic to add to the list. I’ll still watch and be a fan of your show even if you never talk about those comics. And I’m glad you got a sponsor.

I find it kind of funny that Steve had all these legal issues, when his brother is a lawyer and was my professor in Brooklyn Law School. You'd think he'd give the stuff to his brother to look over, at least. Michael Gerber is literally a contract attorney.

Hey Chris! Thanks for the content! 10/10 as always!

I love love love Bill Mantlo's version of Howard the Duck!

this was one of your best videos, loved it !!

Love ya, man. You cover comics in tons of various ways and with enthusiasm and smarts. With great knowledge comes great responsibility! :)

Excellent as always!!!!

Thanks for the video, good info!

First sponsor? Good one, hope you can bring more and make this into your job as you been trying for a long time now 🙂

Very well done video. Great job and thank you.

You should call this “year of behind the scenes” or something. I know that name was crap, but you’re last several videos have all been about those behind the scenes stories about what’s happening with these stories and characters. Idk it just seems you’re on that topic

You should do a short on his limited series The Foolkiller. Amazing story with crap art. And never collected or reprinted.

Really enjoyed this, thanks.

I drew the Marvel half of that 1996 crossover. Gerber and I became friendly after that, and let me in on his Howard plans. Yes, any Howards appearing in Marvel Comics after that issue of SPIDER-MAN TEAM-UP were clones. The "real" Howard would dye his feathers black and begin using the name Leonard. This meant that Gerber could maintain control and ownership of *his* duck. Steve and I were going to collaborate on the adventures of "Leonard The Duck", which would have become a dream come true for me. But things didn't work out. I never did get the full story about how and why the plan dissolved. But I'll always be grateful to Tom Brevoort for hiring me to draw that one story, and to Steve for including me in his Duck Scheme.

Thanks for the Entertaining, informative video!

Steve Gerber was an amazing writer, even as a kid I knew that he was pushing the boundaries of comics. Some of his later work that’s really good that you need to check out is Nevada & Hard Time. Of course his ManThing run is the best!

Fantastic episode Chris. You strike a good balance of critical and affectionate with the sometimes messy people who work in the comics business, and it really does justice to someone like Steve Gerber.

I enjoyed Steve Gerber's work. He stood out from all of his contemporaries back when I was reading during his time. He should have been included in any financial windfalls for his creation. Wonderful episode as usual, thank you.

Thanks for doing this video! Steve Gerber was one of my favorite writers in this CHAOTIC era of Marvel and the only comic I’ve ever subscribed to! His writing always weird with bizarre humor and unexpected things tossed in wasn’t predictable or in my opinion always unusual! Howard’ last run with Steve and excellent art by Phil Winslade had Howard having a chat with God in the last tale! Gerber is/was one of a kind and if people get it or not? Whatever,it is what it is! All of his stuff is recommended reading! Thanks again!

This video was incredible. Great research.

Another Amazing Episode!

OMG! Those two panels at 5.35 are my clearest, cleanest memory from my comic book reading days as a kid. I even remember the time and place I purchased the comic they were in, and I still have an issue of it (not the original one I bought) somewhere in the house. I sold all of my comics many years ago, save that issue of The Defenders and, oddly enough, my Howard The Duck books.

Awesome work as always It would like to see you cover the Bucky O'Hare comics, eventually.

Thanks for this video.

Great content, Chris.

I love your videos! My favourite comic channel no question :)

Another great video!

Thanks for posting this, Chris. I loved Steve and Gene's work on Howard back in the 70s was devastated when Steve left suddenly with no explanation in the comic or Bullpen Bulletins. I didn't find out the real story until many years later. One small correction. The comic Steve was taken off so Gerry Conway could write it was actually the Defenders, not Daredevil. Steve had given up Daredevil to write Defenders a couple of years previously.