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Tony Isabella

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Tony Isabella(born December 22, 1951)[1]is anAmericancomic bookwriter, editor, actor, artist and critic, known as the creator and writer ofMarvel Comics'Black Goliath;DC Comics' first majorAfrican-Americansuperhero,Black Lightning;and as a columnist and critic for theComics Buyer's Guide.

Tony Isabella
Isabella at the 2024WonderCon
Born(1951-12-22)December 22, 1951(age 72)
Cleveland,Ohio, U.S.
Area(s)Writer
Notable works
Black Goliath
Black Lightning
Justice Machine
"Tony's Tips"
AwardsGoethe Award1972
Inkpot Award2013
http://tonyisabella.blogspot.com

Biography

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Early life and influences

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Tony Isabella was born inCleveland,Ohio.[2]He discovered comics at the age of four, when his mother began bringing himI. W. Publicationstitles she bought atWoolworth.[2]Early influences from the comic book world includedStan Lee,Jack Kirby,Roy Thomas,Robert Kanigher,andLen Wein;Isabella was also influenced by writers such asWilliam Shakespeare,Harlan Ellison,Ed McBain,Neil Simon,Mel Brooks,Lester Dent,Dave Barry,Max Allan Collins,Don Pendleton,andStuds Terkel.[2]

As a teenager, Isabella had many letters published incomic book letter columns,[3]primarily in the pages of Marvel titles. He was active in comicsfandomas well, a member ofCAPA-alpha,and a regular contributor to comicsfanzines.[2]

Marvel Comics

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Isabella's work in comics fandom attracted the attention of Marvel editorRoy Thomas[2](whose professional career began in similar fashion), and in 1972 Thomas hired Isabella as an editorial assistant at Marvel. With Marvel's establishment ofMarvel UKthat year, Isabella was assigned the task of overseeing the reprints used in Marvel UK's nascent comics line.[4]He also served for a time as an editor forMarvel's black-and-white magazine line.[5]

As a writer, Isabella scriptedGhost Rider;the charactersIt, the Living Colossus,inAstonishing Tales;Luke CageinHero for HireandPower Man;andTigrainMarvel Chillers;Daredevil;[6]andCaptain America.[7]While writing the "Iron Fist"feature inMarvel Premiere,he co-created the supporting characterMisty Knightwith artistArvell Jones.[8]Isabella developed the concept ofTheChampionsseries[9]and wrote the first several issues.[10]

Controversy

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During his mid-1970s run onGhost Rider,Isabella wrote a two-year story arc in whichJohnny Blazeoccasionally encountered an unnamed character referred to as "the Friend" who helped Blaze stay protected fromSatan,who had granted Blaze supernatural power and created the Ghost Rider. Isabella said in 2007,

Getting prior approval from editorRoy Thomas,as I would from later editorsLen WeinandMarv Wolfman,I introduced "The Friend" into the series. He looked sort of like a hippieJesus Christand that's exactly who He was, though I never actually called Him that.... It allowed me to address a disparity that had long bothered me about theMarvel Universe.Though we had no end ofHell(s)and Satan surrogates in our comics, we had nothing ofHeaven.... [After two years] I'd written a story wherein, couched in mildly subtle terms, Blaze accepted Jesus as his savior and freed himself from Satan's power forever. Had I remained onGhost Rider,which was my intent at the time, the title's religious elements would have faded into the background. Blaze would be a Christian, but he'd express this in the way he led his life.... Unfortunately, an assistant editor took offense at my story. The issue was ready to go to the printer when he pulled it back and ripped it to pieces. He had some of the art redrawn and a lot of the copy rewritten to change the ending of a story two years in the making. "The Friend" was revealed to be, not Jesus, but a demon in disguise. To this day, I consider what he did to my story one of the three most arrogant and wrongheaded actions I've ever seen from an editor.[11]

Isabella later said the assistant editor referenced wasJim Shooter.[12][13]In 2020, Shooter said he had been concerned that this "basically established the Marvel universe is a Christian universe" and could alienate some portion of the readership by suggesting "that all other religions are false." He said after consulting with editorMarv Wolfman,he made the changes.[14]

DC Comics

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ForDC Comics,Isabella worked as a writer and story editor[5]but is mainly known for his creation ofBlack Lightning,[15]writing both the character's short-lived 1970s and 1990s series.[16]After reaching an agreement with DC,[17]Isabella returned to the character in 2017 with the publication of theBlack Lightning: Cold Dead Handslimited series.[18][19]

Isabella and artistRichard Howellproduced theShadow War of Hawkmanmini-series in 1985, involving the characters of Hawkman and Hawkwoman.[20]An ongoing series was launched the following year.[21]

Justice Machine

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In 1987, Isabella began writing theJustice Machineseries forComico,co-plotting with series creator and pencillerMike Gustovich.The new series picked up from the end of theBill Willingham/Gustovich writtenlimited seriesJustice Machine featuring theElementals,which re-booted the series' continuity from the olderNoble Comics/Texas Comics-published original series. The ongoing book became one of Comico's best-selling series, selling upwards of 70,000 copies of each issue at its peak. Isabella wrote the first 11 issues of the Comico series before moving on to other projects.[22]

In 1990, Isabella returned to the characters and wrote the series forInnovation Comics,with Gustovich pencilling once more.

"Tony's Tips"

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Isabella wrote theComics Buyer's Guidecolumn "Tony's Tips" for over a decade. The last column was June 22, 2010.[23]Starting in 2013, he continued "Tony's Tips" online atTales of Wonder.[24][25]He also regularly writes about comics and his work on his personal blog.[26]

Books

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Isabella is the co-author with his fellowComics Buyer's GuidecolumnistBob Ingersollof theshort story"If Wishes Were Horses..." which was published inThe Ultimate Super-Villains: New Stories Featuring Marvel's Deadliest Villains(1996),[27]and thenovelsCaptain America:Liberty's Torch(1998)[28]andStar Trek: The Case Of The Colonist's Corpse(2003).[29]In 2009, his non-fiction book1000 Comics You Must Readwas published byKrause Publications.[30]

Other work

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During the 1980s, Isabella operated Cosmic Comics, a comic book shop in the Colonial Arcade inDowntown Cleveland.[31]

He has also worked on translating foreign-languageDisneycomics and revising the wording for the U.S. market.

Personal life

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Isabella's wife is named Barbara; they have two children, son Eddie (born c. 1989) and daughter Kelly (born c. 1992).[2]

Awards

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Bibliography

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Atlas/Seaboard Comics

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Atlas Comics (Ardden Entertainment)

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  • Grim Ghostvol. 2 #1–6 (with Stephen Susco) (2010–2011)

Caliber Comics

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Comico

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Dark Horse

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  • Harlan Ellison's Dream Corridor Quarterly#1 (with Harlan Ellison) (1996)

DC Comics

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Image Comics

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  • Geeksville#3 (2000)

Innovation Publishing

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  • Justice Machinevol. 3 #5–7 (1990–1991)
  • Sentry Special#1 (with Bob Ingersoll) (1991)

Marvel Comics

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Topps Comics

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Warren Publishing

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Filmography

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Television roles
Year Title Role Notes
2020 Black Lightning Judge Isabella Episode: "The Book of War: Chapter Three: Liberation"

References

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  1. ^Miller, John Jackson(June 10, 2005)."Comics Industry Birthdays".Comics Buyer's Guide.Iola, Wisconsin. Archived fromthe originalon February 18, 2011.
  2. ^abcdefArndt, Richard J. (February 8, 2006)."Marvel's Black & White Horror Magazines Checklist".Enjolrasworld.com. "A 2005 Interview With Tony Isabella", first item after the end of the checklist itself. Archived fromthe originalon October 8, 2012.RetrievedMay 4,2013.
  3. ^Smith, Stephen Scott Beau(May 15, 1983). "The LOCsmiths".Amazing Heroes(23). Stamford, Connecticut:Fantagraphics Books.
  4. ^Wymann, Adrian (May 13, 2009)."The Mighty World of Bronze Age British Marvel 1972–1974: Setting Up Marvel UK".Panelology!. Archived fromthe originalon March 2, 2012.RetrievedJune 5,2011.
  5. ^abTony Isabella (editor)at theGrand Comics Database
  6. ^Mithra, Kuljit (May 1997)."Interview With Tony Isabella".ManWithoutFear.com.Archivedfrom the original on March 21, 2013.RetrievedApril 7,2013.
  7. ^Tony Isabellaat theGrand Comics Database
  8. ^Hughes, William (September 2, 2015)."Luke Cagecasts its Misty Knight, too, while it's at it ".The A.V. Club.Archivedfrom the original on September 5, 2015.
  9. ^Sanderson, Peter(2008). "1970s". In Gilbert, Laura (ed.).Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History.London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley.p. 171.ISBN978-0756641238.Created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Don Heck, the Champions consisted of Angel, Iceman, Hercules, the Black Widow, and Ghost Rider.
  10. ^Walker, Karen (July 2013). "'We'll Keep on Fighting 'Til the End': The Story of the Champions ".Back Issue!(65). Raleigh, North Carolina:TwoMorrows Publishing:17–23.
  11. ^Isabella, Tony."The Ghost Rider movie opens on February 16".Comics Buyer's Guide#1628 (May 2007) via Tony's Online Tips (April 11, 2007).Archivedfrom the original on April 26, 2007.RetrievedFebruary 16,2013.
  12. ^Isabella, Tony."It's Everett True Tuesday here at TOT Central!".Tony's Online Tips (June 15, 2010).Archivedfrom the original on December 6, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 16,2013.My anger over Shooter rewriting the last issue of my two-year Ghost Rider run, a story that had been approved every step of the way by three previous editors-in-chief, has been documented on several occasions.
  13. ^Howe, Sean (2012).Marvel Comics: The Untold Story.New York City:HarperCollins.ISBN978-0061992100.He [Jim Shooter] told Tony Isabella to rewrite the climax to a two-yearGhost Riderstory line, in which the hero was saved by Jesus Christ, on the grounds that it would be seen as religious propaganda.
  14. ^Shooter, Jim, inOff The Record with Jim Shooter(YouTube). Roger Priebe. Apr 20, 2020. Event occurs at 01:50.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-12.RetrievedMay 26,2020.Alt URL
  15. ^McAvennie, Michael (2010). "1970s". In Dolan, Hannah (ed.).DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle.London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley.p. 173.ISBN978-0-7566-6742-9.Writer Tony Isabella and artist Trevor von Eeden provided the creative juice forBlack Lightning.
  16. ^Manning, Matthew K. "1990s" in Dolan, p. 269: "Writer Tony Isabella returned to his prized character, Black Lightning, in an ongoing series with artist Eddy Newell."
  17. ^Cave, Rob (March 27, 2017)."DC, Tony Isabella Reach Agreement on Black Lightning".Comic Book Resources.Archivedfrom the original on September 3, 2017.
  18. ^Cohen, Jason (August 19, 2017)."Black Lightning Creator Returns for Cold Dead Hands Mini".Comic Book Resources.Archivedfrom the original on September 3, 2017.
  19. ^Isabella, Tony (August 30, 2017)."Black Lightning Beat #1".Tony Isabella's Bloggy Thing.Archivedfrom the original on September 3, 2017.
  20. ^Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 215: "May [1985] saw the return of the Winged Wonder in a four-issue miniseries entitledThe Shadow War of Hawkmanby writer Tony Isabella and penciller Richard Howell. "
  21. ^Zawisza, Doug (July 2017). "Hawkman in the Bronze Age".Back Issue!(97). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 15–20.
  22. ^Martin, Brian (February 2017). "The Twisted History Mystery or...Welcome to theMachine".Back Issue!(94). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 28–31.
  23. ^Isabella, Tony (June 22, 2010)."Tony's Online Tips".WorldFamousComics.com.Archivedfrom the original on March 22, 2013.RetrievedAugust 7,2010.Tony's Online Tips has reached the end of its decade-plus run. I announced this last week in various venues, but I didn't want to leave without saying a more proper farewell and, in that farewell, try to explain this decision without sending any one into a panic.
  24. ^Isabella, Tony (2013-04-04)."Tony Isabella's Bloggy Thing: HERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT TONY".Tony Isabella's Bloggy Thing.Retrieved2019-01-24.
  25. ^"Search Results for" Tony's Tips "– Tales of Wonder Blog".blog.talesofwonder.com.Retrieved2019-01-24.
  26. ^"Tony Isabella's Bloggy Thing".tonyisabella.blogspot.com.Retrieved2019-01-24.
  27. ^Lee, Stan,ed. (1996).The Ultimate Super-Villains: New Stories Featuring Marvel's Deadliest Villains.New York, New York:Berkley Books.p. 341.ISBN978-1572971134.
  28. ^Isabella, Tony;Ingersoll, Bob(1998).Captain America: Liberty's Torch.New York, New York: Berkley Books. pp.272.ISBN978-0425166192.
  29. ^Isabella, Tony; Ingersoll, Bob (2003).The Case of the Colonist's Corpse: A Sam Cogley Mystery.Simon & Schuster.pp.288.ISBN978-0743464970.
  30. ^"1000 Comic Books You Must Read | Krause Books".www.krausebooks.com.Retrieved2019-01-24.
  31. ^Coville, Jamie (2000)."An Interview With Tony Isabella".Coville's Clubhouse. Archived fromthe originalon July 16, 2012.Cosmic Comics was easily the most successful comics shop in the Cleveland area for nine of the eleven years I owned it.
  32. ^The Comic Reader#90 (October 1972).
  33. ^"Comic-Con International's Newest Inkpot Award Winners!".San Diego Comic-Con International.2013.Archivedfrom the original on May 8, 2015.
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Preceded by Ghost Riderwriter
1974–1976 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Captain Americawriter
1975 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Daredevilwriter
1975
(withBob Brownin late 1975) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
n/a
 Black Lightningwriter
1977–1978 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
n/a
 Hawkmanwriter
1986–1987 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Justice Machinewriter
1987 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
n/a
 Black Lightningvol. 2 writer
1995 		Succeeded by
Dave DeVries
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