Posted in: Comics, DC Comics | Tagged: dc comics, Pat McCallum, wizard

DC Comics & Wizard Magazine Employees Remember Pat McCallum

Published Thu, 07 Jul 2022 11:58:13 -0500

Yesterday, Bleeding Cool reported the news that Pat McCallum, co-founder of Wizard Magazine and former DC Executive Editor of the DC Universe, had died. There were outpourings of memories and grief across the comic book industry. We share some of them, below.

Tom King: Pat McCallum has passed. A big, kind, nerdy, cool dude who edited and wrote Wizard Magazine and was an editor at DC. He did a lot for comics for a lot of years, including making the call to let Joelle and only Joelle design the Cat wedding dress. He was always on our side. RIP

Chris Conroy: Okay, well, the news is out. The loss of Pat McCallum has crushed me today. I worked alongside him for years at DC, and he was one of the most deeply kind and gentle people I have ever met. Multiple times in the last six months, I have thought "I should call Pat." And I didn't. I worked alongside Pat at the time in my career when I needed to expand my skillset and become a leader inside Editorial, and the deep trust and thoughtful challenges he extended to me were a huge part of making me someone who can carry a management job. I can't repay that gift. He shouldered some of the hardest work I've ever seen someone take on at this company. It was a LOT to carry. He threw EVERYTHING he had into it, and even when we disagreed, I was filled with respect for his commitment and his passion. All he ever wanted was to do the job right. And all of that is just from the time we had working together. He'd already invisibly shaped the arc of my career in a thousand ways via his time at WIZARD, which I drank like water in the desert as a young comics fan. I owe him so goddamn much it hurts to even contemplate. This is the day with Pat that always sticks in my memory. Even though Pat lived miles outside NYC, he still somehow made it into the office on the last day of his first tenure in Editorial. The trains weren't even running; Wil and I had to walk in. Haaaaaa on the day after Sandy the only people in the office were myself, Wil Moss, and Pat McCallum, and it was Pat's last day before moving to California. Abject chaos. He'd intended to hand off all of his books, in detail, to the editors who'd be taking them over. None of those people were there. Wil and I, panicked, were just like UH I GUESS WE'RE EDITING THESE NOW, scribbling down notes. Despite the chaos, Pat was calm, relaxed, laughing. At his best, Pat was just a kind, silly guy. When I found this tweet in my archives today it was exactly what I needed. I miss all of his silly action figure poses more than I ever realized I would.

"When the lights go out (timer) in Pat McCallum's office, one of his action figures with a voice chip growls "Hungry." It's not scary at all"

Jim Chadwick:You said it all. Equally devastated. Pat was a trusted confidant who I often turned to for advice and who willingly ran interference for me on a number of projects. A smart, gentle, caring, and funny guy. Tragic…

Chris Conroy: Barely a day went by when I did not have to go into Pat's office, sigh heavily, close the door, and rant for thirty minutes. Without that outlet I would have *literally* exploded.

Ben Abernathy: Heartbroken over the loss of Pat McCallum. My memories match so many being shared with his humor, wisdom & kindness. He'll always be my hero for being an early champion of DCEASED at DC—he saw the potential when most wrote it off as a lame Marvel Zombies knockoff. Thank you, Pat.

Alejandro A. Arbona: Wizard Magazine, where I began my comics career, sprang fully formed from the mind of Pat McCallum. Hilarious or juvenile, everything we did was an extension of his voice. He didn't want to be a boss—and thus wasn't always a good one—but he had a lot to teach. He was a great guy. Swapping stories with some of the old Wizard bullpen, we figured out that a big Pat McCallum thing was that he grew up just like we did, believing those corny old phony-baloney Stan Lee stories about the fun Marvel bullpen…but then he went and headed up that workplace for real…

Alex Segura: Pat McCallum was one of my first bosses in comics, and his passion for the medium was powerful. My heart goes out to his many friends today. I'll hold on to a lot of great memories of Pat from our time together at Wizard and DC. Let the people you care about know you care. RIP.

Andy Khouri: Pat McCallum was a man of kindness and integrity. He was an optimistic, uncynical man in professional circumstances more complex and taxing than most people will ever understand. And he was very, very funny.

Sam Humphries: Once I gave Pat McCallum a Jason Todd pitch that DC didn't need, or ask for. But Pat liked it a lot, and when the stars aligned on Nightwing, he said I was ready. So if you love NIGHTWING THE UNTOUCHABLE, send some thanks to him. He was funny as hell and he really cared. RIP Pat

Albert Ching:heartbreaking news today. Pat McCallum was one of the people I was most excited to meet when I started at DC, and it was always a treat to talk comics and story with him. I read Wizard voraciously during his tenure and it ended up inspiring me to pursue my prior career.

Scott Snyder: I got to work with Pat Mccallum on Metal and death metal, and he was a kind, thoughtful and deeply funny person who often served as port in the storm that could be DC then. He also really, really loved comics and comics is a little less without him.

Kiel Phegley: Stunned and saddened that we've lost Pat McCallum. If you ever liked anything about Wizard magazine or laughed at its pages, you had Pat to thank. When they fired him, he took everyone out to the bar, told us we were going to be okay & told me the funniest stories I'd ever heard.

Andrew Marino:I'm truly gutted by Pat McCallum's passing. Hopefully I'll find the words soon. I wish I had texted him to grab lunch like I kept telling myself I should. I wish he knew how much he helped me. I'd wish for a lot, but damn would I wish he was still here.

Jim Chadwick: Shocked and saddened about the passing of Pat McCallum. I only knew Pat from DC, not Wizard. I always regarded him as a trusted colleague, a voice of calm and reason who ran interference for me on a number of projects. Smart, caring, funny, easily approachable. So tragic…. I walked into Pat McCallum's office one day and saw this on his shelf.
"That's a cool Fantastic Four statue."
"Take it. It's yours"
"Really? I can't do that."
"I insist."
That was Pat. I will always think of him when I look at this.

Sean T. Collins: I want to say goodbye to my old friend and boss Pat McCallum. A deeply kind man with a love for comics that was infectious, and insights into writing I still use today. I'm sorry I wasn't there when he needed someone.

Christopher Cantwell: RIP Pat McCallum. You gave me a second home in middle school.

Alex Antone:No matter what crazy things were going on at DC, I always felt like Pat McCallum had my back, and that meant the world to me. He had SUCH a massive impact on comics and pop culture and the stories shared about him today have been a real joy. I hope he knew how much he was loved.

Clark Bull: Pat McCallum patiently listened to me ramble about Dex-Starr one day, and soon afterwards a framed headshot, signed with a paw-print by the legend Dex-Starr himself, appeared at my desk. Some heroes just listen and know how to respond. I wish I'd been able to return the favor.

Phillip Hester: Sorry to hear about Pat McCallum. He kept trying to hire me despite my nearly perfectly useless pitches. Straight shooter.

Adam Philips: Pat McCallum was a calm presence in the chaos that DC could sometimes be. He was always available to chat, always open and welcoming, always patient with my never-ending questions. His loss is really heartbreaking.

Cully Hamner: Shocked and very saddened to hear about the passing of Pat McCallum. We worked together only a little here and there when he was at DC, and he was a real gent, a good guy. My condolences to his family and his friends and colleagues. RIP, Pat.

Brian Warmoth: Pat McCallum was the EiC at my first-ever summer internship and later full-time job. He went out of his way to give 110% toward making every issue what he thought the best version of it could be. And you could tell how much he cared about every member of that team. RIP

Arianna Turturro: Pat McCallum was kind, generous, and thoughtful. He always tried to find light and bring joy to others in a world that is full of conflict and pain. I hope he was able to finally find some sense of peace in the end. I will miss his mischievous heart and silly costumes.

Paul Kaminski: When I was a kid I looked up to Pat McCallum and the fun he made us all feel with Wizard Magazine. As an adult I was proud to call him a good friend. I'm heartbroken. Just at a loss for words.

Jim Zub: So shocked to see that Pat McCallum passed away. I didn't know him well, but he was the first Big Two editor to ever hire me. If you enjoyed the Suicide Squad story I did that was finally released last year, that was an inventory issue I wrote for the New 52 thanks to Pat.

Adam Glass:Pat McCallum was my editor on #SuicideSquad and the reason #HarleyQuinn was in it. We were told no many times, but he never gave up until she was in. And it changed the DCU. Pat over time became a trusted friend. A real comic book guy, who loved storytelling. I will miss u 4ever.

Rus Wooton:Pat McCallum made Wizard a fun place to work, a fun mag to read. Even tho I left Wizard, he gave me the web design gig for his comic 'Shadow Reavers'. But many have stories of his kindness, from Wizard thru his time at DC, and beyond. I hope he knew how much he'd be missed.

WIZARDS! The Podcast Guide To Comics:We are saddened by the news of the passing of Wizard magazine Editor-In-Chief, Pat McCallum. Our hearts go out to his family and all the Wizard Staffers who called him friend. He created a one of a kind clubhouse for comic book fans in the pages of Wizard. A true legacy.

The last thing Pat McCallum told me was to "stay evil". I'll do my best, Pat, I'll do my best.

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