Posted in: Comics, Current News | Tagged: keith giffen, NYCC

Over Fifty Comic Book Creators, Sharing Memories Of Keith Giffen

Yesterday, we learned of the death of Keith Giffen, comic book legend, Here is what a number of comic book creators have been saying since.

Published Thu, 12 Oct 2023 13:58:06 -0500

by Rich Johnston

Last updated Fri, 13 Oct 2023 08:27:56 -0500

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Yesterday, Bleeding Cool broke the news about the tragic death of Keith Giffen, comic book legend, creator and co-creator of Lobo, Rocket Raccoon, Ambush Bug, Maxwell Lord and more. Keith Giffen went out like a post-modern Spike Milligan, with a Facebook post put up by his daughter, reading. "I told them I was sick… Anything not to go to New York Comic Con". We talked about Keith Giffen a lot yesterday, here is what a number of comic book creators have been saying since.

J.M. DeMatteis: Keith was one of the most brilliantly creative humans I've ever known. A curmudgeon with a heart of gold. A generous collaborator. An old, dear friend. And, as my wife observed, "He was like a character out of a Keith Giffen story." Safe travels, Keith. You will be missed.

Colleen Doran: My very dear friend, one of the best friends I have ever had. Keith Giffen. I am heartbroken. I will love you forever. You were endlessly kind and crazy, funny and awful, beyond smart, truly original.

Alex Segura: So sorry to hear of Keith Giffen's passing. His art was startlingly unique but also steeped in what came before. A dynamic, fluid artist who was also a brave and fearless writer. I felt lucky to have known him, even just a bit. My condolences to his family, friends, and fans.

Rob Liefeld: Just heard the news of the passing of Keith Giffen. He was a Master of the craft. My favorite Defenders. My favorite Legion Of Super Heroes. LOBO! He worked his magic for me at Extreme on Bloodstrike, Supreme and Youngblood. We had so much fun. He is first ballot Comic Book Hall Of Fame. Rest In Peace Keith, you were one in a million. This rocked my young mind. Keith Giffen's bold double page spread from Defenders #50 had me cheering. He was a great artist, his lines had universal appeal. As much as I loved Keith the writer and the layout guy, his actual art, the comics he drew were what inspired me!

Tom Peter: Keith Giffen was one of the funniest people ever to do comics. The arrow caption was his idea. Rest in peace.

Brad Meltzer: The flag at the Legion of Super-Heroes clubhouse is flying at half mast tonight. Same at JLA HQ. RIP to the great Keith Giffen, who was always first class. #LLL

Chris Weston: RIP Keith Giffen. Along with his colleagues, J.M. DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire, his work on Justice League International did more to affect the future tone of comic books and their movie adaptations than people realise.

Zach Rabiroff: Truly speechless over the loss of Keith Giffen. He was a singular creative talent, who took the raw elements of Kirby, and made them sardonic, frantic, and inimitably his own. We were lucky to have him. Something about Keith Giffen: he was as brilliant with a keyboard as he was with an ink brush. When I interviewed the great Walter Mosley, it was a Giffen-penned sequence he cited as the one that taught him the craft of comics: "More like poetry than it is like novel-writing."

Pat Brosseau: Ah, man, R.I.P., Keith Giffen. :( I worked with him a few times on Ambush Bug: Year None, Magog, Blue Beetle, Doom Patrol and I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting. Such a pleasant guy with a diverse body of work.

Joseph P. Illidge: Keith Giffen's art on THE GREAT DARKNESS SAGA helped get me through my pre-teens, and his writing and art on LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES: FIVE YEARS LATER showed me what was possible in a science-fiction comic book. Rest in peace, Legionnaire.

Chris Burnham: RIP to the immortal Keith Giffen! I'm looking forward to re-reading and re-re-reading Trencher, Lobo, The Heckler, The Legion, Trencher, L.E.G.I.O.N, JLA, and Trencher for the rest of my life.

Jimmy Palmiotti: Keith Giffen. Creator. Innovator. Brilliant. Sweet. One of a kind. He will be missed. Rest in Peace.

Gail Simone: I adored Keith Giffen. Spending half an hour with him meant hearing so many original ideas it made you dizzy. Everyone told me he could be crabby, instead, he was lovely and generous to me every time we talked. I will always be a fan and carry awe for that man.

Jim Lee: Gutted to hear the passing of the legendary comic book creator Keith Giffen. He personified creativity to me in everything he did. Whether it was writing, plotting, drawing, kibitzing or creating—Keith did it like no other in the modern age.

Brian Lynch: Keith Giffen was a vital part of my favorite run of comics ever. His work was influential on how I write, what I write, and what I find funny. His art was so distinct and full of life. A huge loss for comics, and to the super hero genre in general. May he Rest in Peace.

Phillip Hester: Keith Giffen was the living embodiment of American comics. Equal parts energy, intelligence, and enthusiasm evident in all his work. Someone at DC once gave him my phone # in error. Though it was a wrong number, we wound up just talking comics for half an hour. Beautiful guy.

Tom Muller: I was never a massive DC fan in the 80s and 90s, but Keith Giffen's work on Lobo caught me; and I absolutely was in awe of the way he switched up his art style for Trencher. His stories were always a joy to read. R.I.P.

Christos Gage: Gutted to hear about the passing of Keith Giffen. He was so nice to me when I was starting out in comics, and I was in awe of him. He could literally do everything. The movie Guardians of the Galaxy exist because of him. Just 70. What the f-ck, man.

Patch Zircher: I didn't know Keith Giffen well, but that didn't keep us from having a 2 hour phone call about 8 yrs ago. He had me laughing thru much of it. Every observation he made about comics was on point. He was a fave, from his gonzo Defenders work thru his decades at DC. Rest in peace.

Andy Oliver: The thing about a Keith Giffen comic was that you could *never* predict quite what you were going to get, and that was what made every project he was involved in such a wonderful adventure.

Peter Krause: When you think you've worked hard and long in comics and created a few things along the way, you look up at the accomplishments of Keith Giffen and feel dwarfed. Godspeed, Keith. You made comic books so much better.

Brian Keene: There are lots of assholes working in comics. Keith Giffen wasn't one of them. I was a fan as a kid. His friendship, kindness, & respect meant a lot to me as an adult. Best advice I ever got was from Keith: "They f-cked Jack Kirby, Brian. What chance do you think you have?" RIP

David Pepose: Can't believe the news about Keith Giffen's passing. Just an incredibly prolific talent who added so much to our industry. My condolences to Keith's family — and as a creator, it's been sobering personally to see us losing our legends at such an accelerated rate.

John Rogers: Keith Giffen has passed. I owe him more than I can say. He was the real deal, it was a pleasure to see inside his brilliance for the brief time we spent together.
JH Williams III: Hell… Just heard about the loss of Keith Giffen. Met him a few times, and always great. He is a giant for me. A massive inspiration, his work showed me it's a good thing to toy with visual styles, that it's okay. My heart goes out to his family and all who know him.

Kyle Starks: As someone who does comedy in comics there's no one more influential than Keith Giffen – an absolute towering force in and completely singular. RIP to a true great

Dave Scheidt: If you wanna pay tribute to Keith Giffen go make a weird-ass comic.

Josh Trujillo: Heartbroken to hear about the passing of Keith Giffen. His work has had an incredible impact on my life, and the worlds he created will live on forever. The Blue Beetle team owes everything to his brilliance, his humor, and his heart. Thank you, Keith.

Kevin Maguire: I'm here in NY for the con but I'm also working on the third Omnibus cover and now, looking at all these Keith Giffen characters looking at me, it feels unsurprisingly melancholy.

Danny Earls: Really sorry to hear the news of Keith Giffen – an incredible creator and I couldn't have been more honored to have been given the chance to draw his original design for Lobo!

Micah Myers: I am a huge fan of Keith Giffen. I love Justice League International, Heckler, Ambush Bug, 52, Legion, OMAC, and more. His humor is a huge influence on the writing I do. It has always been a dream to be able to make a Heckler comic. I am so sad to hear he died. RIP Keith Giffen.

Ramzee: RIP to a true comics bad ass #KeithGiffen here's some of my favourite things he did

Dan Jurgens: When it comes to sheer creative talent and the ability to come up with great ideas, one after another, no one did it better than Keith Giffen. Working with him was one of those fun, creative roller coaster types of experiences that made any project more fun. R.I.P, my friend.

Paul Kupperberg: I'm sad to hear we've lost Keith Giffen, a true comic book creative force of nature.

Rob Williams: RIP Keith Giffen. A remarkable creator of comics. Thanks for the bwah-ha-has.

RamonVillalobos: Damn. Rip keith giffen. Legendary talent

Gabriel Hardman: RIP Keith Giffen. I've followed and admired his work since I was a kid. As a storyteller and artist he took big chances, seemingly never afraid to let his work evolve and try new things. I own a page from his 80s Dr. Fate series and was reading his work when I saw the news.

Matt Horak: Sad to hear of Keith Giffen's passing. Beyond his elite body of work I'll always remember meeting him at a con and asking how his show was going to which he replied "Eh, just looking at belts." Referring to sitting waist level at a table watching the masses pass you by. Legend.

Michel Fiffe: Keith Giffen was one of the first handful of cartoonists I recognized when comics became my obsession. As a kid, I loved his stories. As a teen, I was into his styles. As a professional, his attitude clicked with me. He's always been an influential presence in one way or another.

Jim Mahfood: RIP Keith Giffen Thanks for the incredible work

Dan White: Absolutely gutted to hear about Keith Giffen. One of my favourite creators, his work on DC comics in the 80s and 90s totally shaped my love of US comics. Always felt his black humour and boundless creativity mad him akin to all my 2000AD heroes. What a loss, RIP.

Jamal Igle: I rarely cry. But Keith Giffen is gone at 70. How do you summarize how incredibly influential one person has been to your entire career. I was a fan before I met him.

Fernando Dagnino: R.I.P. Keith Giffen. Thanks for all your energy fun and creativity. As a kid I will never forget those DEFENDERS , then the cocreation of characters as Rocket Racoon and Lobo and the groundbreaking Justice League .It was an absolute honour to to work with you on Justice league

Joanne Starer: I just heard the news about Keith Giffen. I am heartbroken. I've never been the kind of person to get starstruck, but he was the one comic creator I was too nervous to talk to…because I was SUCH a fan. His work meant so much to me. We were so lucky to have him.

Cullen Bunn: Keith Giffen was not just an amazing writer. Not just an amazing artist. Not just an amazing imaginer. He was a great guy. I met him for the first time a bunch of years back at a con. He walked up and started talking to me like we'd been friends for years. I'll miss him.

D.G. Chichester: Very sad to hear about the loss of Keith Giffen, a wholly unique talent. Loved working on Video Jack at Epic, predictably ahead of its time — but right on Giffen time.

Tim Seeley: I love a whole lot of Keith Giffen's work, and I'm sure the influence is obvious…but those issues of DEFENDERS that he drew like Kirby, but like even crazier Kirby, is my favorite.

Duncan Rouleau: So sad to hear of Keith Giffen's passing. Needless to say he was an influence and creator who deeply affected my own career choices. I was both surreal and an honor to get the chance to work with him later in my life. He was a genuine talent. This one hits hard.

Billy Tucci: RIP Keith Giffen. A great creator and better man who went out like the true legend he is. Thank you for everything.

Steve Nemeckay: Back when he lived in Springfield Keith Giffen would stop into my store. He would walk around and just talk about everything on his mind. He was a tornado of information and funny! He passed Monday from a stroke in Florida. He created Lobo & Rocket Raccoon. His Justice League may be the funniest thing I have ever read. I am going to miss him . . .

Brandon Jerwa: RIP Keith Giffen – I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but he was a huge inspiration to me as a creator. This series was, for me and countless others, a handbook for having fun with your favorite and most famous toys. I also had a poster of the team, which I would literally take down from my bedroom wall if a girl was coming over. I should have known that any girl who wasn't into it wasn't worth the trouble…

Jennifer M. Contino: I am so sorry to read of the passing of my friend Keith Giffen. Back when I was a writer girl, Keith put myself and Heidi MacDonald in one of his comics. He always did interviews with me even if he was told to let some other site have the story first. He was responsible for some of the best comics I have ever read in my life post Crisis on Infinite Earths! His interpretation of the Justice League gave me hope in team comics again after the Crisis. I wrote many fan letters to his comics editors back in the day. His leaving one final post was totally how Keith would leave us all. Godspeed my friend!

Scott Dunbier: So deeply saddened to read that Keith Giffen has died. He was an incredibly gifted writer and artist, and an amazing raconteur. His demeanor was stone-faced but he was hysterically funny. I remember, back in the '80s, sitting in Andy Helfer's office at 666, and Keith telling these insanely funny stories to us (the one about the dog and the lawnmower…). He said he wanted to do a book about them, I always wanted to read it. I spoke to him a few months ago, after a long time, about an archival project, a couple of oral histories. I'm so sad that they will never see the light of day. In pure Giffen fashion, he had the last and best word on his own demise. Rest in peace, Keith Giffen

Robert Greenberger: I just got out of class to discover the sad news that Keith Giffen is dead at 70. We didn't work often together, but each time was a joy. He was snarky before it was cool, always creatively contributing ideas, which made DC all the better, and encouraging to those just getting started.

Paul Levitz: The sad news is now official: Keith Giffen has gone off to create new worlds that are beyond our living reach. Keith was probably the most fertile creative mind of our generation in comics. He had an infinite number of ideas, pouring constantly out. Many, thankfully, never saw print as wholly insane or inappropriate. But the ones that did! We did over 60 stories together. Many of them he made far better than they might have been with any other collaborator, because of his ideas and contributions to character moments and drama. A few we had rough times on, but I think no more than could be expected in a long relationship. Keith was a curmudgeon by choice, an act he perfected and enjoyed. Like many artists, he didn't lead a healthy lifestyle, and that led to tough times that he always laughed off. He was a family man when out of public view, and his soft moments came out there. I'll tell a couple of stories in upcoming posts, but tonight I just want to say good night to a friend who made me look better than I was.And hugs to his kids, grandkids and great grandkids. Oh, and Anna, now that you have him back, take care of him as you always did—he was never the same after you went…. A quirk of Keith: It's intrinsic to the writer/artist collaborations in comics that either party can make unreasonable demands of the other. Not financially, but creatively. The writer who asks for contradictory visual actions in a single panel. The artist who does a tiny panel for the scene where the big expository monologue is to happen. Keith and I rarely had that problem. But he did remind me, time after time, of my cruelest art direction: "The entire population of the planet Daxam rises as one, flying into space." Always followed by his "and you only gave me 1/5 of a page for it!" Of course, he pulled it off beautifully.

Dan DiDio: Having a hard time finding the right words. All I know is that Keith would be annoyed by this whole thing, but if anyone truly deserved praise and appreciation from the comic industry. It would be Keith. I guess it's a good thing he's not here to hear it.