Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: captain marvel, fawcett, vintage comics

Mary Marvel Co-Creator, Captain Marvel Artist & Writer Marc Swayze Dies At Age 99

Marc Swayze, early comic book artist and writer for Fawcett Publications, died yesterday at the age of 99, according to the Monroe News-Star. Swayze worked on numerous titles for Fawcett, including Captain Marvel Adventures, Whiz Comics, and Wow Comics.  He co-created Mary Marvel with writer Otto Binder, and drew many of her early adventures — including her first appearance in Captain Marvel Adventures #18 (cover dated Dec 11, 1942).

Swayze wrote a regular column for Roy Thomas' comics history magazine Alter Ego in recent years, chronicling some of his early Fawcett experiences, called "We Didn't Know it was the Golden Age!". In one 2008 installment, he described his first day at Fawcett and being handed some comics to help him "get to know the character":

The subject was Captain Marvel. In getting to know him, I found that he was not the grand, magnificent, faultless gladiator I was about to imagine him to be. But there was a definite special distinction about him. What was it?

And later:

That was it… the action! Those red-clad figures dashing madly across panel after panel… page after page! Captain Marvel didn't dash madly! He performed his feats promptly and effectively, but with little stress, strain, hustle, or bustle. Captain Marvel did things easily!

Check out a few of Swayze's Fawcett covers below:

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