Jackson native, Ghost Rider co-creator Gary Friedrich dies at 75

Comic-book writer and Jackson native Gary Friedrich, most famous for co-creating the character Ghost Rider during Marvel Comics� heyday, died Wednesday at 75, after a struggle with Parkinson�s disease.

Friedrich�s wife of nearly 31 years, Jean, said that while his creativity in large part defined his early life and adulthood, the writer devoted the last few decades to others.

�I can honestly say that Gary, as far as his writing, it came naturally to him. He was a very good writer,� she said Monday. �But he loved the people who read the comics more than the comics themselves. His love of people was pretty astounding.�

Friedrich�s brother Bill said that while he and Gary were growing up, they occupied themselves with typical �50s activities like sandlot baseball. But Gary, eight years Bill�s senior, showed a tireless and wide-ranging creativity.

�He had his own rock �n� roll band that he started in the early �60s. He was a fabulous musician; great drummer,� Bill said Monday. �He was one of those creative-type people. Loved to write, acted in the school play, did all those types of things.�

Gary Friedrich works at the Pioneer newspaper in Jackson.Submitted

During his high school years, working at the Palace Theatre in Jackson, Gary Friedrich befriended older classmate Roy Thomas. After graduating from Jackson High School, Friedrich worked for a time as the editor of the Jackson Pioneer newspaper, having served as editor-in-chief at the Jackson student paper. His friend Thomas, however, moved to New York and found success writing comic books for Marvel.

At Thomas� urging, Friedrich followed him to New York and broke into the industry, first at Charlton Comics before freelancing for Marvel and eventually becoming a staff writer under comic-book icon Stan Lee.

Friedrich wrote for many Marvel characters, including �Sgt. and His Howling Commandos� and �The Monster of Frankenstein.�

In the early 1970s, while working on the �Daredevil� comic series, Friedrich created a new character, Ghost Rider, with artist Mike Ploog.

In dreaming up the character � a stunt biker with a flaming skull who sold his soul for superpowers and the chance at vengeance � Friedrich made significant contributions to the burgeoning sub-genre of horror comics.

Bill said his brother was captivated by the idea of a motorcycle-riding antihero, something in the spirit of Marlon Brando�s Johnny Strabler in �The Wild One.�

Though Gary was not himself an avid biker, Bill recalled on several occasions taking his brother out riding on his own motorcycle on his family�s property in Jackson, which Bill joked could have played a role in Gary�s inspiration.

Gary Friedrich struggled openly with alcoholism, eventually joining Alcoholics Anonymous and devoting much of his later life to helping others get and stay sober.

�Gary helped so many men,� Jean said.

And, she said, the outpouring of support in the wake of her husband�s death has itself been a testament to his impact on others.

In an open letter Thomas sent to Jean and news outlets, Friedrich�s former Marvel colleague recounted his friend�s successes as well as struggles.

�Gary�s life was a success, and while they are only a tiny part of his legacy, the stories he wrote for Marvel Comics are at least a part of that success. They�ll be around for a long time,� Thomas wrote. �But I�d give them all up forever to have Gary back.�

tgraef@semissourian.com

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