Reports say the hard-living, acerbic comic book writer died Sunday in a Las Vegas hospital due to complications from pulmonary fibrosis. He was 60 years old. Writer Mark Evanier, a longtime friend and colleague of the writer has written an official announcement post on Gerber's blog. Fans and pros from the comic-book world are paying their last respects in the comments below.

Gerber wrote for Marvel comics throughout the '70s, penning classic superhero and horror stories, eventually introducing a cigar-chomping, take-no-nonsense, talking duck who went on to take mainstream comics by storm. By all accounts, writing Howard was an autobiographical experience for Gerber. He was the duck. The duck was him. During his short but memorable first run, Howard tangled with moonies, self-help gurus, KISS and many other mainstays of '70s culture. He ran for president. There was nothing else like it on the newsstands.

Howard ran for president in issue #8 of his original series. The satire's just as cutting today as it was then.

Gerber left Marvel in the late '70s and spent the '80s in comic book limbo, fighting for control of Howard (Marvel settled out of court), watching George Lucas produce a box-office bomb about his star creation, and writing animation scripts for now-classic kid shows like G.I. Joe, Dungeons and Dragons and Plastic Man. From time to time, he'd return with the occasional miniseries for DC comics or even Marvel.

I came to Gerber's work in 2002, when he returned to Marvel for one last Howard the Duck story, a riotous, poison-pen, send-up of Disney (Howard took on the form or a giant mouse for a few issues), daytime T.V. (Howard squared off against a demoniacally possessed Oprah and Dr. Phil) and even religion (the final issue is set in the afterlife, in which Howard shares a drink with an old guy, a young bearded guy and a dude with a sheet over his head). I ate it up and sought out his original run, which has just been collected.

Reading those old stories, it was impossible to ignore the specificity of Howard's speech and attitudes. In the '70s, comics were definitely written for kids, and the writing showed. Characters spoke in monosyllabic cliches. But Howard, he had a diction all his own, as shown in his monologue from the first page of the first issue of his first series: Captain America wasn't talking like that. Batman wasn't talking like that. Not even the wise-cracking Peter Parker could lay claim to this flavor of labyrinthine, self-referential dialogue. Whether you liked it or not, it sure was different. Howard the Duck was a mainstream comic with underground sensibilities. Steve Gerber was the medium's Jonathan Swift, a biting satirist with a playful heart who explored social issues by pushing them to ridiculous extremes.

While covering a comic convention in Chicago last summer, I sat in a crowded audience for a panel discussion that featured current Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada. During the Q & A, I was struck by a sudden urge to ask a question. I raised my hand: "When are you going to publish more Howard the Duck?" A cheer went up from the audience at the mere mention of Gerber's master of Quack-Fu, bringing a broad, goofy grin to my face. I was not alone. Quesada mumbled something about Howard having appeared in a recent Avengers tie-in and said they were planning another appearance in the future. I wasn't satisfied as Gerber hadn't been involved in the tie-in, but at least I could hold out hope for him to play a part in whatever was in the pipeline. The duck just hasn't ever been the same without his creator's wit and humor at the wheel. And now we know he never will be again. People with much more knowledge than me of Gerber's life, work and influence are writing about him all over the Internet: Mark Evanier:

"In much that he wrote, he chose to depart from reality or (more often) to warp it in those extreme ways that make us understand it better. But he always did so from his underlying premise as a smart, decent guy. I like almost everyone I've ever met in the comic book industry but I really liked Steve."

Warren Ellis:

"Steve was a giant in the American comics medium."

Tom Spurgeon:

"Steve Gerber's role as one of the best and emblematic writers of his generation can't be understated. He was a crucial figure in comics history. Like some of the all-time great cartoonists of years past, Gerber carved a place for self-expression and meaning out of a type of comic that had no right to hold within itself so many things and moments that were that quirky and offbeat and delicately realized -- except that Gerber made it work."

Mike Cane:

"Gerber was one of the new breed of writer who re-invigorated and re-invented comics in the 1970s."

Jerry Stratton:

"He showed this reading-obsessed thirteen-year-old that writing was something people did, and that the reason the best books were best was the author who wrote the story. And that I could do this too!"

If you want to pick up some vintage Howard the Duck comics or other work by Steve Gerber here in Chicago, head on over to the nearest Graham Crackers Comics near you. The Hero Initiative is a charity fund for comic creators that had been helping Gerber during his illness. If you'd like to make a donation, their Web site is here. All images © Marvel Comics

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