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Comic Creator

Darwyn Cooke

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Darwyn Cooke (November 16, 1962 – May 14, 2016) was a Canadian comic book artist famous for his work at DC Comics, writing and drawing DC: The New Frontier, Catwoman, andThe Spirit.

Darwyn Cooke

Credited within these Comics

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The Spirit
14
DC Comics
The Spirit
2006 - 2009
DC: The New Frontier
12
DC Comics
DC: The New Frontier
2004
Superman Confidential
8
DC Comics
Superman Confidential
2006 - 2008
Harley Quinn
7
DC Comics
Harley Quinn
2013 - 2016

Credited Characters

Ace Morgan
Kyle Morgan
Ace Morgan
Earth 21
Adam Strange
Adam Strange
Earth 21
Garth
Aqualad
Earth 21
Aquaman
Arthur Curry
Aquaman
Earth 21
Ray Palmer
Atom
Earth 21
Batman
Bruce Wayne
Batman
Earth 21
Black Canary
Dinah Laurel Lance
Black Canary
Earth 21
Dinah Drake
Black Canary
Earth 21
Bart Hawk
Blackhawk
Earth 21
Bonnie Baxter
Earth 21
Captain Cold
Leonard Snart
Captain Cold
Earth 21
Billy Batson
Captain Marvel
Earth 21
Carol Ferris
Carol Ferris
Earth 21
Selina Kyle
Catwoman
Earth 21
Niles Caulder
Chief
Earth 21
Clayface
Todd Russell
Clayface
Prime Earth
Kent Nelson
Doctor Fate
Earth 21
Charles McNider
Doctor Mid-Nite
Earth 21
Rita Farr
Elasti-Girl
Earth 21
Jay Garrick
Flash
Earth 21
Flash
Barry Allen
Flash
Earth 21
Johnny Cloud
Flying Cloud
Earth 21
Gold
Earth 21
Green Arrow
Oliver Queen
Green Arrow
Earth 21
Green Lantern
Hal Jordan
Green Lantern
Earth 21
Alan Scott
Green Lantern
Earth 21
Abin Sur
Green Lantern
Earth 21
Gunner MacKay
Earth 21
Carter Hall
Hawkman
Earth 21
Rex Tyler
Hourman
Earth 21
Hugh Evans
Hugh Evans
Earth 21
Iris West
Iris West
Earth 21
Iron
Earth 21
James Gordon
James Gordon
Earth 21
Jess Bright
Jess Bright
Earth 21
Jimmy Olsen
Jimmy Olsen
Earth 21
John Henry
John Wilson
John Henry
Earth 21
John Henry Irons
Earth 21
Joker
Earth 21
June Robbins
June Robbins
Earth 21
Karin Grace
Karin Grace
Earth 21
Kid Flash
Wally West
Kid Flash
Earth 21
King Faraday
King Faraday
Earth 21
Lead
Earth 21
Leslie Thompkins
Earth 21
Lex Luthor
Earth 21
Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Earth 21
Madame X
Madame X
Prime Earth
Mademoiselle Marie
Mademoiselle Marie
Earth 21
J'onn J'onzz
Martian Manhunter
Earth 21
Mercury
Earth 21
Nathaniel Adam
Nathaniel Adam
Earth 21
Larry Trainor
Negative Man
Earth 21
Phantom Stranger
Phantom Stranger
Earth 21
Platinum
Earth 21
Pooch
Pooch
Earth 21
Prof Haley
Walter Haley
Prof Haley
Earth 21
Red Ryan
Matthew Ryan
Red Ryan
Earth 21
Rick Flagg
Rick Flagg
Earth 21
Rick Flagg, Jr.
Earth 21
Rip Hunter
Earth 21
Robin
Dick Grayson
Robin
Earth 21
Clifford Steele
Robotman
Earth 21
Rocky Davis
Lester Davis
Rocky Davis
Earth 21
Sam Bradley
Sam Bradley
Earth 21
Sarge
Clay
Sarge
Earth 21
Saul Erdel
Earth 21
Roy Harper
Speedy
Earth 21
Starro
Starro
Earth 21
Kara Zor-L
Supergirl
Earth 21
Superman
Kal-L
Superman
Earth 21
Swifty
Leonard Burgess
Swifty
Prime Earth
Tin
Earth 21
Todd Russell
Todd Russell
Prime Earth
Tom Kalmaku
Tom Kalmaku
Earth 21
Vandal Savage
Earth 21
Vyking Prince
Jon
Vyking Prince
Earth 21
Ted Grant
Wildcat
Earth 21
Will Magnus
Earth 21
William Storm
William Storm
Earth 21
Donna Troy
Wonder Girl
Earth 21
Wonder Woman
Diana of Paradise Island
Wonder Woman
Earth 21
Zatanna Zatara
Zatanna Zatara
Earth 21

More on Darwyn Cooke

Darwyn Cooke was born in Toronto on November 16, 1962. Cooke's father was a construction worker and later ran a union. Darwyn and his brothers Dennis and Kenneth grew up in Etobicoke.

Cooke's interest in creating comics began after watching Batman starring Adam West. Cooke's grandmother saved some of his earliest drawings, at 5 years old, of Batman and Robin in crayon on construction paper, with Cooke keeping them after her death. He discovered comics as a child, but did not become passionate about them until he was a teenager.

Cooke's desire to be an artist crystallized at 13 years old after reading a reprint of Spectacular Spider-Man #2, with Cooke purchasing markers and boards the day after reading the comic and attempting to copy John Romita's artwork. The following week, Cooke purchased Detective Comics #439, featuring the story "Night of the Stalker," and had found his calling. Cooke also recalled tracing panels of Will Eisner's The Spirit as a teenager. He attributed the ability to develop his own style as a byproduct of limited entertainment choices, allowing him to focus on deconstructing the comics that inspired him. His father, however, did not think that comics were a good avenue for a career.

Cooke attended George Brown College, but was expelled after a year.

Darwyn Cooke was born in Toronto on November 16, 1962. Cooke's father was a construction worker and later ran a union. Darwyn and his brothers Dennis and Kenneth grew up in Etobicoke.

Cooke's interest in creating comics began after watching Batman starring Adam West. Cooke's grandmother saved some of his earliest drawings, at 5 years old, of Batman and Robin in crayon on construction paper, with Cooke keeping them after her death. He discovered comics as a child, but did not become passionate about them until he was a teenager.

Cooke's desire to be an artist crystallized at 13 years old after reading a reprint of Spectacular Spider-Man #2, with Cooke purchasing markers and boards the day after reading the comic and attempting to copy John Romita's artwork. The following week, Cooke purchased Detective Comics #439, featuring the story "Night of the Stalker," and had found his calling. Cooke also recalled tracing panels of Will Eisner's The Spirit as a teenager. He attributed the ability to develop his own style as a byproduct of limited entertainment choices, allowing him to focus on deconstructing the comics that inspired him. His father, however, did not think that comics were a good avenue for a career.

Cooke attended George Brown College, but was expelled after a year.

In the early 1990s, Cooke decided to return to comics, but found little interest for his work at the major publishers. Eventually, he was hired by Warner Bros. Animation after replying to an ad for storyboard artists in The Comics Journal placed by animator Bruce Timm, with Cooke shocked that there were positions available. His successful pitch included 14 pages that eventually would be published in 2000 as Batman: Ego.

Originally freelancing from Toronto, Cooke met his animation colleagues at San Diego Comic-Con and was approached about moving to Los Angeles full-time. Despite no desire to live in Los Angeles, Cooke moved there to take advantage of "an opportunity to be a part of something that was never going to come around again this way," the ability to associate with creators such as Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Alan Burnett, and Eric Radomski. Cooke worked as a storyboard artist for four episodes of The New Batman Adventures as well as a handful of episodes of Superman: The Animated Series.

In 1999, he designed and animated the opening sequence for Batman Beyond. In contrast to most cartoon openings—which adapt music to a finalized group of shots—Batman Beyond's visuals were specifically cut to suit the music, after Cooke's successful pitch of the concept to Bruce Timm. Surprisingly, Cooke employed his personal Macintosh computer in his spare bedroom and Adobe After Effects for most of the animation, as opposed to Warner Bros.' resources. According to Cooke, the Batman Beyond team created a strong show in light of what he considered "kind of a disheartening mandate from the network," which wanted a show about the Batman of the future. He believed the WB Network ultimately disliked the show's level of violence and prematurely ended the show once it could be syndicated. Cooke then worked as a director for Sony Animation's Men in Black: The Series for a year.

In April 2014, Cooke released a Batman Beyond animated short celebrating the 75th anniversary of Batman.

Cooke died of lung cancer on May 14, 2016.

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