First & Last: Steve Gerber

From Superman to the Stooges to the Stones, the creator of HOWARD THE DUCK and new sleeper hit HARD TIME does his best to avoid "facile fluff".
19 December 2005

First comic you read that made you want to work in comics?

I can't recall a particular issue, but it would have to be one of the Weisinger-era Superman books. It was from his letter columns, those old "Metropolis Mailbag" pages, that I came to realize there were actually people who wrote and drew these things.

Last person you spoke to on the phone?

A receptionist at a med clinic.

First time you met one of your heroes?

Probably around 1960. The Three Stooges did a live show in St. Louis, and I got to speak to Moe Howard for a few minutes.

Last time you cooked a meal?

Other than in a microwave?  Years.  Decades, maybe.

First crush?

Fourth grade. Her name was Donna Olsen.

Last time you spent $100 on clothes?

No idea, but the next time will be soon. I've lost enough weight recently that my clothes are starting to fall off me.

First thing you do when you book into a hotel?

Flop down on the bed and decompress from the plane or car trip.

Last time you cried?

Listening to, of all things, the Rolling Stones' version of "Not Fade Away," which, as you probably know, is loud, fast, raucous, and virtually compels the listener to play either air guitar or maracas. It's one of my favorite records of all time. It's also associated with a lot of memories, some ancient, some more recent. Occasionally, the memories overwhelm the music.

First teacher to make a difference to you?

Senior year of high school. Miss Bowers. She gave me a "D" on the first essay I wrote for her Senior Composition class. It was a form of shock therapy that ultimately taught me how to listen to and evaluate even the most brutal criticism. She also forced me to confront the fact that I was as capable as anyone of writing meaningless, facile fluff. In one semester, she turned me into a real writer.

Last time you told a lie?

Filling out an apartment application. It was just a teensy lie.

First time you feared for your life?

First grade. I was almost run over by a car.

Last comic you read that reminded you why you love comics?

That's been a while. There's a lot of stuff out there that I like - Gail Simone's Birds of Prey, Kurt Busiek's Astro City, Mark Waid's Legion of Superheroes, most of Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers, to name a few - but I haven't felt that particular rush in a very long time.

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