Gary Groth (born September 18, 1954) is an American comic book editor, publisher and critic. He is editor-in-chief of The Comics Journal, a co-founder of Fantagraphics Books, and founder of the Harvey Awards.
Early life Groth is the son of a U.S. Navy contractor and was raised in Springfield, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C. area.Matos, Michelangelo. "Saved by the Beagle," Seattle Arts (September 15, 2004). He read his first comic book in a pediatrician's office.
Career
Fanzines and pop culture conventions Inspired by film critics like Andrew Sarris and Pauline Kael, and gonzo journalists like Hunter S. Thompson, the teenage Groth published Fantastic Fanzine, a comics fanzine (whose name referenced the Marvel Comics title Fantastic Four).
In 1970, 1971, and 1973 he organized Metro Con, a comics convention held in the Washington, D.C. area.
Later, after turning down an editorial assistant position at Marvel Comics in 1973,Meyer, Ken, Jr. "Ink Stains 3: Fantastic Fanzine 10," Comic Attack (October 12, 2009). Groth worked briefly as a production and layout assistant at the movie and comics magazine Mediascene, which was edited by Jim Steranko.
After dropping out of his fourth college in 1974, Groth and his financial partner Michael Catron put on a rock and roll convention that ended in financial failure. Nonetheless, he and Catron dabbled in music publishing with the short-lived magazine Sounds Fine.
Fantagraphics In 1976 Groth founded Fantagraphics Books, Inc. with Catron and Kim Thompson, and took over an adzine named The Nostalgia Journal—quickly renaming it The Comics Journal.Maheras, Russ. The Comics Journal Message Board :: View topic – The Comics Journal #32, Jan. 1977 (July 2, 2007): "... transforming it from an adzine into a magazine of news and criticism that just happened to carry advertisements." Groth's Comics Journal applied rigorous critical standards to comic books. It disparaged formulaic superhero books and work for hire publishers and favored artists like R. Crumb and Art Spiegelman and creator ownership of copyrights. It featured lengthy, freewheeling interviews with comics professionals, often conducted by Groth himself.
Groth's first editorial in The Nostalgia JournalGroth, Gary. "Editorial,", The Nostalgia Journal #27 (July 1976). began a lengthy feudMaheras, Russ. "The Comics Journal #32, Jan. 1977", The Comics Journal Message Board (February 9, 2007): "The earliest issues focused on a clash between Groth and Alan Light, publisher of competing adzine The Buyer’s Guide for Comic Fandom." with Alan Light, founder, and at that time, publisher of The Buyer's Guide for Comics Fandom.
Groth and Light were friends before Light published Groth's final issue of Fantastic Fanzine; Light's expedient business methods met with Groth's disapproval.Light had "[taken] over the publishing chores of Fantastic Fanzine Special II, the last issue of FF I edited" - Groth, ibid Fandom: Confidential, Ron Frantz's history of the WE Seal of approval program (WSA), outlines Groth's confrontations with Light at conventions and via late night collect calls. Light in turn cashed a check for a Comics Journal advertisement that he refused to print. Groth acquired a copy of the WSA mailing list, and without authorization, used it to solicit subscriptions; Groth later apologized for what he claimed was a misunderstanding,Frantz. p.149 and soon after broke ties with WSA. In 1983 when Light sold TBG, a Groth editorial denounced Light.Groth, Gary. "Editorial," The Comics Journal #181 (May 1983): "[Light is] fandom's first real business predator. His career of hustling is a monument to selfish opportunism and spiritual squalor." Light's subsequent libel suit against Groth was eventually dismissed.Frantz, p.169, 171
Groth's 1991 Comics Journal editorial "Lies We Cherish: The Canonization of Carol Kalish",Groth, Gary. "Lies We Cherish: The Canonization of Carol Kalish," The Comics Journal #146 (November 1991). which criticized what he saw as the unwarranted hagiographies for then-recently deceased former Marvel Comics Vice President of New Product Development, whom Groth characterized as "selling cretinous junk to impressionable children",Deppey, Dirk. "Journalista! Lies We Still Cherish" Comics Journal website (December 14, 2002). caused controversy within the industry,Woods, Anthony. "All the Right-Thinking People," Comics Journal Message Board (June 3, 2008). Accessed October 3, 2009. including outrage by Kalish's friend and colleague, writer Peter David.David, Peter. "Snob Appeal"; "But I Digress..." collection; 1994; Krause PublicationsDavid, Peter "The Last Word", peterdavid.net December 20, 2002
Bibliography Groth, Gary, and Robert Fiore, eds. The New Comics: Interviews from the Pages of The Comics Journal. New York : Berkley, 1988. .
Notes
References
Further reading Spurgeon, Tom and Jacob Covey. Comics As Art: We Told You So. Seattle, WA : Fantagraphics, 2016.
External links Sequential Tart: Interview with Gary Groth (2000) Comics Reporter: Short Interview with Gary Groth and Kim Thompson Comics Reporter: Short Interview With Greg Sadowski and Gary Groth (On Fantagraphics' Harvey Kurtzman TCJ library book) Inkstuds: One-hour podcast interview with Gary Groth and Kim Thompson Discussion of Groth's Fantastic Fanzine #10 , as well as pdf of the entire issue Discussion of Groth's Fantastic Fanzine #12 , as well as pdf of the entire issue