View source for Gardner Fox

{{short description|American comics writer (1911–1986)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2013}}
{{Infobox comics creator
| image         = Gardner Fox by Gil Kane.jpg
| caption       = Portrait of Fox by [[Gil Kane]], {{circa|1974}}
| birth_name    = Gardner Francis Cooper Fox
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1911|5|20}}
| birth_place   = New York City, U.S.
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|1986|12|24|1911|5|20}}
| death_place   = [[Princeton, New Jersey]], U.S.
| write         = y
| alias         = Jefferson Cooper,<br/>Kevin Matthews,<br/>Kevin Mathews,<br/>James Kendricks,<br/>Jeffrey Gardner,<br/>Bart Sommers,<br/>Rod Gray,<br/>Simon Majors,<br/>Troy Conway,<br/>Glen Chase,<br/>Lynna Cooper
| notable works = '''Golden Age''': [[Sandman (Wesley Dodds)|Sandman]], [[Jay Garrick|Flash]], [[Hawkman (Carter Hall)|Hawkman]], [[Hawkgirl (Shiera Sanders)|Hawkgirl]], [[Doctor Fate]], [[Justice Society of America]], [[Shiera Sanders Hall|Hawkgirl]] <br/>'''Silver Age''': [[Justice League|Justice League of America]], [[Atom (Ray Palmer)|Atom]], [[Hawkman (Katar Hol)|Hawkman]], [[Shayera Hol|Hawkwoman]], [[Zatanna]], [[Barbara Gordon|Batgirl]], [[Red Tornado]]
| awards        = '''Alley Award'''
*Best Script Writer (1962)
*Best Book-Length Story (1962, with [[Carmine Infantino]])
*Favorite Novel (1963, with [[Mike Sekowsky]])
*Best Novel (1965, with [[Murphy Anderson]])
| spouse        = {{marriage|Lynda J. Negrini|1937}}
| children        = 2
}}
[[File:Planet stories 1946win.jpg|thumb|right|Fox's novella "The Man the Sun-Gods Made" was the cover story for the Winter 1946 issue of ''[[Planet Stories]]'']]
[[File:Planet stories 195303.jpg|thumb|right|Fox's novella "The Warlock of Sharrador" was cover-featured on the March 1953 issue of ''[[Planet Stories]]'']]
'''Gardner Francis Cooper Fox'''{{efn|name=FrancisCooper|His name at birth was Gardner Cooper Fox. He usually known with the middle name Francis, which was his [[Confirmation#Confirmation name|Catholic confirmation name]], as well as the middle name of his father, and later the middle name of both his son and grandson.{{sfn|DeRoss|2019|p=7}} Many sources have referred to Fox as "Gardner Francis Cooper Fox".<ref>{{cite web|title=About|website=The Gardner Francis Fox Library|url=https://www.gardnerfrancisfoxlibrary.com/|accessdate=2024-07-10}}</ref><ref name="Bails">{{cite web |url= http://www.bailsprojects.com/(S(eqsvmw45bwzob2zyjbsyzx55))/bio.aspx?Name=Fox%2c+Gardner|title= Fox, Gardner|first= Jerry|last= Bails|author-link = Jerry Bails|year= 2006|work= Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120211215504/http://www.bailsprojects.com/(S(eqsvmw45bwzob2zyjbsyzx55))/bio.aspx?Name=Fox,+Gardner|archive-date= February 11, 2012|url-status= live|df=mdy-all|access-date= July 31, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Gardner F. Fox|website=Worlds Without End|url=https://www.worldswithoutend.com/author.asp?ID=4426|accessdate=2024-07-10}}</ref>}} (May 20, 1911 – December 24, 1986)<ref name=tcj114>{{cite journal |journal=[[The Comics Journal]] |url=http://www.tcj.com/archive-viewer-issue-114/?pid=10099 |number=114 |date=February 1987 |location=Seattle, Washington |title=Newswatch: Flash Creator, Gardner Fox, Dead at 75 |publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]] |page=28 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525162801/https://www.webcitation.org/64ZroCKZn?url=http://www.tcj.com/archive-viewer-issue-114/%3Fpid=10099 |archive-date=May 25, 2024 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="DeathCC">{{cite web|url=http://www.thecomicbooks.com/old/GardnerFox.html|title=Gardner Fox: Overview|publisher=The Comic Books|date= n.d.|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090404041255/http://www.thecomicbooks.com/old/GardnerFox.html|archive-date= April 4, 2009|url-status= live|df= mdy-all}}</ref> was an American writer known best for creating numerous comic book characters for [[DC Comics]]. He is estimated to have written more than 4,000 comics stories,<ref name="comicsalliance">{{cite web |url=https://comicsalliance.com/tribute-gardner-fox/ |title=Master of the Multiverse And Legend Of The Justice Society: A Tribute To Gardner Fox |last=Parker |first=John R. |date=May 20, 2016 |website=[[ComicsAlliance]] |access-date=May 20, 2016}}</ref> including 1,500 for DC Comics. Fox was also a science fiction author and wrote many novels and short stories.

Fox is known as the co-creator of DC Comics heroes [[Barbara Gordon]], the original [[Jay Garrick|Flash]], [[Hawkman (Carter Hall)|Hawkman]], [[Hawkgirl (Shiera Sanders)|Hawkgirl]], [[Doctor Fate]], [[Zatanna]] and the original [[Sandman (Wesley Dodds)|Sandman]], and was the writer who first teamed several of those and other heroes as the [[Justice Society of America]], and later recreated the team as the [[Justice League|Justice League of America]]. Fox introduced the concept of the [[Multiverse (DC Comics)|Multiverse]] to DC Comics in the 1961 story "[[Flash of Two Worlds]]!".

==Early life and career==
Gardner Cooper Fox{{efn|name=FrancisCooper}} was born in [[Brooklyn]], New York City, the son of Julia Veronica (Gardner) and Leon Francis Fox, an engineer.<ref name=tcj114 /><ref>{{cite book|last1= Reginald|first1= Robert|last2= Menville|first2= Douglas, ed.|last3= Burgess|first3= Mary A., ed.|title= Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature, Volume 2|publisher= [[Borgo Press]]|date= 2010|location= Rockville, Maryland|page= 902|isbn= 978-0941028776|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=3nPYfqEbfrsC&q=%22Leon+Francis+Fox+%28an+engineer+%29+and+Julia+V.+Gardner.%22&pg=PA902}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last= Reginald|first= Robert|title= Contemporary Science Fiction Authors|publisher= Borgo Press|date= 2009|location= Rockville, Maryland|page= 99|isbn= 978-1434478573|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=qwXhmXlVT_oC&q=%22Leon+Francis+%26+Julia+Veronica+%28Gardner%29+Fox%22&pg=PA99}}</ref> Unlike many of his contemporaries in the comic book field, such as [[Jack Kirby]] and [[Jerry Siegel]], who came from poor backgrounds, Fox came from an affluent family from Long Island.<ref>{{cite web|last=Avila|first=Mike|title=Gardner Fox, co-creator of the Flash, Hawkman, and the Earth-2 concept, belongs on comics' Mount Rushmore|date=2020-05-18|publisher=[[Syfy]]|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/gardner-fox-co-creator-of-the-flash-hawkman-and-the-earth-2-concept-belongs-on-comics-mount|accessdate=2024-07-10}}</ref> His family was of Irish and English descent, with his first known American ancestor being the either Irish-or-English born Richard Fox arriving in Connecticut in 1635.<ref>{{harvnb|DeRoss|2019|p=4}}</ref> Fox had a sister, Catherine (born 1916), known as "Kay".<ref name=dRxv>{{harvnb|DeRoss|2019|p=xv}}</ref>

Fox recalled being inspired at an early age by the great fantasy fiction writers. On or about his eleventh birthday, he was given ''[[The Gods of Mars]]'' and ''[[The Warlord of Mars]]'' by [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]], books which "opened up a complete new world for me."<ref name="1972CAC"/> He "read all of Burroughs, [[Harold Lamb]], [[Talbot Mundy]]," maintaining copies "at home in my library" some 50 years later.<ref name="1972CAC"/>

Fox received a law degree from [[St. John's University (New York City)|St. John's College]] and was admitted to the New York [[bar (law)|bar]] in 1935.<ref name=tcj114 /> He practiced for about two years,<ref name=tcj114 /> but as the [[Great Depression]] continued he began writing for DC Comics editor [[Vin Sullivan]]. Debuting as a writer in the pages of ''[[Detective Comics]]'', Fox "intermittently contributed tales to nearly every book in the DC lineup during the Golden Age."<ref name="Fifty"/> He was a frequent contributor of prose stories to the [[Pulp magazine|pulp]] science fiction magazines of the 1940s.<ref>{{cite book |last=Green |first=Paul |date=2016 |title=Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns: Supernatural and Science Fiction Elements in Novels, Pulps, Comics, Films, Television and Games |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nyu6CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA109 |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |page=109 |isbn=9781476662572}}</ref>

On November 14, 1937, Fox married Lynda J. Negrini.<ref name=dRxv/> They had two children,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fox |first=Gardner F. |date=Summer 1947 |title=P. S.'s Feature Flash |journal=Planet Stories |volume=3 |issue=7 |pages=117}}</ref> Jeffrey Francis Fox (born April 9, 1940), and Lynda Anne Fox (born March 21, 1943).<ref name=dRxv/>

A [[polymath]], Fox included numerous real-world historical, scientific, and mythological references in his comic strips, once saying, "Knowledge is kind of a hobby with me".<ref name="1972CAC"/> For instance, during a year's worth of ''[[Atom (Ray Palmer)|Atom]]'' comic strip stories, Fox referred to the [[Hungarian Revolution of 1956]], the [[space race]], 18th-century England, miniature card painting, [[Norse mythology]], and [[numismatics]]. He revealed in letters to fan [[Jerry Bails]] that he kept large troves of reference material, mentioning during 1971, "I maintain two file cabinets chock full of stuff. And the attic is crammed with books and magazines....Everything about science, nature, or unusual facts, I can go to my files or the at least 2,000 books that I have".<ref name="1972CAC"/>

==Novels==
Fox wrote both comic book scripts and prose fiction throughout his career. He began writing fiction for the [[pulp magazine]]s and transferred to writing original paperback novels as the market shifted to that format in the 1950s.

During the mid-to-late 1940s, and into the 1950s, Fox wrote a number of short stories and text pieces for ''[[Weird Tales]]'' and ''[[Planet Stories]],'' and was published in ''[[Amazing Stories]]'' and ''Marvel Science Stories.''<ref name="Bails"/> He wrote for a diverse range of [[pulp magazine]]s, including ''Baseball Stories,'' ''Big Book Football Western,'' ''Fighting Western,'' ''Football Stories,'' ''Lariat Stories,'' ''Ace Sports,'' ''SuperScience,'' ''Northwest Romances,'' ''Thrilling Western,'' and ''Ranch Romances'' for a number of publishing companies.<ref name="Bails"/>

His first novel, a historical romance entitled ''The Borgia Blade'', was published by Belmont Books in 1953.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fox |first=Gardner |date=1953 |title=The Borgia Blade |url=https://www.gardnerfrancisfoxlibrary.com/borgia-blade-gardner-f-fox |access-date=2022-11-13 |website=The Gardner Francis Fox Library |language=en-US}}</ref> He went on to write novels and short stories using a variety of male and female pseudonyms for a number of publishers, including [[Ace Books|Ace]], Gold Medal, [[Tower Publications]], [[Belmont Books]], [[Dodd Mead]], [[Hillman Periodicals|Hillman]], Pocket Library, [[Pyramid Books]] and [[Signet Books]].<ref name="Bails" />

Fox wrote a pair of [[sword and planet]] novels titled ''Warriors of Llarn'' (1964) and ''Thief of Llarn'' (1966).

From 1969 to 1970, [[Belmont Books]] published a series of [[sword and sorcery]] novels by Fox, featuring the barbarian character Kothar. These were '' Kothar: Barbarian Swordsman'', '' Kothar of the Magic Sword'', '' Kothar and the Demon Queen'', ''Kothar and the Conjurer's Curse'' and finally ''Kothar and the Wizard Slayer''. These were followed in 1976 by another series (published by [[Leisure Books]]) featuring the barbarian Kyrik: '' Kyrik: Warlock Warrior'', '' Kyrik Fights the Demon World'', '' Kyrik and the Wizard's Sword'' and ''Kyrik and the Lost Queen''.

''Kothar and the Conjurer's Curse'' was adapted by Marvel Comics as a six-part [[Conan (Marvel Comics)|Conan]] story, loosely following Fox's plot but with Conan replacing Kothar, starting with ''[[Conan the Barbarian (comics)|Conan the Barbarian]]'' #46 ("The Curse of the Conjurer", Jan. 1975). The story was produced by scripter [[Roy Thomas]] and artists [[John Buscema]], [[Joe Sinnott]], [[Dan Adkins]], and [[Dick Giordano]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Thompson |first=Steven |date=September 2020 |title=Conan Goes to Adventure Town |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aC_6DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA6 |journal=[[Back Issue!]] |location=Raleigh, North Carolina |publisher=[[TwoMorrows Publishing]] |issue=121 |page=6}}</ref>

==Comics==

===Golden Age===
{{Main article|Golden Age of Comic Books}}
Fox's earliest stories for [[DC Comics]] featured the fictional district attorney [[Speed Saunders]] with art by [[Creig Flessel]] and later [[Fred Guardineer]] beginning at least with ''[[Detective Comics]]'' #4 (June 1937).<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/story.php?storyid=48|title= ''Detective Comics'' #4 'The Mystery of San Jose Island'|first= Mike|last= Voiles|year= 2015|publisher= Mike's Amazing World of Comics|df= mdy-all|access-date= September 7, 2015|archive-date= September 15, 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180915225754/http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/story.php?storyid=48|url-status= dead}}</ref><ref name="GCD">{{gcdb|type=writer|search=Gardner+Fox|title=Gardner Fox}}</ref> Speed Saunders was initially credited to "E.C. Stoner," which many believe to be a Fox pseudonym,<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.thrillingdetective.com/speed.html|title= Speed Saunders|first= Kevin Burton|last= Smith|date= n.d.|publisher= ThrillingDetective.com|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130426193602/http://thrillingdetective.com/speed.html|archive-date= April 26, 2013|url-status= live|df=mdy-all|access-date= July 31, 2008|quote= Who was E.C. Stoner? A pseudonym? Noted comic writer Gardner Fox, a lawyer at the time, has also been credited with creating the character. Certainly, he wrote some of the stories.}}</ref> and Fox has gone on record as claiming he created the character, "cashing in on my law school work".<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fox |first=Gardner |date=December 1961 |title=Inside the Atom |journal=Showcase No. 35 |publisher=DC Comics |issue= |pages=}}</ref> As the 1930s progressed, Fox added writing credits for Steve Malone and Bruce Nelson for ''Detective Comics'' to his workload, as well as [[Zatara]] for early issues of ''[[Action Comics]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/story.php?storyid=2619|title= ''Action Comics'' #8 'The Indian Prince'|first= Mike|last= Voiles|year= 2015|publisher= Mike's Amazing World of Comics|df= mdy-all|access-date= September 7, 2015|archive-date= September 15, 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180915225826/http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/story.php?storyid=2619|url-status= dead}}</ref>

During [[World War II]], Fox assumed responsibility for a variety of characters and books of several of his colleagues who had been [[military conscription|drafted]]. He worked for numerous companies including [[Marvel Comics]]' 1940s predecessor, [[Timely Comics]]; [[Vin Sullivan]]'s [[Magazine Enterprises]], [[Columbia Comics]] where he created [[Skyman (Columbia Comics)|Skyman]];<ref>Though Ogden drew the first story and first cover, one source credits writer Fox and editor [[Vin Sullivan]] as creating the character in 1939, without giving specifics or the source of this information: {{cite book|first=Michael| last=Vance| title=Forbidden Adventures: The History of the American Comics Group| publisher=Greenwood Press|location=[[Westport, Connecticut|Westport]], [[Connecticut]]|year=1996|isbn=0-313-29678-2|page=114}}</ref> and at [[Entertaining Comics|EC]], where he served a brief stint as chief writer. With the waning popularity of superheroes, Fox contributed [[Western comics|western]], [[Science fiction comics|science fiction]], humor, [[Romance comics|romance]], and [[talking animals in fiction|talking animal]] stories.

====Batman====
{{Main article|Batman}}
During July 1939, just two issues after the debut of the character Batman by artist [[Bob Kane]] and scripter [[Bill Finger]], Fox wrote the first of his several tales for that character,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Wallace|first1= Daniel|last2=Dolan|first2=Hannah, ed.|chapter= 1930s|title = DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]]|year=2010|location= London, United Kingdom|isbn= 978-0-7566-6742-9 |page= 24|quote = Writer Gardner Fox took over from Finger for a few subsequent installments of the feature and introduced such gadgets as the Batarang and the Batgyro.}}</ref> introducing an early villain in the story "The Batman Meets [[Doctor Death (character)|Doctor Death]]".<ref name="Death">{{cite web|url= http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/story.php?storyid=3601|title= ''Detective Comics'' #29 'The Batman Meets Doctor Death'|first= Mike|last= Voiles|year= 2015|publisher= Mike's Amazing World of Comics|df= mdy-all|access-date= September 7, 2015}}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Alongside Kane and Finger, Fox contributed to the evolution of the character, including the character's first use of his [[Batman's utility belt|utility belt]], which "contain[ed] choking gas capsules,"<ref name="Death"/> as well as writing the first usages of both the [[Batarang]] and the Batgyro, an [[autogyro]], two issues later. These were the original bat-themed weapons and vehicles, a concept that would later be expanded on.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/story.php?storyid=3771|title= ''Detective Comics'' #31 'Batman Vs. the Vampire'|first= Mike|last= Voiles|year= 2015|publisher= Mike's Amazing World of Comics|df= mdy-all|access-date= September 7, 2015|archive-date= June 1, 2023|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230601214249/http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/story.php?storyid=3771|url-status= dead}}</ref>

Fox returned to the Batman in 1964. <small>''([[#Silver Age|See below]])''</small>

====Sandman====
{{Main article|Sandman (Wesley Dodds)}}
During 1939, Fox and artist [[Allen Bert Christman|Bert Christman]] co-created the character of the [[Sandman (Wesley Dodds)|Sandman]], a [[gasmask]]-wearing costumed crime-fighter whose first appearance in ''[[Adventure Comics]]'' #40 (July 1939)<ref>Wallace "1930s" in Dolan, p. 25: "Writer Gardner Fox and artist Bert Christman established the gas-masked and trench-coated Sandman in ''Adventure Comics'' #40 in July [1940]."</ref> was pre-empted by an appearance in ''[[New York World's Fair Comics]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/story.php?storyid=3282|title= ''New York World's Fair Comics'' #1 "Sandman at the World's Fair"|first= Mike|last= Voiles|year= 2015|publisher= Mike's Amazing World of Comics|df= mdy-all|access-date= September 7, 2015|archive-date= September 16, 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180916022701/http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/story.php?storyid=3282|url-status= dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.toonopedia.com/sandman1.htm |title=The Sandman |first=Don |last=Markstein |year=2011 |publisher=[[Don Markstein's Toonopedia]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120524104907/http://www.toonopedia.com/sandman1.htm |archive-date=May 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all |quote=''Adventure Comics'' #40 wasn't quite the character's first appearance, though. The 1939 issue of ''New York World's Fair Comics'', an extra-big anthology DC put out to capitalize on the eponymous event, contained a Sandman story, and probably hit the stands a week or two before his first ''Adventure'' story (though the one in ''Adventure'' is believed to have been written and drawn earlier). }}</ref>

====The Flash====
{{Main article|Jay Garrick}}

Fox is credited with writing the first three of six stories in the inaugural issue of ''[[Flash Comics]]'' (Jan. 1940), including the debut of the titular character, The [[Jay Garrick|Flash]].<ref>Wallace "1940s" in Dolan, p. 30: "DC shattered the sound barrier with the debut of the Flash, a blindingly fast mystery man written by Gardner Fox and drawn by Harry Lampert."</ref> With a hero described as a "modern-day [[Mercury (mythology)|Mercury]]", the title feature saw college student Jay Garrick imbued with superhuman speed after inhaling [[hard water]] vapors.<ref name="Fifty">{{Cite comic| writer = Marx, Barry| cowriters = [[Joey Cavalieri|Cavalieri, Joey]] and Hill, Thomas| artist = Petruccio, Steven | editor = Marx, Barry| story = Gardner Fox DC's Universe Expands | title = [[Fifty Who Made DC Great]]| date = 1985| publisher = DC Comics| page = 16}}</ref> The character went on to appear in a host of nineteen-[[1940s in comics|forties]] comics, including ''[[All-Star Comics|All Star]]'', ''[[Comic Cavalcade]]'', ''The Big [[All-American Comics|All-American Comic]] Book'', ''Flash Comics'' and his own title, ''[[All-Flash]],''<ref name="Fifty"/> so named because, unlike ''Flash Comics'', all the stories in it were about The Flash.

====Hawkman====
{{Main article|Hawkman (Carter Hall)}}
Describing the origins of [[Hawkman (Carter Hall)|Hawkman]], Fox recalled, "I was faced with the problem of filling a new book that publisher [[Max Gaines]] was starting... As I sat by the window I noticed a bird collecting twigs for a nest. The bird would swoop down, pick up the twig, and fly away. I thought, 'Wouldn't it be great if the bird was a lawman and the twig a crook!'"<ref name="Fifty"/> The character bore a visual resemblance to the [[Prince Vultan|Hawkmen]] who had appeared in the Flash Gordon comic strip in the mid-1930s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cronin |first=Brian |date=2022-10-25 |title=Was Hawkman's Real Life Origin Somehow the Same as Batman's Fictional Origin? |url=https://www.cbr.com/hawkman-real-life-origin-same-batman-fictional-origin-gardner-fox/ |access-date=2024-04-03 |website=CBR |language=en}}</ref>

Debuting as the third story in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (Jan. 1940) — "Fox's imagination [transformed] that bird [into] the soaring, mysterious Hawkman."<ref name="Fifty"/> With art by Dennis Neville,<ref>Wallace "1940s" in Dolan, p. 30: "In the same issue [#1] Gardner Fox wrote the first story featuring Hawkman...in a story drawn by Dennis Neville."</ref> the origin of the 'Winged Wonder' featured archaeologist and collector Carter Hall reliving his past life as [[Khufu|Prince Khufu]] of [[ancient Egypt]], creating a costume (powered by Nth metal), confronting the [[reincarnation]] of [[Hath-Set]], his former nemesis, and meeting his reincarnated love interest, Shiera Saunders.<ref>{{cite book |last=Zawisza |first=Doug |date=2008 |title=Hawkman Companion |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LuW7HjMky-EC&pg=PA185 |location=Raleigh, North Carolina |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |page=185 |isbn=978-1-893905-93-1}}</ref>

====The Justice Society of America====
{{Main article|Justice Society of America|Doctor Fate|Starman (Ted Knight)}}
Regularly writing more than six stories in five titles per month, every month throughout the early 1940s, Fox continued to create new features.<ref name="Mike">{{cite web|url= http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/creator.php?creatorid=23|title= Gardner F. Fox|first= Mike|last= Voiles|year= 2015|publisher= Mike's Amazing World of Comics|df= mdy-all|access-date= September 7, 2015}}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

At the time, DC Comics consisted of two discrete sub-companies, [[Max Gaines]]' [[All-American Publications]] and [[Harry Donenfeld]] & [[Jack Liebowitz]]'s [[National Periodical Publications]]. Though he continued to script for National/Detective Comics, Inc., Fox became the chief writer for All-American. While Fox's Dr. Fate (and other titles) was published by National; Sandman, Hawkman and the Flash were released by All-American. For Winter 1940, the third issue of All-American's ''[[All Star Comics]]'' debuted the [[Justice Society of America]], the first superhero team in comics. Fox had worked on the Hawkman, Flash and Sandman features in ''All-Star'' for its first two issues (Summer and Autumn 1940), but from issue #3 (Winter), he assumed full writing duties for the issue, with all features by different artists working within the [[framing device]] wherein the characters were described as part of a "Justice Society".<ref name="Wallace p33">Wallace "1940s" in Dolan, p. 33: "DC took the 'greatest hits' premise of the comic to its logical conclusion in ''All Star Comics'' #3 by teaming the Flash, the Atom, Doctor Fate, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Hourman, Sandman, and the Spectre under the banner of the Justice Society of America for an ongoing series."</ref><ref name="Levitz p56">{{cite book|author-link= Paul Levitz|last=Levitz|first= Paul|chapter= The Golden Age 1938–1956|title= 75 Years of DC Comics The Art of Modern Mythmaking|publisher= [[Taschen]]|year=2010|location= Cologne, Germany|isbn= 9783836519816|page= 56 |quote= Mayer and Fox cooked up one of the biggest ideas in superhero history: What if the varied stars of ''All-Star Comics'' actually met and worked together?}}</ref>

In the pages of ''All-Star Comics'' #3, in collaboration with editor [[Sheldon Mayer]] and with artists including E. E. Hibbard, Fox created the first [[superhero]] team, the [[Justice Society of America]].<ref name="Wallace p33" /><ref name="Levitz p56" /> Each character – Dr. Fate, the Sandman, the Flash, and Hawkman were joined by [[Hourman|Hour-Man]], the [[Spectre (DC Comics character)|Spectre]], the [[Atom (Al Pratt)|Atom]] and [[Alan Scott|Green Lantern]] – was introduced individually (by [[Johnny Thunder (superhero)|Johnny Thunder]]), and related a solo adventure, before being charged at the title's end with remaining a loose team by the [[Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation|Director of the FBI]]. During April 1941, Fox created the character of [[Starman (DC Comics Golden Age)|Starman]] with artist [[Jack Burnley]] in the pages of ''Adventure Comics'' #61 (April 1941),<ref>Wallace "1940s" in Dolan, p. 36: "Gardner Fox and artist Jack Burnley presented the new costumed hero Starman in this issue."</ref> and the character would later join the JSA. Fox wrote the Justice Society's adventures from ''All Star Comics'' #3 until leaving the feature as of issue #34 (April–May 1947) with a story that introduced a new super-villain, the [[Wizard (DC Comics)|Wizard]].<ref>Wallace "1940s" in Dolan, p. 55: "Gardner Fox penned his last story about the Justice Society of America in this issue. The writer...introduced an ill-tempered illusionist called the Wizard."</ref><ref>{{cite book|last= Thomas|first= Roy| author-link = Roy Thomas|chapter= "The Men (and One Woman) Behind the JSA: Its Creation and Creative Personnel|title = All-Star Companion ''Volume 1''|publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing|year=2000|location= Raleigh, North Carolina|isbn= 1-893905-055|pages= 23–24}}</ref>

====Non-DC work====
[[File:Out of This World 1 page.jpg|thumb|180px|Crom, the Barbarian in [[Out of This World Adventures]] #1, June 1950, art by [[John Giunta]].]]
Between 1940 and 1941, Fox wrote for the Columbia Comic Corporation, penning stories featuring characters including "Face," "Marvelo," "Rocky Ryan," "Skyman," and "Spymaster."<ref name="Bails"/> For approximately three years (1947–1950), Fox wrote for [[EC Comics]], including scripts and text pieces which appeared in the titles ''[[The Crypt of Terror]]'', ''[[The Vault of Horror (comics)|The Vault of Horror]]'' and ''[[Weird Fantasy]]'', as well as in the lesser-known ''Gunfighter'', ''Happy Houlihans'', ''[[Moon Girl (EC Comics)|Moon Girl]]'', ''Saddle Justice'' and the new trend title ''[[Valor (comic book)|Valor]]'', among others.<ref name="Bails"/>

Towards the end of the decade, and the start of the 1950s, he worked for [[Magazine Enterprises]] on features including "The Durango Kid," the first [[Phantom Rider|Ghost Rider]], "Red Hawk," "Straight Arrow" and "Tim Holt," in whose comic the Ghost Rider appeared.<ref name="Bails"/> Fox wrote some of the required text pieces for Magazine Enterprises, which were required by the Post Office to qualify magazines and comics for cheaper postal rates.<ref name="Bails"/>

Throughout the 1950s, Fox wrote stories for [[Avon Comics]], most notably tales of "Crom the Barbarian", the first [[sword and sorcery]] comic series<ref>[https://amazingstories.com/2013/06/crom-the-barbarian-the-first-true-ss-comic/ Crom the Barbarian" is the first true S&S comic]</ref> and of "Kenton of the Star Patrol."<ref name="Bails"/>

===Silver Age===
{{Main article|Silver Age of Comic Books}}
During the early 1950s, Fox wrote [[Vigilante (character)|Vigilante]] in ''[[Action Comics]]'', as well as Western stories in the pages of ''[[Western Comics]]'' and science-fiction stories for DC's ''[[Mystery in Space]]'' and ''[[Strange Adventures]]''.<ref name="Mike"/><ref>[[Alexander C. Irvine|Irvine, Alex]] "1950s" in Dolan, p. 64: "DC picked up on renewed public interest in science fiction by launching its first comic in the genre, the anthology series, ''Strange Adventures''. The series kicked off its 244-issue run with an adaptation of the first color science fiction movie, ''Destination Moon'' (released that same month), written by Gardner Fox and drawn by Curt Swan."</ref> During 1953, he entered into correspondence with fan [[Jerry Bails]], which initially emphasized Bails' fondness for the Justice Society and ''All-Star Comics'', but ultimately became a friendship that not only influenced the beginning of comics' so-called "Silver Age", but also comics [[fandom]], in which Bails had a major role.<ref>Letter from Jerry Bails to Roy Thomas, November 24, 1960. Excerpted in Roy Thomas' "Jerry, You're The Bestest!" editorial, ''[[Alter Ego (magazine)|Alter Ego]]'' Vol. 3 Issue #25 (June 2003)</ref><ref>{{cite book |author-link=Bill Schelly |last=Schelly |first=Bill |title=The Golden Age of Comic Fandom |publisher=Hamster Press |year=1995}} Excerpted online as {{cite web |url=http://www.billschelly.com/pages/aebirth.html |title=The Birth of Alter-Ego |access-date=July 17, 2008 |archive-date=February 21, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030221174140/http://www.billschelly.com/pages/aebirth.html%3C |url-status=dead}}</ref>

During the mid-1950s, after [[Fredric Wertham]]'s publication of ''[[Seduction of the Innocent]]'' and the [[United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency]] hearings on the dangers of comic books, the content of comics was changed and became subject to censoring by the private [[Comics Code Authority]]. In partial response to this shift, DC editor [[Julius Schwartz]] began a widespread reinvention/revival of many earlier characters, and "Fox was one of the first writers... Schwartz called in to help".<ref name="Fifty"/> The [[Silver Age of Comic Books]] began in the pages of ''[[Showcase (comics)|Showcase]]'' #4 (Oct. 1956) with a radically changed [[Barry Allen|Flash]] character by writers [[Robert Kanigher]] and [[John Broome (writer)|John Broome]] with penciler [[Carmine Infantino]].<ref>Irvine "1950s" in Dolan, p. 80: "The arrival of the second incarnation of the Flash in [''Showcase''] issue #4 is considered to be the official start of the Silver Age of comics."</ref>

Fox scripted most of the Silver Age adventures of science-fiction hero [[Adam Strange]], who debuted in the comic book ''Showcase'' #17 (Nov. 1958) with art by [[Mike Sekowsky]].<ref>Irvine "1950s" in Dolan, p. 91: "Adam Strange debuted in a three-issue trial starting with ''Showcase'' #17, which was written by Gardner Fox and featured art by Mike Sekowsky."</ref> The Adam Strange stories were co-plotted by Fox and the character's creator, Julius Schwartz.<ref>{{cite book|last = Amash|first = Jim|author-link = Jim Amash|chapter= Foreword|title = The Adam Strange Archives: Volume 1|publisher = DC Comics|year = 2004|pages = 5–8|isbn = 978-1401201487}}</ref> With the "creative guidance" of Fox and Schwartz, "[[Hawkman (Katar Hol)|Hawkman]] and the [[Atom (Ray Palmer)|Atom]] were given new costumes, new identities," and drew an audience of fans old and new. Fox penned the reinvention of the new Hawkman in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #34 (March 1961)<ref>McAvennie, Michael "1960s" in Dolan, p. 102: "DC's...renaissance soared to new heights with the return of Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Writer Gardner Fox and artist Joe Kubert...ushered in a pair of Winged Wonders that, costumes aside, were radically different from their Golden Age predecessors."</ref> and the Atom, who debuted in ''Showcase'' #34 (Sep–Oct. 1961) with art by [[Gil Kane]].<ref>McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 103: "The Atom was the next Golden Age hero to receive a Silver Age makeover from writer Gardner Fox and artist Gil Kane."</ref><ref>{{cite book|last = Pasko|first = Martin|author-link = Martin Pasko|title = The DC Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book with Rare Collectibles from the DC Universe|publisher = [[Running Press]]|year = 2008|location= Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|isbn = 978-0762432578|page= 101|quote = Old [All-American] heroes like Hawkman and the Atom were revived – both by writer Gardner Fox – and given the [science fiction] makeover with as many new twists as possible.}}</ref>

====Justice League of America====
{{Main article|Justice League of America}}
Another of Fox's major achievements was his revival of the concept of the [[Justice Society]] as the [[Justice League of America]], debuting in the comic book ''[[The Brave and the Bold]]'' #28 (Feb.–Mar. 1960).<ref>McAvennie, "1960s" in Dolan, p. 99: "Editor Julius Schwartz had repopulated the [superhero] subculture by revitalizing Golden Age icons like Green Lantern and the Flash..He recruited writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky, and together they came up with the Justice League of America, a modern version of the legendary Justice Society of America from the 1940s."</ref> Soon given their own title during Oct.–Nov. 1960, the Justice League would become the basis of the DC Universe.<ref>{{cite book|last = Daniels|first = Les|author-link = Les Daniels|title = DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World's Favorite Comic Book Heroes|chapter= The Justice League of America A Team of Good Sports|publisher = Bulfinch|year = 1995|page = 127|isbn = 0821220764|quote= ''Justice League'' was a hit. It solidified once and for all the importance of super hero groups, and in the process provided a playground where DC's characters could attract new fans while entertaining established admirers.}}</ref> The supervillain [[Doctor Light (Arthur Light)|Doctor Light]] first battled the team in issue #12 (June 1962).<ref>McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 105: "In a tale written by Gardner Fox, with art by Mike Sekowsky, Dr. Light's first [adventure] was almost the JLA's last."</ref> ''Justice League of America'' #21 and #22 (August–September 1963) featured the first team-up of the Justice League and the [[Justice Society of America]] as well as the first use of the term "Crisis" in reference to a crossover between characters.<ref>McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 109: "The two-part 'Crisis on Earth-One!' and 'Crisis on Earth-Two!' saga represented the first use of the term 'Crisis' in crossovers, as well as the designations 'Earth-1' and 'Earth-2'. In it editor Julius Schwartz, [writer Gardner] Fox, and artist Mike Sekowsky devised a menace worthy of the World's Greatest Heroes."</ref> The next year's team-up with the Justice Society introduced the threat of the [[Crime Syndicate of America]] of [[Earth-Three]].<ref>McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 112: "Writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky crafted a tale in which the Crime Syndicate...ambushed the JLA on Earth-1."</ref> The character [[Zatanna]], introduced by Fox and artist Murphy Anderson in ''Hawkman'' #4 (Nov. 1964), was the center of a plotline which ran through several DC titles and was resolved in ''Justice League of America'' #51 (Feb. 1967).<ref>McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 112</ref> Fox and Sekowsky were the creative team for the title's first eight years. Sekowsky's last issue was #63 (June 1968) and Fox departed with #65 (September 1968).<ref name="GCD" /><ref>{{cite book|last = Eury|first = Michael|author-link = Michael Eury|chapter= The Writers and Artists of ''Justice League of America''|title = The Justice League Companion|publisher = TwoMorrows Publishing|year = 2005|location= Raleigh, North Carolina|pages = 96–97|chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=QxJPl_R0FtwC&q=Gardner+Fox+Justice+League+Companion&pg=RA2-PA1908|isbn = 978-1893905481}}</ref>

====Multiverse====
{{Main article|Multiverse (DC Comics)}}

Fox's script for "[[Flash of Two Worlds]]!", from ''[[The Flash (comic book)|The Flash]]'' #123 (Sept. 1961), introduced the concept that the Golden Age heroes existed on a parallel Earth named [[Earth-Two]], as the current Flash, [[Barry Allen]], travels to the Earth of [[Jay Garrick]], the 1940s Flash. This event heralded more generally the concept of the DC Comics [[Multiverse (DC Comics)|Multiverse]],<ref>McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 103: "This classic Silver Age story resurrected the Golden Age Flash and provided a foundation for the Multiverse from which he and the Silver Age Flash would hail."</ref> a decades-long recurring theme of the DC Comics universe, allowing old and new heroes to co-exist and crossover.<ref name="comicsalliance" />

In a mischievous twist, Gardner Fox is actually referenced in the story—in Barry Allen's world, the adventures of Jay Garrick's Flash appeared in comic books written by Fox. As Barry explains, "A writer named Gardner Fox wrote about your adventures -- which he claimed came to him in dreams! Obviously when Fox was asleep, his mind was 'tuned in' on your vibratory Earth! That explains how he 'dreamed up' the Flash!" At the end of the story, Barry says, "I'm going to look up Gardner Fox, who wrote the original Flash stories, and tell it to him! He can write the whole thing up... in a comic book!"<ref>{{cite book |last=Wandtke |first=Terrence R. |date=2014 |title=The Meaning of Superhero Comic Books |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vgGNFxy602kC&pg=PA139 |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |publisher=McFarland & Company |pages=139–140 |isbn=978-0-7864-6491-3}}</ref>

====Silver Age Batman====
During 1964, Schwartz was made responsible for reviving the Batman titles<ref>{{cite book|last1 = Greenberger|first1 = Robert|author-link = Robert Greenberger|last2 = Manning|first2 = Matthew K.|title = The Batman Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book with Rare Collectibles from the Batcave|publisher = [[Running Press]]|year = 2009|isbn = 978-0762436637|page= 19|quote = DC shifted its editorial staff around, placing legendary editor Julius 'Julie' Schwartz in charge of the denizens of Gotham City...Schwartz brought two of his Flash cohorts, writers Gardner Fox and John Broome, on to his team.}}</ref> and Fox returned to writing Batman stories.<ref name="Bails"/> Obeying the Silver Age trends, he reintroduced characters including the [[Riddler]] and the [[Scarecrow (DC Comics)|Scarecrow]]. Fox's "Remarkable Ruse of the Riddler" with art by [[Sheldon Moldoff]] in ''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]'' #171 (May 1965).<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/comic.php?comicid=3701|title= ''Batman'' #171 'Remarkable Ruse of the Riddler'|first= Mike|last= Voiles|year= 2015|publisher= Mike's Amazing World of Comics|df= mdy-all|access-date= September 7, 2015|archive-date= September 16, 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180916022640/http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/comic.php?comicid=3701|url-status= dead}}</ref><ref>McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 114: "Nearly eighteen years had passed since the Riddler last tried to stump Batman and Robin. Therefore, when writer Gardner Fox and artist Sheldon Moldoff released Edward Nigma, the villain insisted that he had reformed."</ref> Eighteen issues later, Fox and Moldoff similarly resuscitated and relocated Professor Jonathan Crane, launching the Earth-1 Scarecrow in "Fright of the Scarecrow", ''Batman'' #189 (Feb 1967).<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/comic.php?comicid=3719|title= ''Batman'' #189 'Fright of the Scarecrow'|first= Mike|last= Voiles|year= 2015|publisher= Mike's Amazing World of Comics|df= mdy-all|access-date= September 7, 2015|archive-date= September 15, 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180915225804/http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/comic.php?comicid=3719|url-status= dead}}</ref> He and artist Carmine Infantino created the [[Blockbuster (DC Comics)|Blockbuster]] in ''Detective Comics'' #345 (Nov. 1965)<ref>{{cite book|last1= Forbeck|first1= Matt|author-link1= Matt Forbeck|last2=Dougall|first2=Alastair, ed.|chapter= 1960s|title= Batman: A Visual History|publisher= [[Dorling Kindersley]]|year= 2014|location= London, United Kingdom|page= 88|isbn= 978-1465424563|quote= Gardner Fox and penciller Carmine Infantino introduced the villain Blockbuster in this issue.}}</ref> and the [[Cluemaster]] in issue #351 (May 1966).<ref>Forbeck "1960s" in Dougall, p. 93: "The villainous Cluemaster debuted in this story by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino."</ref> Fox and Infantino introduced [[Barbara Gordon]] as a new version of [[Batgirl]] in a story titled "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!" in ''Detective Comics'' #359 (January 1967).<ref>McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan p. 122 "Nine months before making her debut on ''Batman'', a new Batgirl appeared in the pages of ''Detective Comics''...Yet the idea for the debut of Barbara Gordon, according to editor Julius Schwartz, was attributed to the television series executives' desire to have a character that would appeal to a female audience and for this character to originate in the comics. Hence, writer Gardner Fox and artist Carmine Infantino collaborated on 'The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!'"</ref> Fox's final Batman story, "Whatever Will Happen to Heiress Heloise?", was published in ''Detective Comics'' #384 (Feb. 1969).<ref name="GCD" />

===Leaving DC===
Fox stopped receiving work from DC during 1968, when the comics company refused to give health insurance and other benefits to its older creators. Fox, who had written a number of historical adventure, mystery and science fiction novels during the 1940s and the 1950s, began to produce novels full time, using his own name and several pseudonyms.<ref name="comicsalliance" /> He produced a small number of comics during this period, but predominantly produced novels, writing more than 100 in genres such as science fiction, [[spy fiction|espionage]], [[crime fiction|crime]], [[fantasy fiction|fantasy]], romance, western, and [[historical novel|historical fiction]].

Among his output was the modern novelisation of the [[Irwin Allen]] production of ''[[Jules Verne]]'s [[Five Weeks in a Balloon]]'', two books of the "Llarn" series; five books about the barbarian swordsman Kothar, starting during 1969 with the anthology ''Kothar—Barbarian Swordsman'',<ref name="Kothar">{{cite book|last = Fox|first = Gardner F.|title = Kothar—Barbarian Swordsman|date=April 1969|publisher = [[Belmont Books]]}}</ref> and four books about the adventures of "Kyrik," starting with ''Warlock Warrior'' (1975).<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/f/gardner-f-fox/|title= Gardner F. Fox|date= n.d.|publisher= FantasticFiction.co.uk|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130213064522/http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/f/gardner-f-fox/|archive-date= February 13, 2013|url-status= live|df=mdy-all|access-date= July 1, 2008}}</ref>

For [[Tower Publications|Tower Books]], [[Belmont Books]], and [[Belmont-Tower]], he produced between thirteen and twenty-five "Lady from L.U.S.T." ('''L'''eague of '''U'''ndercover '''S'''pies and '''T'''errorists) novels between 1968 and 1975 using the name Rod Gray.<ref name="Bails"/><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/g/rod-gray/|title= Rod Gray|date= n.d.|publisher= FantasticFiction.co.uk|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130213120905/http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/g/rod-gray/|archive-date= February 13, 2013|url-status= dead|df= mdy-all|access-date= July 31, 2008}}</ref> (see also: ''[[The Man from O.R.G.Y.]]'') With [https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL1465141A/Rochelle_Larkin Rochelle Larkin] and [[Leonard Levinson]], Fox used the pen-name "Glen Chase" to write entries in the "Cherry Delight, The Sexecutioner" series.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/glen-chase/|title= Glen Chase|date= n.d.|publisher= FantasticFiction.co.uk|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130213131823/http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/glen-chase/|archive-date= February 13, 2013|url-status= live|df=mdy-all|access-date= July 31, 2008}}</ref>

===Later comics work===
During the early 1970s, Fox briefly worked for DC's rival publisher, [[Marvel Comics]], writing scripts for ''[[The Tomb of Dracula]]'', ''[[Red Wolf (comics)|Red Wolf]]'',<ref>{{cite book|last1 = Sanderson|first1 = Peter|author-link = Peter Sanderson|last2= Gilbert|first2= Laura, ed.|chapter= 1970s|title = Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History|publisher = [[Dorling Kindersley]]|year = 2008|location= London, United Kingdom|page = 150|isbn =978-0756641238|quote= Writer Gardner Fox and artist Syd Shores created the Red Wolf of the nineteenth-century American West in this new series.}}</ref> and the "[[Doctor Strange]]" feature in ''[[Marvel Premiere]]''.<ref name="Bails"/> During 1971, [[Skywald Publications]] reprinted some of his earlier work in titles such as ''Demona'', ''Nightmare'', ''Red Mask'' and ''Zanagar'', and Fox also found work with [[Warren Publications]] on ''[[Creepy (magazine)|Creepy]]'' and ''[[Eerie (magazine)|Eerie]]'' during the same period.

Towards the end of his life, during 1985, he worked briefly for [[Eclipse Comics]] including on the science fiction anthology ''[[Alien Encounters (comics)|Alien Encounters]]''.<ref name="GCD" />

Fox died on December 24, 1986. He died at Princeton Medical Center in Princeton, New Jersey from pneumonia.<ref name="comicsalliance" /> He is interred in Holy Cross Burial Park and Mausoleum in East Brunswick, New Jersey, alongside his wife Lynda.

==Hobbies and achievements==
During the course of his career, Fox can be definitely credited with about 1500 stories for DC Comics,<ref name="Mike"/> making him the second most prolific DC creator (after [[Robert Kanigher]]) by a considerable margin over his nearest rival.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/creator.php?page=topcreators|title=Top Creators by Category |first=Mike |last=Voiles |year=2013 |publisher=Mike's Amazing World of Comics |access-date=October 19, 2013 |url-status=dead|df=mdy-all |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130316025841/http://www.dcindexes.com/features/database.php?site=dc |archive-date=March 16, 2013}}</ref> In July 1971, Fox estimated he had written "[f]ifty million words" over the course of his career to date.<ref name="1972CAC">[[Phil Seuling|Seuling, Phil]] (ed.) "[[Jim Steranko]] & Gardner Fox at the 1971 [[Comic Art Convention]] Luncheon – July 1971" – Interviews by John Benson and Phil Seuling, (transcribed and edited by Benson) in ''1972 Comic Art Convention Programme'' (Seuling, 1972) pp. 70–78</ref>

He was a member of a number of literary and genre organisations, including the [[Academy of Comic Book Arts]], the [[Authors Guild]], the [[Authors League of America]], and the [[Science Fiction Writers of America]].<ref name="Bails"/> As a lawyer, he was a member of the legal fraternity [[Phi Delta Phi]].<ref name="Bails"/>

A sports fan, he liked both "[[New York Mets|the Mets]] and [[New York Jets|the Jets]]," and (during 1971) had "season tickets to the St. John's games."<ref name="1972CAC"/> He enjoyed making and collecting miniature soldiers, focusing on ancient and medieval figures.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gardner Fox |date=December 1961 |title=Inside the Atom |journal=Showcase No. 35}}</ref> A voracious reader, he stated, "I have two writers that I reread and reread. One that I'm sure nobody's every {{sic}} heard of is [[Jeffery Pond]] {{sic}}<!--Anyone ever heard of an author with a name like this?-->. I have every book he ever wrote. The other is the mystery writer [[John Dickson Carr]], whose style I admire tremendously... and of course the old standbys – [[A. Merritt|Merritt]] I always particularly liked – and [[Edgar Rice Burroughs|Burroughs]]."<ref name="1972CAC"/>

===Awards===
Fox won two 1962 [[Alley Award]]s – for Best Script Writer and for Best Book-Length Story ("The Planet that Came to a Standstill" in ''[[Mystery in Space]]'' #75), with penciler [[Carmine Infantino]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/alley62.php |title=1962 Alley Awards |website=Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac |access-date=October 19, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424055900/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/alley62.php |archive-date=April 24, 2012 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> — as well as a 1963 Alley, for Favorite Novel ("Crisis on Earths 1 and 2" in ''[[Justice League|Justice League of America]]'' #21–22, with penciler [[Mike Sekowsky]]),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/alley63.php |title=1963 Alley Awards |website=Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac |access-date=October 19, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807053741/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/alley63.php |archive-date=August 7, 2011 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> and the 1965 Alley for Best Novel ("Solomon Grundy Goes on a Rampage" in ''[[Showcase (comics)|Showcase]]'' #55) with penciler [[Murphy Anderson]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/alley65.php |title=1965 Alley Awards |website=Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac |access-date=October 19, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807053823/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/alley65.php |archive-date=August 7, 2011 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

He was honored at the New York [[Comic Art Convention]] during 1971. During 1982, at Skycon II, he was awarded the "[[Jules Verne]] Award for Life-time achievement."<ref name="Bails"/>

==Legacy==
During 1967, Fox's literary agent, August Lenniger, suggested that Fox donate his notes, correspondence, and samples of his work to the [[University of Oregon]] as a tax deduction. Fox donated over fourteen boxes of comics, books, scripts, plot ideas, and fan letters dating back to the 1940s. His records comprise the bulk of the university's Fox Collection.<ref>{{cite journal|last = Gilbert|first = Michael T.|author-link = Michael T. Gilbert|title = The Fox and the Fans: Letters to Gardner F. Fox From Future Pros, 1959–1965|journal = Alter Ego|volume = 2|issue = 1|pages = 5–9|publisher = TwoMorrows Publishing|date = Spring 1998|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref>

The character [[Guy Gardner (character)|Guy Gardner]] is named after Fox.<ref>{{cite comic| writer= [[John Broome (writer)|Broome, John]]|penciller= [[Gil Kane|Kane, Gil]]|inker= Greene, Sid|story= Earth's Other Green Lantern!|title= [[Green Lantern (comic book)|Green Lantern]]|volume= 2|issue= 59|date= March 1968}}</ref> During 1985, DC Comics named Fox as one of the honorees in the company's 50th anniversary publication ''[[Fifty Who Made DC Great]]''.<ref name="Fifty" />

During 1998, he was posthumously awarded a [[Harvey Award]] and entered into the [[Jack Kirby]] Hall of Fame; a year later, he was inducted into the [[Eisner Award]] Hall of Fame.<ref name="Bails"/>

During 2007, Fox was one of the year's two recipients of the [[Bill Finger Award]] for Excellence in Comic Book Writing, given under the auspices of [[San Diego Comic-Con]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.newsfromme.com/2007/06/05/this-years-bill-finger-award-2/|title= This Year's Bill Finger Award|first= Mark|last= Evanier|author-link = Mark Evanier|date= June 5, 2007|publisher= NewsFromMe.com|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150623122259/http://www.newsfromme.com/2007/06/05/this-years-bill-finger-award-2/|archive-date= June 23, 2015|url-status= live|df=mdy-all|access-date= October 19, 2013}}</ref>

During 2002, the [[Cartoon Network]] broadcast an episode of the ''[[Justice League (TV series)|Justice League]]'' animated TV series titled "Legends", an homage to Fox's Justice Society and his annual Silver Age Justice Society/Justice League crossovers. The episode was dedicated to Fox.<ref>{{cite episode|title = Legends|series = Justice League|series-link = Justice League (TV series)|credits = [[Andrew Kreisberg|Kreisberg, Andrew]] (writer); [[Dan Riba|Riba, Dan]] (director)|network = [[Cartoon Network]]|airdate = April 21, 2002}}</ref> Additionally, in the episode titled "Paradise Lost", a TV news reporter refers to Hurricane Gardner.

In the sixth episode of the second season of ''[[Young Justice (TV series)|Young Justice]]'', during a disaster caused by [[Neutron (DC Comics)|Neutron]] that destroys part of [[Central City (DC Comics)|Central City]], the [[Barry Allen|Flash]] directs a woman to a homeless shelter located between streets named Gardner and Fox.<ref>{{cite episode|title = Bloodlines|series = Young Justice|series-link = Young Justice (TV series)|credits = [[Peter David|David, Peter]] (writer); Zwyer, Mel (director)|network = Cartoon Network|airdate = June 2, 2012}}</ref>

==Bibliography==
===Comic books===
====DC Comics====
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* ''[[Action Comics]]'' #8–79 ([[Zatara]]); #134, 139–144 ([[Vigilante (character)|Vigilante]]); #138 ([[Congo Bill]]) (1939–1950)
* ''[[Adventure Comics]]'' #35–67, 69–77, 81, 83–89 (1939–1944)
* ''[[All-American Comics|All-American Western]]'' #105–106, 113, 115 (1949–1950)
* ''[[All-Flash]]'' #6–24, 28 (1942–1947)
* ''All-Flash Quarterly'' #1–5 (1941–1942)
* ''[[All Star Comics]]'' #1–34, 46, 50, 53 (1940–1950)
* ''[[All Star Western]]'' #62, 90–92, 94–95, 97–99, 107–119 (1951–1961)
* ''[[Atom (Ray Palmer)|Atom]]'' #1–37 (1962–1968)
* ''Atom and Hawkman'' #40–41 (1968–1969)
* ''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]'' #41, 165, 170–172, 174–175, 179, 181, 183–184, 186, 188–192, 194–197, 199, 201–202 (1947, 1964–1968)
* ''Big All-American Comic Book'' #1 (1944)
* ''[[Boy Commandos]]'' #36 (1949)
* ''[[The Brave and the Bold]]'' #28–30 (Justice League); #34–36, 42–44 (Hawkman); #45–49 (Strange Sports); #61–62 ([[Starman (Ted Knight)|Starman]] and [[Black Canary]]) (1960–1965)
* ''[[Comic Cavalcade]]'' #1–19 (1942–1947)
* ''[[Detective Comics]]'' #4–26, 37–43 (Speed Saunders); #29–34, 331, 333–340, 344–345, 347, 349, 351, 353, 356, 359, 361, 363, 366–369, 371, 374, 376–377, 384 (Batman); #328–330, 332–339, 341–342, 345–358, 360–365, 367–383 ([[Elongated Man]]) (1937–1969)
* ''[[The Flash (comic book)|The Flash]]'' #117, 123, 129, 137–138, 140, 142–146, 150–152, 154, 159, 162, 164, 166–167, 170–171, 177 (1960–1968)
* ''[[Flash Comics]]'' #1–80 (1940–1947)
* ''Funny Stuff'' #22–27 (1947)
* ''[[Green Lantern (comic book)|Green Lantern]]'' #27 (1947)
* ''Green Lantern'' vol. 2 #16–17, 21–23, 25–29, 32–38, 41–44, 46, 48, 50, 57–58, 60, 62, 65, 67 (1962–1969)
* ''[[Hawkman (Katar Hol)|Hawkman]]'' #1–21 (1964–1967)
* ''[[Hopalong Cassidy]]'' #86, 89, 91–92, 112–113, 115, 117–121, 124 (1954–1957)
* ''[[Jimmy Wakely]]'' #1–3, 7–9, 11, 15 (1949–1952)
* ''[[Justice League|Justice League of America]]'' #1–38, 40–47, 49–57, 59–65 (1960–1968)
* ''[[More Fun Comics]]'' #55–95 ([[Doctor Fate]]) (1940–1944)
* ''[[Mystery in Space]]'' #1–5, 7–15, 31–32, 36, 41, 43, 45–48, 50–91 (1951–1964)
* ''New York World's Fair Comics'' #1–2 (1939–1940)
* ''[[Sensation Comics]]'' #1–10, 109 (1942–1952)
* ''[[Showcase (comics)|Showcase]]'' #15–16 ([[Space Ranger]]); #17–19 ([[Adam Strange]]); #34–36 (the Atom); #55–56 (Doctor Fate and [[Hourman]]); #60–61, 64 (Spectre) (1958–1966)
* ''[[Spectre (DC Comics character)|Spectre]]'' #1–2, 6–7 (1967–1968)
* ''[[Strange Adventures]]'' #1–21, 23–26, 29—30, 35, 38, 50, 69, 71, 73–74, 78–81, 83–84, 86–97, 99, 101–107, 109–116, 118–159, 161, 163, 226 (1950–1970)
* ''[[Superboy (comic book)|Superboy]]'' #20 (1952)
* ''[[Western Comics]]'' #4, 19–21, 23–27, 31–37, 39–46, 56–85 (1948–1961)
* ''World's Best Comics'' #1 (1941)
* ''[[World's Finest Comics]]'' #2–8, 51–60, 62, 64 (1941–1953)
{{div col end}}

====Marvel Comics====
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* ''[[Chamber of Chills]]'' #2–4 (1973)
* ''[[Tower of Shadows|Creatures on the Loose]]'' #26–27 (1973–1974)
* ''[[Doc Savage]]'' #5–7 (1973)
* ''[[Dracula Lives!]]'' #4 (1974)
* ''[[Gunhawks]]'' #7 (1973)
* ''[[Journey into Mystery]]'' vol. 2 #4 (1973)
* ''[[Marvel Premiere]]'' #5–8 ([[Doctor Strange]]) (1972–1973)
* ''[[Marvel Spotlight]]'' #1 (Red Wolf) (1971)
* ''[[Monsters Unleashed (comics)|Monsters Unleashed]]'' #1 (1973)
* ''[[Red Wolf (comics)|Red Wolf]]'' #2–8 (1972–1973)
* ''[[The Tomb of Dracula]]'' #5–6 (1972–1973)
* ''[[Vampire Tales]]'' #1–2 (1973)
{{div col end}}

====Avon Books====
====Crom the Barbarian====
* ''[[Out of This World Adventures]]'' #1 - ''Crom the Barbarian'' (July 1950) with John Giunta [only as by Gardner Fox and John Giunta ]
* ''Out of This World Adventures'' #2 - ''The Spider God of Akka!'' (December 1950) with John Giunta [only as by Gardner Fox and John Giunta ]
* ''[[Strange Worlds (Avon Comics)|Strange Worlds]]'' #2 - ''The Giant From Beyond'' (April 1951) with John Giunta [only as by Gardner Fox and John Giunta ]

===Fiction series===
;Alan Morgan
# ''Warrior of Llarn'' (1964)
# ''Thief of Llarn'' (1966)

;Kothar
# ''Kothar - Barbarian Swordsman'' ([[Belmont Books]], 1969)
# ''Kothar of the Magic Sword!'' (Belmont Books, 1969)
# ''Kothar and the Demon Queen'' (Belmont Books, 1969)
# ''Kothar and the Conjurer's Curse'' (Belmont Books, 1970)
# ''Kothar and the Wizard Slayer'' (Belmont Books, 1970)

;Kyrik
# ''Kyrik: Warlock Warrior'' ([[Leisure Books]], 1975)
# ''Kyrik Fights the Demon World'' (Leisure Books, 1975)
# ''Kyrik and the Wizard's Sword'' (Leisure Books, 1976)
# ''Kyrik and the Lost Queen'' (Leisure Books, 1976)

===Novels===
* ''Five Weeks in a Balloon'' (1962)
* ''Escape Across the Cosmos'' (1964) only appeared as:
** variant title: ''Escape Across the Cosmos'' (1964) [as by Gardner Fox ]
** variant title: ''Titans of the Universe'' (1978) [as by Moonchild (inside Title Page) / James Harvey (front cover) under Manor Books imprint ]
* ''The Arsenal of Miracles'' (1964)
* ''The Hunter Out of Time'' (1965)
* ''Beyond the Black Enigma'' (1965) [only as by Bart Somers ]
* ''Abandon Galaxy!'' (1967) [only as by Bart Somers ]
* ''Laid in the Future'' (1969) [only as by Rod Gray ]
* ''The Druid Stone'' (1970) [only as by Simon Majors ]
* ''Conehead'' (1973)
* ''Omnibus''
* ''The Arsenal of Miracles'' / ''Endless Shadow'' (1964) [O/2N] with John Brunner
* ''Fantasy Inverno 1993. Spade per la gloria'' (1993) [O]

===Nonfiction===
* ''Thun'da: King of the Congo'' (2010) with Frank Frazetta and Bob Powell [only as by Frank Frazetta and Gardner Fox and Bob Powell ]

===Historic fiction===
* ''One Sword for Love'' (1953)
* ''Iron Lover'' (1959)
* ''The Bastard of Orleans'' (1960)
* ''The Lion of Lucca'' (1966)
* ''The Bold Ones'' (1976)

===Short fiction===
* ''The Weirds of the Woodcarver'' (1944)
* ''The Last Monster'' (1945)
* ''Man nth'' (1945)
* ''Engines of the Gods'' (1946)
* ''Rain, Rain, Go Away!'' (1946)
* ''Heart of Light'' (1946)
* ''The Man the Sun-Gods Made'' (1946)
* ''Sword of the Seven Suns'' (1947)
* ''Vassals of the Lode-Star'' (1947)
* ''[https://archive.org/stream/Planet_Stories_v03n11_1948-Summer_Missing_ibcbc#page/n107/mode/2up Werwile of the Crystal Crypt]'' (1948)
* ''[https://archive.org/stream/Planet_Stories_Canadian_Ed._v03n12_1948-Fall#page/n45/mode/2up When Kohonnes Screamed]'' (1948)
* ''The Rainbow Jade'' (1949)
* ''Temptress of the Time Flow'' (1950)
* ''Tonight the Stars Revolt!'' (1952)
* ''The Warlock of Sharrador'' (1953)
* ''The Holding of Kolymar'' (1972)
* ''Shadow of a Demon'' (1976)
* ''Beyond the Wizard Fog'' (1977)
* ''The Stolen Sacrifice'' (1978)
* ''The Thing From the Tomb'' (1979)
* ''The Eyes of Mavis Deval'' (1980)
* ''The Cube From Beyond'' (1980)
* ''The Cup of Golden Death'' (1980)
* ''Out of the Eons'' (1980)
* ''The Lure of the Golden Godling'' (1980)
* ''The Coming of the Sword'' (1981)
*''The Return of Dargoll'' (1982)

===Essays===
* Letter (''Fantastic Novels'', September 1940): A. Merritt Books Scarce (1940)
* P.S.'s ''Feature Flash'' (1947)
* Letter (''Planet Stories'', Spring 1948): Fox Lets Fly (1947)
* Foreword (''Kothar of the Magic Sword!'') (1969)
* Introduction (''Kyrik: Warlock Warrior'') (1975)

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Sources===
*{{cite book|last=DeRoss|first=Jennifer|title=Forgotten All-Star: A Biography Of Gardner Fox|date=2019|publisher=[[Pulp Hero Press]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Iq1SyAEACAAJ|isbn=978-1-68390-200-3}}

==External links==
* {{comicbookdb|type=creator|id=298|title=Gardner Fox}}
* {{Gutenberg author|id=52538|name=Gardner F. Fox}}
* {{ISFDB name|id=Gardner_F._Fox|name=Gardner F. Fox}}
* [http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/creator.php?creatorid=23&credittype=Story Gardner Fox] at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
* [http://www.maelmill-insi.de/UHBMCC/namf14.htm#N1770 Gardner Fox] at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
* [http://lambiek.net/artists/f/fox_gardner.htm Gardner Fox] at the [[Lambiek Comiclopedia]]
* [http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv29623 Gardner Fox literary manuscripts, comic books and other material, 1936-1978]
* [https://www.gardnerfrancisfoxlibrary.com/about The Gardner Francis Fox Library]

{{s-start}}
{{s-bef|before=n/a}}
{{s-ttl|title=''[[All Star Comics]]'' writer|years=1940–1947}}
{{s-aft|after=[[John Broome (writer)|John Broome]]}}
{{s-bef|before=n/a}}
{{s-ttl|title=''[[Justice League]]'' writer|years=1960–1968}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Dennis O'Neil]]}}
{{s-bef|before= John Broome}}
{{s-ttl|title=''[[The Flash (comic book)|The Flash]]'' writer|years=1960–1968}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Cary Bates]]}}
{{s-bef|before= John Broome}}
{{s-ttl|title=''[[Green Lantern (comic book)|Green Lantern]]'' vol. 2 writer|years=1962–1969}}
{{s-aft|after=Dennis O'Neil}}
{{s-bef|before= [[France Herron]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]'' writer|years=1964–1968}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Frank Robbins]]}}
{{s-bef|before= Steve Brodie}}
{{s-ttl|title=''[[Detective Comics]]'' writer|years=1964–1969}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Robert Kanigher]]}}
{{s-bef|before= [[Archie Goodwin (comics)|Archie Goodwin]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=''[[Marvel Premiere]]'' writer|years=1972–1973}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Steve Englehart]]}}
{{s-bef|before= Archie Goodwin}}
{{s-ttl|title=''[[The Tomb of Dracula]]'' writer|years=1972–1973}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Marv Wolfman]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Gardner Fox}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Links to related topics
|list1=
{{Atom (comics)}}
{{Batgirl}}
{{Earth-Two}}
{{eccontribs}}
{{Flash}}
{{Hawkman}}
{{Justice League}}
{{Justice Society of America}}
}}
{{Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fox, Gardner}}
[[Category:1911 births]]
[[Category:1986 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American male writers]]
[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]
[[Category:American comics writers]]
[[Category:American male novelists]]
[[Category:Pulp fiction writers]]
[[Category:Bill Finger Award winners]]
[[Category:DC Comics people]]
[[Category:EC Comics]]
[[Category:Golden Age comics creators]]
[[Category:Novelists from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Silver Age comics creators]]
[[Category:St. John's University (New York City) alumni]]
[[Category:Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Writers from Brooklyn]]