Steve Erwin

Not to be confused with the "Crocodile Hunter", Steve Irwin.

Stephen Erwin (January 16, 1960 – October 25, 2023) was an American comics artist best known as the co-creator of Checkmate and Gunfire for DC Comics.

Steve Erwin
Born	Stephen Erwin (1960-01-16)January 16, 1960 Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.[1]
Died	October 25, 2023(2023-10-25) (aged 63)
Area(s)	Penciller
Notable works	Deathstroke the Terminator Checkmate! Batman Returns movie adaptation

Biography

Steve Erwin was born on January 16, 1960.^[2] He studied commercial art at Oklahoma State University-Okmulgee.^[1] He credited Neal Adams' Batman stories and Gene Colan's and Tom Palmer's work on Daredevil as having "won my heart in junior high to aspiring (dreaming) to be a comic book artist."^[3] Erwin's first published comic book work appeared in Grimjack #18 (January 1986),^[4] published by First Comics. During the 1980s and 1990s, he worked primarily for DC Comics, his first story for that publisher appearing in The Vigilante #48 (December 1987).^[4] After that title's cancellation, Erwin co-created the title Checkmate! with writer Paul Kupperberg.^[5] In August 1991, Erwin and Marv Wolfman launched the Deathstroke the Terminator title,^[6] a series that Erwin would draw from 1991 to 1994.^[4] The Gunfire character was created by Len Wein and Erwin in Deathstroke the Terminator Annual #3 (October 1993).^[7] Erwin drew the comics adaptation of Batman Returns as well as Star Trek: The Next Generation Shadowheart, the graphic novel adaptation of The Ashes of Eden, and the Mike Danger series published by Tekno Comix.^[4]

In 2007, Erwin was inducted into the Oklahoma Cartoonists Hall of Fame in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, located in the Toy and Action Figure Museum.^[1]

Erwin died on October 25, 2023, at the age of 63.^[8]

Bibliography

DC Comics

• Batman Returns: The Official Comic Adaptation of the Warner Bros. Motion Picture #1 (1992)
• Checkmate #1–8, 11–13, 15, 17–25, 30 (1988–1990)
• Deathstroke the Terminator #1–9, 13, 17–21, 26–27, 29–34, Annual #2 (1991–1994)
• Gunfire #1–5 (1994)
• Hawk and Dove vol. 3 #21–22 (1991)
• New Gods vol. 3 #23–25 (1991)
• The New Titans #68–70 (1990)
• Showcase '96 #5 (1996)
• Star Trek #79, Special #3 (1995–1996)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation Shadowheart #1–4 (1994–1995)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation Special #2 (1994)
• Superboy vol. 3 #23 (1996)
• Superman: The Man of Steel #38 (1994)
• Titans Sell-Out Special #1 (1993)
• Vigilante #48–50 (1987–1988)
• Who's Who in the DC Universe #6–7 (1991)
• Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #16 (1986)
• Who's Who Update '88 #1, 4 (1988)

First Comics

• Grimjack #18–20 (1986)
• Shatter #3–7 (1986–1987)

Malibu Comics

• The Ferret #5–6 (1993)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Worf Special #0 (1995)
• Ultraforce #7 (1995)

Marvel Comics

• ID4: Independence Day #0, 2 (1996)
• Star Trek: Operation Assimilation #1 (1997)