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)

References

1. "Steve Erwin Cartoonist, Tulsa" (PDF). Oklahoma Cartoonists Hall of Fame. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 13, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
2. Miller, John Jackson (June 10, 2005). "Comics Industry Birthdays". Comics Buyer's Guide. Iola, Wisconsin. Archived from the original on February 18, 2011. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
3. Francia, Reggie (November 27, 2016). "Reggie Francia interviews Steve Erwin". DC in the 80s. Archived from the original on December 4, 2017.
4. Steve Erwin at the Grand Comics Database
5. Manning, Matthew K.; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1980s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 235. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9. The clandestine government operation Checkmate began its monthly adventures in April [1988] in its self-titled ongoing series by writer Paul Kupperberg and artist Steve Erwin. {{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
6. Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 250: "Slade Wilson began his impressive sixty-issue run with the help of writer Marv Wolfman and artist Steve Erwin."
7. Jimenez, Phil (2008). "Gunfire". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.). The DC Comics Encyclopedia. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 151. ISBN 978-0-7566-4119-1.
8. "Steve Erwin, Deathstroke the Terminator Artist and Checkmate Co-Creator, Passes Away at 63". CBR. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.

External links

• Steve Erwin at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
• Steve Erwin at the Lambiek Comiclopedia
• Steve Erwin at Mike's Amazing World of Comics

Preceded by Mike Saenz	Shatter artist 1986–1987	Succeeded by Paul Abrams
Preceded by n/a	Deathstroke, the Terminator artist 1991–1994	Succeeded by Lauchland Pelle