I got the following message from Ken Gale a few days ago. Regular attendees at the convention know Ken as the fellow who hosts many panels regarding comic book history. He is also a comic book writer, a comic book publisher and/or a comics-oriented radio talk show host on WBAI.

This month just seems to be filling up fast with reports of comic book legends leaving us. Here's another one.

-Captain Zorikh

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This was really shocking news.

I just learned this morning that Marshall Rogers, one of America's best
artists, recently passed away at age 57. There was no further information.
I checked several web sites for confirmation because I had trouble believing
it. He was scheduled to be at the New York comic convention in February,
but didn't show up. I wish I'd called him when I didn't see him, but I was
all wrapped up with Arnold Drake in the hospital.

I have so many good memories of Marshall, in person and in print.

I'd like to share a story he told not that long ago on 'Nuff Said!, my radio
show. We could have lost Marshall at the famous Kent State University
murders (his word) in May, 1970 (I think I have the year right). The
confrontation between the students and the National Guard happened in front
of the architecture building and he had a project due that day. But he'd
been up all night doing his project and asked a friend to deliver it for him
when he dropped off his own project. That friend was shot (not killed)
while standing on the steps of the building. Marshall was sure he would
have been shot, too because he would have been standing right next to the
friend, if not closer to the action.
The experience at Kent State motivated him to drop out of school and
become an artist because he started looking into his own reasons for being
in architecture school and realized it was the closest thing to art he could
do that would satisfy his father, not because he wanted to be an architect.
What he wanted to do was draw comics and he started pursuing that dream.
Lucky for us that he did! Not that I'm glad those four kids died so we
could have Marshall Rogers draw some of the best Batman ever, but that there
is something positive - and for me personal - that came out of that awful
day.

We used to talk politics and history as much as we talked comics. He was a
very insightful guy. He could be stubborn and he occasionally lost his
temper, but I always agreed with his reasons. I admit that I am not
objective there.

I'll miss him! Damn, I wish I'd called him!

Sadly,
Ken

Ken Gale, producer, interviewer and host
'Nuff Said!, WBAI-FM, NYC
www.comicbookradioshow.com