Richard "Grass" Green

I write with a broken heart and great joy today because Richard "Grass" Green has died. I am deeply saddened because I will never again work with one of fandom's founding fathers, one of comics' most original cartoonists, and one of my best friends. I am filled with thankfulness and joy because, in a world full of ugliness, I was able to work with and know a beautiful human being, Grass Green.

I will always miss you, my dear friend, until we meet again.

(Reprinted with permission from CBEM with additions by Michael Vance) GRASS GREEN SUCCUMBS AT 63

Richard "Grass" Green, popular writer-artist who was widely published in fanzines and underground comix, succumbed from lung cancer on August 5, 2002.

Green, who was given his colorful nickname by the late Ronn Foss, was the first prominent African American active in comics fandom of the 1960's. His first published work was a cover, in collaboration with boyhood friend Foss, for ALTER EGO #4 (1962). He had a facility for humorous comics parodies in the Kurtzman vein, such as "Da Frantic Four" and "Speed Marvel," but proved to be equally adept at straight-ahead super hero action. His best known character was Xal-kor the Human Cat, which topped readers polls in numerous issues of the fanzine STAR-STUDDED COMICS, beginning in 1964. Xal-Kor returned several times in various publishing formats, most recently in May 2002 in a graphic novella from TwoMorrows Publishing. He was planning a new series of Xal-Kor adventures when his life was cut short.

In the 1960's, Green was considered one of the top fan artists, and his work appeared in the top fanzines. In addition to the aforementioned ALTER EGO and STAR-STUDDED COMICS, he drew for FANTASY ILLUSTRATED, ROCKET'S BLAST-COMICOLLECTOR, SUPER-HERO, KOMIX ILLUSTRATED, MASQUERADER, THE BUYER'S GUIDE TO COMIC FANDOM and many others. His work was characterized by rollicking action, ebullient humor and an infectious free-wheeling quality that was highly appealing.

The artist's only break-through into mainstream professional comics was for Charlton Comics, beginning with the appearance of his co-creation (with Roy Thomas) of The Shape in CHARLTON PREMIERE #1 (1967). Green drew several more humorous strips for Charlton, mostly in GO-GO COMICS, around the same time. He broke into the underground comix market in the early 1970s, and produced titles for Eros Comics in the ensuing years.

Green also worked for four years on the comic book strip HOLIDAY OUT, created by Michael Vance. Some of this work was released through Renegade Press as HOLIDAY OUT #s 1-3. Vance and Green also collaborated on other comic book and strip projects after Holiday Out, working together over the years up to the time of his death. This work included the cover of OCEAN COMICS #1 and a newspaper comic book that won first in Oklahoma was an advertising vehicle. Vance considers two characters, Plastic Mam and Rok, that they co-created within HOLIDAY OUT among his and Grass's best work.

"There was never a more generous, kind man working in comics," said Vance. "Honest, professional, full of laughter and life, Grass loved the medium as much or more than any artist I ever met. The energy in his art was unsurpassed. Instead of working with his tongue-in-cheek, Grass always worked with tongue-in-pen, and he loved comic books and strips."

Some of Grass's HOLIDAY OUT work was just re-released in June from Blue Moon Comics which will eventually republished all of the comic work created by Vance and Green.

Grass Green was also a musician who had appeared on Ted Mack's AMATEUR HOUR in his youth, and continued to entertain in clubs in the South Bend, Indiana area where he made his home. He is survived by his wife Janice Green.

Shudder at Vance's Light's End horror short stories narrated by actor William Windom at www.plan9.org.
Questions? Comment? E-Mail Suspended Animation at vance@digitalwebbing.com

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