Robert Kanigher

New York City, New York, USA

Robert 'Bob' Kanigher (1915-2002) was undoubtedly one of the most important creators in DC Comics history, in a career that spanned five decades. Streets and buildings have been named in his honor in several of DC Comics' fictional cities, including "Central City" and "Keystone City". The hometown of Nate Banks in the comic book themed kids' series of novels, The Amazing Adventures of Nate Banks, is named "Kanigher Falls". He is the co-creator of Poison Ivy, Black Canary, Wonder Girl, Metal Men, Suicide Squad and The Flash, as well as hundreds of DC War Comics.

His first (recorded) comics work was for Fox, writing the original Dan Garrett Blue Beetle, and soon after, the best-selling Captain Marvel Adventures, before joining All-American Comics, which would eventually become DC. He wrote the Justice Society, and then became the editor and writer of Wonder Woman, a title he would guide from 1946 all the way to 1968. He also wrote what's often considered the first story of the Silver Age, introducing Barry Allen as the new Flash, created stalwarts like Metal Men, Black Canary and Batman villain Poison Ivy, and at one point or another, wrote probably every single DC hero.

Kanigher's greatest success, and most of his output, come from DC's war comics. He introduced perhaps the most memorable war-comics protagonists: Sgt. Frank Rock and the men of Easy Company, the Haunted Tank, GI Robot, The Losers, Enemy Ace, the Creature Commandos and the Unknown Soldier (mostly with frequent collaborators Russ Heath and Joe Kubert on art). His stories were marked by action and a weariness of combat that made his characters seem human, even while they were battling Nazi supermen with metal fists and shooting down airplanes with handguns.