Three “Ghost Rider” creators speak at Planet Comicon

From Friday’s The Oklahoman:

By Matthew Price
Assistant Features Editor

WORD BALLOONS

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Three creators with close ties to Marvel Comics’ Ghost Rider talked about their experiences at Planet Comicon last week.

At a panel focusing on “Ghost Rider,” writers Gary Friedrich and Jason Aaron and artist Javier Saltares discussed the character with moderator Jai Nitz.

Friedrich created the motorcycle-riding Ghost Rider with Mike Ploog and Roy Thomas in “Marvel Spotlight” No. 5 in 1972.

In the comics, stunt rider Johnny Blaze made a deal with the devil to save his adoptive father. Blaze was cursed to become Ghost Rider, the spirit of vengeance.

Friedrich followed his childhood friend Thomas to Marvel Comics.

“Roy and I went to school together in Jackson, Missouri. We’d been comic fans as kids,” Friedrich said. “We discovered the ‘Fantastic Four’ when the first series came out and got really into Marvel Comics.”

Friedrich worked with Thomas on his “Alter Ego” fanzine, then, after Thomas went to work for Marvel, Friedrich joined him in New York in 1964 and began working for Marvel in 1965. Besides “Ghost Rider,” Friedrich is probably best-known for his run on “Sgt. Fury,” which won fan awards as “best war comic” during his run.

Friedrich has been working as a courier in St. Louis for about 14 years, having left comics about 30 years ago. He said he’s now kicking around some ideas for a return to comics.