Today in Comics History, April 9: Happy birthday, Christian Cooper!

Please wish a very happy birthday today to Christian Cooper, science and comics writer and editor! He wrote scripts for Darkhold: The Book of Sins, Marvel Comics Presents, Star Trek, Ghost Rider, Excalibur and others, and edited several collections including the infamously wonderful Marvel Swimsuit Special!


from Marvel Age #115 (Marvel, August 1992)



We also salute Chris's major role in the rise of LGBTQIA+ characters in comics. Wikipedia says:

Cooper was Marvel's first openly gay writer and editor [but note: Cooper says in the interview below that Kelly Corvese was the first openly gay editor at Marvel]. He introduced the first gay male character in Star Trek, Yoshi Mishima, in the Starfleet Academy series, which was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award in 1999. He also introduced the first openly lesbian character for Marvel, Victoria Montesi, and created and authored Queer Nation: The Online Gay Comic. Cooper was also an associate editor for Alpha Flight #106 in which the character Northstar came out as gay.

Here's an illuminating interview with Cooper from 2021's Marvel's Voices: Pride collection:

from Marvel's Voices: Pride (2021 series) #1 one-shot (Marvel, June 2021), interview by Angélique Roché
(Click picture to pride-size!)

Even if you don't follow the world of comics, you should know Cooper's name: he was the Black man harassed by a white woman in the Central Park birdwatching incident:

[Amy Cooper, no relation] allegedly refused Christian Cooper's request that her dog be leashed [in an area when the leash law was in effect]. When Christian beckoned the dog toward him with a dog treat, Amy yelled "Don't you touch my dog!" Christian started recording Amy, who placed a call to 911, telling them "There is an African American man — I am in Central Park — he is recording me and threatening myself and my dog. Please send the cops immediately!"

Christian later turned the incident into a comic story in DC's Represent series:


from "It's a Bird" in Represent! #1 (DC digital, January 2021), script by Christian Cooper, pencils by Alitha Martinez, inks by Mark Morales, colors by Emilio Lopez, letters by Deron Bennett
Can you find Christian Cooper in this depiction of the Marvel Bullpen circa 1992? Hint: he is actually birdwatching!

from Marvel Age #120 (Marvel, January 1993), art by Rick Parker
(Click top (blue) picture to Bullpen-size)
Happy birthday, Chris Cooper!


from Marvel Age #112 (Marvel, May 1992)