Roger Slifer passed away this morning. Roger was another good person I knew in Indiana, though I doubt he was even aware of the current controversy.
He was born (in 1954) and died in Morristown, Indiana. He loved comic books and in the late sixties and early seventies, contributed to amateur publications. This led to professional publications in the mid-seventies, writing for Marvel comics and later moving into editorial work there. As far as I could tell, he was unanimously liked and respected. In the eighties, he moved over to DC, working in both the editorial and sales divisions. He didn't have as much time to write as he would have liked but did manage to co-create and script the popular comic, Lobo.
Roger was a tireless advocate for creators' rights and it was squabbles on that topic that eventually drove him away from the New York comic book industry. He relocated in Los Angeles where he began writing animation and becoming a producer of many shows including G.I. Joe, Transformers, Jem and the Holograms and Bucky O'Hare.
Now, here's where the story gets real sad…
On June 23, 2012, Roger was walking near his home in Santa Monica when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver. Roger suffered several broken bones but the tragic injury was to his head. He spent months in a coma and when he did finally emerge from it, he was unable to speak and only barely aware of his surroundings. He spent more than a year in hospitals and nursing homes in L.A. before his sister Connie, who cared so well for him, moved him back to care facilities in Indiana.
He is said to have been making slow progress and was able to nod and utter a few words in recent months. This morning, he was having trouble breathing and an ambulance was called…but he died before reaching the hospital.
It's so horrible what happened to Roger. It's horrible when that kind of thing happens to anyone but it seems especially wrong that it happened to someone as good as Roger Slifer. He was a man of talent and integrity. The world could use a lot more like him.