We were lucky to catch up with Danny Fingeroth recently and have shared our conversation below.

Danny, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with inspirations and heroes. Are there any historical figures you look up to?

Jack Kirby. Kirby was an enormously talented writer, artist, and editor who co-created most of the Marvel Universe. Aside from his creativity, he was known for his great integrity and for the guidance he gave to many young writers and artists.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

How you got into your industry / business / discipline / craft etc,

I’ve been writing since I was a kid. Generally interested in art, movies, as well as literature. Storytelling and image making have always been passions. This included my love of comics and graphic novels. I studied filmmaking in college, and when an opportunity for an entry-level editorial job at Marvel Comics materialized, I applied for it, beginning my journey into making a living telling stories.

What type of products/services/creative works you provide,

I’m a writer/editor/historian/consultant in a variety of areas, best known for my many years as a writer and editor at Marvel comics, where I ran the Spider-Man editorial line. (Spider-Man was and is so popular that there were close to twenty monthly titles somehow related to Spider-Man or spinoff characters from Spider-Man comics.) In the year since, I’ve written numerous prose books, including biographies of Marvel co-creator Stan Lee and Jack Ruby, the bizarre guy who shot accused JFK-assassin Lee Harvey Oswald on live TV. I have also packaged and edited magazines, curated popular museum exhibitions, directed educational initiatives, and been active in pop culture conventions, including the San Diego Comic-Con, New York Comic Con, and many others.

What problems you solve for your clients and/or what you think sets you apart from others.

I like to think that, as a writer/editor/storyteller/curator/teacher I bring a unique perspective and competent skillset to any assignment I take on.

What are you most proud of and what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc.

I’m proud of the fact that I’ve expanded my skillset and range of experience to where I can take on a wide variety of creative challenges. Obviously, my comic book work at Marvel is what I’m best known for, but I feel that I’ve demonstrated the ability to do quality work as both practitioner of, as well as an observer/critic/historian/curator of, a wide range of popular and “serious” culture. I like to think I’m pretty resourceful and adaptable. Present me with a creative challenge and I’m usually able to figure out a way to solve the problem in a way that makes people interested in knowing more about a person or topic.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Creativity comes in many forms. And being a “creative” doesn’t mean you can neglect the practical (just as being practical doesn’t mean you’re not using your creativity). Everybody needs to make a living, have relationships with other people, be aware of what’s going on in the world, etc.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

As a writer/editor/historian/storyteller/teacher, I wish I’d known more about the countless archives, libraries, and museums that exist online and in physical locations. So many people and institutions have gone to the trouble of amassing deep and wide repositories of their history that it’s almost miraculous. Through archives, libraries, and museums, you can really get facts about, and a feel for, what people were going through in various eras and how their lives and work affect the world we live in today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dannyfingeroth.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danny_fingeroth/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danny.fingeroth
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-fingeroth-00b243/
• Twitter: https://x.com/DannyFingeroth

Image Credits

Photo of Danny Fingeroth and Stan Lee credit: Raymond Smotherman.