http://www.startribune.co...70848.html



MIAMI — Martin Nodell, the creator of Green Lantern, the comic book superhero who uses his magical ring to help him fight crime, has died. He was 91.

Nodell died at his home in Muskego, Wis., on Saturday of natural causes, his son Spencer Nodell told The Associated Press on Tuesday. He previously lived in West Palm Beach.

Nodell was looking for a new idea for a comic book in 1940 when he was waiting for a New York subway and saw a train operator waving a lantern displaying a green light, said Maggie Thompson, senior editor of Comics Buyer's Guide.

Nodell imagined a young engineer, Alan Scott, a train crash survivor who discovers in the debris an ancient lantern forged from a green meteor. Scott constructs a ring from the lamp that gives him super powers, and becomes a crime fighter.

He brought his drawings and story lines to All-American Publications, which later became a part of National Periodical Publications, the company that was to become DC Comics, Thompson said.

The first Green Lantern appearance came in July 1940, an eight-page story in a comic book also featuring other characters. The character then got his own series, and Nodell drew it until 1947 under the name Mart Dellon.

After its cancellation, the series was reborn in 1959 with a revised story line, and it has been revived several times.

Meanwhile, Nodell left the comics field for an advertising career. In the 1960s, he was on a design team that helped develop the Pillsbury Doughboy.

In later years, Nodell traveled the comic book convention circuit with his wife, Caroline, who died in 2004.

"There were myriad of fans who would come up to my dad and would say `Green Lantern got me to read' or `Green Lantern got me to do something in my life,''' Spencer Nodell said.

Nodell was born in Philadelphia and studied at art schools in Chicago and New York. Besides Spencer Nodell, survivors include another son, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were set for Friday in Boynton Beach.

In lieu of flowers, donations should be sent to The Hero Initiative, a fund that helps older cartoonists, Spencer Nodell said.




[Edited 12/15/06 14:42pm]

That wallpaper is amazing, btw.

May he rest in peace. Seems he was a very positive and good guy.

I always liked Green Lantern when I was a kid . I´m one of those 70-80´s fans and only remember Hal Jordan, that´s my classic Green Lantern. He had this Robin Hood looking friend , also in green, who used a bow and arrows and had a hot chick named Dinah.....good times, great memories.

Does anybody remember the verse that Hal Jordan used to say when he turned into the Green Lantern ?

KoolEaze said:

Green Lantern and Green Arrow had a few comics together, and were in the JLA together as well.



As for the oath,

[Edited 12/13/06 14:37pm]

Damn well at least he lived a long life and gave joy to a lot of people with a great character.

I met the fine gentleman a number of times, he was always nice and would sit and just talk comics with me.

*sigh*
TMPletz...you are using the wrong picture for GL.
Don't even say you're a comic fan by disrespecting Mr. Nodell this way.
This is the Green Lantern he created...


You can rest now, Mr. Nodell...you did good...
[Edited 12/14/06 16:54pm]

I have an original Marty Nodell Green Lantern sketch (in color) that he drew for me at UKCAC 10 or 15 years ago - he was one of the few people who charged for sketches, but it's a nice keepsake. I'll have to dig that out (think I may have left it at home in England when I moved to the US, though).

TheMadMonkey said:

Yes, Alan Scott was the original, but it was the Golden Age GL that paved the way for all the rest of the GLs.

Wait a minute...actually, in responding to KoolEase's post about HAL JORDAN, we were both referring to him and not Alan Scott. I know my GLs.

why was there a green latern as well as a green hornet, as well as a green arrow?
isn't one green super hero enough?

purplerein said:

Red and blue had been taken?

TMPletz said:

i just realized....you're the epitomy of Brodie Bruce from mallrats. your comic book collection is in the basement apartment of your parent's house, you probably play game cube hockey tournaments with your friends...where is Shannon Doherty?

purplerein said:

Actually, my comics are in the basement of MY house, and I play all of my games on my computer. No console games here.

I need one of these, though:

TheMadMonkey said:

Isn´t that how Green Lantern from Earth 2 looked in the early 80´s DC Comics ?

This is all very confusing.

I kinda lost my orientation in the late 80´s....I´m totally old school DC and Marvel....then again, I´m not REALLY old school since I only know Hal Jordan,
and not Alan Scott.

TMPletz said:

If you do, then why are you posting pics of Hal and the Green Lantern Corps on a thread THAT YOU started about the creator of the Alan Scott GL?

TheMadMonkey said:

Because I was answering the question!

As for the pic of the Corps, I've already answered that.