View source for Darwyn Cooke

{{short description|Canadian cartoonist}}
{{for|the American basketball player|Darwin Cook}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=June 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox comics creator

| image         = 10.12.13DarwynCookeByLuigiNovi1.jpg
| imagesize     =
| caption       = Cooke at the 2013 [[New York Comic Con]]
| birth_name    =
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1962|11|16}}
| death_date    = {{death date and age|2016|5|14|1962|11|16}}
| birth_place   = [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Canada
| death_place   = [[Safety Harbor, Florida]], U.S.
| nationality   = 
| area          =
| cartoonist    = y
| write         = y
| pencil        = y
| ink           = y
| letter        = y
| color         =
| edit          =
| publish       =
| alias         =
| signature     =
| notable works = {{unbulleted list|''[[Batman/The Spirit]]''|''[[Catwoman]]''|''[[DC: The New Frontier]]''|''[[Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter]]''|''[[Spirit (comics)|The Spirit]]''}}
| awards        = {{unbulleted list|13 [[Eisner Award]]s|8 [[Harvey Award]]s|5 [[Joe Shuster Award]]s}}
| website       = {{URL|http://darwyncooke.blogspot.co.uk/}}
| spouse 		= Marsha Stagg <br />(m. 2012–2016; his death)
}}

'''Darwyn Cooke''' (November 16, 1962 – May 14, 2016) was a Canadian [[comics artist]], writer, [[cartoonist]], and animator who worked on the comic books ''[[Catwoman]]'', ''[[DC: The New Frontier]]'', ''[[Spirit (comics)|The Spirit]]'' and ''[[Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter]]''. His work has been honoured with numerous [[Eisner Award|Eisner]], [[Harvey Award|Harvey]], and [[Joe Shuster Award]]s.

== Early life ==
Darwyn Cooke was born in Toronto on November 16, 1962.<ref name="NY Times">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/18/arts/design/darwyn-cooke-comic-book-artist-with-a-retro-take-dies-at-53.html?_r=0 |title=Darwyn Cooke, Artist With a Retro Approach to Comics, Dies at 53 |first=George Gene |last=Gustines |author-link=George Gene Gustines |date=May 17, 2016 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160830014139/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/18/arts/design/darwyn-cooke-comic-book-artist-with-a-retro-take-dies-at-53.html?_r=1 |archive-date=August 30, 2016 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Cooke's father was a construction worker and later ran a union.<ref name="NY Times"/>

Cooke's interest in creating comics began after watching ''[[Batman (TV series)|Batman]]'' starring [[Adam West]]. Cooke's grandmother saved some of his earliest drawings, at 5 years old, of Batman and Robin in crayon on construction paper, with Cooke keeping them after her death.<ref name="Comics Journal #285">{{Citation|last=Naso|first=Markisan|date=October 2007|title=The Darwyn Cooke Interview|periodical=[[The Comics Journal]]|publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]]|issue=285|pages=30}}</ref> He discovered comics as a child, but did not become passionate about them until he was a teenager.

Cooke's desire to be an artist crystallized at 13 years old after reading a reprint of ''Spectacular Spider-Man'' #2, with Cooke purchasing markers and boards the day after reading the comic and attempting to copy [[John Romita Sr.|John Romita]]'s artwork. The following week, Cooke purchased ''[[Detective Comics]]'' #439, featuring the story "Night of the Stalker," and had found his calling. Cooke also recalled tracing panels of [[Will Eisner]]'s ''[[Spirit (comics)|The Spirit]]'' as a teenager.<ref name="ComicsAllianceOutfit">{{cite web |url=http://comicsalliance.com/darwyn-cooke-outfit-interview-tucker-stone/ |title=Darwyn Cooke Takes Down 'The Outfit' [Interview] |first=Tucker |last=Stone |date=October 5, 2010 |publisher=[[ComicsAlliance]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170722205259/http://comicsalliance.com/darwyn-cooke-outfit-interview-tucker-stone/ |archive-date=July 22, 2017|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> He attributed the ability to develop his own style as a byproduct of limited entertainment choices, allowing him to focus on deconstructing the comics that inspired him.<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> His father, however, did not think that comics were a good avenue for a career.

Cooke attended [[George Brown College]], but was expelled after a year.<ref name="NY Times" />

== Career ==
In 1985, Cooke left his family on his own for the first time in order to show his samples at [[DC Comics]]' New York City offices. The trip resulted in his first published comic book work as a professional artist in a five-page crime story in DC Comics' ''[[Showcase (comics)|New Talent Showcase]]'' #19, which was coincidentally edited by "Night of the Stalker" artist [[Sal Amendola]].<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> Economic pressure, however, made Cooke leave comics, as he was only paid $35 per page and produced one page a week. Deciding that comics was not an economically feasible job, Cooke worked in Canada as a magazine [[art director]], [[graphic designer|graphic]] and [[product design]]er for the next 15 years.<ref name="Lambiek">{{cite web |url= http://www.lambiek.net/artists/c/cooke_darwyn.htm|title= Darwyn Cooke|date= March 3, 2013|publisher= [[Lambiek]] Comiclopedia|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131205123415/http://www.lambiek.net/artists/c/cooke_darwyn.htm|archive-date= December 5, 2013|url-status= live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> He eventually established his own design studio.<ref name="NY Times" />

=== Animation ===

==== DC animated universe ====

In the early 1990s, Cooke decided to return to comics, but found little interest for his work at the major publishers. Eventually, he was hired by [[Warner Bros. Animation]] after replying to an ad for [[storyboard artist]]s in ''[[The Comics Journal]]'' placed by animator [[Bruce Timm]], with Cooke shocked that there were positions available. His successful pitch included 14 pages that eventually would be published in 2000 as ''Batman: Ego''.<ref name="NY Times" />

Originally freelancing from Toronto, Cooke met his animation colleagues at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] and was approached about moving to Los Angeles full-time. Despite no desire to live in Los Angeles, Cooke moved there to take advantage of "an opportunity to be a part of something that was never going to come around again this way," the ability to associate with creators such as Bruce Timm, [[Paul Dini]], [[Alan Burnett]], and [[Eric Radomski]].<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> Cooke worked as a storyboard artist for four episodes of ''[[The New Batman Adventures]]'' as well as a handful of episodes of ''[[Superman: The Animated Series]]''.<ref name="Comics Journal #285" />

In 1999, he designed and animated the opening sequence for ''[[Batman Beyond]]''. In contrast to most cartoon openings—which adapt music to a finalized group of shots—''Batman Beyond''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s visuals were specifically cut to suit the music, after Cooke's successful pitch of the concept to Bruce Timm. Surprisingly, Cooke employed his personal Macintosh computer in his spare bedroom and [[Adobe After Effects]] for most of the animation, as opposed to Warner Bros.' resources.<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /><ref name="AWN.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.awn.com/animationworld/making-new-frontier |title=The Making of 'The New Frontier' |first=Andrew |last=Farago |date=March 7, 2008 |publisher=Animation World Network |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160718222734/https://www.awn.com/animationworld/making-new-frontier |archive-date=July 18, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> According to Cooke, the ''Batman Beyond'' team created a strong show in light of what he considered "kind of a disheartening mandate from the network," which wanted a show about the Batman of the future.<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> He believed the [[WB Network]] ultimately disliked the show's level of violence and prematurely ended the show once it could be syndicated.<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> Cooke then worked as a director for [[Sony Animation]]'s ''[[Men in Black: The Series]]'' for a year.{{citation needed|date=July 2016}}

In April 2014, Cooke released a ''Batman Beyond'' animated short celebrating the 75th anniversary of Batman.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.newsarama.com/20886-watch-darwyn-cooke-s-full-batman-beyond-animated-short.html |title=Watch Darwyn Cooke's Full ''Batman Beyond'' Animated Short |first=Lucas |last=Siegel |date=April 18, 2014 |work=[[Newsarama]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141104064658/http://www.newsarama.com/20886-watch-darwyn-cooke-s-full-batman-beyond-animated-short.html |archive-date=November 4, 2014|url-status=live|df=mdy-all|quote=DC Comics released the full, brand-new animated short by Darwyn Cooke featuring Batman Beyond. The character, who had his own animated series from 1999 to 2001, seems to be getting a push this year in conjunction with his namesake, Batman's 75th Anniversary.}}</ref>

==== ''Justice League: The New Frontier'' ====

In July 2006, it was announced that Warner Bros. Animation and DC Comics would release a series of direct-to-DVD [[DC Universe Animated Original Movies]] based on important DC comic books. Due to the adamance of DC's then-Senior Vice-president of Creative Affairs Gregory Noveck,<ref name="AWN.com" /> the second film to be adapted was Cooke's ''[[Justice League: The New Frontier|DC: The New Frontier]]'', produced by Bruce Timm.

Due to Cooke's obligations on ''The Spirit'', Stan Berkowitz wrote the film, while Cooke storyboarded ten percent of the film, rewrote and polished dialogue, as well as provided art direction and most of the character design.<ref name="AWN.com" /> Cooke praised both Berkowitz and Timm for their ability to preserve many important character moments within the necessary shortening of the story to accommodate the film's runtime,<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> shifting the movie's focus specifically to the [[Justice League]] characters.<ref name="Under the Radar">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.undertheradarmag.com/interviews/darwyn_cooke_creator_of_justice_league_interview_032008/ |title=Darwyn Cooke, Creator of Justice League: The New Frontier |first=Aaron |last=Passman |date=March 2, 2008 |magazine=[[Under the Radar (magazine)|Under the Radar]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010044840/http://www.undertheradarmag.com/interviews/darwyn_cooke_creator_of_justice_league_interview_032008/ |archive-date=October 10, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> During the scripting process, Cooke intervened to preserve both [[Wonder Woman]] and [[Lois Lane]]'s places in the film, which had originally been eliminated due to time constraints.<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> Without them, Cooke joked that "We might as well just rename this 'White Guys in the '50s,' because everything else is gone," describing the women as "the heart of the story."<ref name="AWN.com"/>

Cooke also admitted fearing for the film's outcome until he learned that his former Warner colleague David Bullock would be directing it, praising Bullock as "probably the only person in the world I would have picked ahead of myself to direct it."<ref name="Comics Journal #285"/> He also credited his strong previous relationships at Warner Bros. with his comfort on the project.<ref name="AWN.com"/>

=== DC Comics ===
In the late 1990s, DC Comics art director [[Mark Chiarello]] discovered Cooke's years-old proposal for a Batman story while throwing out old pitches, and hired Cooke for what became the 2000 [[graphic novel]] ''Batman: Ego'',<ref name="GCD">{{gcdb|type=credit|search= Darwyn+Cooke|title= Darwyn Cooke}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last= Manning|first= Matthew K.|editor-last=Dougall|editor-first=Alastair|chapter= 2000s|title= Batman: A Visual History|publisher= [[Dorling Kindersley]]|year= 2014|location= London, United Kingdom|page= 251|isbn= 978-1-4654-2456-3|quote= In this powerful, prestige format tale by writer/artist Darwyn Cooke, criminal Buster Snibbs had ratted out his boss, the infamous Joker, to the Batman.}}</ref> marking Cooke's permanent move from animation to comics at 37 years old.<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> Described by Cooke as "What if Batman and Bruce Wayne were able to sit down and talk about what it is they do?",<ref name="ComicBookDaily">{{cite web |url=http://www.comicbookdaily.com/championing_comics/cbd-interviews/darwyn-cooke-interview/ |title=Darwyn Cooke Interview |first=Pete |last=DeCourcy |date=October 23, 2009 |publisher=Comic Book Daily |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150605083623/http://www.comicbookdaily.com/championing_comics/cbd-interviews/darwyn-cooke-interview/ |archive-date=June 5, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> the internal dialogue of ''Batman: Ego'' between Bruce Wayne and Batman was inspired by the 1981 film ''[[My Dinner with Andre]]''.<ref name="Comics Journal #285"/>

==== Catwoman ====
In 2001, Cooke and writer [[Ed Brubaker]] revamped the [[Catwoman]] character. They started with a four-issue serial "Trail of the Catwoman" in ''Detective Comics'' #759–762 in which private detective [[Slam Bradley]] attempts to investigate the death of Selina Kyle (a.k.a. Catwoman). According to Cooke, he and Brubaker bonded over the re-introduction of Bradley,<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> who first appeared in 1937's ''Detective Comics'' #1 and pre-dated the super-hero era of comics. The story led into a new ''Catwoman'' title in late 2001 by Brubaker and Cooke, in which the character's costume, supporting cast, and modus operandi were all redesigned and redeveloped.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cowsill|first= Alan|editor-last=Dolan|editor-first=Hannah|chapter= 2000s|title = DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]]|year=2010|location= London, United Kingdom|isbn= 978-0-7566-6742-9|page= 304|quote = One of DC's longest running characters got a makeover courtesy of writer Ed Brubaker and artist Darwyn Cooke as ''Catwoman'' was relaunched...With Brubaker's tight, noir-like scripting and Darwyn Cooke's stylish artwork, ''Catwoman's'' new direction made the character more popular than ever.}}</ref> Cooke would stay on the series until issue #4. In 2002, he would write and draw the ''Selina's Big Score'' prequel which detailed what had happened to the character directly before her new series.<ref>Manning "2000s" in Dougall, p. 262: "Darwyn Cooke was both writer and artist of this hardcover graphic novel...A fast-paced heist set immediately before Selina's second ongoing series, this tale explained how Selina had enough money to embark on a new life as a crime fighter."</ref> Cooke regarded ''Selina's Big Score'' as the "single thing I did that I liked the most."<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> While developing ''[[DC: The New Frontier]]'', Cooke also drew a short Catwoman back-up story within 2002's ''[[Just Imagine...|Just Imagine Stan Lee with Chris Bachalo creating Catwoman]]''.<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> An untold story concept Cooke held onto involved the return and revenge of Catwoman's betrayed ex-lover Stark in a similar manner to the lead character of the film ''[[Point Blank (1967 film)|Point Blank]]''.<ref name="Comics Journal #285" />

==== ''DC: The New Frontier'' ====
[[File:DCNEWFRONTIER6.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Cover to ''[[DC: The New Frontier]]'' #6 (Nov. 2004).]]

Cooke's next project was 2004's ''DC: The New Frontier'', a six-issue [[miniseries]] which bridged the gap between the end of the [[golden age of comic books|golden]] and the start of the [[silver age of comic books]] in the [[DC Universe]]. Cooke began brainstorming ''The New Frontier'' after completing ''Batman: Ego'' and being steered by Mark Chiarello to do a Justice League story.<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> Preferring not to write a story tied to modern continuity or with short-term consequences,<ref name="AWN.com" /> Cooke quickly realized he had little interest in writing about the Justice League unless the focus was on "who they were before they became the Justice League."<ref name="Comics Journal #285" />

The story, set in the 1950s, featured dozens of [[super-hero]]es and drew inspiration from the period's comic books and movies as well as [[Tom Wolfe]]'s non-fiction account of the start of the U.S. space program ''[[The Right Stuff (book)|The Right Stuff]]'' and the novels of [[James Ellroy]] due to Ellroy's skill in weaving fictional characters into real history.<ref name="Under the Radar" /> The major DC characters are introduced in ''The New Frontier'' in the same order that DC originally published them, even down to the correct month and year in the story's timeline. For the book's visual style, Cooke was inspired by 1950s advertising along with the works of [[Marvel Comics]]' [[Jack Kirby]] and [[Hanna-Barbera]]'s [[Alex Toth]].<ref name="Under the Radar" />

As Cooke formulated ''The New Frontier'', DC's editorial board pushed major changes from Cooke's original concept including accommodations for DC Comics' present-day continuity; the mandated changes were undone by [[Paul Levitz]], who allowed Cooke to preserve his original intent both by setting the story out of continuity as well as offering Cooke an advance payment on his work.<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> Cooke subsequently worked on ''Catwoman'' and ''Selina's Big Score'' before returning to work on ''The New Frontier''.

Cooke employed non-linear narrative that increasingly tied together toward the conclusion, likening the approach to films like ''[[Memento (film)|Memento]]'', ''[[Pulp Fiction]]'', and ''[[The Limey]]''.<ref name="Comics Journal #285" />

Cooke placed a significant focus on [[Green Lantern]] [[Hal Jordan]], intending to illustrate "why the character was cool" in light of the character's dramatic changes in the 1994 "[[Emerald Twilight]]" story arc, which he regarded as a wholly out-of-place gimmick for Jordan to merely boost sales.<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> To be accurate regarding Jordan's role as a [[United States Air Force]] pilot, Cooke spoke with two fighter pilots as well as fellow comic writer & artist [[Mike Allred]], who had previously been stationed in Germany while serving in the Air Force.<ref name="Comics Journal #285" />

While clarifying that he did not approve of [[John F. Kennedy]]'s personal flaws, Cooke cited Kennedy's 1960 [[New Frontier|"New Frontier" speech]]—which both inspired the title and concluded the book—as "the first time [the promise of modern America] was ever properly articulated."<ref name="Comics Journal #285" />

For 2006's collected [[Absolute Edition]] of the series, Cooke proposed including up to 48 additional pages, later negotiated down to 13 in order to hit a 400-page page count.<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> The additional material provided more backstory for [[Flash (comics)|The Flash]] and [[J'onn J'onnz]], as well as the [[Suicide Squad]] on [[The War that Time Forgot|Dinosaur Island]].<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> Cooke admitted surprise at this deluxe edition being released so soon after the original release due to retailer demand, citing a three-year wait for an Absolute Edition of [[Alan Moore]]'s ''[[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen]]''.<ref name="Comics Journal #285" />

In a 2014 interview, ''New Frontier'' co-editor Chiarello named the book as the work he was the most proud of his involvement in, calling it "as pure a comic-reading experience as any comic that's ever been published."<ref name="13th Dimension: Chiarello">{{Citation|last=Greenfield|first=Dan|date=July 21, 2014|title=Mighty Q&A: DC's Mark Chiarello — One of the Most Popular Guys in Comics|publisher=13thDimension.com|url=http://13thdimension.com/mighty-qa-dcs-mark-chiarello-one-of-the-most-popular-guys-in-comics/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170817122058/https://13thdimension.com/mighty-qa-dcs-mark-chiarello-one-of-the-most-popular-guys-in-comics/|archive-date= August 17, 2017|url-status= live|df= mdy-all|access-date=June 5, 2016}}</ref>

==== Other projects ====
[[File:Solo-5.jpg|thumb|left|''Solo'' #5 (Aug. 2005), featuring [[Slam Bradley]]. Cover art by Cooke.]]

In 2004, Cooke also contributed to DC's artist-centric anthology project ''[[Solo (DC Comics)|Solo]]''. His issue (#5, Aug. 2005) featured several different stories in different styles with a framing sequence featuring Slam Bradley, and was originally intended by Cooke to be his final mainstream comic before other palatable DC projects pulled him back.<ref name="CBR (Bell)">{{cite web|last = Bell |first = Josh|title = WC15: Cooke Gets Honest About "Before Watchmen," Turning Down Morrison|date = April 9, 2015|website = [[Comic Book Resources]]|url = http://www.cbr.com/wc15-cooke-gets-honest-about-before-watchmen-turning-down-morrison/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170817121949/https://www.cbr.com/wc15-cooke-gets-honest-about-before-watchmen-turning-down-morrison/|archive-date= August 17, 2017|url-status= live|df= mdy-all|access-date = August 16, 2017}}</ref> In 2006, ''Solo'' #5 won an Eisner Award for "[[Eisner Award for Best Single Issue/One-Shot|Best Single Issue]]."

In November 2006, Cooke and writer [[Jeph Loeb]] produced a ''[[Batman/The Spirit]]'' [[intercompany crossover]].<ref name="GCD" /> This was followed in December by an ongoing ''Spirit'' series written and drawn by Cooke. At the time, Cooke considered ''The Spirit'' "the most exciting and horrifying offer I'd been made in my career,"<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> and later described himself as "incredibly reluctant to step into [''Spirit'' creator Will] Eisner's shoes,"<ref name="AWN.com" /> despite it "paining him" when he was younger that he might never professionally draw the character.<ref name="ComicsAllianceOutfit" /> Cooke also expressed regret that he—while having met Will Eisner in the past—never got to consult with Eisner specifically for ''The Spirit'';<ref name="AWN.com" /> Eisner had died in 2005. Along with adding new characters such as Ginger Coffee and Hussein Hussein, Cooke revised Ellen Dolan and Ebony White,<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> in particular discarding White's exaggerated [[blackface]]-inspired appearance and dialect. In June 2007, Cooke and [[J. Bone]] won a Joe Shuster Award for "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Artists" for their work on ''Batman/The Spirit'', and Cooke won "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist" for his work on ''The Spirit''.<ref name="Shuster Awards 2007">{{cite web |url= http://joeshusterawards.com/awards/about/2007-nominees-and-winners/|title= 2007 Nominees and Winners|year= 2007|publisher= [[Joe Shuster Award]]s |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131225182350/http://joeshusterawards.com/awards/about/2007-nominees-and-winners/|archive-date= December 25, 2013|url-status= live|df=mdy-all|access-date= December 18, 2011}}</ref> Despite intending a second year of the series, Cooke announced at the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con that his run on ''The Spirit'' would conclude after one year, after artist J. Bone had to step down, and an editorial reshuffle at DC moved editors [[Scott Dunbier]] and Kristy Quinn from the book, believing that resulting quality would not be up to his standards.<ref name="Comics Journal #285" />

Darwyn Cooke also wrote the first six-issue story arc of the Superman monthly series ''[[Superman Confidential]]'',<ref>Cowsill "2000s" in Dolan, p. 328: "Writer Darwyn Cooke and artist Tim Sale began [the series] with 'Kryptonite', a six-part tale of Superman's first contact with the energy-sapping green element."</ref> which debuted on November 1, 2006, and featured stories set in Superman's early career. As Cooke developed the plot with artist [[Tim Sale (artist)|Tim Sale]], he realized he had no creative hook for a Superman story until discovering that, surprisingly, none had been told regarding the character's early fear and uncertainty at the limits of his invulnerability.<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> In June 2007, Cooke was awarded the [[Joe Shuster Award]] for "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Writer" for ''Superman Confidential''.<ref name="Shuster Awards 2007" /> Feeling more comfortable with human characters like Catwoman and Batman, Cooke nonetheless had pitched one other unrealized Superman graphic novel around 2002 in collaboration with artist and future ''Justice League: The New Frontier'' director David Bullock.<ref name="Comics Journal #285" />

In 2008, Cooke collaborated with [[Jimmy Palmiotti]] and [[Justin Gray]] on an issue of ''[[Jonah Hex#Jonah Hex vol. 2|Jonah Hex]]'' out of a desire to work with the pair, write a Western story, as well as craft a cliché-breaking tale for Hex set within Canada. Cooke playfully made fun of American [[conventional wisdom]] that Canadian weather was always a blizzard, but accepted the premise as a central plot element.<ref name="Jonah Hex">{{cite news |url=https://www.newsarama.com/336-riding-with-jonah-hex-darwyn-cooke.html |title=Riding With Jonah Hex: Darwyn Cooke |first=Jimmy |last=Palmiotti |date=July 2, 2008 |work=[[Newsarama]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603194332/https://www.newsarama.com/336-riding-with-jonah-hex-darwyn-cooke.html |archive-date=June 3, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Cooke was the writer/artist of ''[[Before Watchmen]]: Minutemen'' and the writer of ''Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre'' in 2012–2013.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.avclub.com/article/writerartist-darwyn-cooke-talks-ibefore-watchmeni--82247|title= Writer/artist Darwyn Cooke talks ''Before Watchmen'' and creating strong heroines|first= Oliver|last= Sava|date= July 12, 2012|newspaper= [[The A.V. Club]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140110003912/http://www.avclub.com/article/writerartist-darwyn-cooke-talks-ibefore-watchmeni--82247|archive-date=January 10, 2014 |url-status= live|df=mdy-all|access-date= January 9, 2014}}</ref> After originally being pitched to author the entire ''Before Watchmen'' series, Cooke was able to reduce his commitment to only two books, eventually accepting the project after successfully conceptualizing the ''Minutemen'' series.<ref name="CBR (Bell)" /> Cooke did not view ''[[Watchmen]]'' as "the Holy Grail" of comics, nor did he feel concerned about original ''Watchmen'' author Alan Moore's opinion on the ''Before Watchmen'' series, but he did initially turn down the project for two years out of concern that his work would not measure up either to the original book or its reputation within the comics industry.<ref name="CBR (Bell)" />

==== Vertigo ====

[[Vertigo (DC Comics)|Vertigo]] editor [[Shelly Bond]] encouraged Cooke to produce a collaborative work. Cooke proposed [[Gilbert Hernandez]] as the writer, believing Hernandez would not be interested.<ref name="Washington Post (Betancourt)">{{cite news|last = Betancourt |first = David|title = Darwyn Cooke & Gilbert Hernandez illuminate their striking new ''Twilight Children''|date = October 14, 2015|newspaper = [[The Washington Post]]|url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/10/14/darwyn-cooke-gilbert-hernandez-illuminate-their-striking-new-twilight-children/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180818172412/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/10/14/darwyn-cooke-gilbert-hernandez-illuminate-their-striking-new-twilight-children/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.06ed2e5b05a2|archive-date= August 18, 2018|url-status= live|df= mdy-all|access-date = August 16, 2017}}</ref> Their collaboration, ''[[The Twilight Children]]'', takes place in a Latin American fishing village and mixes elements of [[science fiction]] and [[magic realism]].<ref name="Washington Post (Betancourt)" /> The lives of the villagers are disrupted by a sudden increase in supernatural activity and an influx of suspicious investigators.<ref name="Asbury Park Press (Re)">{{cite web|last = Re|first = Mike|title = Cooke's 'Children' lead the way for Vertigo|website = [[Asbury Park Press]]|date = January 8, 2016|url = http://www.app.com/story/entertainment/books/2016/01/08/cookes-children-lead-way-vertigo/78428806/|archive-url= https://archive.today/20240528090008/https://www.webcitation.org/71lj5Jl2F?url=https://www.app.com/story/entertainment/books/2016/01/08/cookes-children-lead-way-vertigo/78428806/|archive-date= May 28, 2024|url-status= live|df= mdy-all|access-date = January 28, 2016}}</ref>

=== Marvel Comics ===

While preparing for ''DC: The New Frontier'' and before creating ''Selina's Big Score'',<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> the success of ''Batman: Ego'' led Cooke to Marvel Comics freelance work such as ''[[X-Force]]'', ''[[Wolverine (character)|Wolverine]]/[[Doop (comics)|Doop]]'' and ''[[Spider-Man's Tangled Web]]''.<ref name="GCD" />

Cooke later had a falling out with Marvel and then-Senior Editor [[Axel Alonso]]<ref name="CBR (Johnston)">{{cite web|last = Johnston |first = Rich|title = Lying in the Gutters Vol 2, Column 7|date = July 5, 2005|website = [[Comic Book Resources]]|url = http://www.cbr.com/290444-2/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180725122818/https://www.cbr.com/290444-2/|archive-date= July 25, 2018|url-status= live|df= mdy-all|access-date = August 17, 2017}}</ref> after Marvel solicited and praised his business plan for the [[Marvel Adventures]] children's line, yet subsequently passed it onto other creators without the company's communication or his involvement.<ref name="CBR (Bell)" />

=== IDW Publishing ===

In July 2009, [[IDW Publishing]] published Cooke's ''[[Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter]]'', an adaptation of the [[Donald Westlake]] novel, ''[[The Hunter (Stark novel)|The Hunter]]'', the first of four [[Parker (fictional criminal)|Parker]] novels Cooke adapted for IDW. The second, ''The Outfit'', was released in October 2010, ''The Score'' was released in July 2012,<ref name="GCD" /><ref name=CCM>{{cite journal|title = WonderCon Special Guests|journal = Comic-Con Magazine|page = 18|publisher = [[San Diego Comic-Con International]]|date = Winter 2010|url = http://issuu.com/comic-con/docs/ccmag_winter2010|access-date = January 10, 2014|archive-date = December 12, 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131212040020/http://issuu.com/comic-con/docs/ccmag_winter2010|url-status = live}}</ref> and ''Slayground'' was published in December 2013,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://comicsalliance.com/richard-stark-parker-slayground-preview-darwyn-cooke-idw/ |title=Darwyn Cooke Adapts A Masterpiece in ''Richard Stark's Parker: Slayground'' |first=Joseph |last=Hughes |date=December 9, 2013 |work=[[ComicsAlliance]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140110020054/http://comicsalliance.com/richard-stark-parker-slayground-preview-darwyn-cooke-idw/ |archive-date=January 10, 2014|url-status=dead|access-date=January 9, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> with Cooke handling the entire art direction and physical design.<ref name="ComicsAllianceOutfit" />

=== Image Comics ===

In January 2015, [[Image Comics]] announced a three-part fully creator-owned project by Cooke entitled ''Revengeance'', originally intended to launch June 2015.<ref name="Revengeance announcement">{{cite web |url=http://imagecomics.com/content/view/darwyn-cooke-delivers-a-psychological-thriller-and-dark-comedy-in-revengean |title=Darwyn Cooke delivers a psychological thriller and dark comedy in ''Revengeance''|last=Salazar |first=Kat |date=January 8, 2015 |publisher=[[Image Comics]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180725153347/https://imagecomics.com/content/view/darwyn-cooke-delivers-a-psychological-thriller-and-dark-comedy-in-revengean|archive-date= July 25, 2018|url-status= live|df= mdy-all|access-date=June 7, 2016}}</ref> Compared by Cooke to [[Mickey Spillane]]'s ''[[I, the Jury]]'',<ref name="CBR (Bell)" /> the psychological thriller and dark comedy had been tentatively titled ''Thunder Bay'',<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> and was to be set in Toronto in 1986.<ref name="CBR (Bell)" />

Cooke initially pitched the art duties to Tim Sale, but decided to take them up himself after an unsuccessful five-year wait for Sale's availability.<ref name="CBR (Bell)" /> ''Revengeance,'' however, remained unreleased at the time of Cooke's death in 2016.

== Personal life ==

Cooke married Marsha Stagg in Las Vegas, Nevada in November 2012 and lived in western Florida.<ref name="NY Times" />

His personal favorite movie was ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'', which he described as "the first movie to scare me [and] ignite my imagination."<ref name="Jonah Hex" />

== Death ==
On May 13, 2016, Cooke's wife announced on his official blog that he was battling an "aggressive" form of cancer, stating, "It is with tremendous sadness that we announce Darwyn is now receiving [[palliative care]] following a bout with aggressive cancer. His brother Dennis and I, along with our families appreciate the outpouring of support we have received. We ask for privacy as we go through this very difficult time."<ref name="NY Times" /> Cooke died the next morning.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://darwyncooke.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/we-regret-to-inform-you-that-darwyn.html |title= We Regret to Inform You|last= Johnston|first= Calum|date= May 14, 2016|publisher= Darwyn Cooke blog|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160610132138/http://darwyncooke.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/we-regret-to-inform-you-that-darwyn.html|archive-date= June 10, 2016|url-status= live|df=mdy-all|access-date=May 14, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/darwyn-cooke-celebrated-comics-artist-and-writer-passes-away|title= Darwyn Cooke, Celebrated Comics Artist and Writer, Passes Away |last= Ching|first= Albert|date= May 14, 2016|website=[[Comic Book Resources]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160903234017/http://www.cbr.com/darwyn-cooke-celebrated-comics-artist-and-writer-passes-away/|archive-date= September 3, 2016|url-status= live|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/books/comic-book-artist-darwyn-cooke-dies-53-n574251|title= Comic Book Artist Darwyn Cooke Dies at 53|date= May 14, 2016|publisher= [[NBC News]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160829132256/http://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/books/comic-book-artist-darwyn-cooke-dies-53-n574251|archive-date= August 29, 2016|url-status= live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Comic creators such as [[Dan DiDio]], [[Brian Michael Bendis]], [[Gail Simone]], Jimmy Palmiotti, [[Ed Brubaker]], and [[Mark Waid]] expressed condolences, reminisced on working with Cooke, and made recommendations of Cooke's works to fans.<ref name="CBR (McGuirk)">{{cite web|last = McGuirk |first = Brendan|title = Comics Community Remembers Darwyn Cooke|date = 2016-05-14|website =[[Comic Book Resources]]|url = http://www.cbr.com/comics-community-remembers-darwyn-cooke/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170817162224/https://www.cbr.com/comics-community-remembers-darwyn-cooke/|archive-date= August 17, 2017|url-status= live|df= mdy-all|access-date = August 17, 2017}}</ref>

== Legacy ==

Upon Cooke's passing, DC Comics issued a statement describing Cooke as "one of our medium's true innovators," comparing his "bold, direct style" with [[Joe Kubert]], Alex Toth, and Jack Kirby.<ref name="DC Comics official press release">{{cite web|title = Darwyn Cooke|date = May 14, 2016|publisher = [[DC Comics]]|url = http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2016/05/14/darwyn-cooke|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180130082315/https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2016/05/14/darwyn-cooke|archive-date= January 30, 2018|url-status= live|df= mdy-all|access-date = August 17, 2017}}</ref>

Cooke acknowledged himself as difficult to work with,<ref name="Jonah Hex" /> a trait that was ultimately recognized as beneficial by his comic book industry peers. Artist Cliff Chiang noted that Cooke's uncompromising nature "opened doors for lots of us."<ref name="CBR (McGuirk)" />

== Awards and honors ==

Cooke won thirteen Eisner Awards, eight Harvey Awards, and five Joe Shuster Awards for works produced for DC Comics and IDW Publishing, primarily for ''DC: The New Frontier'' and ''Richard Stark's Parker''. In a 2007 interview, Cooke admitted to—while appreciating them—not paying much attention to awards.<ref name="Comics Journal #285" /> However, upon winning his first Eisner Award in 2005 for ''DC: The New Frontier'', Cooke did feel gratification for his pursuit of comics as a career and understood that he was genuinely on the right path.<ref name="Comics Journal #285" />

=== Eisner Awards ===

{{quote box|width=40%|quote=Mainstream comics can be engaging without having to go down the grim 'n' gritty road. I've tried to create books that remind us that stories should entertain, not stunts or character assassination. [...] I've done my best to remind us that superhero and adventure comics weren't always the greasy affair they've become. It is by definition a hopeful genre aimed at the young at heart, and those are the stories I've tried to tell.|source=— Darwyn Cooke, ''Comics Journal #285''<ref name="Comics Journal #285" />}}

*Best Finite Series/Limited Series – 2005 ''DC: The New Frontier'', by Darwyn Cooke (DC)
*[[Eisner Award for Best Single Issue/One-Shot|Best Single Issue/Single Story]] – 2006 ''Solo'' #5 by Darwyn Cooke (DC)
*Best Single Issue/Single Story – 2007 ''Batman/The Spirit'' #1 by Jeph Loeb and Darwyn Cooke (DC)
*Best Graphic Album: Reprint – 2007 ''Absolute DC: The New Frontier'', by Darwyn Cooke (DC)
*Best Publication Design – 2007 ''Absolute DC: The New Frontier'', designed by Darwyn Cooke (DC)
*[[Eisner Award for Best Adaptation from Another Medium|Best Adaptation from Another Work]] – 2010 ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter'', adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
*Best Writer/Artist – 2011 Darwyn Cooke, ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Outfit'' (IDW)
*Best Graphic Album: Reprint – 2012 ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Martini Edition'', by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
*Best Short Story – 2012 "The Seventh" by Darwyn Cooke, in ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Martini Edition'' (IDW)
*[[Eisner Award for Best Adaptation from Another Medium|Best Adaptation from Another Medium]] – 2013 ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Score'', adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
*[[Eisner Award for Best Adaptation from Another Medium|Best Adaptation from Another Medium]] – 2014 ''Richard Stark's Parker: Slayground'', by Donald Westlake, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
*Best Letterer/Lettering – 2014 Darwyn Cooke, ''Richard Stark's Parker: Slayground'' (IDW)
*Best Cover Artist – 2015 Darwyn Cooke, DC Comics Darwyn Cooke Month Variant Covers (DC)

=== Harvey Awards ===

*Best Artist or Penciller – 2005 Darwyn Cooke, for ''DC: The New Frontier'' (DC)
*Best Continuing or Limited Series – 2005 ''DC: The New Frontier'', by Darwyn Cooke (DC)
*Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work – 2007 ''Absolute New Frontier'' by Darwyn Cooke (DC)
*Best Cartoonist (Writer/Artist) – 2008 Darwyn Cooke, for ''The Spirit'' (DC)
*Best Cartoonist (Writer/Artist) – 2010 Darwyn Cooke, for ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter'' (IDW)
*Best Artist or Penciller – 2011 Darwyn Cooke, for ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Outfit'' (IDW)
*Best Cartoonist (Writer/Artist) – 2011 Darwyn Cooke, for ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Outfit'' (IDW)
*Best Graphic Album of Original Work – 2013 ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Score'', by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
*Harvey Awards Hall of Fame – 2017 (posthumously inducted)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/harvey-awards-hall-of-fame-inducts-darwyn-cooke-at-nycc-0|title=Harvey Awards Hall of Fame inducts Darwyn Cooke at NYCC|last=Siegel|first=Lucas|date=2017-09-30|website=SYFY WIRE|language=en|access-date=2020-01-28|archive-date=January 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200128222311/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/harvey-awards-hall-of-fame-inducts-darwyn-cooke-at-nycc-0|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Joe Shuster Awards ===

*Outstanding Cartoonist (writer and artist) – 2005 Darwyn Cooke for ''DC: The New Frontier'' (DC)
*Outstanding Artist – 2007 Darwyn Cooke and J. Bone for ''Batman/The Spirit'' #1 (DC)
*Outstanding Cartoonist (writer and artist) – 2007 Darwyn Cooke for ''The Spirit'' #1 (DC)
*Outstanding Writer – 2007 Darwyn Cooke for ''Superman Confidential'' #1–2 (DC)
*Outstanding Cover – 2010 Darwyn Cooke for ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter'' (IDW)

== Bibliography ==

=== As penciller or writer/penciller ===
* ''[[List of comics about the September 11 attacks|9–11: The World's Finest Comic Book Writers & Artists Tell Stories to Remember, Volume Two]]'' (2002).
* ''[[All-Star Western]]'' #34 (DC, 2014). Artist.
* ''Batman: Ego'' (DC, 2000). A 64-page prestige format Batman story. Writer and artist.
* ''[[Batman/The Spirit]]'' (DC, 2006). One-shot crossover issue between Batman and The Spirit, featuring some of the supporting casts of both characters (Robin, Catwoman, the Joker, Ebony, P'Gell, Commissioner Dolan and more). Co-written by Cooke and Jeph Loeb, and penciled by Cooke.
* ''[[Before Watchmen]]: Minutemen'' #1–6 (DC, 2012). Writer and artist.
* ''Catwoman'' vol. 3 #1–4 (DC, 2001–2002). With writer Ed Brubaker.
* ''Catwoman: Selina's Big Score'' (DC, 2002). 96-page graphic novel featuring a Selina Kyle story that takes place before ''Catwoman'' vol. 3 #1.
* ''Creator-Owned Heroes'' #6–8 (Image, 2012–2013). Cooke wrote and drew three short stories.
* ''[[DC: The New Frontier]]'' #1–6 (DC, 2004).  Writer and artist.
* ''[[Green Lantern (comic book)|Green Lantern]]: Secret Files 2005'' (DC, 2005). Cooke pencils the main story (22 pages), written by [[Geoff Johns]].
* ''[[Jonah Hex]]'' vol. 2 #33, 50 (DC, 2008–2009). Artist.
* ''Justice League: The New Frontier Special'' (DC, 2008).
* ''Revengeance'' (Image, unfinished).
* ''[[Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter]]'' (IDW, 2009) Adapted from the novel by Richard Stark, illustrated by Cooke. ({{ISBN|1-6001-0493-2}})
* ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Man With the Getaway Face – A Prelude to The Outfit'' (IDW, 2010) Oversized (8" x 12") one-shot adapted from the novel by Richard Stark, illustrated by Cooke. Later republished as the first chapter in ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Outfit''.
* ''[[Richard Stark's Parker: The Outfit]]'' (IDW, 2010) Adapted from the novel by Richard Stark, illustrated by Cooke. ({{ISBN|1-6001-0762-1}})
* ''Richard Stark's Parker: The Score'' (IDW, 2012) Adapted from the novel by Richard Stark, illustrated by Cooke. ({{ISBN|1-6137-7208-4}})
* ''Richard Stark's Parker: Slayground'' (IDW, 2013) Adapted from the novel by Richard Stark, illustrated by Cooke. ({{ISBN|1-6137-7812-0}})
* ''Rocketeer Adventures'' #2 (IDW, 2011). Cooke wrote and drew the 7-page story, "Betty Saves the Day!"
* ''[[Solo (DC Comics)|Solo]]'' #5 (DC, 2005).
* ''[[Spider-Man's Tangled Web]]'' #11, 21 (Marvel, 2002–2003). Cooke wrote and drew "Open All Night!", a Spider-Man Valentine's Day story, and "T'was the Fight Before Xmas", a Spider-Man Christmas story.
* ''The Spirit'' #1–6, 8–12 (DC, 2006–2008). Writer and artist.
* ''[[The Twilight Children]]'' #1–4 ([[Vertigo (DC Comics)|Vertigo]], 2016). With writer Gilbert Hernandez.
* ''[[Weird War Tales]]'' War One-Shot #1 (DC, 2010). Cooke wrote and drew "Armistice Night."
* ''Wolverine/Doop'' #1–2 (Marvel, 2003). Two-issue miniseries written by Peter Milligan that co-stars X-Men's Wolverine and X-Force's Doop.
* ''[[X-Force]]'' #124 (Marvel, 2002). With writer [[Peter Milligan]].

=== Backup stories as penciller ===
* ''[[Batman: Gotham Knights]]'' #23 (DC, 2001). A ''[[Batman Black and White]]'' backup tale.
* ''Detective Comics'' #759–762 (DC, 2001). 4-part "Trail of the Catwoman" back-up story (8 pages in each issue), featuring Sam Bradley, that leads to ''Catwoman'' #1.
* ''[[Justice Society of America|JSA]]: All Stars'' #3 (DC, 2003). [[Doctor Fate]] back-up story.
* ''[[Just Imagine...|Just Imagine Stan Lee with Chris Bachalo creating Catwoman]]'' (2002). Cooke drew a short back up story written by [[Michael Uslan]] and inked by Mike Allred.
* ''Legion Worlds'' #2 (DC, 2001). 8-page back-up story.
* ''Marvel Double Shot'' #3 (2002). "Who Let the Dad Out?", an eleven-page [[Ant-Man]] story.
* ''[[X-Statix]]'' #1 (2002). Doop back-up story.

=== As writer ===
* ''Batman: Gotham Knights'' #33 (DC, 2002). Writer of the back-up story "The Monument", with artist [[William Wray (artist)|Bill Wray]].
* ''Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre'' #1–4 (DC, 2012). With artist [[Amanda Conner]].
* ''Solo'' #1 (DC, 2004). 11-page story "Date Knight", featuring Batman and Catwoman, with artist [[Tim Sale (artist)|Tim Sale]].
* ''Superman Confidential'' #1–5, 11 (DC, 2006–2008). "Kryptonite," written by Cooke with art by Tim Sale.

=== Cover work ===

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

*''[[All-Star Western]]'' #28-#29 (DC, 2014)
*''[[Aquaman]]'' #37 (DC, 2014)
*''[[Back Issue!]]'' #28 ([[TwoMorrows Publishing]], 2008)
*''Bad Girls'' #1–#5 (DC, 2003–2004)
*''[[Batgirl]]'' #37 (DC, 2014)
*''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]'' #37 (DC, 2014)
*''[[Batman and Robin (comic book)|Batman and Robin]]'' #37 (DC, 2014)
*''Batman & Superman in World's Finest: The Silver Age Omnibus'' vol. 1 (DC, 2016)
*''[[Batman Beyond]]'' #4, vol. 2 #23–#24, vol. 4 #1 (DC, 1999–2011)
*''Batman: The Golden Age Omnibus'' vol. 1, vol. 2, vol. 3 (DC, 2015–2017)
*''[[Batman: Gotham Adventures]]'' #45, #50 (DC, 2002)
*''Batman: Gotham Knights'' #12 (DC, 2001)
*''[[Batman/Superman]]'' #17 (DC, 2014)
*''Batwing'' #24, #26-#27 (DC, 2013–2014)
*''Catwoman'' #37, #46 (DC, 2014–2016)
*''[[Comic Book Artist]]'' #3 ([[Top Shelf Productions]], 2004)
*''[[The Comics Journal]]'' #285 ([[Fantagraphics Books]], 2007)
*''Detective Comics'' vol. 2 #37 (DC, 2014)
*''[[Elk's Run]]'' tpb (Speakeasy, 2006)
*''[[The Flash (comic book)|The Flash]]'' vol. 3 #7 (DC, 2011)
*''Grayson'' #5 (DC, 2014)
*''[[Green Lantern]]'' #37 (DC, 2014)
*''[[Green Lantern Corps]]'' #37 (DC, 2014)
*''[[The Grimoire]]'' #4 ([[Speakeasy Comics]], 2005)
*''He-Man: The Eternity War'' #1 (DC, 2014)
*''[[Invincible (comics)|Invincible Returns]]'' #1 (Image, 2010)
*''[[Atomics (comics)|It Girl! and the Atomics]]'' #2 (Image, 2012)
*''[[IZombie (comic book)|iZombie]]'' #1 (Vertigo, 2010)
*''[[Jersey Gods]]'' #2 (Image, 2009)
*''[[Jonah Hex]]'' #56 (DC, 2010)
*''[[Justice League]]'' #33, #37 (DC, 2014)
*''[[Justice League Adventures]]'' #7 (DC, 2002)
*''[[Justice League Dark]]'' #37 (DC, 2014)
*''[[Justice League United]]'' #7 (DC, 2014)
*''[[Justice Society of America]]'' #50, #54 (DC, 2011)
*''[[The Last Resort (comics)|The Last Resort]]'' #1–#4 (IDW, 2009)
*''Lorna: Relic Wrangler'' #1 (Image, 2011)
*''Mirror Mirror'' (Kickstart Comics, 2010)
*''The Murder of King Tut'' #1–#5 (IDW, 2010)
*''[[Painkiller Jane]]'' #3 ([[Dynamite Entertainment]], 2007)
*''[[Rawhide Kid]]'' #4 (Marvel, 2003)
*''[[Red Menace (comics)|Red Menace]]'' #1 ([[WildStorm]], 2007)
*''[[The Rocketeer (character)|Rocketeer]] Adventures 2'' #1–#4 (IDW, 2012)
*''Season of the Witch'' #2 (Image, 2005)
* ''The Shade'' #4 variant cover (DC, 2012)
*''[[Sinestro]]'' #8 (DC, 2014)
*''Spellgame'' #1–#4 (Speakeasy, 2005)
*''The Spirit'' #13 (DC, 2008)
*''[[Tek Jansen|Stephen Colbert's Tek Jansen]]'' #3 ([[Oni Press]], 2008)
*''[[Supergirl (comic book)|Supergirl]]'' #37 (DC, 2014)
*''[[Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)|Supergirl]]: The Silver Age Omnibus'' Vol. 1 (DC, 2016)
*''[[Superman (comic book)|Superman]]'' #37 (DC, 2014)
*''Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus'' vol. 1–2 (DC, 2013 & 2016)
*''[[Superman/Wonder Woman]]'' #14 (DC, 2014)
*''[[Teen Titans]]'' #5 (DC, 2014)
*''[[T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents]]'' vol. 3 #1 (DC, 2011)
*''[[Torpedo (comics)|Torpedo Volumes 1–2]]'' hc (IDW, 2010)
*''[[Weird Western Tales]]'' #1 (Vertigo, 2001)
*''[[Wonder Woman]]'' #37 (DC, 2014)
*''[[Wool]]'' #1-#6 (Cryptozoicm 2014)

{{div col end}}

==Screenwriting==
===Television===
* ''[[Justice League Unlimited]]'' (2005)
* ''[[DC Nation Shorts#Series|DC Nation Shorts: Batman Beyond]]'' (2014)

===Film===
* ''[[Justice League: The New Frontier]]'' (2008): additional material

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==
* ''[[Comic Book Artist]]'' vol. 2 #3. [[Top Shelf Productions]], 25-page interview with Darwyn Cooke.
* Cooke, Darwyn. "Darwyn Cooke" in ''Solo'' #5. DC Comics, 2005, pg. 48.
* [https://soundcloud.com/mike-jozic/the-bat-the-cat-the-thief-and-his-ego-a-lost-interview-with-darwyn-cooke-1?ref=clipboard&p=a&c=1&si=c440906650694b5792d91e71522617c2 The Bat, The Cat, The Thief, and His Ego: A Lost Interview with Darwyn Cooke], Mike Jozic, November 2020 (Originally conducted in 2001)

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
{{Portal|Canada|Biography|Comics}}
* [http://darwyncooke.blogspot.co.uk/ Darwyn Cooke's blog]
* {{comicbookdb|type=creator|id=1488|title= Darwyn Cooke}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* [http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/creator.php?creatorid=1292 Darwyn Cooke] at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
* [http://www.maelmill-insi.de/UHBMCC/namc34.htm#N1009 Darwyn Cooke] at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators

{{Canadian cartoonists}}
{{The Spirit}}
{{Eisner Award for Best Cover Artist}}
{{Eisner Award for Best Lettering}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooke, Darwyn}}
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