Roger Slifer is a name well known to comic fans collecting since the ’70s. Starting out a member of the CPL-Gang, a group of amateur creators and enthusiasts in Indianapolis, his professional career began as a writer and editor for Marvel in the mid-’70s, before moving to DC at the turn of the decade to become the writer of Omega Men and more, eventually becoming DC’s first sales manager to the direct market.
He most famously co-created fan-favorite bastitch, Lobo, with Kieth Giffen, but has worked in animation as well as supervising producer, story editor, and writer on such ’80s mainstays Jem and the Holograms, Bucky O’Hare, and Transformers. He spent time as a writer and consultant in the video game industry in more recent years. Slifer was a long time creator’s rights advocate, famously leaving DC due to their policies on the matter.
His output slowed in more recent years, and after a hit-and-run in Santa Monica on June 23rd 2012 that left him comatose for nearly a month with multiple broken bones and head trauma, Slifer has been slowly recuperating. Unfortunately, this morning he passed away at the age of 60 on his way from the nursing home to the emergency room. His sister, Connie Carlton, posted this message to the S.L.I.F.E.R. Needs You page this morning:
“**ROGER SLIFER UPDATE 3/30/15**
It is with heavy heart that I share Roger passed away this morning. The Nursing home called approx 9 am and said he was struggling to breath and he died in the ambulance on the way to the ER.
It is especially sad because in the last month he was making great progress. He was writing words on his new whiteboard that I bought with money his friend Larry Spears sent for Christmas. He was nodding yes and no to questions. A couple weeks ago they put a passey muir device (speaking valve) in his trach and he said “yes, no, and hi”. They were getting ready to start him on speech therapy and occupational therapy. Things were finally looking up for him. But God needed another angel.
Services are pending at Freeman Family Funeral Homes in Morristown. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.
Connie”
Roger Slifer was beloved by both fan and creator alike, even having John Byrne creation, ROG-2000, named after him in tribute by Bob Layton. To say he will be missed is an understatement. Rest in Peace, Roger.
