Len Strazewski obit

Len Strazewski, Creator Of Prime And Jesse Quick, Has Died, Aged 71

 He was not on the list.

Longstanding comic book writer Len Strazewski died late last night at the age of 71. Len Strazewski had been in an ICU for a few days with an infection, but had been discharged three days ago to the Westminster Place nursing home in Evanston, Cook County. However, this came after being very ill for the past six months and having been in another nursing home, Birchwood Plaza in Chicago, where he recently wrote about having to learn to walk all over again.

Len Strazewski was best known for co-creating both Prime and Prototype as a founder of Malibu's Ultraverse, writing Starman, Flash, JSA, Phantom Lady, The Fly, and Action Comics Weekly for DC Comics, Speed Racer and Dai Kamikaze for Now Comics, Trollords for Tru Studios, Super-Teens for Archie, Street Fighters and Elven for Malibu, as well as creating Terror Tots with Paul Fricke about warrior monks reincarnated as suburban toddlers, published at Caliber, and Totally Horse, a graphic novel about horse riding for girls.

Along the way, he also co-created Jesse Belle Chambers, better known as Jesse Quick, daughter of Golden Age heroes Johnny Quick and Liberty Belle, who inherited both of her parents' powers of superhuman speed, super-strength, and flight. As a scholar recruited into the Justice Society of America after aiding them, she became a longtime ally of The Flash, and a member of the JSA, Titans and Justice League, and appeared on The Flash TV series played by Violett Beane.

Beyond comics, Len built a distinguished career in journalism, writing for over thirty years on topics including health care, employee benefits, and insurance. He served as a contributing writer for the American Medical Association and enjoyed a long academic tenure as Associate Professor of Journalism and Communications at Columbia College Chicago, where he was named Professor Emeritus, and supported the institution as a member of its Board of Trustees. He was also an occasional Department Chair and acting Provost at Columbia.

Len balanced dual callings for years, writing comics by night while pursuing serious business and health journalism by day, naming himself the "Batman of Comics Writers." Much loved by many, he will be sorely missed. You can see him talking about an exhibition of his work at Columbia, here.