Mark Stephen Evanier, born on March 2, 1952, is a celebrated American writer for both comic books and television, especially recognized for his comedic writing. He is the author of comic works such as Sergio Aragonés Stomps Star Wars, "Spare Parts," and "Junkheap Hero."
The career path of Evanier as a writer was inspired by observing his father's unhappiness while employed by the Internal Revenue Service. This contrasted sharply with the depiction of a writer's life presented in The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Evanier achieved his initial professional sale in 1969. Shortly thereafter, he was hired as an assistant by the renowned Jack Kirby. During his time as Kirby's apprentice, Evanier started crafting foreign comic books for The Walt Disney Company. This was followed by his contributions of scripts for American Disney Comics, Gold Key Comics, and comics produced for the estate of Edgar Rice Burroughs.
In 1974, he joined forces with writer Dennis Palumbo, leading to collaborative writing efforts for various television series, including The Nancy Walker Show, The McLean Stevenson Show, and Welcome Back, Kotter.
Following the conclusion of Kotter, where he served as a story editor, Evanier and Palumbo decided to end their partnership on good terms. Subsequently, Evanier wrote for the Hanna-Barbera comic book division, as well as numerous variety shows and specials. He also began writing for animated cartoon shows, some of which include Scooby Doo, Plastic Man, Thundarr the Barbarian, The ABC Weekend Special, Richie Rich, The Wuzzles, and Dungeons & Dragons. However, his most notable contribution to animation is his work on Garfield and Friends, a series spanning seven seasons for which Evanier either wrote or co-wrote every single episode, in addition to serving as the voice recording director. He also penned a script and offered "'technical advice' about comic books" for Bob, Bob Newhart's third, ultimately unsuccessful, situation comedy for CBS.
His portfolio includes the creation of several comic books, such as Blackhawk, Crossfire and Hollywood Superstars (alongside Dan Spiegle), Groo the Wanderer (in collaboration with Sergio Aragonés), and The DNAgents (with Will Meugniot). For the Spiegle comics, Evanier provided extensive essays about the entertainment industry.
Despite numerous nominations for Emmy Awards in recognition of his writing, Evanier has not yet received one.
On May 26, 2006, Evanier was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, where he underwent gastric bypass surgery. Having reached a peak weight of approximately 156 kg, he successfully lost nearly 45 kg by June 2007. He expresses gratitude for the overall health benefits, although he had to adapt his dietary habits.
- Sergio Aragonés Stomps Star Wars
- " Spare Parts ·" — Star Wars Tales 4
- " Junkheap Hero " — Star Wars Tales 6