01-04-23 | Comic book creator Steve Skeates has passed away at the age of 80. The writer was known for his work on Aquaman, T.H.U.N.D.E.R Agents and Hawk and Dove, the latter of which he originated with artist Steve Ditko. Skeates main body of work ran from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. He was involved with comics and fandom right up until his death on March 30th earlier this week.
Skeates started his career with a very brief stint as Stan Lee’s assistant at Marvel Comics. This led to him writing for Charlton Comics and Tower Comics, whose biggest title at the time was superhero-espionage hybrid T.H.U.N.D.E.R Agents. At DC Comics he would create Hawk and Dove in 1968. Hawk and Dove was a duo of superheroes whose opposing views on the nature of conflict drove the stories. Dove strived for peaceful solutions, while Hawk was a warrior by nature. The superhero team reflected the turbulent political climate of the 1960s.
In addition to a highly successful run writing for Aquaman and many of Warren Publishing’s horror titles, Steve Skeates was assigned to writing television episodes for Transformers and G.I. Joe. He distanced himself from comics in the early 1990s to care for his ailing father. He would continue to write sporadically, being particularly keen on revisiting his roots at Charlton Comics, his favourite among comic book publishers. Said Skeates: ‘… the best way to learn how to write is to write! A lot. All the time. And enjoy doing so! Practice, practice, practice!’