Charles Dixon (born April 14, 1954)[1] is an American comic book writer, best known for his work on the Marvel Comics character the Punisher and on the DC Comics characters Batman, Nightwing, and Robin in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Chuck Dixon's earliest comics work was writing Evangeline for Comico Comics in 1984 and then for First Comics. Editor Larry Hama hired him to write back-up stories for Marvel Comics' Savage Sword of Conan. Writing under the name "Charles Dixon", he would eventually take over the lead feature of Conan on a semi-regular basis. He contributed stories to the Hama edited re-boot of Savage Tales highlighted by a number of western stories illustrated by John Severin.[3]
The Punisher Kingdom Gone graphic novel (August 1990) led to him working on the monthly The Punisher War Journal and later other Punisher titles, and brought him to the attention of DC Comics editor Dennis O'Neil, who asked him and Tom Lyle to produce a Robin mini-series featuring the Tim Drake incarnation. The series proved popular enough to spawn two sequels – The Joker's Wild (1991) and Cry of the Huntress (1992).[8] This led to both an ongoing monthly series[9] which Dixon wrote for 100 issues before leaving to work with CrossGen Comics, and to Dixon working on Detective Comics from #644 (May 1992)[10] to #738 (Nov. 1999) through the major Batman stories "Knightfall'"[11] and "KnightsEnd"[12] for which he helped create the key character of Bane,[13] "Contagion",[14] "Legacy",[15] "Cataclysm",[16] and "No Man's Land". Dixon and Lyle co-created the ElectrocutionerinDetective Comics #644 (May 1992)[17] and Stephanie BrowninDetective Comics #647 (August 1992).[18] Much of his later run was illustrated by Graham Nolan.[19]
He was DC's most prolific Batman writer in the 1990s. In addition to writing Detective Comics he pioneered the individual series for Robin, Nightwing (which he wrote for 70 issues, and returned to briefly with 2005's #101) and Batgirl, as well as creating the team and book Birds of Prey.[20]
In March 2002, Dixon turned his attention to CrossGen's output, slowly leaving Robin, Nightwing, Birds of Prey and Batgirl over the next year although he co-wrote with Scott Beatty the origin of Barbara Gordon's Batgirl in 2003's Batgirl: Year One.[24] For CrossGen he took over some of the comics of the departing Mark Waid, taking over Sigil from #21, and Crux with #13. He launched Way of the Rat in June 2002, Brath (March 2003), The Silken Ghost (June 2003) and the pirate comic El Cazador (Oct 2003),[25] as well as editing Robert Rodi's non-Sigilverse The Crossovers. He wrote the Ruse spin-off Archard's Agents one-shots in January and November 2003 and April 2004, the last released shortly before CrossGen's cancellation of all of its series. Dixon wrote a single issue of Sojourn (May 2004). Dixon's Way of the Rat #24, Brath #14 and El Cazador #6 were among the last comics released from the then-bankrupt publisher.[26]
In mid-2004, Dixon wrote a number of issues and series' for smaller publishers Devil's Due Publishing and Moonstone Books.[27] During this period, he returned briefly to DC but mostly worked on comics at several publishers, including several issues of Simpsons Comics for Bongo Comics, for whom he has worked quite regularly from September 1998 to the present, and a couple of projects with Image Comics. In May 2006, Dixon contributed to IDW Publishing's Free Comic Book DayTransformers giveaway, leading to him writing the Transformers: Evolutions miniseries.
In January 2007, he wrote the Connor Hawke: Dragon's Blood mini-series featuring Green Arrow's son Connor Hawke,[33] and in March 2008, Dixon returned to writing Robin. He wrote Batman and the Outsiders, a project he was signed to at the last minute, after original writer Tony Bedard dropped out due to being occupied with Final Crisis-related work.[34] On June 10, 2008, Dixon announced on his forum that he was no longer "employed by DC Comics in any capacity."[35] He nonetheless did occasional work for DC after this, including 2017's Bane: Conquest limited series,[36][37] and a special issue for Robin's 80th anniversary.[38]
It was announced in August 2008 that he would write Dynamite Entertainment's series The Man with No Name based on the Western character.[39] He wrote a G.I. Joe series for IDW Publishing.[40] In March 2009 Moonstone Books published a new Airboy one-shot written by Dixon entitled Airboy 1942: The Best of Enemies. In 2011, Dixon says he was offered a chance to do a rewrite on The Expendables 2 screenplay by Sylvester Stallone, but declined.[41]
In the late 2010s, he went to work for Vox Day's Arkhaven Comics, writing for their Alt-Hero Universe on titles such as Alt-Hero: Q and Chuck Dixon's Avalon.[citation needed]
In 2017 and 2018, Dixon wrote Zenescope's Van Helsing vs. The Werewolf and Robyn Hood: The Curse.[42][43]
^Manning, Matthew K.; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1990s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 248. ISBN978-0-7566-6742-9. When writer Chuck Dixon, artist Tom Lyle, and cover artist Brian Bolland presented the premier issue of the first Robin miniseries, the title was an instant hit, spawning two sequel miniseries and an ongoing series.{{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 261: "[Robin] embarked on a solo career, with the help of writer Chuck Dixon and artist Tom Grummett."
^Manning, Matthew K.; Dougall, Alastair, ed. (2014). "1990s". Batman: A Visual History. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 195. ISBN978-1465424563. Chuck Dixon became the new writer on Detective Comics, starting with this issue with the help of the pencils of Tom Lyle and the inks of Scott Hanna.{{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 259: "'Knightfall' was a nineteen-part crossover event that passed through the pages of...Detective Comics, written by Chuck Dixon and illustrated by Norm Breyfogle, Jim Balent, and Graham Nolan."
^Manning "1990s" in Dougall, p. 200: Batman: Vengeance of Bane Special #1 "[Bane's] harrowing origin story was detailed in this special 64-page one-shot by writer Chuck Dixon and artist Graham Nolan."
^Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 272: "In the latest crossover to shake up Batman's universe, a manufactured virus nicknamed 'the Clench' was unleashed on the public of Gotham City...by writers Alan Grant, Chuck Dixon, Denny O'Neil, and Doug Moench."
^Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 283: "The seventeen-part 'Cataclysm' storyline showed a Gotham City devastated by an earthquake. It was written by Alan Grant, Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, Dennis O'Neil, [and others]."
^Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 286: "Oracle and Black Canary were finally rewarded with their own ongoing series by scripter Chuck Dixon and penciller Greg Land."
^Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 267: "Fans were also treated to a companion special entitled Batman-Spawn...by writers Doug Moench, Chuck Dixon, and Alan Grant, and artist Klaus Janson."
^Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 281: "The Secret Six found their own monthly one-shot title written by Chuck Dixon and drawn by Tom Grummett."
^Cowsill, Alan "2000s" in Dolan, p. 309: "Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon came together to pen the story of Barbara Gordon's first year as Batgirl."
^Cowsill "2000s" in Dolan, p. 327: "Chuck Dixon's script and Kevin J. West's pencils helped to create a suitably nightmarish start for Freddy's latest incarnation."
^Ching, Albert (February 15, 2017). "Exclusive: Dixon & Nolan Return to Bane for New DC Series". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on February 17, 2017. Writer Chuck Dixon and artist Graham Nolan, two of the most prominent Batman creators of the 1990s, will return to their creation in DC Comics' upcoming 12-issue series Bane: Conquest, scheduled to debut in May [2017].
