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David Emmett Cockrum (; November 11, 1943 – November 26, 2006) David Emmett Cockrum at the Social Security Death Index via FamilySearch. Retrieved on June 22, 2013. was an American comics artist known for his co-creation of the new X-Men characters Nightcrawler, Storm, Colossus, and Mystique, as well as the antiheroine Black Cat. Cockrum was a prolific and inventive costume designer who updated the uniforms of the Legion of Super-Heroes and the X-Men in the 1970s and early 1980s.
As a young man, Cockrum was a dedicated "letterhack," who had many letters printed in comic book letter columns such as Fantastic Four #22 (Jan. 1964), The Amazing Spider-Man #12 (May 1964), The Atom #1 (June 1962), and Fantastic Four #36 (March 1965) (return address "YN 'A' School, USNTC"). A letter from Cockrum in Fantastic Four #34 (Jan. 1965) led to a correspondence with Andrea Kline, who later became his first wife.
Cockrum's ambition was to become a comic-book creator himself. After attending but not graduating from Southern Illinois University, Cockrum joined the United States Navy for six years. During this time, he created the character Nightcrawler, though the character would not be used until years later.
After leaving the military, Cockrum found employment with Warren Publishing, as well as with Neal Adams' Continuity Associates as a member of the "Crusty Bunkers".Greg Theakston and Kevin Nowlan, et al., at
He was then hired as an assistant inker to Murphy Anderson, who was inking various titles featuring Superman and Superboy for DC Comics. At the time, Superboy featured a "Legion of Super-Heroes" backup strip. When the position of artist for "The Legion of Super-Heroes" was left vacant, Cockrum sought the job and was rewarded with his first assignment drawing a feature. Cockrum's work on the feature, beginning with a backup story in Superboy #184 (April 1972) and recurring in several following issues "established an exciting new vibe". (2026). 9780756667429, Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 9780756667429 He remained the artist on the Superboy series after the Legion of Super-Heroes became the main feature of the book with #197 and his art redefined the look of the Legion, creating new costumes and designs that would last until artist Keith Giffen did a similar revamp in the 1980s. Cockrum is credited with creating team member Wildfire. Cockrum drew the story wherein the characters Bouncing Boy and Luornu Durgo were married in Superboy Starring the Legion of Super-Heroes #200 (Feb. 1974).McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 159: "Bouncing Boy and Duo Damsel became the first Legionnaires to tie the knot. The wedding planners were writer Cary Bates and artist Dave Cockrum." Cockrum eventually left DC and the Legion in a dispute involving the return of his original artwork from that issue.
Prior to his departure, Cockrum had been preparing to be the regular artist on an ongoing Captain Marvel Jr. back-up strip in the Shazam! series for DC.
Cockrum stayed with the title until 1977 (as main penciler on issues #94–105 and 107), when he was succeeded by penciler John Byrne with issue #108.Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 181: "When 'new' X-Men co-creator Dave Cockrum left the series, John Byrne took over as penciler and co-plotter. In his first issue, Byrne and writer Chris Claremont wound up the Shi'ar story arc." The final issue of his original, regular run introduced the Starjammers, a spacefaring superhero team he had originally intended to debut in their own series. Issue #110, which Cockrum co-pencilled with Tony DeZuniga, was an inventory issue. He continued to contribute covers for the series until Uncanny X-Men #126.
Journalist Tom Spurgeon wrote about Cockrum's X-Men,
In 1979, Dave Cockrum designed Black Cat for writer Marv Wolfman. Cockrum quit his staff job at Marvel in 1979 and his angry resignation letter was printed without his permission in Iron Man #127 (October 1979) but he continued to work for Marvel as a freelancer. Cockrum was Marvel's primary cover artist during this period, and also penciled or Inker a number of other titles for DC during this time. Although not a regular artist on the series, he re-designed the costume for Carol Danvers.Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 186: "Ms. Marvel's...series was in the hands of Chris Claremont... and Dave Cockrum, a master of imaginative costume design. In this issue #20, Claremont and Cockrum unveiled the latter's new stylish black costume for Ms. Marvel." When John Byrne left the X-Men in 1981, Cockrum returned to the title with issue #145 but left again with issue #164 (Dec. 1982) to work on The Futurians.
He returned to the X-Universe in 1985 with a four-part Nightcrawler limited series that he wrote and inked as well and his wife Paty Cockrum (credited as just "Paty") colored, a two-part Starjammers limited series in 1990 and an X-Men short story for Marvel Holiday Special #1 in 1991. Two unpublished fill-in issues that Cockrum pencilled in the early 1990s for X-Men and New Mutants were released together posthumously as the one-shot X-Men: Odd Men Out in 2008.
Dave and Paty Greer Cockrum were married on April 28, 1978."Bullpen Bulletins," Marvel Comics cover-dated November 1978.
In later years, Cockrum worked less frequently in comics. In 2004, he became seriously ill due to complications from diabetes and pneumonia, and a number of fellow artists and writers led by Clifford Meth and Neal Adams organized a fundraising project. The auction, run by Heritage Auctions at the WizardWorld Chicago show in August, raised over $25,000. Marvel eventually provided an undisclosed amount of financial support in exchange for Cockrum agreeing to terms protected by a nondisclosure agreement. Cockrum said publicly he was "very happy that so many people cared about my work and about me. ... I'm enormously grateful to Clifford Meth and Neal Adams for having moved this forward. ... I'm very happy with what everyone has done, including Marvel."
Cockrum was due to draw an eight-page story in Giant Size X-Men #3 (2005), but a recurrence of his health problems prevented this. Adams filled in.
Cockrum died at his home in Belton, South Carolina, on the morning of November 26, 2006, due to complications from diabetes. He was survived by his longtime wife, Paty Cockrum, and by his son and two stepchildren.
In the novelization of , written by Cockrum's longtime associate Chris Claremont (published in 2006), the President is named "David Cockrum". Claremont also created a character in homage to Cockrum in New Exiles who eventually "moved on" at the end of (2007), which ended with a full-page tribute to Cockrum.
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