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Gary Groth (born September 18, 1954) is an American comic book editing, publisher and critic. He is editor-in-chief of The Comics Journal, a co-founder of Fantagraphics Books, and founder of the Harvey Awards.
In 1970, 1971, and 1973 he organized Metro Con, a comics convention held in the Washington, D.C. area.
Later, after turning down an editorial assistant position at Marvel Comics in 1973,Meyer, Ken, Jr. "Ink Stains 3: Fantastic Fanzine 10," Comic Attack (October 12, 2009). Groth worked briefly as a production and layout assistant at the movie and comics magazine Mediascene, which was edited by Jim Steranko.
After dropping out of his fourth college in 1974, Groth and his financial partner Michael Catron put on a rock and roll convention that ended in financial failure. Nonetheless, he and Catron dabbled in music publishing with the short-lived magazine Sounds Fine.
Groth and Light were friends before Light published Groth's final issue of Fantastic Fanzine; Light's expedient business methods met with Groth's disapproval.Light had "taken over the publishing chores of Fantastic Fanzine Special II, the last issue of FF I edited" - Groth, ibid Fandom: Confidential, Ron Frantz's history of the WE Seal of approval program (WSA), outlines Groth's confrontations with Light at conventions and via late night collect calls. Light in turn cashed a check for a Comics Journal advertisement that he refused to print. Groth acquired a copy of the WSA mailing list, and without authorization, used it to solicit subscriptions; Groth later apologized for what he claimed was a misunderstanding,Frantz. p.149 and soon after broke ties with WSA. In 1983 when Light sold TBG, a Groth editorial denounced Light.Groth, Gary. "Editorial," The Comics Journal #181 (May 1983): "Light fandom's first real business predator. His career of hustling is a monument to selfish opportunism and spiritual squalor." Light's subsequent libel suit against Groth was eventually dismissed.Frantz, p.169, 171
Groth's 1991 Comics Journal editorial "Lies We Cherish: The Canonization of Carol Kalish",Groth, Gary. "Lies We Cherish: The Canonization of Carol Kalish," The Comics Journal #146 (November 1991). which criticized what he saw as the unwarranted hagiographies for then-recently deceased former Marvel Comics Vice President of New Product Development, whom Groth characterized as "selling cretinous junk to impressionable children",Deppey, Dirk. "Journalista! Lies We Still Cherish" Comics Journal website (December 14, 2002). caused controversy within the industry,Woods, Anthony. "All the Right-Thinking People," Comics Journal Message Board (June 3, 2008). Accessed October 3, 2009. including outrage by Kalish's friend and colleague, writer Peter David.David, Peter. "Snob Appeal"; "But I Digress..." collection; 1994; Krause PublicationsDavid, Peter "The Last Word", peterdavid.net December 20, 2002
He was nominated for Best Editor in the Eisner Awards in 1993.
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