Denny O'Neil: Crafting Grounded Heroes

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Denny O'Neil was a very good writer and a great editor. A man who was good at stripping away the more exotic elements of a character and finding a way to focus on their core personality. From acclaimed runs on Green Lantern/Green Arrow to Batman to Iron Man, he was a top writer in the 60s and 70s at DC and Marvel. He also edited Frank Miller's acclaimed run on Daredevil, invented the name Optimus Prime and oversaw the Knightfall epic where Bane broke Batman's back.

This episode takes a look at Denny's career including his rare missteps and tries to contextualize how his real life experience informed his writing style. He was a college graduate, a sailor in the US Navy, and a self-proclaimed hippy. And there's still a lot we can learn from him.