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Gary Reed, Founder Of Caliber, Dies Aged 60

320321_544675045550042_378021751_nComic book writer Gary Reed and founder of comics publisher Caliber Comics, has passed away.

His wife, Jennifer Andrews Read let people know the tragic news.

It's with great sorrow that I need to inform friends and family of the passing of my husband, Gary Reed. He was such a special & talented man. That's all I can say – he was the writer. Arrangements are TBD.

His sudden death will be shocking to fans, as only this weekend he attended the Monroe Comic Con, where he was selling original copies of his Baker Street graphic novel, after acquiring them from a dealer, and he publicly posted his thanks to the show, yesterday.

A comic book retailer with four stores in and around Detroit, Reed started the King Kon Comic & Fantasy Convention in Detroit as well. Founding Caliber Comic, he published many big comic book names before they made it big,  including Brian Bendis, David Mack, Vince Locke, Guy Davis, Michael Lark, Patrick Zircher, Jim Calafiore, Ed Brubaker, Michael Gaydos, James O'Barr, and Mike Carey. This included the likes of The Crow, Jinx and Deadworld. . He also wrote plenty of comics of his own – sometimes under pseudonyms including Kyle Garrett, Brent Truax and Randall Thayer –  including Saint Germaine, Baker Street and Deadworld.  And he helped launched McFarlane Toys as Vice President.

After closing Caliber and his stores in 2000, he became a teacher at Henry Ford Community College as an adjunct professor and left the comics field – before returning to comics with Byron Preiss, the Desperado imprint with Image Comics and Tranzfusion Comics to revive and reprint his earlier works. IDW also helped revive some of his old series with new material and in 2015 he revived the Caliber Comics brand again.

Gary Reed celebrated his 60th birthday in May. He is survived by his wife and four daughters. Tributes are pouring in from across the industry.


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Rich JohnstonAbout Rich Johnston

Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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