Gary K. Wolf

Gary K. Wolf (born January 24, 1941)
is an American author. He is best known as the author of '' Who Censored Roger Rabbit?'' (1981), which was adapted into the hit feature-length film ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' (1988).

Early life and career

Wolf was born on January 24, 1941. He grew up in Earlville, Illinois, the son of Ed and Hattie Wolf. His father owned the town's pool hall and later had an upholstering business, while his mother worked in the school cafeteria. As an only child, Wolf would occupy himself by reading comic books and science fiction stories. Wolf graduated from Earlville High School in June 1959.
He later attended the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Advertising and a Master's degree in Communications. He served as an Air Force Captain with the 5th Air Commando Squadron in the Vietnam War, where he won a Bronze Star and two Air Medals.

Wolf and childhood friend John J. Myers, former Catholic Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, co-wrote a novel named ''Space Vulture'', released by TOR books during 2008.
Wolf and co-author Jehane Baptiste have a story named "The UnHardy Boys in Outer Space" in the annual anthology of humorous science fiction, ''Amityville House of Pancakes Vol 3'' ().

Wolf owns an extensive collection of carousel horses. Because of this, Wolf was featured on the cover of the September 4, 1976 issue of Peninsula Living Magazine; the magazine issue itself also showcased his collection.

Wolf resides with his wife of 50 years, Bonnie, and their cat, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Roger Rabbit

Gary K. Wolf is best known for creating the comedic mystery series centered on Roger Rabbit, a cartoon character in an alternate universe where “ toons” and humans coexist. The series began with '' Who Censored Roger Rabbit?'' (1981), which inspired the hit film ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' (1988). In the original novel, Eddie Valiant, a hard-boiled detective, is hired by Roger Rabbit, a comic strip star, to investigate broken promises from his employers. The case spirals into a murder mystery exposing deception, a magical genie, and Roger’s true nature.

The series continued with '' Who P-P-P-Plugged Roger Rabbit?'' (1991), retconning the original as Jessica Rabbit’s dream and aligning with the Disney film. Eddie investigates new murders and Roger's scheming cousin, Dodger Rabbit, in a noir-inspired tale blending toons and human intrigue. In ''The Road to Toontown'' (2012), Wolf collected short stories, including a new Jessica Rabbit narrative that delves deeper into the Roger Rabbit universe. The series returned with '' Who Wacked Roger Rabbit?'' (2013), where Eddie Valiant protects actor Gary Cooper during a Toontown film shoot, uncovering threats and sinister underworld schemes. In ''Jessica Rabbit: XERIOUS Business'' (2022), Jessica Rabbit is reimagined as Jessica Krupnick, a human turned secret agent for the XERIOUS Organization, showcasing her intelligence and evolution beyond her femme fatale origins.

In 2001, Wolf sued The Walt Disney Company for unpaid royalties. After appeals and hearings, Wolf prevailed in 2005, receiving $180,000–$400,000. Wolf proposed a prequel to ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' in 2013, reimagining Disney’s '' The Stooge'' with Roger and Mickey Mouse, exploring Roger’s backstory and his relationship with Jessica Rabbit. Following Roger Rabbit’s cameo in Disney+’s 2022 ''Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers'' film, reports emerged that character rights were reverting to Wolf.

Selected bibliography

*''Killerbowl'' (September 26, 1975) ()
*''A Generation Removed'' (May 27, 1977) ()
*''The Resurrectionist'' (July 20, 1979) ()
*'' Who Censored Roger Rabbit?'' (June 6, 1981) ()
*'' Who P-P-P-Plugged Roger Rabbit?'' (July 30, 1991) ()
*''Amityville House of Pancakes Vol 3'' (December 1, 2006) ()
*''Space Vulture'' (March 4, 2008) ()
*''The Road To Toontown'' (July 2012) )
*''Penumbra eMag Vol 1 Issue 10'' (July 2012) (ISSN 2163-4092)
*''The Late Great Show!'' (October 5, 2012) ()
*''Typical Day'' (December 7, 2012) ()
*''Who Wacked Roger Rabbit?'' (November 29, 2013) ()
*''Jessica Rabbit: XERIOUS Business'' (May 4, 2022) ()

References

Further reading

*

External links

Official SiteSpace Vulture
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wolf, Gary K.
1941 births
Living people
20th-century American novelists
21st-century American novelists
American male novelists
American science fiction writers
People from Earlville, Illinois
Writers from Brookline, Massachusetts
Novelists from Illinois
Novelists from Massachusetts
Gies College of Business alumni
American humorists
United States Air Force personnel of the Vietnam War
American Vietnam War pilots
Recipients of the Air Medal
United States Air Force officers
20th-century American male writers
21st-century American male writers
Military personnel from Illinois
Who Framed Roger Rabbit