Brian Augustyn (November 2, 1954 – February 1, 2022) was an American comic book editor and writer. He often worked as editor or co-writer with writer Mark Waid, such as on The Flash in the 1990s. He wrote Gotham by Gaslight – which imagines Batman tracking Jack the Ripper – the prototype of DC's Elseworlds imprint, which featured versions of their characters in alternate settings.
Career
Editing
Augustyn got his start in the industry in 1986 as an editor for Tru Studios' Trollords. He then edited Syphons and Speed Racer for NOW Comics in 1987. In 1988, he joined DC Comics, starting out as a co-editor on Action Comics during its period as a weekly title, and later The Flash, Justice League, and the Impact Comics line of titles.
As editor of The Flash beginning in 1989, Augustyn hired Mark Waid as writer in 1992, which led to an acclaimed eight-year run. Other Augustyn/Waid editor/writer partnerships included The Comet (DC/Impact, 1992) and Flash spin-off Impulse (DC, 1995–1996). He won the Wizard Fan Award for Favorite Editor in 1994.
He served as the managing editor of Visionary Comics Studio. He worked as story editor for publisher Red Giant Entertainment and their Giant-Size Comics line of free print comic book titles which debuted in 2014.
As co-writers, Augustyn and Mark Waid scripted The Crusaders for DC/Impact in 1992, Painkiller Jane and Ash: Cinder & Smoke for Event Comics in 1997, X-O Manowar, vol. 2, for Valiant Comics in 1997–1998, and JLA: Year One for DC in 1998–1999. After leaving his position as editor in 1996, Augustyn teamed with Waid to co-write The Flash in 1996–1997 and 1998–2000. They collaborated on The Life Story of the Flash graphic novel and co-wrote the story in The Flash #142 (October 1998) in which Wally West married Linda Park.
In 2014, Red Giant Entertainment announced that Augustyn was scripting a new Amped comic series which debuted in November as part of the monthly Giant-Sized line.
Personal life and death
Augustyn was born on November 2, 1954. He died from a stroke on February 1, 2022, at the age of 67 and is survived by his wife Nadine and daughters Carrie and Allie.
Archie: 1941 #1–5 (co-written by Augustyn and Mark Waid, art by Peter Krause, 2018–2019) collected as Archie: 1941 (tpb, 144 pages, 2019, ISBN1-68255-823-1)
Archie: 1955 #1–5 (co-written by Augustyn and Mark Waid, art by Tom Grummett (#1–2), Rick Burchett (#2 and 5), Ray-Anthony Height (#3 and 5), Derek Charm (#4) and Joe Eisma (#5), 2019–2020)
Detective Comics Annual #2: "Blood Secrets" (co-written by Augustyn and Mark Waid, art by Val Semeiks, 1989) collected in Batman: The Dark Knight Detective Volume 4 (tpb, 328 pages, 2021, ISBN1-77950-749-6)
JLA: Year One #1–12 (co-written by Augustyn and Mark Waid, art by Barry Kitson, 1998) collected as JLA: Year One (tpb, 320 pages, 1999, ISBN1-56389-512-9; hc, 336 pages, 2017, ISBN1-4012-7086-7)
Includes the "Burning Secrets" (art by Jim Aparo) and "The Sacrifice" (co-written by Waid and Brian Augustyn, art by Will Rosado) short stories from Speed Force (anthology one-shot, 1997)
The Flash by Mark Waid Book Eight (includes #152–159 and 162, tpb, 400 pages, 2021, ISBN1-77951-010-1)
Also collects the "Twenty-First Century Rogue" short story (co-written by Waid and Brian Augustyn, art by Ron Lim) from The Flash Secret Files & Origins #2 (1999)
Also collects The Flash vol. 2 #151 (framing sequence co-written by Waid and Brian Augustyn and drawn by Paul Pelletier; issue written by Joe Casey and drawn by Duncan Rouleau, 1999)
Also collects The Flash vol. 2 #160 (written by Brian Augustyn, drawn by Scott Kolins, 2000)
Dreamwave Productions
Duel Masters #1–8
MegaMan #1–4 (Dreamwave Productions, 2003)
Warlands: Dark Tide Rising #1–6
Impact Comics
Titles published by DC Comics' Impact imprint include:
The Crusaders #1–4, 8 (co-written by Augustyn and Mark Waid, art by Rags Morales and Jeffrey Moore (#8), 1992)
↑Manning, Matthew K. (2010). "1980s". In Dolan, Hannah (ed.). DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p.241. ISBN978-0-7566-6742-9. An 'alternate history of the Batman' was spawned in this dark prestige format one-shot by writer Brian Augustyn and artist Mike Mignola
↑Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 253: "Brian Augustyn and penciller Rags Morales gave the world a new face to bear the name of the Freedom Fighter Black Condor – Ryan Kendall."
↑Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 282: "It was up to writers Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn and artist Barry Kitson to fill in the blanks. With their twelve-issue maxiseries JLA: Year One, the trio examined the early days of the team...JLA: Year One proved a success, and cleaned up decades of convoluted comic history."
↑Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 281: Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn, with illustrators Gil Kane, Joe Staton, and Tom Palmer, recounted the life and times of the Silver Age Flash Barry Allen in this ninety-six page hardcover.
↑Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 285: "Wally West was going to marry his longtime love interest Linda Park...thanks to writers Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn, and artist Pop Mhan."