Max Shea was an American comic book writer turned author originally best known for his involvement in several pirate stories at DC Comics (then known as National Comics), most notably Tales of the Black Freighter[1]. Later in his career, he retired from writing comics and became a literary novelist, going on to create widely acclaimed classics, including The Hooded Basilisk and Fogdancing.[2][3]He was just one of the dozens of artists, writers, and scientists that former costumed adventurer and billionaire industrialist Adrian Veidt (Ozymandias) lured into unknowing help create the "alien" squid monster, which in turn would later be teleported to New York City and kill millions of people.
Biography[]
Writing Career[]
Tales of the Black Freighter[]
In 1960, he was hired by National Comics for the first issue of Tales of the Black Freighter, collaborating with artist Joe Orlando. His first story was cliched and predictable but sturdy, and as he grew in experience with the comic medium, he experimented with innovative stories. Shea shared the comic's glory with Orlando. It was the first time he received any fan-mail and this had adverse effects on his ego, seeing himself as the driving force behind its success. The moody and temperamental Shea became resentful of Orlando, harassing him with a noxious attitude and forcing him to revise his artwork. After Shea worked with Issue #9, Orlando asked him to leave the book. Orlando was soon replaced by Walt Feinberg. There are few records of friction between the two creators, so it is supposed that Shea learned a lesson from Orlando's departure. His writing style matured and moved away from the mainstream swashbuckling tales; his stories were dark and sinister, touching themes like mortality and homosexuality, featuring an unnerving sense of reality under metaphysical terrors. Shea worked until issue #31. His last projected 5 stories were considered pornographic by DC Comics and were rejected. Shea left the magazine and comic books, in general, to focus on writing novels.[1]
Short Stories[]
Shea wrote several well-received short stories, including A Bucket of Blood and a Bottle of Run, Netherspace Slamdance, and Angela Bradstreet's Dirty Face.[4]
Fogdancing and The Hooded Basilisk[]
Following his departure from comics, Shea became a successful novelist and wrote Fogdancing, which became a groundbreaking literary classic, and would later be adapted into two films. He also wrote The Hooded Basilisk, which also became a literary classic.[3]
Top Secret "Science Fiction film" Project[]
Declared Missing[]
In 1983, Shea was reported missing from his hometown of Boston[1][3] and within two months of the same year other creative figures also vanished.[5] Shea and other bright minds were taken to an uncharted island by Adrian Veidt to work on a top-secret project, believing it to be a film production. He came up with the story of alien babies chewing their way out of their mother's womb.[6]
Events of Watchmen[]
In the last week of October 1985, the police called off the inquiry about his disappearance because of a lack of evidence of his whereabouts.[3] The New Frontiersman insisted that these disappearances were linked and part of a conspiracy, although the paper blamed Cuba.[5]
Meeting Hira Manish[]
During his time on the island, Shea had an affair with Hira Manish, another vanished artist. While a Pyramid Deliveries ship is coming to take the creature away, they discuss their current project and Shea's past work as Manish sketches the face of their creation. It is revealed that Manish did the art for some of Shea's works, and they refer to the "alien" both affectionately and sarcastically as "our baby."[6]
Pyramid Deliveries Ship Explosion[]
Shea and the other artists head onto a ship bearing the Pyramid Deliveries logo as they depart from the island, presumably headed for the mainland. Shea and Hira Manish hide in the cargo hold and are about to make love when he discovered a box under a tarpaulin. He lifted the tarp and realized that the box is a bomb that will go off in seconds, planned by Adrian Veidt to erase all traces of the project. When Manish asked what was wrong, he held her tightly, telling her reassuringly, "Nothing's wrong. Hold me." The bomb explodes moments later, obliterating the ship and killing Shea, Manish, and everyone else on board.[7]