Via Multiversity Comics, veteran TV animation writer Michael Reaves passed away earlier this week following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 72 years old, and he leaves behind an amazing legacy in animation that included stints on Batman: The Animated Series and Gargoyles.
Reaves’ first Hollywood credit came in 1975 when he wrote an episode of The Secrets of Isis. During the ’80s, Reaves was particularly prolific in the field of animation with stints on The Smurfs, Blackstar, The Transformers, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, The Real Ghostbusters, Dungeons & Dragons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.
In the ’80s and ’90s, Reaves also wrote for live-action shows including the first revival of The Twilight Zone, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future, Monsters, Swamp Thing, and The Flash.
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In 1992, Reaves was a story editor and a writer on Batman: The Animated Series. His work on that series earned him an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program in 1993. He also co-wrote the acclaimed animated film, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.
Reaves was also one of the primary writers and producers for Disney’s Gargoyles in 1995. Reaves not only co-wrote the story for the five-part pilot episode, he and his wife at the time, Brynne Chandler Reaves, also wrote several additional episodes across the show’s first two seasons.
Outside of TV and animation, Reaves was also a prolific novelist who wrote several original titles as well as Star Wars tie-in books. In part because of his Parkinson’s symptoms, Reaves worked with his daughter, Mallory Reaves, and Neil Gaiman on their InterWorld sci-fi/fantasy novels from 2007 to 2015.
Superhero Hype extends its condolences to Reaves’ family, friends, and fans all over the world. Please feel free to share your favorite Michael Reaves memories in the comment section below.
