Mr. Marvelous

David Liss

For David Liss (M.A.'93), creating polished, awe-inspiring fictional characters is nothing new. But now, instead of crafting his own protagonist, the best-selling author is writing from the point of view of a bona-fide Marvel Comics superhero: The Black Panther.

Last year, Liss made the jump from novels to comics when he was hired to pen the adventures of "Black Panther: The Man Without Fear." With Black Panther, Liss, who is white, brings to life the adventures of the first African-American superhero in mainstream American comics.

Liss has published six other novels and has one in the pipeline now. His debut novel, "Conspiracy of Paper," won Best First Novel in 2001 from both the Edgar and Macavity awards, two of the most prestigious awards in the mystery genre. The book was the first in a series of acclaimed thrillers featuring the lead character Benjamin Weaver, an 18th century "thief-taker" - an investigator hired to capture criminals.   

Liss said his passion for writing grew while he was in GSU's graduate program in creative writing. He said the staff helped bolster his confidence as a writer. In particular he credits associate professor of English Murray Brown for providing invaluable advice that helped shape him into the writer he is today.

"They helped me with my intellectual growth as a writer, and that I'll never forget," Liss said.

Now, as the ongoing writer for the Black Panther series, Liss dismisses any challenges he has faced while chronicling the black superhero.

"I don't think you need to be of a particular race or ethnicity to write about someone," he said. "Writers take imaginative leaps. That's our job, and the important thing is to make every effort to do it well."