Line #38 Creator/LarryHama


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Larry-Hama_1245.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:Larry Hama and friends]]
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4	Larry Hama (born June 7, 1949) is an American ComicBook writer, artist, and editor. He originally studied art at Manhattan's High School of Art and Design, and sold his first comics work at the age of 16. After high school, Hama took a job drawing shoes for catalogs, then served in the Vietnam War with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, where he became a firearms and explosive ordnance expert. Afterward, he worked with Wally Wood, Neal Adams, and Alan Weiss as a penciler and inker, then later migrated to become an editor and writer for Creator/DCComics and Creator/MarvelComics.
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6	He is best known for his work on ''[[ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroMarvel G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]'', where he holds the distinction of being the longest-serving writer of the series, along with creating the numerous character profiles for the ''Joe'' toys. In total, he wrote 153 issues with only a single fill-in by another writer. His other major claim to fame is ''ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'', which he wrote for eight years. Other works created by Larry Hama include ''ComicBook/NthManTheUltimateNinja'' and ''ComicBook/BuckyOHareAndTheToadWars''.
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8	Larry Hama is also an actor and musician; he has appeared in minor roles on television, and was a guitarist for the band K-Otics.
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11	!! Larry Hama's works include:
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13	* ''[[ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroMarvel G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]''
14	* ''ComicBook/MortTheDeadTeenager''
15	* ''[[ComicBook/IronFist Marvel Premiere: Iron Fist]]'' (penciller)
16	* ''ComicBook/NthManTheUltimateNinja''
17	* ''ComicBook/BuckyOHareAndTheToadWars''
18	* ''Peter Porker: The Spectacular ComicBook/SpiderHam'' (editor)
19	* ''ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}''
20	* ''ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}''
21	* ''ComicBook/WolverinePatch''
22	* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}''
23	* ''ComicBook/TheNam'' (editor)
24	* ''ComicBook/MoonKnight'' (penciller)
25	* ''WesternAnimation/COPSAnimatedSeries'' (character profiles)
26	* ''ComicBook/GenerationX''
27	* ''Barack The Barbarian''
28	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Robotboy}}'' (writer)
29	* ''[=SpyHunter=]/Paperboy'' (DC Comics mini-series based on [[VideoGame/SpyHunter two classic]] [[VideoGame/{{Paperboy}} arcade games]])
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32	!! Tropes associated with Larry Hama include:
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34	* ActionFigureFileCard: This trope exists because of Hama. When he was asked to write the ''Franchise/GIJoe'' comic, he kept track of the large cast by creating dossiers for each character. Creator/{{Hasbro}} execs liked the dossiers and put them on the toy packages, other lines from Hasbro and its competitors [[FollowTheLeader followed suit]], and a trend was born.
35	* ActionGirl: Hama's women are almost always strong and independent. His portrayal of female Joes in ''Franchise/GIJoe'' helped the comic attract a large female readership.
36	* AuthorAppeal: Military warfare and Asian culture appear regularly in his works.
37	* AuthorAvatar:
38	** Has admitted both Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow sometimes served as this for him while writing GI Joe.
39	** Tunnel Rat is inspired by him and actually have much of his history.
40	* BattleCouple: [[Franchise/GIJoe Snake-Eyes and Scarlett, Destro and The Baroness,]] [[ComicBook/NthManTheUltimateNinja John Doe and Colonel Novikova.]]
41	* CombatPragmatist: Larry Hama's protagonists tend to be less flashy and more lethal in their attacks.
42	* CreatorCameo: The head sculpt for the ''Franchise/GIJoe'' action figure "Tunnel Rat" is based on Hama. This was done by the toy developers as a tribute.
43	* {{Deuteragonist}}: [[Franchise/GIJoe Destro]] being the most famous example.
44	* DirtyCommunists: Always averted.
45	* DudeWheresMyRespect:
46	** Larry Hama commented on the fact that being the primary writer (some would say creator) behind GI Joe as a concept led to many comic book fans dismissing him versus the big superhero comics.
47	** Was almost fired from Marvel comic for the fact that he was viewed as forwarding an "Asian revolt." Larry Hama said that the other Asian writers and employees just liked hanging around his desk.
48	** He wasn't considered for writing the cartoon of GI Joe despite creating a not-insubstantial number of their characters.
49	* EvenEvilHasStandards: Destro, Zartan, and Storm Shadow are some of his most famous characters and defined by their NobleDemon qualities.
50	* EvilVersusEvil: The villains of his books are often engaged in plotting and ChronicBackstabbingDisorder.
51	* FromNobodyToNightmare: A recurring theme; [[Franchise/GIJoe Cobra Commander]] was originally a used-car salesman, and [[ComicBook/NthManTheUltimateNinja Alfie O'Megan]] started off as an orphan.
52	* GloriousMotherRussia: Often played for laughs, especially with the KGB Swallows from ''[[ComicBook/NthManTheUltimateNinja Nth Man]]'' and the Oktober Guard from ''Franchise/GIJoe''.
53	* HiddenDepths: Along with his music career, Hama has also been on Broadway and was in the original cast of ''Theatre/PacificOvertures''. He's also said [[http://comicsalliance.com/five-stars-larry-hama-interview/ in interview]] that he considers himself stuck in the "[[SciFiGhetto military comics ghetto]]" and his lifetime ambition has been to write [[Comicbook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse Uncle Scrooge.]] He says he only took the ''G.I. Joe'' gig because he didn't want some "armchair jingoist" writing it instead.
54	* TheMentor: Creator/ChristopherPriest said that Larry served as this for him during his early career in Marvel Comics.
55	* {{Ninja}}: Helped trigger the Eighties fascination with ninja, at least at Marvel comics and Hasbro, alongside Frank Miller.
56	* NobleSavage: Admits he fell into this on occasion with native tribesmen and Spirit.
57	* PunnyName:
58	** Often done with the Joes' civilian names, such as an Arctic trooper named [[http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h230.html Farley Seward]] or a Hovercraft pilot named [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_skipping Skip A. Stone]].
59	** This started in ''issue 2'' with [[Music/BobDylan Kwinn the Eskimo]]. There are also GI Joe countries named "Benzheen" (an oil-producing {{Qurac}}) and Frusenland (an Arctic country).
60	** Considering the sheer number of Joes he created, it's surprising that few lapse straight on into StevenUlyssesPerhero. The only really overt one is Alpine (real name Albert Pine).
61	** The main character of his lesser-known series ''Mort the Dead Teenager'' has the name of Mort Graves. Funnily enough, the rest of his family doesn't share a naming theme.
62	* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Often done by both heroes and villains.
63	* ShownTheirWork: Most evident whenever Hama's stories feature military hardware, tactics, and strategy, as he does not hesitate to use accurate jargon and details that [[strike:may]] will fly over the readers' heads. Many issues include a glossary to help readers understand the terms used.
64	* SupernaturalMartialArts: Ninjas are portrayed as SuperSoldier types in his story and are the one aversion to the otherwise more grounded handling of war as well as fighting.
65	* WarIsHell: Due to his own military experience, Larry Hama does a surprising lot to make GI Joe handle the subject of war with a heavy heart and victims.
66	* WarriorPoet: His soldiers are often philosophical and intelligent in multiple respects, discussing the nature of war and conflict.
67	* WriteWhatYouKnow: Hama drew heavily on his own military experience and made Fort Wadsworth, where he served, as the GI Joe HQ.
68	* WorthyOpponent: A great deal of respect is often shown between the GI Joes and their more NobleDemon opponents like Ace to Wild Weasel and Snake Eyes to Storm Shadow.
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Context Creator / LarryHama