I would like biographical information about John Broome. He wrote
Green Lantern for (I believe) DC Comics. I am interested in where he
was born, where he lived, names of children, if he is still alive,
etc.

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Request for Question Clarification by arlenegreen-ga on 06 Nov 2002 21:08 PST

I've managed to find out that he isn't still alive. He died in 1999
while travelling through SE Asia of a heart attack. He was 85. I'm
still looking for more details. Do you need an actual biography or
would just the facts suffice?

Dear leahcim,

I spoke with Julius Schwartz, John Broome’s former editor at DC
comics.
He says that Broome lived in Brooklyn, and Bay Ridge, New York right
after the war years. Then he moved to Wingdale, New York around 1946,
about 100 miles north of the City. He lived in Wingdale until he moved
to Paris. Schwartz was
Broome’s best friend and still goes in to the office at DC one day
a week (Thursday this week.) The number at DC Comics is 
212-636-5400.

Schwartz did not remember the name of Broome’s daughter, but said
she was one year old in 1948, when she attended Schwartz’s wedding.
That would make her about 56 today. He says she and Peggy Broome
are still living in Paris. He has Peggy’s mailing address, but I am
unable
to pass it on to you because of Google Answers’ privacy protections. 
Perhaps you can contact Schwartz yourself? He was very busy when
I called, but maybe you can catch him at a better time. I can write
to Peggy Broome, but the response time will be really long. You
can probably contact her yourself faster. Before you rate this
answer please allow me to clarify or add anything I’ve left out.
Good luck in your search! cath-ga

Hi leahcim, 

I am writing to say that I am working on your question about John
Broome (1913-1999), and to let you know how I’m doing. Broome did
indeed write The Green Lantern for DC comics. In fact he was a
“contract contributor” to DC Comics from the early 1940’s until he
retired from the strips in 1970. According to a Los Angeles Times
obituary, Broome, “put words in the mouths” of a whole gang of
superheroes, including Flash, Green Lantern, The Justice Society of
America, Captain Comic, Detective Chimp and Atomic Knights.
	He began a life change in the late 1960’s, moving to Paris, France.
His last script was published in the March 1970 issue of The Green
Lantern.
Broome later moved to Tokyo, where he taught English. He was an avid
traveler, and was on a trip to Thailand when he suffered a heart
attack and died March 14, 1999. He was 85 years old.
The Times obituary makes no mention of any surviving relatives-
doesn’t
mention any wife of children, which suggests he didn’t have any.

There’s a bibliographic summary on him at:

http://www.sfsite.com/isfdb-bin/exact_author.cgi?John_Broome

which lists his birthdate as 1913, and gives the citations for some
of his early science fiction stories. 

I found a death notice for him on the Social Security Death Index,
which says he was born May 4, 1913. His Social Security card
was apparently issued in New York before 1951, so he must
have lived there then. 

I found the LA Times obit on the Obituary Daily Times website:
http://obits.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/obit.cgi?sourceid=00287279494923792075

I obtained the Los Angeles Times obituary on him from LATimes.com
http://www.latimes.com/
for $2.50. 

I also have a citation for an obituary on him in “The Independent,” on
May 27, 1999. I have a request in to “The Independent” and to my local
library for that,
as well as for a Biography Index summary on him. 

There is not much biographical information included in the next site,
but
there is a transcription of John Broome’s comments at the 1998 Comic
Con
International in San Diego on the web.The panelt includes his editor
Julius Schwartz, and tells about Broome’s unsuccessful attempt to
start a comics writers’ union.  It is in two parts, at:

http://www.povonline.com/COL233.htm
http://www.povonline.com/COL234.htm

Anway, this is what I have so far. I have not posted it as an answer
because I don’t have his place of birth, and names of children. While
I’m waiting for my other sources to respond, perhaps you can let me
know whether this is the type of information you need, and what else
you must have to be happy with the
answer. Thanks! cath-ga

This is indeed the kind of information I am interested in - though I
didn't have much luck with the links. I am interested in the
family/children piece and in where he resided in the late 1940's and
early 1950's.

Thanks for the input. I'll get on it. cath-ga

Hi leahcim,

According to an obituary on the DC Direct Contact website, 

( http://www.figma.com/4cr/4cr_newsfeed/showmsg.mv?message=187 )

Broome was survived by his wife of 61 years, Peggy, and by a daughter.
Both were living in Paris, France at the time of the obit. In fact,
according to an obituary in “The Independent”  (5/27/99)
Peggy was traveling with Broome in Thailand when he had his
fatal heart attack in a hotel swimming pool. I had computer problems
today, but sent out many e-mails. Will let you know when I know more.
cath-ga

I do not need a biography. I would like to know where he lived during
the '40's and '50's and his daughter's name. That would do it.
Thanks.