{{Short description|American broadcaster and writer}} {{Infobox comics creator | image = | imagesize = | caption = | birth_name = Cary D. Burkett<ref name="Bails" /> | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | nationality = American | area = | write = y | ink = | color = | alias = | notable works = ''Detective Comics''<br>"Nemesis"<br>''The Warlord''<br>''World's Finest Comics'' | awards = }} '''Cary Burkett''' is an American radio broadcaster and former comic book writer best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Nemesis with artist Dan Spiegle.
==Biography== Cary Burkett attended the University of Texas at Austin and earned a BFA degree in theatre. He moved to New York City and performed in Off-Broadway productions and wrote comic books for DC Comics.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.witf.org/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=25&id=354|title= Cary Burkett|year= 2013|location= Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|publisher= WITF-FM|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20130109172325/http://www.witf.org/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=25&id=354|archivedate= January 9, 2013|url-status= live|accessdate= March 23, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="Bails">{{cite web|url= http://www.bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=BURKETT%2c+CARY|title= Burkett, Cary|first= Jerry|last= Bails|author-link= Jerry Bails|year= 2006|work= Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928-1999|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20140102013803/http://www.bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=BURKETT%2C+CARY|archivedate= January 2, 2014|url-status= live|accessdate= June 24, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> His first credits for DC were writing text articles and responses to readers' letters in the letter columns of various titles. Burkett's first published comic book story was titled "When You Wish Upon A Star" and appeared in ''House of Mystery'' #255 (November–December 1977).<ref name="GCD">{{gcdb|type=writer|search= Cary+Burkett|title= Cary Burkett}}</ref> His best known comics work is the character Nemesis. The character's civilian secret identity of Thomas Tresser was created by Burkett in 1979 and named for an actor with whom he was rooming with in New Hampshire.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://m.chicagoreader.com/chicago/nemesis-vs-politics-as-usual/Content?oid=917568 |title=Nemesis vs. Politics as Usual - Gadfly, former actor, and superhero model Tom Tresser is back, calling on the creative class to claim their piece of the pie. |first=Deanna |last=Isaacs |date=December 23, 2004 |newspaper=Chicago Reader |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208075550/http://m.chicagoreader.com/chicago/nemesis-vs-politics-as-usual/Content?oid=917568 |archivedate=December 8, 2015 |url-status=live|df=mdy-all|accessdate=January 22, 2012 |quote=Tom Tresser, the square-jawed, blond comic-book hero, was created in 1979, when Tom Tresser, the meeker, balder actor, was working at the Merrimack Valley Theatre in Manchester, New Hampshire, and rooming with writer Cary Burkett. Burkett got an assignment from DC Comics to create a new character and came up with Nemesis, a master of martial arts and disguise, who needed a daytime alias. Burkett's Tom Tresser became a mild-mannered, Shakespeare-quoting former FBI agent.}}</ref> The character debuted in an eight-page backup story in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #166 (September 1980) written by Burkett and drawn by Dan Spiegle. The "Nemesis" feature ran in issues #166 through 192, and the character teamed-up with the Batman in #170 and #193.<ref>{{cite journal|last = Trumbull|first = John|title = Nemesis Balancing the Scales|journal = Back Issue!|issue = 64|pages = 69–75|publisher = TwoMorrows Publishing|date = May 2013|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref> Another Burkett-created character, the Swashbuckler, debuted in ''Detective Comics'' #493 (Aug. 1980) but never appeared again.<ref>{{cite journal|last= Franklin|first= Chris|title= Swashbuckled and Hornswoggled: The All-Too-Brief Career of the Swashbuckler|journal= Back Issue!|issue= 71|pages= 60–61|publisher= TwoMorrows Publishing|date= April 2014|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref>
In 1983, artist Rich Buckler recruited Burkett to write the ''Mighty Crusaders'' title for Archie Comics.<ref name="Cobb">{{cite web|last=Cobb |first=Bradley S. |title=Cary Burkett Interview |publisher=The Mighty Crusaders Network |year=2001 |url=http://www.mightycrusaders.net/interviews/burkett.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215170409/http://www.mightycrusaders.net/interviews/burkett.html |archivedate=December 15, 2013 |accessdate=June 23, 2012 |url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> That same year saw Burkett begin a two-year run on DC's ''The Warlord'' title. He wrote for Marvel Comics as well, scripting an adaptation of the ''Sheena'' film and stories for ''Marvel Team-Up'' and ''The Spectacular Spider-Man''. Upon finishing his run on ''The Warlord'' with issue #99 (November 1985), Burkett left the comics industry.<ref name="GCD" />
Following his departure from comics, Burkett relocated to Pennsylvania and became a radio broadcaster for WITF-FM in Harrisburg. He hosted ''Classical Air'', a classical music program.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jandecka |first=J. A. |title=Personality Profiles Cary Burkett Airs Out the Dirty Stereotypes |publisher=Modeweekly.com |year=2003 |url=http://www.modeweekly.com/1999/0299/PP-CaryBurkett0299.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110104190129/http://modeweekly.com/1999/0299/PP-CaryBurkett0299.htm |archivedate=January 4, 2011 |accessdate=June 23, 2012 |url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In 2011, he was a poetry reader for the Sunderman Conservatory of Music at Gettysburg College.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gettysburg.edu/academics/conservatory/ensembles/bands/wind/guests/burkett.dot |title=Cary Burkett Poetry Reader: ''An Introduction to the Moon'' - Libby Larsen |year=2011 |publisher=Gettysburg College |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130911101736/http://www.gettysburg.edu/academics/conservatory/ensembles/bands/wind/guests/burkett.dot |archivedate=September 11, 2013 |url-status=live |accessdate=June 24, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
==Bibliography==
===Archie Comics=== *''The Mighty Crusaders'' #4–5, 7–8 (1983–1984)
===DC Comics=== {{div col|colwidth=20em}} *''Adventure Comics'' #459–460 (Green Lantern) (1978) *''The Amazing World of DC Comics'' #16 (text article) (1977) *''The Brave and the Bold'' #143, 147, 153, 156, 160, 168, 170, 193 (Batman team-ups); #166–169, 171–178, 180–192 (Nemesis backup feature) (1978–1982) *''Cancelled Comic Cavalcade'' #1 (1978) *''DC Comics Presents'' #60 (Superman and the Guardians of the Universe) (1983) *''DC Special Series'' #19 (Wonder Woman) (1979) *''Detective Comics'' #488, 492–493 (Batman); 491–499, 501–502, 505–506, 508–510, 512–517 (Batgirl backup feature) (1980–1982) *''Ghosts'' #104 (1981) *''Green Lantern'' #107–110 (1978) *''House of Mystery'' #255, 271 (1977–1979) *''House of Secrets'' #151 (1978) *''Justice League of America'' #218 (1983) *''Men of War'' #4–6, 9–11, 21–23 (1978–1979) *''Secrets of Haunted House'' #14, 40 (1978–1981) *''Superman'' #328 ("Private Life of Clark Kent" backup feature) (1978) *''The Superman Family'' #195–196 ("Private Life of Clark Kent" backup feature) (1979) *''The Unexpected'' #190 (1979) *''Unknown Soldier'' #243–248, 254–256 (1980–1981) *''The Warlord'' #72–99, ''Annual'' #2–4 (1983–1985) *''Weird War Tales'' #59, 92 (1978–1980) *''World's Finest Comics'' #265–266, 268, 272–274, 277, 279–287 (1980–1983)
====Collected editions==== * ''Tales of the Batman: Don Newton'' includes ''The Brave and the Bold'' #153, 156, and ''Detective Comics'' #488, 492–493; 360 pages, December 2011, {{ISBN|1401232949}} * ''Batgirl: The Bronze Age Omnibus'' Volume 2 includes ''Detective Comics'' #491-499, 501–502, 505–506, 508–510, 512–517; 576 pages, April 2019, {{ISBN|978-1401288419}} {{div col end}}
===Marvel Comics=== *''Marvel Super Special'' #34 (Sheena) (1984) *''Marvel Team-Up'' #139, 144, 146–148 (1984) *''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' #101–102 (1985)
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== * {{comicbookdb|type=creator|id=4609|title=Cary Burkett}} * [http://docs.comics.org/images/0/05/DC_Profiles_30.jpg "DC Profiles #30: Cary Burkett"] at the Grand Comics Database * [https://www.mikesamazingworld.com/main/features/creator.php?creatorid=553 Cary Burkett] at Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics * [http://www.maelmill-insi.de/UHBMCC/namb63.htm#N1023 Cary Burkett] at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
{{S-start}} {{Succession box|title= "Batman" feature in ''Detective Comics''<br>writer|before= Dennis O'Neil|after= Michael Fleisher|years= 1980}} {{Succession box|title= "Batgirl" feature in ''Detective Comics''<br>writer|before= Mike W. Barr|after= Barbara Kesel|years= 1980–1982}} {{Succession box|title= ''World's Finest Comics'' writer|before= Dennis O'Neil|after=Mike W. Barr and <br>Marv Wolfman|years= 1980–1983}} {{Succession box|title= ''The Warlord'' writer|before= Mike Grell and <br>Sharon Wright Grell|after= Michael Fleisher|years=1983–1985}} {{S-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burkett, Cary}} Category:American comics writers Category:American radio personalities Category:Living people Category:Moody College of Communication alumni Category:Writers from Texas Category:Year of birth missing (living people)