Max Hodge

'''Max Hodge''' (February 12, 1916 – August 17, 2007)<ref>[http://www.mocavo.com/Max-Hodge-1916-2007-Social-Security-Death-Index/00076713303294087145 MAX HODGE (1916-2007), Social Security Death Index]</ref> was an American television writer who worked on shows including ''The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.'', ''CHiPS'' and ''Mission: Impossible'', and is perhaps best known for creating Mr. Freeze for ''Batman''.<ref name="variety">{{cite web | last = Variety Staff | authorlink = Variety (magazine) | title = Max Hodge, 91, TV writer | work = Variety | date = 2007-08-22 | url = https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117970557.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&nid=2562 | accessdate = 2008-01-26 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071022221815/https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117970557.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&nid=2562 | archive-date = 2007-10-22 | url-status=dead}}</ref>

Hodge grew up in East Moline, Illinois, and Michigan, later graduating from the University of Michigan then enlisting in the Navy during World War II. He then attended Pasadena Playhouse College of Theater Arts and began his television career in the 1950s as a producer working on industrial shows for Oldsmobile.<ref name="variety" /> In his time at University of Michigan- Ann Arbor, Hodge was chief editor of the student magazine the Gargoyle and president of the men's dramatic union, the Mimes.

His writing career spanned the 1960s through the early 1980s, with Hodge writing for ''Dr. Kildare'', ''The Wild Wild West'', ''Marcus Welby, M.D.'', ''Ironside'', ''The Waltons'', ''The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan''<ref name="obit">{{cite web | last = Melrose | first = Kevin | authorlink = Kevin Melrose | title = Max Hodge, TV writer who 'created' Mr. Freeze, dies | publisher = Newsarama | date = 2007-08-21 | url = http://blog.newsarama.com/2007/08/21/max-hodge-tv-writer-who-created-mr-freeze-dies/ | accessdate = 2008-01-26 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070929141830/http://blog.newsarama.com/2007/08/21/max-hodge-tv-writer-who-created-mr-freeze-dies/ | archive-date = 2007-09-29 | url-status = dead }}</ref> in addition to the aforementioned ''ChiPS'', ''Mission: Impossible'', ''The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.'' and ''Batman''. He also served as an associate producer on ''The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.''

Hodge is credited for creating Mr. Freeze for the ''Batman'' show, having taken the existing Batman comic character Mr. Zero which was created by Bob Kane and modifying elements to him. Mr. Zero first appeared in ''Batman'' #121 in February 1959, but Hodge took the character and introduced the trademark ice suit which he needed to survive, first appearing in the episode ''Instant Freeze''.<ref name="obit" /> Mr. Freeze is addressed once as "Dr. Schimmel<ref>To the Batpoles podcast, episode 169, "'Instant Freeze' script: We don’t love a parade," published 2021-09-30, retrieved 2025-12-25 : https://tothebatpoles.libsyn.com/instant-freeze-script-we-dont-love-a-parade</ref>" by Batman in the episode. In the comics, Freeze's other identity became "Art Shivel" (apparently a mishearing of how he was addressed on "Batman"). His name in the comics was later changed to Victor Fries.<ref name="variety" />

Hodge died August 17, 2007, in Woodland Hills, California. He was 91 years old.<ref name="variety" /> Most of his works, scripts, and related supplemental material(including his script for "Mr.Freeze") were donated to his alma mater and can be found in the Donald Hall Collection of University of Michigan.

==Filmography==

===Films=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Film !! Credit !! Notes |- | 1972 |''The Night Stalker'' |Screenplay By (Uncredited) |Television Movie |- | 1973 |''A Dream For Christmas'' |Screenplay By |Television Movie |- |}

===Television=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! TV Series !! Credit !! Notes |- | rowspan=2|1965 |''Dr. Kildare'' |Writer |3 Episodes |- |''Valentine's Day'' |Writer |1 Episode |- | 1966 |''Batman'' |Writer |4 Episodes |- | 1966–67 |''The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.'' |Writer, Associate Producer |29 Episodes |- | 1967 |''Hondo'' |Writer |1 Episode |- | rowspan=2|1968 |''Mission Impossible'' |Writer |1 Episode |- |''The Wild Wild West'' |Writer |1 Episode |- | 1969–76 |''Marcus Welby, M.D.'' |Writer |4 Episodes |- | rowspan=2|1970 |''The Bold Ones: The New Doctors'' |Writer |1 Episode |- |''Medical Center'' |Writer |1 Episode |- | rowspan=2|1971 |''Mannix'' |Writer |1 Episode |- |''Alias Smith and Jones'' |Writer |1 Episode |- | 1971–72 |''Ironside'' |Writer |5 Episodes |- | 1972 |''The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan'' |Writer |9 Episodes |- | rowspan=3|1974 |''Apple's Way'' |Writer, Story Editor |2 Episodes |- |''Cannon'' |Writer |1 Episode |- |''Maude'' |Writer |1 Episode |- | rowspan=2|1975 |''Barbary Coast'' |Writer |1 Episode |- |''Caribe'' |Writer |1 Episode |- | 1975–76 |''The Waltons'' |Writer |2 Episodes |- | 1976–78 |''Police Woman'' |Writer |3 Episodes |- | 1978 |''Quincy, M.E.'' |Writer |1 Episode |- | 1978–80 |''CHiPs'' |Writer |2 Episodes |- | 1979 |''Supertrain'' |Writer |1 Episode |- | 1980 |''Eight Is Enough'' |Writer |1 Episode |- | 1981 |''Palmerstown, U.S.A.'' |Writer |1 Episode |- |}

==References== {{reflist|2}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|nm0388086}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hodge, Max}} Category:1916 births Category:2007 deaths Category:University of Michigan alumni Category:American television writers Category:American male television writers Category:People from East Moline, Illinois Category:Screenwriters from Illinois Category:20th-century American screenwriters Category:20th-century American male writers Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II