Comic historian, artist, archivist and publisher Greg Theakston, known for his detailed research under his independently published Pure Imagination imprint, passed away on April 22, 2019. Nancy Danahy confirmed his passing in a Facebook post, saying “my former (and only) husband passed away today. RIP Greg Theakston.” He was 65 years old. 

Born November 21, 1953, Theakston graduated from Redford High School in 1971. During this time he was involved in the Detroit area fandom community, frequently contributing to Detroit’s Fantasy Fans and Comic-collector’s Group fanzine The Fan Informer. He was also part of the earliest comic convention scene, helping to organize the Detroit Triple Fan Fair and eventually owning it. Theakston later worked with artist Jim Steranko at his Supergraphics publishing company in Pennsylvania before moving with his partner Carl Lundgren to upstate New York. While there, he illustrated for such men’s magazines as Gent, Dude, and Nugget.

Throughout his career, Theakston worked on such paperbacks and magazines as Berkley Books, Dell, Ace, DAW, Zebra, Tor, St. Martin’s Press, Warner, Ballantine Books, Belmont-Tower, If and Galaxy Science Fiction. He also inked samples of Jim Starlin’s early pencils, which helped Starlin gain his first work for Marvel Comics. As an original member of the Crusty Bunkers, Theakston worked closely with Neal Adams at Continuity Associates. Together they produced animatics, storyboards, comic art, and various commercial advertising assignments.

Theakston was an illustrator at MAD for ten years and worked regularly with numerous comics publishers including Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Image Comics, Warren Comics, and Archie Comics. Among his projects were Omega Men, Super Powers, DC Comics Presents, DC’s Who’s Who and Planet of the Apes. Theakston also worked on such periodical magazines as National Lampoon, The New York Times, Kitchen Sink, Playboy, TV Guide and Rolling Stone. His movie poster work can be seen in the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art. 

He founded and operated the comic book and magazine publisher, Pure Imagination, in 1975. It’s estimated that his biographical work includes 200,000 words on Jack Kirby, 250,000 words on Bettie Page, as well as numerous pieces on other comic book artists, and pop culture figures. Before digital scanning and manipulation, Theakston’s form of restoration was the best was to get clear copies of artwork for which no original existed. This process of bleaching color from old comics pages was coined “Theakstonizing” by DC editor-in-chief, Dick Giordano. 

Over the years, Theakston reconstructed over 12,000 pages of classic comic art and numerous collections of popular comics artists. In 2010, he received the Shel Dorf Torch Bearer’s Award for “Preserving the Flame of the Spirit of Comics and Carrying the Torch Forward in the Comic Industry.”