Del Close

Del Close was born on March 9, 1934, in Manhattan, Kansas, and died on March 4, 1999, in Chicago, Illinois. Though best known as a transformative teacher of improvisational theater and a co-founder of the ImprovOlympic (iO), he also left a distinct, if less voluminous, mark on comic books. Close’s writing credits span from 1986 to 2007, with his most notable work appearing in *Wasteland*, *The Maxx*, and *Munden's Bar*. His approach to storytelling—rooted in the spontaneous, character-driven logic of improv—gave his comics a loose, unpredictable energy. He collaborated closely with artist Sam Kieth on *The Maxx*, a surreal series that fused psychological depth with superhero tropes. Close also contributed to the shared-world anthology *Munden's Bar*, a showcase for offbeat genre tales. While his comic book output was modest, his influence on the medium came largely through his students, many of whom became prominent writers and performers in their own right. Close received several posthumous honors, including induction into the Comedy Hall of Fame, and his legacy endures in the ongoing practice of long-form improvisation. His work in comics remains a curious footnote to a career that reshaped American comedy.