An Afternoon with Sergius O'Shaughnessy
Few people know or realize that comic book legend Dennis "Denny" O'Neil got his start at Charlton Comics under the pen name of Sergius O'Shaughnessy. That's right gang, check your backstock of Charlton titles and see if you have any with that name as the writer.
The alias came from the writings of one of Denny's favorite writers and inspirations, Norman Mailer. When Denny took the gig writing for Dick Giordano at Charlton, he decided to pay homage to his muse and use the nom de plume that referenced a young air force pilot from Mailer's novel "The Deer Park".
Our afternoon with Denny was spent learning about his amazing history in comics, as well as touching on philosphy, literature, and even stage acting. Yes, Denny was into acting at one time. His engaging wit and free-sprited personality made the day fly by, despite the fact that we have more two-hours of interview footage recorded.
If you ever have the chance to meet Denny and his wife Marifran in person, take advantage of it. We consider ourselves lucky to have had a once in a lifetime opportunity to visit them in their home for a day, and it is a day that we won't forget.
