Departures of note

Will Murray was an American novelist, journalist, and comic book writer born in Boston in 1953. He grew up as a devoted fan of pulp fiction heroes, particularly Doc Savage, and went on to become the literary executor for the estate of Doc Savage creator Lester Dent, publishing twenty-one Doc Savage novels from Dent's outlines under the pseudonym Kenneth Robeson. He also ghostwrote much of The Destroyer adventure paperback series and wrote numerous original novels, short stories, and magazine articles across pulp, science fiction, and horror genres.

In comics, Murray wrote stories for Marvel featuring Iron Man, the Punisher, and the Destroyer. In 1991, working with artist Steve Ditko, he co-created the superhero Squirrel Girl, who debuted in Marvel Super-Heroes #8. The character, based on his friend Doreen Greeley, grew from a guest appearance into a beloved Marvel figure who eventually headlined her own acclaimed series, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl.

A lifelong admirer of H. P. Lovecraft, Murray was a regular speaker at the NecronomiCon and helped organize the Friends of H. P. Lovecraft, which placed a memorial plaque honoring the author at Brown University's John Hay Library in 1990. He also wrote authorized sequels to the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs, including Tarzan and King Kong novels, and received numerous awards for his contributions to pulp fiction research and revival.