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Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox comics creator

Peter Allen David (born September 23, 1956),<ref name=Salisbury>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> often abbreviated PAD,<ref name=BillMitchel>Template:Cite web</ref> is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games.<ref name=CBR3.29.14>Buxton, Marc (March 29, 2014). "From 'Future Imperfect' to '2099': Peter David's Greatest Hits". Comic Book Resources.</ref> His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor.

His Star Trek work includes comic books and novels such as the New Frontier book series. His other novels include film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5, Young Justice, Ben 10: Alien Force<ref name=CBR3.29.14/> and Nickelodeon's Space Cases, which he co-created with Bill Mumy.

David often jokingly describes his occupation as "Writer of Stuff",<ref name=CBR3.29.14/><ref name=BlindMansBluff>"Peter David Takes Fans Down Blind Man's Bluff". startrek.com. April 20, 2011.</ref> and he is noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real-world issues with humor<ref name=Mermaid>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=StarTrek.com>"Peter David, Post-Stroke, Returns Home". startrek.com. February 11, 2013.</ref> and references to popular culture, as well as elements of metafiction<ref name=BillMitchel/> and self-reference.<ref name=CaptPhil>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Examples cited by David and others include commenting that he had a "good run" on Supergirl by having that character use that phrase in a letter to Clark Kent in David's final issue of that title. Another is the aged, future Rick Jones in the final issue of David's 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, telling an unseen interviewer by the name of "Peter" (which David stated he left vague enough so that it could be interpreted as either himself or Peter Parker) that he was finished talking about the Hulk, and wanted to move on to other things, which echoed David's own sentiments. David appeared in an issue of the series, in the form of the unnamed priest who married Jones and his wife in The Incredible Hulk #418 (June 1994), who was illustrated to look like David.</ref>

David has earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award, a 2007 Julie Award and a 2011 GLAAD Media Award.

Early life

[edit]

Peter David's paternal grandparents, Martin and Hela David, and his father, Gunter, emigrated to the United States in the 1930s after the antisemitism in Nazi Germany progressed to the point that Martin's Berlin shoestore became the target of vandalism.<ref>David, Peter. "Gay Abandon". "But I Digress...". Comics Buyer's Guide. June 12, 1992 (Accessed in the 1994 But I Digress collection.)</ref><ref>David, Peter. "A science-fiction con in Germany? Ja!" "But I Digress..."; Comics Buyer's Guide #1464; December 7, 2001</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> David was born September 23, 1956, in Fort Meade, Maryland,<ref name=Salisbury/> to Gunter and Dalia David (née Rojansky),<ref name=Q&A7>David, Peter. "So...what do ya wanna know?" peterdavid.net. January 19, 2011.</ref><ref name=PAD5.31.17>David, Peter (May 31, 2017). "R.I.P. Dalia Rojansky David". peterdavid.net.</ref> an Israeli Jewish mother who had worked with DNA mappers James Watson and Francis Crick and to whom David credits his sense of humor.<ref name="Q&A7" /><ref name=PAD5.31.17/><ref>David, Peter (February 24, 2009). "Soooo...Electing Barack Obama was an Act of Cowardice?" peterdavid.net. (David mentions these facts in a February 24, 2009. 6:31pm post and in a February 25, 2009 2:32pm post.)</ref><ref name="PoliticalCorrectness">David, Peter (November 19, 2010). "Political Correctness and other topics". peterdavid.net. Reprinted from Comics Buyer's Guide #1066 (April 22, 1994)</ref><ref name=Crystallographica>Magdoff, B.S.; Crick, Francis (1955). "A new crystal form of ribonuclease". Acta Crystallographica. 8, 468-472 "Mrs. Dalia Rojansky David, who did all the computation".</ref> He has two siblings,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a brother Wally,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> seven years his junior,<ref name=MoreDigressions>David, Peter (2009). More Digressions. Second Age, Inc. p. 37.</ref> who works as an IT Systems Administrator in the financial sector, and a younger sister named Beth.<ref>David, Peter (July 23, 2012). "Summer 1997 convention travels". peterdavid.net. Reprinted from Comics Buyer's Guide #1242 (September 5, 1997)</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

David first became interested in comics when he was about five years old, reading copies of Harvey Comics' Casper and Wendy in a barbershop. He became interested in superheroes through the Adventures of Superman TV series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Although David's parents approved of his reading Harvey Comics and comics featuring Disney characters, they did not approve of superhero books,<ref name=BID9.22.00>David, Peter (May 5, 2014). "Remembering Carl Barks’ work & Marvel editorial changes". peterdavid.net. Reprinted from Comics Buyer's Guide #1401 (September 22, 2000).</ref> especially those published by Marvel Comics, feeling that characters that looked like monsters, such as the Thing or the Hulk, or who wore bug-eyed costumes, like Spider-Man, did not appear heroic. As a result, David read those comics in secret,<ref name=BID2.5.99>David, Peter (July 15, 2013). "Peter and the King". peterdavid.net. Reprinted from "But I Digress...", Comics Buyer's Guide #316 (February 5, 1999).</ref><ref>David, Peter (January 24, 2014). "Gil Kane and Previews". peterdavid.net. Reprinted from "But I Digress...", Comics Buyer's Guide #1316 (February 25, 2000).</ref> beginning with his first Marvel book, Fantastic Four Annual #3 (November 1965), which saw the wedding of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman.<ref>David, Peter (March 14, 2014). "Mighty Marvel Misinformation and More". peterdavid.net. Reprinted from Comics Buyer's Guide #1385 (June 2, 2000).</ref> His parents eventually allowed him to start reading superhero titles,<ref name=BID9.22.00/> his favorite of which was Superman.<ref name=BillMitchel/><ref name=Q&A2>Template:Cite web</ref> He cites John Buscema as his favorite pre-1970s artist.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> David attended his first comic book convention around the time that Jack Kirby's New Gods premiered, after asking his father to take him to one of Phil Seuling's shows in New York, where David obtained Kirby's autograph, his first encounter with a comics professional.<ref name=BID2.5.99/>

David's earliest interest in writing came through the journalism work of his father, Gunter, who sometimes reviewed movies and took young Peter along (if it was age-appropriate). While Gunter wrote his reviews back at the newspaper's office, David wrote his own, portions of which sometimes found their way into Gunter's published reviews.<ref name=Q&A2/><ref name=Q&A5>Template:Cite web</ref> David began to entertain the notion of becoming a professional writer at age twelve, buying a copy of The Guide to the Writer's Market, and subscribing to similar-themed magazines,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in the hopes of becoming a reporter.<ref name=BillMitchel/>

David lived in Bloomfield, New Jersey,<ref>David, Peter. "But I Digress...". Comics Buyer's Guide #1251. November 7, 1997. Page 90</ref> in a small house at 11 Albert Terrace,<ref name=BID2.5.99/> and attended Demarest Elementary School.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His family later moved to Verona, New Jersey, where he spent his adolescence.<ref name=GayAbandon>David, Peter. "Gay Abandon". But I Digress Collection. 1994. Krause Publications. pp. 206–08.
Reprinted from Comics Buyer's Guide #969 (June 12, 1992)</ref> By the time he entered his teens, he had lost interest in comic books, feeling he had outgrown them.<ref name="X-Factor#234">Template:Cite comic</ref> David's best friend in junior high and first year in high school, Keith, was gay, and David has described how both of them were targets of ostracism and harassment from homophobes.

Although his family eventually moved to Pennsylvania,<ref name=GayAbandon/> his experiences in Verona soured him on that town and shaped his liberal sociopolitical positions regarding LGBT issues. He later made Verona the home location of villain Morgan le Fay in his novel Knight Life, and has often discussed his progressive views on LGBT issues in his column and on his blog.<ref>David, Peter. "Just to clarify regarding George and Brad", peterdavid.net, September 18, 2008.</ref><ref name=ShatSling>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=AnonymousGoon>David, Peter. "Anonymous goons attempt to make bigotry pay in New York politics", peterdavid.net, November 3, 2008.</ref>

David's interest in comics was rekindled when he saw a copy of Superman vs. Muhammad Ali (1978) while passing a newsstand,<ref>David, Peter (September 20, 2017). "Make Mine Marvel". Patreon.</ref> and later, X-Men #95 (October 1975), and discovered in that latter book the "All-New, All-Different" team that had first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975). These two books were the first comics he had purchased in years.<ref name="X-Factor#234"/>

A seminal moment in the course of his aspirations occurred when he met writer Stephen King at a book signing, and told him that he was an aspiring writer. King signed David's copy of Danse Macabre with the inscription, "Good luck with your writing career.", which David now inscribes himself onto books presented to him by fans who tell him the same thing.<ref>Interview with WCSH6 News Center, Portland, Maine, January 2007</ref> Other authors that David cites as influences include Harlan Ellison, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert B. Parker, Neil Gaiman,<ref name=Q&A4>Template:Cite web</ref> Terry Pratchett,<ref name=Q&A2/> Robert Crais<ref name=Q&A5/> and Edgar Rice Burroughs.<ref name=JohnCarter>Suru, Steve. "Exclusive: David & Ross Explore 'John Carter: World of Mars'". Comic Book Resources. July 18, 2011</ref> Specific books he has mentioned as favorites include To Kill a Mockingbird, Tarzan of the Apes, The Princess Bride, The Essential Ellison, A Confederacy of Dunces,<ref name=Q&A3>Template:Cite web</ref> Adams Versus Jefferson, and Don Quixote.<ref name=Q&A5/> David has singled out Ellison in particular as a writer whom he has tried to emulate.<ref name=EllisonBID>David, Peter. "Friends of Ellison, Part 1". peterdavid.net. October 8, 2010. Reprinted from Comics Buyers Guide #1052. January 14, 1994</ref>

David attended New York University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism.<ref name=Q&A2/>

Career

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Early work

[edit]

David's first professional assignment was covering the World Science Fiction Convention held in Washington in 1974 for the Philadelphia Bulletin.<ref name=Q&A2/><ref name="longlist">Template:Cite web</ref>

David eventually gravitated towards fiction after his attempts at journalism did not meet with success.<ref name=BillMitchel/> His first published fiction appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction in 1980. He sold an op-ed piece to The New York Times, but overall his submissions that met with rejection far outnumbered those accepted.<ref name="BIDCollection101">David, Peter. "Breaking In, Part Deux"; But I Digress Collection. Page 101. Reprinted from the March 19, 1993 Comics Buyer's Guide</ref>

Comics career

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1980s

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File:Peter David and Larry Stroman.jpg
Peter David and Larry Stroman at a comic book signing for X-Factor in the early 1990s

David eventually gave up on a career in writing and came to work in book publishing. His first publishing job was for the E.P. Dutton imprint Elsevier/Nelson, where he worked mainly as an assistant to the editor-in-chief.<ref>David, Peter. "Where Man Josh". peterdavid.net. September 17, 2012. Originally published in "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1260. January 9, 1998</ref> He later worked in sales and distribution for Playboy Paperbacks. He subsequently worked for five years in Marvel Comics' Sales Department, first as Assistant Direct Sales Manager under Carol Kalish, who hired him, and then succeeding Kalish as Sales Manager.<ref name=CBR3.29.14/><ref name=Q&A2/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Trades>Template:Cite web</ref> During this time he made some cursory attempts to sell stories, including submission of some Moon Knight plots to Dennis O'Neil, but his efforts were unfruitful.<ref>David, Peter. "Because Hue Demanded It"; But I Digress Collection; Page 12. Reprinted from the July 27, 1990 Comics Buyer's Guide.</ref>

Three years into David's tenure as Direct Sales Manager, Jim Owsley became editor of the Spider-Man titles. Although crossing over from sales into editorial was considered a conflict of interest in the Marvel offices, Owsley, whom David describes as a "maverick," was impressed with how David had not previously hesitated to work with him when Owsley was an assistant editor under Larry Hama. When Owsley became an editor, he purchased a Spider-Man story from David, which appeared in The Spectacular Spider-Man #103 (June 1985).<ref name=BillMitchel/><ref name=CBR3.29.14/> Owsley subsequently purchased from David "The Death of Jean DeWolff", a violent murder mystery darker in tone than the usually lighter Spider-Man stories that ran in issues #107–110 (October 1985 – January 1986) of that title.<ref name=CBR3.29.14/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Responding to charges of conflict of interest, David made a point of not discussing editorial matters with anyone during his 9-to-5 hours as Direct Sales Manager,<ref name=CBG1321>David, Peter. "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1321; March 2, 1999</ref> and decided not to exploit his position as Sales Manager by promoting the title. Although David attributes the story's poor sales to this decision, he asserts that such crossing over from Sales to Editorial is now common.<ref name=BIDCollection101/> In the Marvel offices, a rumor circulated that it was actually Owsley who was writing the stories attributed to David.<ref name="priest">Template:Cite web</ref> Nonetheless, David says he was fired from Spectacular Spider-Man by Owsley due to editorial pressure by Marvel's Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter, and he has commented that the resentment stirred by Owsley's purchase of his stories may have permanently damaged Owsley's career.<ref name=BillMitchel/> Months later, Bob Harras offered David The Incredible Hulk, as it was a struggling title that no one else wanted to write,<ref name=BIDCollection101/><ref name=CBG1321/> which gave David free rein to do whatever he wanted with the character.<ref>David, Peter (July 27, 2012). "Looking back on The Hulk". peterdavid.net. Reprinted from The Comics Buyer's Guide ##1244 (September 19, 1997)</ref>

During his 12-year run on Hulk, David explored the recurring themes of the Hulk's multiple personality disorder, his periodic changes between the raging, less intelligent Green Hulk and the more streetwise, cerebral Grey Hulk, and of being a journeyman hero, which were inspired by The Incredible Hulk #312 (October 1985), in which writer Bill Mantlo (and possibly, according to David, Barry Windsor-Smith) had first established that Banner had suffered childhood abuse at the hands of his father. These aspects of the character were later used in the 2003 feature film adaptation by screenwriter Michael France and director Ang Lee.<ref name=CBR3.29.14/><ref name=Trades/><ref>Template:Cite web Reprinted from The Comics Buyer's Guide #981</ref> Comic Book Resources credits David with making the formerly poor-selling book "a must-read mega-hit".<ref name=BillMitchel/> David collaborated with a number of artists who became fan-favorites on the series, including Todd McFarlane, Dale Keown and Gary Frank.<ref name=CBR3.29.14/> Among the new characters he created during his run on the series were the Riot Squad<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and the Pantheon.<ref name=CBR3.29.14/><ref>Manning "1990s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 253: "The Hulk first met Agamemnon, the leader of the Pantheon team, in a story written by Peter David with art by Dale Keown."</ref> David wrote the first appearance of the Thunderbolts, a team created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley, in The Incredible Hulk #449 (January 1997).<ref>Manning "1990s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 282: "Writer Peter David and artist Mike Deodato, Jr. debuted Marvel's newest superteam, the Thunderbolts in issue 449 of The Incredible Hulk."</ref>

It was after he had been freelancing for a year, and into his run on Hulk, that David felt that his writing career had cemented.<ref name=Q&A2/> After putting out feelers at DC Comics, and being offered the job of writing a four-issue miniseries of The Phantom by editor Mike Gold, David quit his sales position to write full-time.<ref>David, Peter. "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1325; April 9, 1999. p. 58</ref> David had a brief tenure writing Green Lantern when the character was exclusive to the short-lived anthology series Action Comics Weekly from issues #608–620 in 1988.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

David took over Dreadstar during its First Comics run, with issue #41 (March 1989) after Jim Starlin left the title, and remained on it until issue #64 (March 1991), the final issue of that run. David's other Marvel Comics work in the late 1980s and 1990s includes runs on Wolverine, the New Universe series Mark Hazzard: Merc and Justice, a run on the original X-Factor, and the futuristic series Spider-Man 2099,<ref>Manning "1990s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 260: "Writer Peter David and artist Rick Leonardi's Spider-Man 2099 character was first glimpsed in a sneak preview in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man #265 in August 1992."</ref> about a man in the year 2099 who takes up the mantle of Spider-Man, the title character of which David co-created. David left X-Factor after 19 issues, and he wrote the first 44 issues of Spider-Man 2099 before quitting that book to protest the firing of editor Joey Cavalieri. The book was cancelled two issues later, along with the entire 2099 line.<ref name=BID3.13.98>David, Peter (October 22, 2012). "More Assorted Things...". peterdavid.net. Originally published in "But I Digress...", Comics Buyer's Guide # 1269 (March 13, 1998).</ref>

1990s

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File:Loz peterdavidtalking.png
Peter David at a comics convention in the early 1990s

In 1990, David wrote a seven-issue Aquaman miniseries, The Atlantis Chronicles, for DC Comics,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> about the history of Aquaman's home of Atlantis, which David has referred to as among the written works of which he is most proud,<ref name=FansNG>Template:Cite web</ref> and his first time writing in the full script format.<ref>Weiland, Jonah (December 22, 2014). "ECCC 2014: Secret Origins Presents: Peter David". FlipON.TV/YouTube. 27:37 mark. Retrieved November 27, 2018.</ref> He later wrote a 1994 Aquaman miniseries, Aquaman: Time and Tide, which led to a relaunched monthly Aquaman series,<ref>Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 266: "Writer Peter David had been building toward this series for years now.... David was finally ready to put all his backstory to practical use in the new monthly Aquaman title."</ref> the first 46 issues of which he wrote from 1994 to 1998. His run on Aquaman gained notoriety, for in the book's second issue, Aquaman lost a hand, which was then replaced with a harpoon, a feature of the character that endured for the duration of David's run on the book. More broadly, his run recast the character as an aggressive man of action, one deserving of greater respect, in contrast to the "fish-talking punch line" into which the TV series Super Friends had rendered him.<ref name=CBR3.29.14/> David quit that book over creative differences.<ref name=BID3.13.98/>

David wrote the Star Trek comic book for DC from 1988 to 1991, when that company held the licensing rights to the property, though he has opined that novels are better suited to Star Trek, whose stories are not highly visual.<ref name=BillMitchel/> He and Ron Marz cowrote the DC vs. Marvel intercompany crossover in 1996.<ref>Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 272: "Written by Peter David and Ron Marz with art by Dan Jurgens and Claudio Castellini, this four-issue miniseries event consisted of five major battles voted on in advance by reader ballots distributed to comic stores."</ref> David also had runs on Supergirl and Young Justice,<ref>Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 274: "The Girl of Steel flew back into an ongoing series at long last, courtesy of fan-favorite writer Peter David and artist Gary Frank."</ref><ref>Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 285: "Written by Peter David and illustrated by Todd Nauck, Young Justice succeeded in finding its fan base, just as the Teen Titans had in the 1960s."</ref> the latter eventually being canceled so that DC could use that book's characters in a relaunched Teen Titans monthly.

David's work for Dark Horse Comics has included the teen spy adventure SpyBoy, which appeared in a series and a number of miniseries between 1999 and 2004, and the 2007 miniseries The Scream.

Other 1990s work includes the 1997 miniseries Heroes Reborn: The Return,<ref>Manning "1990s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 285</ref> for Marvel, and two creator-owned properties: Soulsearchers and Company, published by Claypool Comics, and the Epic Comics title Sachs and Violens, which he produced with co-creator/artist George Pérez.

2000s

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David's early 2000s work includes runs on two volumes of Captain Marvel as well as the Before the Fantastic Four: Reed Richards limited series.<ref>Manning "2000s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 302: "The man who would become Mr. Fantastic starred in a three-issue limited series. Courtesy of writer Peter David and artist Duncan Fegredo, it was an Indiana Jones-like adventure."</ref>

David and his second wife, Kathleen, wrote the final English-language text for the first four volumes of the manga series Negima for Del Rey Manga.<ref name=Q&A3-2>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2003, David began writing another creator-owned comic, Fallen Angel, for DC Comics, which he created in order to make use of plans he had devised for Supergirl after the "Many Happy Returns" storyline, but which were derailed by that series' cancellation. That same year, he wrote a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series for Dreamwave that tied into the animated television series broadcast that year.<ref name=BillMitchel/>

DC canceled Fallen Angel after 20 issues, but David restarted the title at IDW Publishing at the end of 2005. Other IDW work included a Spike: Old Times one-shot and the Spike vs. Dracula mini-series, both based on the character from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel television series.

File:10.25.07SlottDavidByLuigiNovi.JPG
David with writer Dan Slott at Jim Hanley's Universe in Manhattan, October 25, 2007, promoting the beginning of David's tenure as writer on She-Hulk<ref>David, Peter. "Store appearance today". peterdavid.net. October 25, 2007</ref>

In 2005, David briefly returned to The Incredible Hulk, though he left after only 11 issues because of his workload.<ref>David, Peter. "Back from San Diego", peterdavid.net, July 20, 2005</ref> He started a new series, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, beginning with a twelve-part crossover storyline called "The Other",<ref>Cowsill, Alan "2000s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 295: "In December [2005], a new regular Spidey series began that introduced a key story arc to the Spider-Man world. Written by Peter David and illustrated by Mike Wieringo, the book started with the first chapter of 'The Other'."</ref> which, along with J. Michael Straczynski's run on The Amazing Spider-Man, and Reginald Hudlin's run on Marvel Knights Spider-Man, depicted the webslinger as he discovered he was dying, lost an eye during a traumatic fight with Morlun, underwent a metamorphosis, and emerged with new abilities and insights into his powers. The storyline caused some controversy among readers for its introduction of retractable stingers in Spider-Man's arms, and the establishment of his powers being derived from his status as a "Spider-Totem".<ref>David, Peter. "What if Spider-Man were introduced today?" "But I Digress...". Comics Buyer's Guide #1615 (April 2006). Pages 206–209</ref> David's final issue of that title was #23.<ref>David, Kathleen. "Ask the Wife a Question". peterdavid.net. June 16, 2007. Indicated in the answer to a 3:27 post</ref>

David wrote a MadroX miniseries that year, whose success led to a relaunch of a monthly X-Factor volume 3 written by him.<ref>Manning "2000s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 330: "Writer Peter David returned to the team he popularized in the early 1990s, this time with writer Ryan Sook."</ref> This was a revamped version of the title starring both Madrox and other members of the former X-Factor title that David had written in the early 1990s, now working as investigators in a detective agency of that name. David's work on the title garnered praise from Ain't it Cool News,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and David has stated that the opt in/opt out policy and greater planning with which Marvel now executes crossover storylines has made his second stint on the title far easier.<ref name=BillMitchel/> His decision to explicitly establish male characters Shatterstar and Rictor as sharing a sexual attraction to one another (a confirmation of clues that had been established in X-Force years earlier in issues such as X-Force #25, 34, 43, 49, 56 and X-Force '99 Annual), drew criticism from Shatterstar's co-creator, Rob Liefeld,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> though Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada supported David's story.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> David eventually won a 2011 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book for his work on the title.<ref name=GLAADwlbt>"Ricky Martin, '30 Rock' among GLAAD media winners"Template:Dead link. WLBT. March 20, 2011</ref><ref name=GLAAD.org>2011 GLAAD Media Awards Nominees. GLAAD. accessed January 20, 2011.</ref><ref name=GLAADcomicmix>Hauman, Glenn. "Peter David Wins GLAAD Award for ‘X-Factor’"Template:Dead link, ComicMix, March 21, 2011</ref>

On February 11, 2006, David announced at the WonderCon convention in California in that he had signed an exclusive contract with Marvel Comics. Fallen Angel, Soulsearchers and Company and David's Spike miniseries were "grandfathered" into the contract, so as to not be affected by it.<ref>David, Peter. "A Marvelous Bit of News". peterdavid.net. February 11, 2006</ref> The first new project undertaken by David after entering into the contract, which he announced on April 5, 2006, was writing the dialogue for The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born, the comic book spin-off of Stephen King's The Dark Tower novels, which was to be illustrated by Jae Lee,<ref>David, Peter. "KING DAVID". peterdavid.net. April 5, 2006</ref> as well as scripting the subsequent Dark Tower comics.

David took over Marvel's She-Hulk after writer Dan Slott's departure, beginning with issue #22.<ref>Richard, Dave; HeroesCon: Peter David Talks "She-Hulk". Comic Book Resources. June 16, 2007</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His run, which won praise,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> ended with issue #38, when the series was canceled.<ref name=SheHulkCancel>Template:Cite web</ref> He wrote a 2008–09 Sir Apropos of Nothing miniseries, based on the character from his novels, which was published by IDW Publishing.<ref>Phegley, Kiel. "CCI: Peter David On 'Sir Apropos' Comics", comicbookresources.com, July 28, 2008.</ref>

David's other 2000s comics based on licensed or adapted properties include Halo: Helljumper, a 2009 miniseries based on the Halo video game, a 2009 Ben 10: Alien Force manga book published by Del Rey, Ben Folds Four,<ref name=Bibliography/> a "Little Mermaid" story in Jim Valentino's Fractured Fables anthology that was praised by Ain't It Cool News,<ref name=Mermaid/> an adaptation of the 1982 film Tron that was released to tie in with that film's 2010 sequel,<ref name=TronFable>Template:Cite web</ref> and a John Carter of Mars prequel to the 2012 feature film.<ref name=JohnCarter/> In 2010, he co-wrote The Spider-Man Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book with Rare Collectibles Spun from Marvel's Web with Robert Greenberger.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> David wrote the script for Avengers: Season One, an original graphic novel published to promote the DVD release of The Avengers.<ref>David, Peter (August 26, 2012). "Ha Ha. I have a scoop on 'Bleeding Cool'". peterdavid.net.</ref>

2010s

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On November 24, 2011, David was one of the balloon handlers who pulled the Spider-Man balloon during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.<ref>Hauman, Glenn. "Peter David, Spider-Man, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade". ComicMix. November 24, 2011</ref><ref>Frankenhoff, Brent. "Today’s Comics Guide: November 24, 2011" Template:Webarchive. CBGXtra. November 24, 2011</ref>

File:Peter David by Gage Skidmore.jpg
David at the 2017 Phoenix Comicon

In October 2013, X-Factor ended its run with issue #262, concluding the X-Factor Investigations incarnation of the series. The book was then relaunched as All-New X-Factor, a new series with artist Carmine Di Giandomenico, as a part of the All-New Marvel NOW! initiative announced at the 2013 New York Comic Con. The opening storyline, which continues events from issue #260 of the previous series, establishes the new corporate-sponsored version of the team, and includes Polaris, Quicksilver, and Gambit.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web Archive requires scrolldown</ref>

In July 2014, David returned to Spider-Man 2099, writing the second volume of Spider-Man 2099 with artist Will Sliney.<ref>Arrant, Chris (March 27, 2014). "SPIDER-MAN 2099 Swings Again In New Ongoing Series with Peter David". Newsarama.</ref> With this series, David was again writing two series, X-Factor and Spider-Man 2099, after having previously done so decades prior, a coincidence that prompted him to joke at the June 2014 Special Edition NYC convention, "I don't know whether to be proud of that or if I'm in a rut!"<ref>Siegel, Lucas (June 14, 2014). "NYCC SE 2014: MARVEL: Next Big Thing Panel – FANTASTIC FOUR 2015 News, Much More". Newsarama. accessed August 28, 2017.</ref>

In 2014 David wrote a six-part story-arc for The Phantom for publishing company Hermes Press, a story that David, reportedly had wanted to write for many years.<ref>Johnston, Rich (May 23, 2014). "Peter David And Sal Velluto Bring Back The Phantom", BleedingCool.com, May 23, 2014.</ref>

In 2015, Simon and Schuster published Stan Lee's autobiographical graphic novel, Amazing Fantastic Incredible, which David co-wrote, and which became a New York Times bestseller in its first week of release.<ref>"Best Sellers: Hardcover Graphic Books", The New York Times, November 22, 2015.</ref>

In April 2017, following the conclusion of the Spider-Man storyline "Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy", which saw the return of Ben Reilly, Marvel premiered the monthly series Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider, with David as writer.<ref>Schedeen, Jesse (April 24, 2017). "Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider #1 Review". IGN.</ref> David explained to Syfy Wire that when Marvel offered him the job, he was initially ambivalent, as Ben Reilly had never been his favorite incarnation of Spider-Man, and given Reilly's recent emergence as the villainous Jackal. However, David gave further consideration to the fact that a book whose main character had a skewed, villainous worldview was not something Marvel had historically done much of, and decided that the premise presented itself with opportunities that intrigued him enough to accept the job.<ref>Pinchefsky, Carol (May 24, 2017). "Peter David on Marvel Comics' Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider". Syfy Wire/YouTube; retrieved May 26, 2017.</ref> His other Spider-Man work during this decade included a 2019 five-issue miniseries Symbiote Spider-Man, which holds a 7.5 out of 10 rating at the review aggregator Comic Book Roundup,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the 2020 follow-up miniseries Symbiote Spider-Man: Alien Reality, which holds a 7.6 rating at Comic Book Roundup.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Novels

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David's career as a novelist developed concurrently with his comic-book writing career. David had been working at a publisher that went out of business, and a former coworker from that publisher became his agent, through whom he sold his first novel, Knight Life, to Ace Books.<ref name=Q&A2/> Although the sale was made before he wrote any comic books, the novel was not published until eighteen months later, in 1987.<ref name=Trades/> The novel depicts the reappearance of King Arthur in modern-day New York City. Another early novel of his, Howling Mad, is about a wolf that turns into a human being after being bitten by a werewolf. Ace Books hired David to write the Photon and Psi-Man novels, though they published them under the "house name" David Peters, over David's objections.<ref>David, Peter. "Informing the Misinformed"; "But I Digress..."; Comics Buyer's Guide #1477; March 8, 2002</ref> David updated Knight Life years later when Penguin Putnam brought it back into print in 2003, and made it a trilogy with the sequels One Knight Only and Fall of Knight, which were published in 2004 and 2007, respectively.<ref name=BIDCollection101/> Penguin rereleased Howling Mad and the Psi-Man books under David's actual name.

David first began writing Star Trek novels at the request of Pocket Books editor Dave Stern, who was a fan of David's Star Trek comic book work.<ref name=BIDCollection101/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His Star Trek novels are among those for which he is best known, including Q-in-Law; I, Q; Vendetta; Q-Squared; and Imzadi, one of the best-selling Star Trek novels of all time. He created the ongoing novel series, Star Trek: New Frontier, a spin-off from Star Trek: The Next Generation, with John J. Ordover in 1997. New Frontier continued until September 2015, with the publication of the third part of the digital novel, The Returned, the final New Frontier novel to date. David's other science fiction tie-in novels include writing five Babylon 5 novels, three of which were originals, and two of which were adaptations of the TV movies Thirdspace and In the Beginning.

His other novel adaptations include those of the movies The Return of Swamp Thing, The Rocketeer, Batman Forever, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, Hulk, The Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four, and Iron Man. He wrote an original Hulk novel, The Incredible Hulk: What Savage Beast,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and an adaptation of an unused Alien Nation television script, "Body and Soul".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

David's 2009 novel Tigerheart is a re-imagining of Peter Pan with a mix of new and old characters, told as a Victorian bedtime story, much like the classic tale. It was praised by Ain't It Cool News,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and honored by the School Library Journal as one of 2008's Best Adult Books for High School Students.<ref>Francisca Goldsmith. "SLJ Presents the Best Adult Books for High School Students 2008", School Library Journal; January 1, 2008</ref> His Sir Apropos of Nothing fantasy trilogy, Sir Apropos of Nothing, The Woad to Wuin and Tong Lashing, features characters and settings completely of David's own creation, as does his 2007 fantasy novel, Darkness of the Light, which is the first in a new trilogy of novels titled The Hidden Earth. The second installment, The Highness of the Low, was scheduled to be published in September 2009,<ref name=Bibliography/> but David has related on his blog that it has been delayed until the winter of 2012.<ref name=Q&A7/>

David's 2010 novel work includes Year of the Black Rainbow, a novel cowritten with musician Claudio Sanchez of the band Coheed and Cambria, that was released with the band's album of the same name,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and a Fable original novel The Balverine Order, set between the events of Fable II and Fable III.<ref name=TronFable/> In April 2011, David announced that, in addition to another Fable novel, he and a number of other writers, including Glenn Hauman, Mike Friedman and Bob Greenberger, were assembling an electronic publishing endeavor called Crazy Eight Press to publish e-books directly to fans, the first of which would be David's Arthurian story, The Camelot Papers. David explained that the second book in his "Hidden Earth" trilogy would be published through Crazy Eight.<ref name=BlindMansBluff/><ref>David, Peter (August 2011). "Facing the Future". "But I Digress". Comics Buyer's Guide #1680. p. 58</ref> In September 2013, David acknowledged that books published through Crazy Eight are not as lucrative for him as those for publishers that pay him advances, and announced that his then-impending novel, ARTFUL: Being the Heretofore Secret History of that Unique Individual, The Artful Dodger, Hunter of Vampyres (Amongst Other Things.), would be published by Amazon.com.<ref>David, Peter (September 11, 2013) "My Next Novel is for Amazon Books". Crazy 8 Press.</ref>

Writing habits and approach

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File:9.13.09McCannSlottVanLenteDavidByLuigiNovi3.jpg
David (at far right) on a panel on comic book writing at the 2009 Brooklyn Book Festival. Beside him (left to right) are Jim McCann, Dan Slott and Fred Van Lente.

David has stated that he tries to block out different days and different times to work on different projects.<ref name=Q&A1/> He usually works in the morning, for example, on novels, and does comics-related work in the afternoon.<ref name=Q&A7/> Having previously used Smith Corona typewriters, he writes on a Sony Vaio desktop computer, using Microsoft Word for his comics and novel work, and Final Draft for his screenplays.<ref name=Q&A5/> When writing novels, he sometimes outlines the story, and sometimes improvises as he is writing.<ref name=Q&A6/> Following his stroke in December 2012, David began using DragonDictate to write.<ref name=StarTrek.com/><ref>David, Kathleen (January 15, 2013). "Your Semi Daily Peter David Report for Jan 15 2012". peterdavid.net.</ref> Todd McFarlane's original art for the cover of The Incredible Hulk #340, featuring Wolverine,<ref>"#14. Wolverine vs. the Hulk". "Top 25 Comic Battles". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved August 12, 2013.</ref> which McFarlane gave to David as a gift, hangs in David's office.<ref>David, Peter (November 2, 2012). "Hulked Out". peterdavid.net. Originally published in Comics Buyer's Guide #1272 (April 3, 1998).</ref>

David previously wrote his comic book scripts using the Marvel Method,<ref>David, Peter (May 18, 2012). "Things that drive Peter nuts, 1997 edition". peterdavid.net. Reprinted from Comics Buyer's Guide #1223 (April 25, 1997).</ref> but due to his tendency to overplot, as during his collaboration with McFarlane on The Incredible Hulk, he switched to the full script method,<ref>David, Peter (March 28, 2011). "The Most Awards 1995". peterdavid.net. 3:23pm post, Retrieved March 28, 2011, Quote: "I sometimes did over plot in those days. It's one of the reasons I switched to full script; so it would be self-controlling in terms of how much story I put in there."</ref> which he continues to use Template:As of.<ref name=Q&A2/> He has stated that he prefers to plot his comics stories in six-month arcs.<ref name=CaptPhil/> He has stated that when he works on a particular title, he always does so with a particular person or group of people in mind to which he dedicates it, explaining that he wrote Supergirl for his daughters, Young Justice for a son he might one day have and The Incredible Hulk for his first wife, Myra, who first urged him to accept the job of writing that book. David has further explained that the events of his own life are sometimes reflected in his work, as when, for example, following the breakup of his first marriage, the direction of The Incredible Hulk faltered, with the Hulk wandering the world aimlessly, hopelessly looking to be loved.<ref name=CBG1272>"But I Digress..."; Comics Buyer's Guide #1272; April 3, 1998; Page 82</ref>

David has stated that his favorite female character of his own creation is Lee, the protagonist of Fallen Angel, which he says is derived from the positive female fan reaction to that character.<ref>Interviews from Dragon*Con: Attack of the Whale She-Rambos, Four Color Heroines, 2007-09-20. Retrieved 2007-11-26.</ref> Characters that David has not written but which he has expressed an interest in writing for the comics medium include Batman, Tarzan, Doc Savage, the Dragonriders of Pern, the Steed/Peel Avengers, and Dracula. He has specifically mentioned interest in writing a Tarzan vs. the Phantom story.<ref name=Q&A2/><ref name=Q&A1>Template:Cite web</ref>

Other published work

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  • Before David became a professional writer, he wrote fan fiction, examples of which include The TARDIS at Pooh Corner.<ref>David, Peter (May 13, 2002). "The TARDIS at Pooh Corner – Introduction and Chapter 1". peterdavid.net.</ref>
  • David began writing his weekly opinion column, "But I Digress...", in Comics Buyer's Guide, since July 27, 1990, agreeing to do the column on the suggestion of an anonymous fan to Comics Buyer's Guide editors Don and Maggie Thompson,<ref name=CBG1594>"Was it worth it?" "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1594; June 4, 2004</ref> David credits the existence of the column to Harlan Ellison, whom he has attempted to emulate with the column, and who wrote the introduction to the 1994 But I Digress collection.<ref name=EllisonBID/><ref name=Bibliography>Template:Cite web</ref> David donates his earnings from the column to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.<ref name=BIDCollection101/> David continued the column following CBG's switch to a monthly magazine format in 2004, until the magazine ceased publication in March 2013.<ref>David, Peter. "But I Digress" Comics Buyer's Guide #1595 (June 2004)</ref> A second collection, More Digressions, was published by Mad Norwegian Press in June 2009.<ref name=Bibliography/>
  • David assisted Star Trek actor James Doohan with Doohan's 1996 autobiography, Beam Me Up, Scotty.
  • An interview with David appeared in the first volume of Writers on Comic Scriptwriting in 2002.
  • David's instructional book, Writing for Comics with Peter David, was published by Impact Books in June 2006.<ref>"Writing for Comics with Peter David". Google Books. Retrieved March 11, 2014.</ref><ref>Duran, Aaron (August 23, 2006). "Review of Writing for Comics with Peter David". RPGnet.</ref> A second edition, Writing for Comics and Graphic Novels with Peter David, was published in August 2009.<ref name=Bibliography/>
  • David's short story, "Colors Seen by Candlelight", appeared in Tales of Zorro, the first collection of original Zorro short fiction ever authorized by Zorro Productions, Inc. The anthology, edited by Richard Dean Starr, was published by Moonstone Books in 2008.
  • In 2009 David organized a satirical round-robin story called "Potato Noon", organized by David and hosted on his website.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which was inspired by the announcement of Russet Noon, an unauthorized fan fiction novel based on Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Authors including Hugh Casey, Keith R.A. DeCandido, and Kevin Killiany participated in the story, with characters such as Michael Dukakis, Dan Quayle, and Ernest Hemingway appearing alongside satirical versions of Meyer's characters. David conceived the satire as a not-for-profit venture, and while he has no plans to publish the completed "Potato Moon", he has allowed for the possibility of a future charity release to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • In 2022, David curated an anthology entitled The Fans are Buried Tales, which, in his own words, combined Chaucer's Canterbury Tales with an event at a Farpoint convention in which everyone was snowed in "and created the concept of a large, general SF convention in which the attendees are snowed in and wind up exchanging stories of their characters/genres in the hotel bar." When he discovered that organizers of the 2022 Farpoint convention would not be requiring attendees to show proof of vaccination or negative test results, he resorted to using a Kickstarter to pay those involved. Many of the stories were from fellow Crazy 8 authors, while others were submitted by other professional writers and even fans.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Other media

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File:11.30.10WarrenSpectorPeterDavidByLuigiNovi.jpg
David with Warren Spector at the November 30, 2010 Times Square Disney Store launch party for Epic Mickey, which Spector designed, and for which David wrote two tie-in products

David has written for several television series and video games. He wrote two scripts for Babylon 5 (the second-season episodes "Soul Mates" and "There All the Honor Lies"), and the episode "Ruling from the Tomb" for its sequel series, Crusade. With actor/writer Bill Mumy, he is co-creator of the television series Space Cases, which ran for two seasons on Nickelodeon, and which proved to be his most lucrative work.<ref name="I am in desperate trouble">David, Peter (March 31, 2017). "I am in desperate trouble". PeterDavid.net.</ref> David himself appeared as Ben, the father of series regular Bova, in the second-season episode "Long Distance Calls".<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref> David's oldest daughter, Shana, later appeared as Pezu, the emotionally disturbed sentient computer in the series finale "A Friend in Need".<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref>

David wrote and co-produced several films for Full Moon Entertainment including Trancers 4, Trancers 5, Oblivion, and Oblivion 2: Backlash. He made cameo appearances in some of the films as well and was briefly signed to their unrealized Silver Moon Comics line.

David wrote an unproduced script for the fifth season of Babylon 5 called "Gut Reactions", which he wrote with Bill Mumy.<ref>Tacker, Corey W. "Partial bibliography of "lost" works" peterdavid.net; November 17, 2009</ref>

David wrote "In Charm's Way", an episode of Ben 10: Alien Force. The script was recorded in early 2009, and the episode premiered November 13, 2009.<ref name=Bibliography/><ref>David, Peter. "Stuff I've Finished Lately Or Am Going To Be Working On". peterdavid.net. January 30, 2009</ref> He later wrote three episodes of the spinoff Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, the first of which, "Reflected Glory", premiered October 15, 2010.<ref>David, Peter. "My First Episode of 'Ben 10: Ultimate Alien'". peterdavid.net. October 12, 2010</ref>

David wrote the script for the Xbox 360 video game Shadow Complex, which debuted in August 2009.<ref name="ShadowComplexKotaku">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

David wrote several episodes of the Young Justice animated TV series, which premiered in 2010, and is based on the comic book series he wrote from 1998 to 2003.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The first episode he penned is episode #18.<ref name=Q&A7/> The same year, he wrote a graphic novel adaptation of the video game Epic Mickey, and a prequel digicomic, Disney's Epic Mickey: Tales of Wasteland.<ref>Tong, Sophia. "Peter David penning Epic Mickey digicomic, graphic novel", Gamespot, July 24, 2010</ref><ref>Gonzalez, Annette. "Peter David To Pen Epic Mickey Graphic Novel, Digicomic", Game Informer, July 25, 2010</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2011 David wrote the video game Spider-Man: Edge of Time.<ref>Kato, Matthew. "Spider-Man: Edge of Time". Game Informer. March 31, 2011</ref><ref>Johnston, Rich. "Peter David Writes New Spider-Man Game, 'Edge Of Time'". Bleeding Cool. March 31, 2011</ref><ref>Siegel, Lucas. "Activision Announces PAD-Written Spider-Man: Edge of Time". Newsarama. March 31, 2011</ref>

At the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con, Stan Lee announced his new YouTube channel, Stan Lee's World of Heroes, which airs several programs created by Lee and other creators. One of them, Head Cases, is a superhero sitcom created by David and his wife Kathleen and produced by David M. Uslan. The series centers on Thunderhead, a would-be hero whose inability to utilize his ability to produce loud thunderblasts without injury to himself leads him to become a source of comedic derision in the superhero community. The series, which explores events that occur in between the battles typically seen in comic books, was based on a concept originated by Uslan, and partly inspired by It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. David describes Head Cases as a 75-minute movie divided into 5-minute webisodes. The series will feature guest appearances by other industry personalities, including Stan Lee, who appears as himself, functioning in a similar manner to Norm Peterson from Cheers.<ref>Greenberger, Robert (July 11, 2012). "Enter Stan Lee’s World of Heroes". ComicMix.</ref><ref>"Peter David and Jace Hall Join the World of Heroes" Template:Webarchive. Comics Bulletin. Retrieved December 16, 2012.</ref><ref>Van, Alan (July 12, 2012). "SDCC: "Stan Lee’s World of Heroes" YouTube Channel" Template:Webarchive. NMR.</ref>

Awards and nominations

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Awards

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Nominations

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Public image

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On more than one occasion, editorial problems or corporate pressure to modify or re-script his plotlines have prompted David to leave books, particularly his decision to terminate his first run on Marvel's X-Factor, due to constantly having to constrain his plots to accommodate crossover events with other books.<ref name=Q&A3/><ref>David, Peter. "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1283; June 19, 1998; Page 70</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He resigned from Spider-Man 2099 to protest the firing of editor Joey Cavalieri and from Aquaman over other creative differences.<ref name=BillMitchel/><ref>David, Peter. "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1269; March 13, 1998; Page 78</ref> When David abruptly left his first stint on The Incredible Hulk due to editorial pressures,<ref name=CBG1272/> some of the plot points of the character that David established were retconned by later creative teams.<ref name=Q&A3/>

In his "But I Digress" column, which began appearing in the Comics Buyer's Guide on July 27, 1990, and in his blog, in operation since April 2002,<ref>David, Peter. "The Green Solution"; "But I Digress..."; Comics Buyer's Guide #1493; June 28, 2002; Page 114</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> David has been outspoken in many of his views pertaining to the comic book industry and numerous other subjects. He has criticized the low regard in which writers are held,<ref>David, Peter. "Why Writers Are Scum"; But I Digress... collection; Pages 85–88; Reprinted from the August 17, 1990 Comics Buyer's Guide

"What do the writers get?" "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide  #1386; June 9, 2000; Page 66
"The double standard for writers" "But I Digress......." Comics Buyer's Guide #1502; August 30, 2002</ref><ref name=GiveCredit>David, Peter. "Giving Credit Where Credit is Due, Part 1" peterdavid.net; August 20, 2010; Reprinted from Comics Buyer's Guide #1033 (September 3, 1993)</ref> the practice of selling polybagged comics,<ref>David, Peter. "The Most Awards" PeterDavid.net; October 4, 2010; Originally published in Comics Buyer's Guide #1051; January 7, 1994</ref> so-called "poster covers" that showcase a character without indicating anything about the comic's content, the meaninglessness of killing off characters to be eventually revived, the poor commitment on the part of some to maintaining continuity in shared fictional universes, and the emphasis on gearing monthly comics series toward eventual collection into trade paperbacks. David has opined that failure on the part of consumers to purchase the monthly individual issues in favor of waiting for the trade collections hurts the sales of the monthly and its chances of being collected at all.<ref name=Q&A2/><ref name=Q&A4/> A father of four daughters, David has worked on a number of series that feature female leads, such as Supergirl, Fallen Angel and She-Hulk, and he has lamented that the American comic book market is not very supportive of such books.<ref name=BillMitchel/><ref name=SheHulkCancel/> David has spoken out about fans who are abusive or threatening to creators,<ref> David, Peter. "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1252; November 14, 1997
David, Peter. "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1253; November 21, 1997
David, Peter. "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1267; February 27, 1998; Page 86
David, Peter. "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1410; November 24, 2000; Page 58
David, Peter. "Stories of fans" "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1497; November 16, 2001

Template:Cite web Template:Cite web</ref> and against copyright infringement,<ref>Template:Cite web
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Template:Cite web</ref> particularly that which is committed through peer-to-peer file sharing and posting literary works in their entirety on the Internet without the permission of the copyright holder.<ref>David, Peter. "Excuses don't excuse theft". "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1428. March 30, 2001. Page 58

"You've gotta fight for your rights" "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1475. February 22, 2002

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On many occasions, he has offered criticisms of specific publishers, as when he criticized Wizard magazine for ageism.<ref>David, Peter. "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1292; August 21, 1998; Pages 66 & 64</ref><ref name=Miller>"Did Wizard deserve it?" "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1438; June 8, 2001; Page 58</ref> He has criticized companies for not sufficiently compensating the creators of their long-standing and lucrative characters, such as Marvel Comics for its treatment of Blade creator Marv Wolfman<ref>David, Peter. "The business of 'Blade'" "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1297; September 25, 1998; Pages 54 & 52</ref> and Archie Comics for its treatment of Josie and the Pussycats creator Dan DeCarlo.<ref>David, Peter. "Dan DeCarlo: An Update" "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide # 1390; July 7, 2000; Pages 58 & 56</ref><ref>David, Peter. "Slashing away at Slashback" "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1427; March 23, 2001; Page 58</ref> He has criticized publishers for various other business practices,<ref>David, Peter. But I Digress collection; Section 3: Fun with Publishers; Pages 49–84</ref> including Marvel<ref>David, Peter. "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1361; May 5, 2000; Page 58.

"Marvel musings, Part  1" "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1424; March 2, 2001; Pages 58 & 56
"Silence can be golden" "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1425; March 9, 2001; Page 58
"But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1426; March 16, 2001; Pages 58 & 56
"Marvel and the Neener Factor" "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1437; June 1, 2001; Page 58</ref> and Image Comics.<ref>David, Peter. But I Digress collection. Section 3: Fun with Publishers. Part 3. Pages 64–70</ref> He has defended said companies from criticism he feels is unfounded, as when he defended Marvel from a February 17, 1992, Barron's magazine article.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He has criticized deletionists on Wikipedia on more than one occasion.<ref name="Wiki">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>David, Peter. "The Wikipedia Deletionists, Round 2". peterdavid.net. April 23, 2010</ref>

On occasion, he has disagreed publicly with specific industry personalities such as Frank Miller<ref name=Miller/> and Jim Shooter.<ref>David, Peter. "Shooter in the foot"; But I Digress collection; Pages 61–64; Reprinted from the June 18, 1993 Comics Buyer's Guide</ref> Particularly publicized were his disagreements with Spawn creator Todd McFarlane in 1992 and 1993, in the wake of the formation of Image Comics, the company McFarlane co-founded. This came to a head during a public debate they participated in at Philadelphia's Comicfest convention in October 1993, which was moderated by artist George Pérez. McFarlane claimed that Image was not being treated fairly by the media, and by David in particular. The three judges, Maggie Thompson, editor of the Comics Buyer's Guide, William Christensen of Wizard Press, and John Danovich of the magazine Hero Illustrated, voted 2–1 in favor of David, with Danovich voting the debate a tie.<ref name="DavidMcFarlaneDebate">Template:Cite news</ref> David has since criticized McFarlane for other business practices,<ref>David, Peter. "But I Digress...". Comics Buyer's Guide #1394. August 4, 2000. Page 58

"But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1395. August 11, 2000. Page 58

Template:Cite web</ref> and has engaged in public disagreements with The Comics Journal editor Gary Groth,<ref>David, Peter. "Snob Appeal". Comics Buyer's Guide. "But I Digress..." January 24, 1992. Reprinted with explanatory historical note regarding the parody's reference to Groth in the 1994 But I Digress collection.
David, Peter. "The Last Word", peterdavid.net, December 20, 2002
David, Peter. "What Peter wrote about what he didn’t write". peterdavid.net. November 5, 2010. Originally published in Comics Buyer's Guide #1060 (March 11, 1994)</ref> Erik Larsen,<ref>Template:Cite comic</ref><ref>Template:Cite comic</ref><ref>Template:Cite web
David, Peter (January 16, 2009). "I Understand How Erik Larsen Feels". peterdavid.net.</ref> Rob Liefeld,<ref name=GiveCredit/> Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada,<ref>David, Peter (March 29, 2002). "An open letter to Bill Jemas and Joe Quesada" "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1480.
Brent Frankenhoff (April 12, 2002). "Scuttling Peter David's proposal". Comics Buyer's Guide. #1482. p. 12–13
Joe Quesada (April 12, 2002). "The complete open letter". Comics Buyer's Guide #1482. p. 16
David, Peter (April 12, 2002). "Peter David's response". "But I Digress...". Comics Buyer's Guide #1482. p. 17
David, Peter (December 23, 2002). "You Can Stop Telling Me". peterdavid.net.</ref> writer/director Kevin Smith,<ref>Johnston, Rich. Pulping, Paying and Poucing – Update; "Battle of the Bulges" Template:Webarchive. silverbulletcomicbooks.com</ref> DC Comics Vice President and Executive Editor Dan DiDio,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and John Byrne.<ref>Template:Cite web
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Template:Cite web</ref> Despite his differences with Byrne, David has stated that he is still a fan of Byrne's, citing Byrne's work on X-Men, Fantastic Four, Next Men, Alpha Flight and Babe.<ref name=Q&A4/>

Politically, David identifies himself as liberal.<ref name=Leaping>David, Peter.|"Leaping to the defense" "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1504. September 13, 2002</ref> He was critical of the George W. Bush administration in general,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Iraq War in particular,<ref name=BushGore>"But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1409. November 17, 2000. Page 58</ref><ref>Template:Cite web
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"And the candidates are...". "But I Digress...". Comics Buyer's Guide  #1249. October 24, 1997</ref> as well as other Republicans<ref>Template:Cite web

Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Nitwit>Template:Cite web
Template:Cite web</ref> and the religious right.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also became a staunch critic of President Donald Trump and his administration, criticizing his policies on a weekly basis.<ref>David, Peter (January 25, 2019). "Freak Out Friday – January 25, 2019". peterdavid.net. Retrieved March 6, 2019.</ref><ref>David, Peter (February 1, 2019). "Freak Out Friday – February 1, 2019". peterdavid.net. Retrieved March 6, 2019.</ref> He has spoken out in favor of Israel's right to defend itself from aggressors, and has opined that certain criticisms of Israel indicate bias and double standards.<ref>David, Peter. "Invasion of the real world" "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1492; June 21, 2002
"The Green solution" "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1493, June 28, 2002
"Random thoughts on diverse topics" "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1510, October 25, 2002
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Template:Cite web
Template:Cite web</ref> He favors gun control,<ref>David, Peter. "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1332; May 28, 1999; Page 62

"But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide  #1375; March 24, 2000; Page 66</ref><ref name=GunsFired>Template:Cite web</ref> and holds progressive or liberal views on LGBT issues, including favoring gay marriage<ref name=ShatSling/><ref name=AnonymousGoon/> and allowing openly homosexual individuals to serve in the military.<ref>David, Peter. "X'd Out". But I Digress... collection. Page 82. Reprinted from the March 5, 1993 Comics Buyer's Guide </ref> He opposes capital punishment.<ref name=BushGore/><ref>David, Peter. "Capital Punishment". peterdavid.net. October 22, 2010. Reprinted from Comics Buyer's Guide #1056; February 11, 1994,</ref><ref>David, Peter. "Does the death penalty go far enough?" "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide  #1443. July 13, 2001. Pages 58 and 56</ref> He is an advocate of freedom of speech,<ref name=GunsFired/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> having criticized various publicized instances of censorship in general,<ref>David, Peter. "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide  #1354. October 29, 1999. Page 106
David, Peter. "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1356. November 12, 1999. Page 58
David, Peter. "Self Help". peterdavid.net. November 26, 2010. reprinted from Comics Buyer's Guide #1068, May 6, 1994</ref> such as the targeting of comic book retailers for prosecution for selling certain comic books,<ref name=Leaping/><ref>David, Peter. "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1249; October 24, 1997
David, Peter. "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1345. August 27, 1999. Pages 58 and 56
David, Peter. "Risky propositions" "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1497. July 26, 2002</ref> and the Comics Code Authority in particular.<ref>David, Peter. "Code in my Nose" But I Digress collection. Pages 34–36. Reprinted from Comics Buyer's Guide . October 9, 1992
"But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1347. September 10, 1999. Page 58</ref> He is a promoter and activist for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, which comes to the aid of such creators and retailers.<ref>David, Peter. "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1417. January 12, 2001. Page 58
"What else doe the CBLDF do?" "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1432. April 27, 2001. Page 58
"Fighting fire with the CBLDF" "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1452. September 14, 2001. Page 82

Template:Cite web
Template:Cite web
Template:Cite web</ref> He has criticized ideas associated with liberalism or political correctness,<ref name=PoliticalCorrectness/> such as certain publicized cases of alleged sexual harassment or discrimination that he deems unfounded,<ref>David, Peter (March 13, 1998). "But I Digress...", Comics Buyer's Guide #1269, p 78
Template:Cite web</ref> and has not shied away from criticizing liberals and Democrats,<ref>

In October 2016, David generated controversy for remarks he made during a panel discussion at the New York Comic Con to Vicente Rodriguez, a fan and the founder of Roma Pop, an organization that seeks to promote more positive representation of the Romani in comics. Rodriguez had asked speakers at multiple panels at the convention about greater Romani representation in comics, in light of what he said were stereotypical depictions of that group. When he asked David about what the public could do about Marvel's editorial policies regarding this, David related an anecdote from a 1993 trip to Bucharest, where he was told by his guide that the crippled children he saw had been maimed by their parents to improve their success as beggars. David then angrily rebuffed further interjections by Rodriguez before moving onto the next question.<ref name=ComicsBeat10.9.16>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> David would later defend these beliefs on his blog, insisting that he had written Romani characters like Quicksilver in a positive manner, and was angered by the crippling of children.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However Comics Beat, in reporting on the incident, stated that David's claim about the children is an urban myth commonly circulated in Romania, and that the malformed limbs seen in such children more likely resulted from lack of medical care, owing to the Romani distrust of the medical establishment that resulted from the forcible sterilization programs imposed upon them in many European nations until the 2000s.<ref name=ComicsBeat10.9.16/> Two days after his first blog post, and the day after the Comics Beat article, David published a second blog post in which he apologized for his conduct, stating that after researching the matter, he concluded that the children he saw likely suffered from genetic conditions, and that he had no right to speak as he had to Rodriguez. David also related that he had apologized to Rodriguez in person in subsequent encounters at the convention, and resolved to treat Romani characters with respect.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

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David met his first wife, Myra Kasman,<ref name=Q&A7/> at a Star Trek convention. They married in June 1977,<ref>David, Peter. "Friends...do you suffer from the heartbreak of Phantom Menace Syndrome?" "But I Digress". Comics Buyer's Guide #1331. May 21, 1999. Page62</ref> with his childhood friend Keith serving as best man.<ref name=GayAbandon/> Together they had three daughters, Shana, Guinevere and Ariel.<ref>David, Peter. Star Trek: The Next Generation: Imzadi. 1992. Pocket Books. Back cover flap</ref> They separated in late 1996<ref>David, Peter. "But I Digress...". Comics Buyer's Guide #1261. January 16, 1998. Page 76</ref><ref>David, Peter. "But I Digress...". Comics Buyer's Guide #1263. January 30, 1998; Page 78</ref> and were divorced<ref>David, Peter. Star Trek: The Next Generation: Triangle: Imzadi II. Dedication page</ref> by 1998.<ref name=CBG1305>"But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1305; November 20, 1998. Page 66</ref> David began dating Kathleen O'Shea, a bookseller,<ref>David, Peter. "Movie review: South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut". "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1342. August 6, 1999. p. 58</ref> puppeteer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and writer/editor<ref name=Q&A3/> in 1998.<ref name=CBG1305/> After dating for three years, David proposed to O'Shea at the Adventurers Club in Disney World on September 3, 2000.<ref>David, Peter. "By Popular Demand" Template:Webarchive. peterdavid.net. July 9, 2008</ref> They married on May 26, 2001<ref>Kathleen David. "It's My 6th Wedding Anniversary Today". No Strings Attached. kathodavid.malibulist.com. May 26, 2007</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in Atlanta, Georgia.<ref>Template:Cite web; November 6, 2010 post: "This has nothing to do with Groth, but you just reminded me of the day I married Kathleen down in Atlanta."</ref> Their daughter, Caroline Helen David, was born on December 5, 2002,<ref>David, Peter. "EVERYBODY OUT OF THE POOL". peterdavid.net. December 5, 2002</ref> and named after David's late friend and coworker, Carol Kalish.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> David and his family live in Suffolk County, New York,<ref>David, Peter (October 16, 2012). "Live blogging the Presidential debate will begin here". peterdavid.net.</ref> on the south shore of Long Island,<ref>Hauman, Glenn (August 29, 2011). "Peter David vs. Hurricane Irene". ComicMix.</ref><ref>Hauman, Glenn (August 27, 2011). "Hurricane Irene Thread". ComicMix.</ref> where his favorite local comics shop is Fourth World Comics in Smithtown, New York.<ref name=MoreDigressions/>Template:Rp David's father, Gunter, died of cancer on April 20, 2015.<ref>David, Peter (April 20, 2015). "My father is gone". PeterDavid.net.</ref> David's mother, Dalia, died May 27, 2017.<ref name=PAD5.31.17/>

David had been a Conservative Jew but, as of October 2003, attends a Reform synagogue.<ref name=Q&A2/> His Hebrew name in patronymic form is Jacob Ben Joachim.<ref>David, Peter (December 22, 2017). "Freaked out Friday: No Pain No Gain but Peter has gained a lot". peterdavid.net (December 22, 6:30pm EST comment).</ref> He has, however, expressed reservations about organized religion.<ref>David, Peter. "Free Expressions" "But I Digress...". Comics Buyer's Guide #1632. Summer 2007. pp. 206–208.</ref>

David has named Groo the Wanderer, Liberty Meadows, Fables, Y: The Last Man, Strangers in Paradise, Runaways, She-Hulk, Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, Knights of the Dinner Table, The Crossovers and J. Michael Straczynski's run on Spider-Man as comics that he has enjoyed.<ref name=Q&A2/><ref name=Q&A5/><ref name=FansNG/><ref name=Q&A1/> Other creators whose work he has long-admired include John Romita, Sr., John Buscema, Gene Colan, and others he has stated he presently admires or are friends that he enjoys working with include George Pérez, Andy Kubert, and Rick Leonardi.<ref>David, Peter (September 23, 1994). "Words and pictures". "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1088. Reprinted at peterdavid.net. (January 31, 2013).</ref> He has named Pérez as his favorite artistic collaborator,<ref>David, Peter (March 7, 2014). "Getting by with a little help from his friends…". peterdavid.net. Reprinted from Comics Buyer's Guide #1383 (May 19, 2000).</ref> and has named Pérez, Leonard Kirk and Dale Keown as the artists whose art has mostly closely matched the visuals he conceived when writing comic book scripts.<ref name=Q&A1/>

David is an avid fan of bowling, and a bowler himself, as is his daughter Ariel.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is a fan of the New York Mets,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Greenburg, Carol. Star Trek: Enterprise Logs. 2000; Page 206</ref> and practices tai chi.<ref name=10WeeksLater>David, Kathleen (March 1, 2013). "10 Weeks Later". peterdavid.net.</ref> His favorite music includes The Beatles,<ref name=Q&A2/> and his favorite albums include Harry Chapin's Verities and Balderdash and the soundtracks to Amadeus and Terminator 2: Judgment Day.<ref name=Q&A7/> His favorite movies include the James Bond films,<ref name=Agent008>David, Peter (September 11, 2012). "Peter David, Agent 008". peterdavid.net. Originally published in "But I Digress...", Comics Buyer's Guide #1257 (December 19, 1997).</ref> The Adventures of Robin Hood, That, Casablanca, and the early Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan films.<ref name=Q&A1/> His favorite TV shows have included Doctor Who, Hill Street Blues, Charmed, Carnivale, Boston Public, The Practice, Friends, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Alias and The West Wing.<ref name=Q&A2/><ref name=Q&A4/> He is a fan of musicals,<ref name=Agent008/><ref>"Comic Book Club PAD'09 Show Part 2". YouTube. January 7, 2009. Retrieved November 23, 2011.</ref> in particular 1776, Man of La Mancha, Li'l Abner and Into the Woods, with a taste for Lerner and Loewe and Stephen Sondheim.<ref name=Q&A2/><ref name=Q&A6>David, Peter. "What’cha Wanna Know?" peterdavid.net. June 22, 2010</ref> He acts in local stage productions.<ref>David, Peter. "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1340. July 23, 1999. Page 58</ref><ref>David, Peter. "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1374. March 17, 2000. Page 62</ref><ref>David, Peter. "But I Digress..." Comics Buyer's Guide #1382. May 12, 2000. Page 62</ref>

In June 2010, David's wife announced on his website that he had successfully undergone surgery to relieve serious back pain.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He later explained on his site that the pain, which he had been suffering in his hips and knees for three weeks, left him unable to function, and was eventually diagnosed as a herniated disc caused by bone fragments and fluid buildup. He underwent a three-hour discectomy<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and was told his full strength would return in six months.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On December 29, 2012, David suffered a stroke while on vacation in Florida.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The stroke occurred in the pons section of David's brain, from which he lost most of the use of his right arm and his right leg, and suffered from blurred vision in his right eye. While a total recovery was indicated to be unlikely, he remained in good spirits, and underwent physical therapy in order to return to his prior routine.<ref>David, Kathleen (December 31, 2012). "In the Blink of an Eye". No Strings Attached.</ref><ref>Armitage, Hugh (December 31, 2012). "'X-Factor's Peter David suffers stroke". Digital Spy.</ref> Two and a half months later, his condition had improved. His vision problems were gone, and he was able to navigate around his house without a wheelchair, and resume bowling and practicing tai chi. He had made slow and steady progress on his right leg and arm, and was continuing his therapy.<ref name=10WeeksLater/> Six months after the stroke, David had completed his physical therapy, though he still suffered some pain in his shoulder, and intended to work on improving his reduced endurance.<ref>David, Peter (June 29, 2013). "Six Months Later". PeterDavid.net.</ref> David revealed in January 2015 that he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes a year prior.<ref>David, Peter (January 20, 2015). "State of the Union". PeterDavid.net.</ref>

In March 2017, David announced on his blog that the IRS was demanding that he pay $88,000 USD in unpaid taxes, penalty and interest, which began to accumulate when his divorce from his first wife used up his savings. He started a GoFundMe campaign to raise the money from friends and fans,<ref name="I am in desperate trouble"/> which raised $68,000 by April 12. David announced that he would begin a Patreon account where he would publish new work, and which would be used to pay taxes, and asked his readers for their content requests.<ref>David, Peter (April 12, 2017). "The Campaign–Update". PeterDavid.net.</ref> By May 11, having sold some original comics artwork acquired two decades earlier, the Davids' debts were paid off.<ref>David, Peter (May 11, 2017). "Thank God, it’s Over". PeterDavid.net.</ref>

On November 27, 2022, another GoFundMe was launched by Graham Murphy, who explained David's health was once again in decline, following kidney failure, another series of strokes, and a mild heart attack.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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