We regret to announce the death of scriptwriter Larry DiTillio. He was best known for children’s cartoons, but also wrote science fiction and horror.

Larry Di Tillio was born 79 years ago, and died March 16, 2019, after a long illness. He won an Origins Award for co-writing the The Masks of Nyarlathotep campaign for Call of Cthulu with the late Lynn Willis. He worked for both Chaosium and Flying Buffalo on such gaming projects as Tunnels and Trolls and City Book I: Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker, and Creature Companion.

DiTillio thought some of his best work was on The Hitchhiker. {image via Corazon Productions}


Larry DiTillio wrote 22 episodes of He-Man. {image via Filmation}

Famed screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski, his co-worker and friend wrote a better obituary for him than I can:

He was a good and kind man, a ridiculously talented writer, a fierce intelligence, a loving father and husband, a fiery Italian, loyal friend and one of the funniest guys I have ever had the privilege to know. And I wish we had spent more time together. And now that’s not possible. And I will regret that forever. Godspeed, Larry. You will be missed.

As a rule, cartoon screenwriters get little fame. Their names fly by on the credits too fast for most fans to read. Their younger fans may not know to read the credits and look for the writer, but his fellow writers respected him, and children and adults loved the episodes he created.

Cartoons

  • Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
  • Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors
  • He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
  • She-Ra, Princess of Power
  • Rock ‘n’ Wrestling
  • Centurions
  • Galaxy High School
  • Bionic Six
  • The Adventures of Superman
  • The California Raisin Show
  • The Real Ghostbusters
  • Swamp Thing
  • Peter Pan and the Pirates
  • Conan the Adventurer
  • Beast Wars: Transformers
  • Masters of the Universe vs. the Snake-Men
  • Kong: the Animated Series
  • Transformers: Animated
  • Clive Barker’s The Coat Room

Science Fiction Live Action

  • Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future
  • Babylon 5
  • Hypernauts

Horror (Live Action)

  • The Hitchhiker
  • The Hidden Room

Miscellaneous Live Action

  • Those Mad, Mad Moviemakers
  • Murder, She Wrote

Throughout his nearly half-century career, he wrote scripts for hours of entertainment pleasure. He added to a lot of Saturday mornings. Comic book icon Marv Wolfman asked Larry DiTillio if he had any advice for would-be writers in an interview sixteen years ago for Silver Bullet Comic Books.

Marv Wolfman: What is your general advice to writers and would-be writers?

Larry DiTillio: Get a good therapist and be prepared to weather many, many storms. Professional writing is all about proving yourself every time out and if you don’t make it in 5-10 years, seriously consider pursuing something else. I had about 13-year drought after my first movie but I wanted it and when I got a shot I worked steadily for 16 years. Then I turned 50 and the roof of the world fell in on me. The storms just don’t stop. You need talent, desire, persistence and luck to be a pro. Everything else is just speculation. Aloha … “

Aloha, Mr. DiTillio, thanks for all the good stories over the years, and as J. Michael Straczynski said, “Godspeed … You will be missed.”

-30-

Susan Macdonald
Susan Macdonald

Susan Macdonald is the author of the children’s book “R is for Renaissance Faire”, as well as 26 short stories, mostly fantasy in “Alternative Truths”, “Swords and Sorceress ”, Swords &Sorceries Vols. 1, 2, & 5, “Cat Tails” “Under Western Stars”, and “Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid”. Her articles have appeared on SCIFI.radio’s web site, in The Inquisitr, and in The Millington Star. She enjoys Renaissance Faires (see book above), science fiction conventions,  Highland Games, and Native American pow-wows.