Ronald Byrd started writing for the Marvel Appendix in 2002 when I was an editor there; although I didn't edit his work, by 2003 we had both been welcomed aboard Marvel's now-forgotten Marvel Encycloepdia project, which started our professional assocation with Marvel Comics. The following year, we were both made part of the new Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe staff of writers. That year, he and I co-wrote The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Golden Age Marvel 2004. At the time, he and I were the only two writers at the OHOTMU who had a fondness for pre-1961 Marvel comics; I think we divided that book exactly 50/50 between us.
In 2005 I started taking on head writer duties, which meant I had a say in which writers were assigned to my projects. As head writer, I employed Ronald on my first book, Marvel Monsters: From the Files of Ulysses Bloodstone and subsequently on the Marvel Westerns: Outlaw Files, All-New Iron Manual, Iron Manual Mark 3, Dark Reign Files, Marvel Pets Handbook and Marvel Mystery Handbook: 70th Anniversary Special. This was in addition to our ongoing work collaborating on other handbooks, files books and The Official Index to the Marvel Universe. I know Ronald was disappointed that I didn't bring him in on the Marvel Atlas, but I was trying to keep the number of writers very low on that book in order to maintain consistency of style.
I recall getting very upset at Ronald over his history of Wolverine, such as appeared in Ronald's book Wolverine Saga. Ronald not only missed that a reference to Wolverine serving in the Devil's Brigade was referring to a real-life World War II unit, he thought it was a World War I reference! I couldn't budge him on this issue and it really got under my skin, as my great-uncle had served in the Devil's Brigade. I accused him of being myopic; I think it's the only time we had a serious disagreement. In retrospect, given all the nonsense that's been added to Logan's war record, maybe it's for the best that the character served in a fictional Devil's Brigade that just happened to have the same name as a real-life unit.
During the Civil War event, Ronald received permission from writer Paul Jenkins to establish backstories for a number of costumed characters who appeared in the background of Jenkins' Civil War Frontline stories. Some of Ronald's details made it into Civil War Files and the handbooks, but he really threw himself into sketching out complete biographies for those characters and they're very interesting reading with fun ideas for super-hero origin stories and explanations for why these character had been in opposition to Civil War's Superhuman Registration Act. Most of them have been written up on the Appendix - check out Canasta and Basic Black for example - the comments sections have his full biographies.
Paul Jenkins also looked to Ronald for aid in writing his mini-series All Winners Squad: Band of Heroes. As a tribute to Ronald, he named the character Sgt. Byrd after him! Unfortunately, the series was cancelled by Marvel after the 5th issue, leaving the remaining 3 issues unpublished to this day.
I quit writing for Marvel in 2012 and distanced myself from the Marvel Appendix as well. From time to time, Ronald would reach out to me to ask questions and brainstorm but I'm afraid I was often very curt with him - I wanted to make a clean break from that part of my life. I'm ashamed to say that the last time he messaged me, I didn't even respond. I was aware that Ronald's health had recently diminished but news of his death still shocked me when I received it yesterday.
Like all of us who served on the handbooks circa 2004-2012, Ronald had that particular knack for catching small details and delving into minutia. He knew we were ultimately writing about fictional universes, but he was determined to maintain versimilitude - and he had fun while he was doing it.
As long as Marvel endures, Ronald's contributions will remain a part of it, even after he - and I - have passed out of living memory. I don't know where Ronald was in terms of religious belief. But as a handbook writer, I think the most worthy words I can share are those of our patron, Mark Gruenwald, creator of the handbooks; these quotes of Gruenwald's made me think of Ronald:
Love something that's unlovable by most people's standards. It's good practice for your spirit.
Someday the universe will tire of me and will break me down into the components I came from. Right now I'd mind if that happened, but when the time comes I imagine I will welcome no longer being separate from the rest of reality.
Everything ultimately succumbs to entropy, but until it does, enjoy it.
Rest in peace, Ronald.
