Roger McKenzie's first comics work was a seven-page short story titled "Ground Round" in Vampirella #50 (April 1976) published by Warren Publishing.[3] He wrote stories for Warren's black and white magazine titles Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella from 1976–1982. He worked for DC Comics as well, creating the western character Cinnamon and several stories for the company's horror titles.[3]
McKenzie and Frank Miller's first collaboration was on a two-page story entitled "Slowly, painfully, you dig your way from the cold, choking debris..." published in DC Comics' Weird War Tales #68 (Oct. 1978).[3] McKenzie became the writer on Marvel Comics' Daredevil with issue #151 (March 1978), and gave the series a dark tone reminiscent of his horror writings. Miller joined McKenzie on the series starting with #158 (May 1979).[4]
In 1979, he collaborated with artist Ernie Colón on an adaptation of Battlestar Galactica for Marvel.[5] McKenzie wrote Captain America (1978–1980) as well.[3] McKenzie and artist Don Perlin developed the idea of Captain America running for the office of President of the United States.[6] Marvel originally rejected the idea but it would be used later by Roger Stern and John Byrne[7] in Captain America #250 (October 1980).[8] McKenzie and Perlin received credit for the idea on the letters page at Stern's insistence.[9] McKenzie and Perlin would also receive credit in the follow-up story in What If? #26 (April 1981).[3] McKenzie wrote several stories for the Marvel Fanfare anthology series[10] including a two-part Iron Man vs. Doctor Octopus tale drawn by Ken Steacy.[11]
From 1984 to 1987, McKenzie wrote Sun Runners (working with artist Pat Broderick and then Glen Johnson) comics for publishers Pacific Comics, Eclipse Comics, Sirius Comics, and Amazing Comics.[13]
From 1986 to 1988, McKenzie was involved with the independent publisher Pied Piper Comics.[14] Along with Mark L. Hamlin, McKenzie was co-founder and co-publisher of Pied Piper, while also acting as the company's managing editor.[15]
After a long hiatus from comics, McKenzie returned in 2015 to serve as Executive Editor of the Charlton Neo line of comics, where he wrote for The Charlton Arrow[16] and Charlton Wild Frontier.[17]
^Sanderson, Peter (2008). "1970s". In Gilbert, Laura (ed.). Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 189. ISBN978-0756641238. Initially, Miller collaborated on Daredevil with writer Roger McKenzie.
^Brown, Jonathan Rikard (July 2016). "Battlestar Galactica". Back Issue! (89). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 52–54.
^Brady, Matt (November 28, 2002). "Looking Back:Stern & Byrne's Captain America". Newsarama. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved February 20, 2012. The story, according to Stern, actually began a year previous, when Roger McKenzie and Don Perlin were the creative team on Captain America, and Stern was an editor at Marvel. McKenzie and Perlin wanted Cap to run for office and win, setting up four years' worth of stories in and around Washington, D.C. and the duties of the president. While it could've made for a great pop-culture civics lesson, Stern 86'd the idea.
^Kelly, Douglas R. (June 2017). "Kid in a Candy Store: Roger McKenzie Had a Ball With Marvel Fanfare". Back Issue! (96). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 26–29.
^DeAngelo, Daniel (June 2017). "Ken Steacy: No Assembly Required". Back Issue! (96). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 38–42.