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Edited by MICHAEL EURY, BACK ISSUE magazine celebrates comic books of the 1970s, 1980s, and today through recurring (and rotating) departments like “Pro2Pro” (dialogue between professionals), “BackStage Pass” (behind-the-scenes of comics-based media), “Greatest Stories Never Told” (spotlighting unrealized comics series or stories), and more!

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“All-Jerks Issue!” Guy Gardner, Namor in the Bronze Age, J. Jonah Jameson, Flash Thompson, DC’s Biggest Blowhards, the Heckler, Obnoxio the Clown, and Archie’s “pal” Reggie Mantle! Featuring the work of (non-jerks) RICH BUCKLER, KURT BUSIEK, JOHN BYRNE, STEVE ENGLEHART, KEITH GIFFEN, ALAN KUPPERBERG, and many more. Cover-featuring KEVIN MAGUIRE’s iconic Batman/Guy Gardner “One Punch”!

“Bronze Age Halloween!” The Swamp Thing revival of 1982, Swamp Thing in Hollywood, Phantom Stranger team-ups, KUPPERBERG & MIGNOLA’s Phantom Stranger miniseries, DC’s The Witching Hour, the Living Mummy, and an index of Marvel’s 1970s’ horror anthologies! Featuring the work of RICH BUCKLER, ANDY MANGELS, VAL MAYERIK, MARTIN PASKO, MICHAEL USLAN, TOM YEATES, and many more. Cover by YEATES.

“All-Captains Issue!” Bronze Age histories of Shazam! (Captain Marvel) and Captain Mar-Vell, Captain Carrot, Captain Storm and the Losers, Captain Universe, and Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers. Featuring C. C. BECK, PAT BRODERICK, JACK KIRBY, ELLIOT S. MAGGIN, BILL MANTLO, DON NEWTON, BOB OKSNER, SCOTT SHAW!, JIM STARLIN, ROY THOMAS, and more. Cover painting by DAVE COCKRUM!

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“Indie Super-Heroes!” NEAL ADAMS Ms. Mystic interview, Continuity Comics, BILL BLACK Captain Paragon interview, Justice Machine history, STEVEN GRANT/ NORM BREYFOGLE Whisper “Pro2Pro” interview, and the ’80s revivals of Mighty Crusaders and T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. With BUCKLER, DEODATO, ELLIS, GRINDBERG, GUSTOVICH, ISABELLA, REINHOLD, ORDWAY, PÉREZ, & a NEAL ADAMS cover!

“Creatures of the Night!” Moon Knight’s DOUG MOENCH and BILL SIENKIEWICZ in a Pro2Pro interview, Ghost Rider, Night Nurse, Eclipso in the Bronze Age, I…Vampire, interviews with Batman writer MIKE W. BARR and Marvel’s Nightcat, JACQUELINE TAVAREZ. Featuring work by BOB BUDIANSKY, J. M. DeMATTEIS, DAVE SIMONS, ROGER STERN, TOM SUTTON, JEAN THOMAS, and more. SIENKIEWICZ and KLAUS JANSON cover!

“Marvel Fanfare Issue!” Behind the scenes of the ‘80s anthology series with AL MILGROM, interviews and art by ARTHUR ADAMS, CHRIS CLAREMONT, DAVE COCKRUM, STEVE ENGLEHART, MICHAEL GOLDEN, ROGER McKENZIE, FRANK MILLER, DOUG MOENCH, ANN NOCENTI, GEORGE PÉREZ, MARSHALL ROGERS, PAUL SMITH, KEN STEACY, CHARLES VESS, and more! Cover by SANDY PLUNKETT and GLENN WHITMORE.

“Bird People!” Hawkman in the Bronze Age, JIM STARLIN’s Superman/Hawkgirl team-up, TIM TRUMAN’s Hawkworld, Hawk & Dove, Penguin history, Blue Falcon & Dynomutt, Condorman, and CHUCK DIXON and SCOTT McDANIEL’s Nightwing. With GERRY CONWAY, STEVE ENGLEHART, GREG GULER, RICHARD HOWELL, TONY ISABELLA, KARL KESEL, ROB LIEFELD, DENNY O’NEIL, and a GEORGE PÉREZ cover.

“DC in the ‘80s!” From the experimental to the fan faves: Behind-the-scenes looks at SECRET ORIGINS, ACTION COMICS WEEKLY, DC CHALLENGE, THRILLER, ELECTRIC WARRIOR, and SUN DEVILS. Featuring JIM BAIKIE, MARK EVANIER, DAN JURGENS, DOUG MOENCH, MARTIN PASKO, TREVOR VON EEDEN, and others! Featuring a mind-numbing Nightwing cover by ROMEO TANGHAL!

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“BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES’ 25th ANNIVERSARY!” Looks back at the influential cartoon series. Plus: episode guide, Harley Quinn history, DC’s Batman Adventures and Animated Universe comic books, and tribute to artist MIKE PAROBECK. Featuring KEVIN ALTIERI, RICK BURCHETT, PAUL DINI, GERARD JONES, MARTIN PASKO, DAN RIBA, TY TEMPLETON, BRUCE TIMM, and others! BRUCE TIMM cover!

ALL-STAR EDITORS ISSUE! ROCK present ’N’ ROLL COMICS! Flash Gordon 100-PAGE SPECIAL featuring Bronze Age Past and editors reveal “How I Beat the Dreaded star SAM J. JONES interview, KISS in Fanzines and Fandom! Buyer’s Guide, Comic Deadline Plus: ARCHIE comics, Marvel’s ALICE COOPER, T. Rex’s Book Price Guide, DC’s Doom”! Comicmobile, Super GOODWIN and MARK GRUENWALD retrospectives, MARC BOLAN interviews STAN LEE, PAUL DC Con ’76, Comic Reader, FOOM, Amazing E. NELSON BRIDWELL McCARTNEY, Charlton’s Partridge Family, World of DC, Charlton Bullseye, Squainterview, Tront, DIANA interview, ALLAN ASHERMAN David Cassidy, and Bobby Sherman comics, & more! ALANSCHUTZ LIGHT, BOB OVERSTREET, revisitsBOB DC’sGREENBERGER, ’70s editorial department, Marvel’s Steeltown Rockers, Monkees comics, SCOTT EDELMAN, Marvel Assistant Editors’ Month, and a his& Comic-Con band Seduction of the Innocent. JACK C. HARRIS, TONY ISABELLA, DAVID tory ofBOB PERRY WHITE!PAUL With an unpublished With AMY CHU, JACK KIRBY, BILL MUMY, ANTHONY KRAFT, LAYTON, ZECK! 1981USLAN, Captainand America cover by MIKE ALAN WEISS, and others! LEVITZ, MICHAEL others!

MERCS AND ANTIHEROES! Deadpool’s ROB LIEFELD and FABIAN NICIEZA interviewed! Histories of Cable, Taskmaster, Deathstroke the Terminator, the Vigilante, and Wild Dog, plus… Archie meets the Punisher?? Featuring TERRY BEATTY, MAX ALLAN COLLINS, PAUL KUPPERBERG, BATTON LASH, JEPH LOEB, DAVID MICHELINIE, MARV WOLFMAN, KEITH POLLARD, and others! Deadpool vs. Cable cover by LIEFELD!

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Volume 1, Number 103 April 2018 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Eury PUBLISHER John Morrow

Comics’ Bronze Age and Beyond!

DESIGNER Rich Fowlks COVER ARTIST Mike Zeck (Alternate cover art originally produced for Captain America #259. Original art scan courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions.) COVER COLORIST Glenn Whitmore COVER DESIGNER Michael Kronenberg PROOFREADER Rob Smentek SPECIAL THANKS Richard J. Arndt Marvel Comics Allan Asherman Don McGregor Tom Brevoort Allen Milgrom Eliot R. Brown Jack Morelli Bob Budiansky J. A. Morris John Byrne Anne T. Murphy Mike Carlin Tom Palmer Bobbie Chase Rick Parker Janice Chiang John G. Pierce Howard Chaykin Carl Potts Brian Cronin Dennis O’Neil Tom DeFalco Bob Rozakis Bob DeNatale Jim Salicrup James Felder Peter Sanderson Danny Fingeroth Bob Schreck Ron Frenz Catherine Schuller Jennifer Goodwin Diana Schutz Seth Goodwin John Schwirian Grand Comics Jim Shooter Database Walter Simonson Glenn Greenberg Kevin Somers Bob Greenberger Roger Stern Larry Hama Dan Tandarich Russ Heath Frank Thorne Karl Heitmueller, Jr. Rob Tokar Fred Hembeck John Trumbull Glenn Herdling Timothy Tuohy Heritage Comics Len Wein Auctions John Wells Dan Jurgens Marv Wolfman Paul Kupperberg Gregory Wright Paul Levitz Bud Young Howard Mackie Mike Zeck Elliot S. Maggin

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BACKSEAT DRIVER: Editorial by Michael Eury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 PRO2PRO: The Dreaded Deadline Doom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 A sextet of all-star editors share editorial horror stories—and their solutions to problems FLASHBACK: “Nice” is the Word: Archie Goodwin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Family and friends remember one of comicdom’s all-time best OFF MY CHEST: Guest Column by Allan Asherman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 From fan to pro at DC in the early ’70s—a first-person narrative INTERVIEW: E. Nelson Bridwell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 The DC editor/writer/lorekeeper discusses the Marvel Family and more in a 1977 interview PRINCE STREET NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Karl Heitmueller, Jr. pokes fun at questionable editorial decisions PRO2PRO: Gru the Influencer: Leaving An Indelible Mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Marvel’s Mark Gruenwald, in the words of his friends and colleagues BACKSTAGE PASS: Cheap Laffs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Eliot R. Brown relives the Mark Gruenwald-conceived cable TV comedy show WHAT THE--?!: Marvel Assistant Editors’ Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 A creator-crammed look at the nutty idea that rocked the House of Ideas INTERVIEW: Diana Schutz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 The award-winning editor discusses her career and her craft FLASHBACK: Making Headlines with Perry White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 The gruff Daily Planet editor is more than just Clark Kent’s boss BACK TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Reader reactions

BACK ISSUE™ is published 8 times a year by TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614. Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief. John Morrow, Publisher. Editorial Office: BACK ISSUE, c/o Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief, 118 Edgewood Avenue NE, Concord, NC 28025. Email: euryman@gmail.com. Eight-issue subscriptions: $76 Economy US, $125 International, $32 Digital. Please send subscription orders and funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial office. Cover art by Mike Zeck. Captain America TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © 2018 Michael Eury and TwoMorrows Publishing except for Prince Street News, TM & © Karl Heitmueller, Jr.. Printed in China. FIRST PRINTING.

All-Star Editors Issue • BACK ISSUE • 1

by M

ichael Eury

“What does an editor do?” If those of us who work or have worked as comic-book editors had a buck for every time we heard that question, we could probably bankroll our own comic companies. A comic-book editor is a traffic manager, a product developer, a creative consultant, a cheerleader, a negotiator, a copywriter, a promoter, a talent scout, an art and story authority, a liaison between suits and T-shirts, a franchise coordinator, and a supervisor who must know when to encourage his babies to fly or slap their wrists for misbehavior. That’s a lot of hats to wear, and not everyone is cut out for the job. Editing comics can be highly stressful… there are days where unexpected problems and meetings obliterate your carefully constructed calendar, and at five o’clock you sigh, “Where did the day go?” Still, despite the hassles and headaches, the joys of the job are beyond compare. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of exhilaration after combining a writer/artist team that clicks, or putting to bed a project you know is special, or basking in the glow of reader and critical acclaim. This issue, we explore the editorial side of comic books through a treasure trove of oral histories from and stories about many of the industry’s top editors, while favoring the Bronze Age, the primary stomping grounds of this magazine. Many, many people in the business and beyond rallied forth to participate in this issue (just look at that Special Thanks listing on page 1!), and without their kind assistance this edition could not be possible. Each feature in this issue is significant and informative, but two are particularly special due to their subjects: Richard Arndt’s biography of Archie Goodwin—hands down, comics’ most beloved editor/writer—and the Catherine Schuller-gathered testimonials to the life and work of Mark Gruenwald—hands down, comics’ other most beloved editor/writer. Both Archie and Mark (yes, you may call them by their first names… they’d have wanted it that way) left this earthly plane some two decades ago. Yet, their legacies endure, through their oft-reprinted work and the countless comics pros and fans whose lives they touched. These retrospectives are among the most important pieces of comics historical journalism to ever appear in BACK ISSUE, and I’m honored to share them with you. I’d especially like to thank Catherine Schuller—Mark Gruenwald’s widow—for stepping in to do such a phenomenal job when the assigned Gru biographer, Peter Sanderson, took ill (Peter’s on the mend, by the way… get well soon, old chum!). “It went from being a sidebar to a sideshow,” Catherine laughed to me as we watched her Gru tribute mushroom, but through these narratives you’ll get a good idea why Mark Gruenwald is so deeply missed by those who knew him. For those of you who like to read about comic books, we haven’t forgotten you. There’s an in-depth look at Marvel’s wacky Assistant Editors’ Month of 1983 and a history of the most famous editor in comic books: Perry White! And while we spend most of this issue saluting editors, leave it to Karl Heitmueller, Jr.’s hilarious Prince Street News cartoon to remind us that not every editorial decision is a good one. Lastly, I close with some sad news that occurred while this issue was about to go into production: the death of legendary comics writer/editor Len Wein, who passed on September 10, 2017 at the age of 69. Len’s work has been covered in this magazine on numerous occasions, and it pains me that he won’t be able to join us for any further oral histories. Or that I won’t hear his infectious laugh again. Out of his incredible body of work, Len wrote my single favorite scene in a comic book: In Justice League of America #110 (Mar.–Apr. 1974), he incapacitates Green Lantern—one of the most powerful beings in the universe—by having Hal Jordan slip on a piece of soap in the shower, knocking himself unconscious. What a simple, yet brilliant, idea! This issue is dedicated to the memory of Len Wein.

LEN WEIN 1948–2017 2 • BACK ISSUE • All-Star Editors Issue

Photo by Mitchell Haddad. © DC Comics.

Darkseid, Thanos, Doomsday, Dr. Doom… forget ’em. The most dangerous menace to ever plague the world of comic books is the Dreaded Deadline Doom, that devious disruptor of production schedules and fan enthusiasm. Readers who followed comics during the Bronze Age recall crushing nadirs of disenchantment when the latest installment of their four-color favorite was supplanted by an unexpected generic standalone story or a stale reprint, forced into print by the machinations of the Dreaded Deadline Doom. In more

marv wolfman

recent years, the Dreaded Deadline Doom has foisted upon us lengthy gaps between “monthly” issues. But the annals of comicdom are rife with inspirational chronicles of fearless, peerless editors who, with the blinding speed of a Colletta brush, have rallied forth, summoning their Crusty Bunkers and sharpening their wits to vanquish what seemed to be another triumph for the Dreaded Deadline Doom. These are their stories, gathered for BACK ISSUE readers in a feature that could only be called…

tom brevoort

Photo by Noel Wolfman.

bob greenberger

al milgrom © Marvel.

jim salicrup

bob schreck © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons.

as told to M i c h a e l

Eury

All-Star Editors Issue • BACK ISSUE • 3

Archie Goodwin, circa late 1980s/early 1990s. Photo courtesy of Seth Goodwin. Comics © their respective copyright holders.

Nice. That’s the word nearly everyone who knew him has used when they described Archie Goodwin (1937–1998) to me. They always coupled that word with how firm and right his instincts as an editor were, how outstanding his scripts were, how well he understood how to construct a script, how patient he was in conveying that knowledge to new writers, how much he knew about layout, coloring, lettering, etc., but it was his niceness that made them want to strive so hard to please him. It’s no coincidence that when the Batman Adventures comic (based on the 1990s cartoon Batman: The Animated Series) created a trio of supervillains based on the DC Comics group editors of the time, Goodwin was not only included, but that his doppelganger’s name was Mr. Nice. After Goodwin’s death, the final fate of Mr. Nice in that title became one of the sweetest and most poignant send-offs of a character ever recorded in comics. Archie Goodwin was born September 8, 1937 in Kansas City, Missouri. He spent a lot of his childhood moving between small towns but eventually ended up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a town he considered home. By his teenage years he was an avid EC Comics fan and joined the EC Fan-Addict Club. Archie carried his membership card for the fan organization in his wallet for decades. Following high school, he attended Oklahoma University for a short period, before traveling to New York to attend the Cartoonist and Illustrators School of Visual Arts. While at OU he began writing articles and illustrating cartoons and covers for the first EC fanzine—HOOHAH! When he sold his first comic script to Harvey Comics in 1958, he became one of the first of the original comics fans to become a professional in the field. Over the next decade and a half, dozens of other comic-book fans would follow him. Archie’s art style was a mix of James Thurber whimsy and 1950s advertising and poster art. After graduation from the School of Visual Arts, he worked as a cartoonist and wrote scripts and did art corrections for Leonard Starr’s Mary Perkins, On Stage comic strip as well as working a day job for Redbook magazine. In the middle of all this, Goodwin was drafted and spent the years 1960–1962 in the Army. Shortly after his discharge, that script he’d sold to Harvey four years early, “Hermit!,” finally saw print, in Alarming Adventures #1 (Oct. 1962), with art by EC artists Reed Crandall and Al Williamson. A few months earlier he’d gotten his first prose story, “Killing Mr. Killiam,” published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine (July 1962). The editors of EQMM initially told him that he couldn’t use what they assumed was the penname of Archie Goodwin, since that name was the name of a character in the well-known Rex Stout series about Nero Wolfe. I would imagine that Archie had fun telling them that that was his real name. The magazine certainly used the anecdote in their introduction to his debut story. “Killing Mr. Killiam” is a very amusing tale that easily could and probably should be adapted for comics, giving the world one more Archie Goodwin-written tale. Following his Army stint, Archie returned to Redbook, where he met his wife-to-be, Anne T. Murphy. Anne tells BACK ISSUE that “Redbook was a woman’s magazine and Archie worked in the art department. When I first met him, he’d just returned from his stint in the Army. His family opposed Archie’s move to New York and his writing ambitions, particularly for the comics. It wasn’t very long after he got out of the Army and returned to Redbook that he began writing stories for Jim Warren.”

6 • BACK ISSUE • All-Star Editors Issue

by R i c h a r d

J. Arndt

Little Archie (top left) Parents Marvin and Flora Shoemaker Goodwin and baby Archie, circa 1937– 1938. (top right) Archie Goodwin in 1955. Photos courtesy of Seth Goodwin. THE WARREN YEARS

During his courtship with Anne, Archie had begun writing stories for the new Warren Publications comic magazine Creepy, initially edited by Russ Jones. According to Anne, exactly how he got that gig remains something of a mystery. It’s possible that Warren and Archie met at one of the earliest comics conventions. According to his interview with Jon B. Cooke in The Warren Companion, Jim Warren himself remembered that Goodwin was one of a group of writers that he and editor Russ Jones had gathered together—with said writers apparently coming from fandom of the day. Besides Archie, early Warren writers, including Ron Parker, Larry Ivie, and, to a certain extent, Russ Jones himself had all done work for various fanzines. A few mainstream comic-book writers, chiefly Otto Binder, were also included, while the initial artists were drawn from the EC veterans as well as artists who came from much the much same artistic school of illustration. Anne Murphy remembers that either Jones or Larry Ivie had a hand in getting Archie to Warren. I asked if artist Al Williamson—who knew Ivie, was a friend of Archie, and had inked that initial Goodwin comic strip for Harvey—may have played a hand in Goodwin getting to write three of the seven stories included in Creepy #1 (Winter 1965). Williamson certainly seems to have been a main link in obtaining many of the EC artists who appeared in the early Warren titles. Anne remarks that “Al Williamson was a friend of Archie’s, long before his appearances in the Warren books. Al also seemed to know Larry Ivie and Russ Jones as well and he certainly knew all the EC artists, since he was one of them himself. Al may well have been the connection between everyone. Russ Jones was the original editor of Creepy before Archie became the editor, but I don’t think he worked out too well. Archie wrote three or four stories for the first issue of Creepy and after that he never looked back.” Seth Goodwin, Anne and Archie’s son, remarks, “I don’t think I can say that Al Williamson wasn’t the link between Archie and Jim Warren, but I never actually heard of that. It seems more to me that there was a circle of friends and EC Comics fans that got Archie connected with Jim Warren.” One of those stories in that first issue, “The Success Story,” was amusingly based on Archie’s own ghost-writing experiences on Dan Flagg, a comic strip where the credited writer/artist on the strip, Don Sherwood, purportedly at some point quit doing any of the actual work, instead farming it out to ghost writers and artists, none of whom knew initially that Sherwood himself wasn’t doing anything on the strip. Al Williamson was one of those uncredited “ghost” artists while Archie was a ghost writer. Archie, Williamson, Angelo Torres, and Al McWilliams all modeled or portrayed various characters in “The Success Story.” The quality of Goodwin’s scripts, right from the get-go, must have made an impression on Jim Warren. By the second issue, Goodwin was listed as the story editor for the title, with six out of eight stories in that issue featuring his scripts. By issue #4, Goodwin was both the full editor and the lead writer. Between the years 1964–1967, Archie provided scripts for about 80% of the contents for both Creepy and its sister magazine Eerie, while providing about 95% of the scripts for the war title Blazing Combat.

Seth Goodwin remarks that “it’s entirely possible that Archie was shopping stories around at a lot of different publications at the time. He’d already done that Ellery Queen story and, as a fan of the EC comics and a HOOHAH! contributor, it’s entirely possible that Archie just came into Warren’s offices with a batch of stories and got work right off the bat. Warren certainly recognized Archie’s talent and grabbed him for the editor’s role when Russ Jones didn’t work out.” Anne Murphy also remembers that a number of Archie’s fellow contributors to HOOHAH! would work with Archie at Warren, including Ron Parker, who’d been the HOOHAH! editor, and Larry Ivie. Seth also recalls that Paul Douglas, the renowned illustrator—his posters for the Broadway productions of Three Penny Opera and For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf are world famous—was a friend of Archie’s from Tulsa and one of the people behind HOOHAH! They attended Will Rogers High School together and both he and Archie roomed together when Archie first came to New York. In fact, Paul Davis was the best man at Archie and Anne’s marriage. It’s safe to say that Archie made his bones as an editor on the Warren books in his initial stint there from 1964– 1967. His solid storytelling, his abilities as both editor and art director, and his ability to visually “see” a story

Early Goodwin work (bottom left) The EC fanzine HOOHAH! #2, with a cover illustrated by Archie. (bottom right) No, it’s not a penname! Archie Goodwin’s first prose story, “Killing Mr. Killiam,” in the July 1962 edition of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine © 2018 Penny Publications.

All-Star Editors Issue • BACK ISSUE • 7

by A l l a n

[Editor’s note: A familiar name to readers of Bronze Age DC Comics, Allan Asherman has worked in DC’s editorial department, as one of its “Junior Woodchucks,” and as the company’s librarian, and he shares some of his experiences with BI readers in this exclusive guest column.]

I had become a fan of the Man of Steel from watching the Adventures of Superman TV series before I read my first comic book. I knew the names of all the people in the closing credits of each episode. During a visit to a local bookshop, I saw one of those names, story editor Mort Weisinger, on the cover of a thick paperback, 1,001 Valuable Things You Can Get Free (inset), and bought it. As I looked through it later at home, one single listing in the book stood out from all the others. I could get a free, signed picture postcard of George Reeves as Superman just by requesting it from a certain address. I sent for it immediately. A few years later, after having become an avid reader and fan of DC Comics, I took that book and the George Reeves postcard with me, and took the subway from Brooklyn to Manhattan. Uninvited and unannounced, I entered the DC Comics waiting room at 575 Lexington Avenue, hoping to meet Mr. Weisinger or anyone else who worked on the TV series. The receptionist invited me to sit and wait. It was just possible, she said, that someone going in or out might have time to speak with me. About half an hour later, a man came out and told the receptionist he was going to lunch. She leaned over and whispered to him, pointing at me. He came over, smiled, and introduced himself as Nelson Bridwell, and I told him who I was and why I had come. His lunch, he said, would wait until later, and he led me inside the hallowed

20 • BACK ISSUE • All-Star Editors Issue

Asherman

halls and I was shaking the hand of Mort Weisinger, the man with whom he shared an office. Mort edited the Superman comic books, in addition to being the story editor for The Adventures of Superman. Before long Weisinger directed me to editor Murray Boltinoff, who introduced me, via a long distance phone call, to his friend, Whitney Ellsworth, who had produced the TV series. Ellsworth and I would later correspond in a series of letters and phone calls that ended with Whit’s death in 1980. Having graduated from Long Island University in 1969 with a B.A. degree in journalism, I had learned enough to know that I didn’t want to become a reporter. In 1972 I heard that Sol Harrison was seeking young assistants he could train to become the next generation of DC Comics staffers. Sol hired me. DC had moved to 909 Third Avenue. The waiting room there led to a corridor along which were small offices, including those of Bob Kanigher and Julie Schwartz to the left, and Denny O’Neil, Joe Kubert, Murray Boltinoff, and Sol Harrison to the right. At the end of the corridor the production room was on the left, and Carmine Infantino’s larger office was at the right. My first assignment was to mail prepared “thank you” postcards to fans who had written letters to the company. Editor Bob Kanigher, whose office was near the desk at which I was working, said hello and sometimes chatted. In addition to being one of DC’s most prolific writers, Kanigher edited Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Superman’s Girl Friend Lois Lane, Young Love, and Young Romance, and needed an assistant. Sol soon informed me that I was no longer sending out postcards. I was now Kanigher’s assistant, and would work at a desk to the rear of his office. A small adjoining room was the office of artist Vince Colletta, who was then the company’s art director. Most mornings Carmine Infantino visited Colletta to discuss the prospects of whatever horses were racing that day. Vinnie, as he preferred to be called, talked in a gravelly, low voice. He immediately made me his confidant, telling me of his out-of-the-office activities, giving me the lowdown on everyone in the company, and offering his protection if I should need it. Vinnie had a need for people to perceive him as a tough guy, but he was actually quite a complex character. Vinnie was usually assigned to ink stories that were late. He never failed to make his deadlines, but as a result he acquired the reputation of being more of a quick inker rather than a true artist. I knew better after seeing his sketchbooks, which were filled with serene landscapes and discerning studies of women, all inked with feathery strokes made with a triple-zero brush and Vinnie’s perfect control. I would later see equally precise brushwork while watching Murphy Anderson inking pages at DC. Each morning, Kanigher would announce his arrival by clearing his throat while setting down his flight bag and dark glasses with a dramatic flourish. Adjusting his white turtleneck and dark jacket, he would either ask me to get him coffee or go himself and return with a cup for each of us.

It was Kanigher who taught me what was expected of an editorial assistant who hoped to become an assistant editor. (The two titles were largely interchangeable; the same pay scale, largely the same duties, but “assistant editor” implied that assistant might someday become a full editor.) I compiled letters columns, occasionally wrote special texts and photo features based on Bob’s ideas or my own, assigned production inventory numbers to the work the editor assigned to the freelancers, and maintained the editor’s account receipt books. I also made sure the freelancers delivered their work on time. When all the original art and other material for an issue was ready I created a worksheet for the book, listing each story and supplementary feature, along with credits and page counts, and presented the completed bundle to Kanigher. After filling out the forms that accounting would use to issue checks to the creators, Kanigher checked everything again. I then submitted the book to production and immediately began working on preliminary paperwork for the next issue. Kanigher was one of the most intriguing people at DC. Everyone there was respectfully aware of his accomplishments in writing and editing for the company, but there was also talk about how difficult it could be to work with him. I ignored these stories, and while I worked for him we treated each other with respect. He was always an eager teacher, telling me proudly about his past accomplishments. Knowing I was interested in old radio serials he lent me a paperback book he had written in 1943, How to Make Money Writing for Radio, published by Cambridge House. Kanigher’s wife and his daughter Jan occasionally stopped by. I was wearing my hair long at the time, which prompted Mrs. Kanigher to begin referring to me as “the Bolshevik.” Joe Kubert’s office was across the hall. He and Kanigher conversed often, and Joe would sometimes summon Bob so they could plot a new Sgt. Rock or Enemy Ace story. It never took long. Bob always had ideas, which he would offer while chewing on his unlit pipe. When Joe heard one he liked he asked for more details, and as Kanigher provided them with enthusiasm Kubert took notes and made his first rough character and panel sketches. Among the other newcomers to DC were Bob Rozakis, Carl Gafford, and Anthony Tollin, who worked in the production room under Harrison and Jack Adler. Jack Harris, Mike Uslan, and a few others joined them, and one day Sol announced that the “Junior Woodchucks,” as BobRo had named us, would write, design, and edit The Amazing World of DC Comics, a sort of in-house fan magazine that would be sold by subscription and include articles and interviews dealing with company projects, personnel, and history. It was good training, great fun, and provided opportunites to interact with company legends and write about our favorite superhero films and TV series. For us it was also a dream come true, and we did a good job. Even Sol Harrison thought so, and Sol rarely praised anyone. I don’t recall whose idea it was. The first person I heard discuss it was BobRo. To Sol it was useful in determining which Woodchucks had the best skills in various areas, as well as a means of generating additional profit for the company, and an opportunity for him to function as a big brother to all of us. [Editor’s note: See BACK ISSUE #100 for an AWODCC history.] After observing me for a few weeks, making sure that I was respectful and industrious despite my long hair, Kubert invited me to become his editorial assistant, too, and I began working on Our Army at War, Tarzan, and Korak, Son of Tarzan, shortly to be joined by Rima, the Jungle Girl; Blitzkrieg; and Ragman. My location on any given day depended upon who needed me.

Watching Joe draw was an exhilarating experience. He would start a facial closeup with the eyes and sculpt the other features quickly, apparently effortlessly, determining where the light was coming from within the panel and shadowing accordingly, giving minimal attention to the ears, which he would often just outline. DC Comics’ policy was to pay assistants $15 a page for creating letters columns, but I never got a cent for the columns I wrote for Kubert. Having entered the industry in his youth, working for some of the world’s most frugal editors and publishers, Joe had been treated as an apprentice, being paid on the basis of how much his employers felt he was contributing to each periodical. To Joe I was still an apprentice, and letters columns were necessary because of mailing requirements, but not especially creative. While we were wrapping up one issue I suggested something different, showing him a photo I had in my collection, a shot of Johnny Sheffield as “Boy” [from the Tarzan movies] reading an issue of Boy’s Life magazine. He found it

Your Demand is His Command Roving editorial Jack-of-all-trades Allan edited or assisted with a variety of DC projects during the early Bronze Age, including these titles. TM & © DC Comics.

All-Star Editors Issue • BACK ISSUE • 21

had been avid readers of the magazines published by Hugo Gernsback, who told them he was receiving many more letters from science-fiction fans than he had room to print. The enterprising duo then obtained Gernsback’s permission to publish his surplus letters in a magazine they themselves assembled, designed, and published, producing what might be called the first fanzine. In 1944 Julie joined the staff of what would become National Comics. In the late 1950s, during the beginning of the Silver Age, Julie began running letters from readers. In these first DC Comics letters pages were communications from future writers, artists, editors, and filmmakers, some of the people who would help define the place of science fiction and fantasy in today’s worldwide movie, television, and publishing markets. In addition to teaching me about the links between science-fiction magazines and the development of the Silver Age superhero comic-book characters, Julie also gave me the honor of authorizing a new character in the DC Universe. I first heard about it from him when he approached me to confirm I was okay with the idea and would not try to sue DC if it happened. Elliot S! Maggin was writing a story called “The Viking from Valhalla” for Superman #270 (Dec. 1973) and wanted to introduce Oscar Asherman, the weatherman at WGBS-TV. The story would be drawn by

Not Oscar, But Allan The “real” Asherman made a cameo (with other DC personnel) in New Teen Titans vol. 2 #13 (Oct. 1985), a Crisis crossover. That’s Allan in panel 6, mentioning art returns to Cyborg. Scan courtesy of John Wells. TM & © DC Comics.

24 • BACK ISSUE • All-Star Editors Issue

Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. I assured Julie not to worry, that I was deeply touched, and thanked him profusely. Soon after that discussion there was a knock on the door to Kubert’s office and Curt Swan came in. He stayed for about 20 minutes sketching me for Oscar’s introduction. Oscar Asherman appeared in approximately 20 stories over a ten-year period. In most of them he was announced by Clark Kent. In one he was psychic, in others he helped Superman handle various problems, and in all the stories he appeared as a flattering approximation of me, complete with unruly hair and thin moustache. During that first time I worked at DC I was fortunate to meet many others whose names were familiar and whose work I enjoyed. Curt Swan knew he had a fan following but never acted like it. An even-tempered, pleasant man, he was always happy to meet someone who appreciated his art. He would usually complete his work at home, but on rare occasions he could be found in the DC bullpen area finishing last-minute touchups. Murphy Anderson and I quickly became friends and shared dozens of terrible puns which elicited groans from our colleagues, particularly BobRo and Nelson Bridwell. Murphy, who had illustrated many pulp stories and had drawn the Buck Rogers newspaper strips, had a vast knowledge of science-fiction artwork and vintage films. His wife, Helen, and son, Murphy, Jr., sometimes stopped by. Sam Glanzman had served on the Fletcher-class destroyer U.S.S. Stevens during World War II, and created a series of stories about his experiences on the ship that ran in war comics edited by Joe Kubert. A gentle man who loved to talk, he was well-versed in military equipment designs and drew dozens of “tabletop dioramas” and “battle albums,” provided the correct colorings, and was always punctual, riding his motorcycle from his home in upstate New York to deliver his finished stories. I’ve already mentioned Ric Estrada. Ric related the story of one visit to his bank near DC’s offices to deposit a check and withdraw some cash. The teller asked how much he wanted to withdraw, adding that Ric had more than one million dollars in his account. Ric assured the teller he did not have that much on deposit, and that it was most likely a mistake. I used the same bank, and for the next few days I heard references to the comic-book artist who had so quickly alerted the bank about their million-dollar error. Ross Andru noticed one day that I liked chocolate. One candy company had recently begun selling a rather fancy bar. Ross gave me one and after I’d eaten it asked me if I liked it. I thanked him again and told him that I had. For the next few weeks others appeared on my desk, and I knew that Ross was visiting and would soon stop by to say hello. According to Kurt Schaffenberger, I was one of the first DC employees who admitted to being a fan of his work. This surprised him, as he had previously worked at Fawcett Comics drawing Captain Marvel, and had been told by at least one DC executive that his Superman looked too much like the Big Red Cheese. When I recognized his work in the magazines of another publisher, signed with a pseudonym for business reasons, Kurt was surprised when I mentioned his style was so distinctive that most fans probably recognized it immediately. Remember those drawings of Lois Lane looking surprised or upset? Kurt always asked his wife Dorothy to pose for those panels. John Rosenberger was another great guy, and a much underrated artist who specialized in drawing beautiful and intelligent women, also posed by his wife, who had been an in-between animator at Disney while Bambi was in production. Before she left she had been given a large number of old, unwanted cels. A few years later, preparing a short animated film of her own, she had painstakingly washed each of those cels and reused them. John often wondered how much they would have been worth to collectors. I had edited some reprints of The Legion of Super-Heroes, The Doom Patrol, and Metal Men, and was looking forward to starting editorial duties on new issues when I learned that some of the Junior Woodchucks were about to lose their jobs. I was one of them. Neither Sol nor Carmine admitted to having been the one who decided I was to be let go. I knew they had their reasons and was actually glad that neither of them wanted credit for the decision. We all remained friendly, and I was welcomed by them both whenever I visited the offices. I would later return to work at DC Comics again in various capacities. It was always exciting to be back, but it was never quite the same as that first time around, when the entire company consisted of fewer than 50 employees and everyone knew everybody else, and being part of The Amazing World of DC Comics was an almost magical experience for all the Junior Woodchucks.

by J o h n

G. Pierce

As in any industry, the field of comics contains numerous unsung heroes, those whose work is mainly behind the scenes, but without whose support the “stars” couldn’t do their jobs. And then there are those people such as E. Nelson Bridwell, who, though he was a long-time writer and editor, never quite got the recognition he deserved. It is perhaps no wonder, as he lived and operated in the shadows of two powerful editors, Mort Weisinger and Julius Schwartz. Yet this amazing man from Oklahoma, afflicted with a physical handicap which produced strange tics that seemed to emanate from deep inside his body, may well have been the glue which held together much of the DC line for many years. Certainly, if any DC staffer had a question about some arcane point of comics lore, Nelson was the go-to guy for information. He possessed eidetic imagery, commonly known as a photographic memory. When he first arrived in New York City, he looked at a map of the streets and subway system for a few minutes, and instantly knew his way around. So it is no wonder that he had memorized several Shakespearean plays, and was an expert on many subjects, both in and out of comics. Thus, when a DC staffer asked him “How many moons did Krypton have?,” he responded with, “You mean originally, or when it exploded?” Not many comics people can be experts on the history of Krypton as well as the Dead Sea Scrolls and many other areas in between—but Nelson was. Of greatest interest to me personally was Nelson’s work on and relationship to the Fawcett characters; therefore, that is where the focus of most of the following will be. But before we get to by-mail questions and answers from 1977, I’d like to quote extensively from Nelson’s letter to me from March 9, of that year: “The real trouble with the early SHAZAMs was that we were doing as lead stories what should have been backups at best. And I never felt we did Mr. Tawny right. I hope to correct that in #32, when he decides to go in for professional sports with the Detroit Tigers. I’ve got Mr. Mind and some of his minions in it, too. “We had planned to ask Otto Binder if he’d like to do some SHAZAM stories, but he anticipated us with a firm no. By the way, [back in the Golden Age,] Beck certainly [had done] a number of Marvel Family stories, and Kurt Schaffenberger assured me that it was Beck who designed the new Mary Marvel costume. The Mary Marvel origin looks like he may have had a hand in it, while he probably drew much of the Captain Marvel, Jr. origin—though it was [Mac] Raboy who drew Junior and Captain Nazi. The mixture of styles is curious. Also the cover, which gives not the slightest hint that a new member of the Marvel Family is being introduced! (DC could be just as stupid—there was no mention of Superboy on the cover of the MORE FUN feature in which he debuted!)”[The Mary Marvel origin story, from Captain Marvel Adventures #18, was actually the work of Marc Swayze.] Nelson also clued me in to a comic book “which is so rare few people know of its existence”: Mary Marvel #1, March 19, 1943. What? Mary Marvel #1 was dated December 1945. “The one that reached the newsstands was— but the earlier one never got that far. It was probably the fault of the wartime paper shortage. It only exists in a few sets of proofs (black and white), which were among those sent us by Fawcett. I don’t even know what the cover was supposed to look like, though it may have been the one used in ’45—Mary looks more like the ’43 version on that cover. Two of the stories done for the first #1 were eventually used in Marvel Family #51—but greatly cut. It’s possible the others were used earlier in Wow, but as Mary had dropped out of it well before the Marvel Family issue appeared, this seems unlikely. And this is one comic which I can confidently state is in no collection!” And now, the interviews. – John G. Pierce JOHN G. PIERCE: About how old were you when you first discovered Captain Marvel comics? E. NELSON BRIDWELL: Probably about ten—around the time the [Adventures of Captain Marvel] serial hit the theatres. [Interviewer’s note: Nelson was born in 1931.] PIERCE: Did you like the serial? BRIDWELL: I loved it as a kid—except for removing his powers at the end. PIERCE: When and how did you discover fandom? BRIDWELL: During the EC days. Don’t recall exact details after more than 20 years. PIERCE: How were you hired at DC? BRIDWELL: I’d been trying to break in (I’d been writing for MAD), and I read, got back issues, wrote letters. Still, living in Oklahoma, prospects did All-Star Editors Issue • BACK ISSUE • 25

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atherine Schuller (and friends)

That’s Gru for You David Banegas produced this painting of Mark Gruenwald and some of the Captain America issues he wrote for a June 14, 2016 auction in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Mark’s passing. Courtesy of Catherine Schuller. Captain America TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

“Comics have never been just a hobby to me, nor even just my favorite form of entertainment. Comics relate to everything I do and have done. They are the single unifying strand in the ordered confusion of my life. Personal Entropy is my testament to comics, fear of entropy, and my attempts at being worthwhile. I believe many things are worth the effort of doing and doing right, even though ultimately what difference it will make is nil. To sum it all up, my feeling of personal entropy in one line: everything gets worse and progress only speeds it up. Even though it seems ironic, I am still functionally optimistic. In the time I have allotted me, I must find a way to carve out a significant life.” Mark Gruenwald on Mark Gruenwald

When the task of writing the definitive article on Mark Gruenwald’s (1953–1996) editing contribution to the comic-book industry fell on me, I panicked slightly, but then realized that this was very reminiscent of everything about my relationship with Mark. And as his widow, that whole “till death do us part” clause in the marriage vows doesn’t really pertain to Mark with me. It started with my having to be the executor of his will and arrange for his outrageous wish to have his ashes stirred into the ink of Squadron Supreme, his bestselling graphic novel. I have a real relationship with a dead guy, and I’m busier with him now in comics than I ever was when he was alive! Perhaps I’d go to the Marvel parties, distributors’ retreat, or the San Diego Comic-Con every year. Over the past two decades, All-Star Editors Issue • BACK ISSUE • 33

“What would Cap do?” Original art to the title splash of Captain America #333 (Sept. 1987), a title that boasted Mark Gruenwald as its writer for a lengthy run. Courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

34 • BACK ISSUE • All-Star Editors Issue

I’ve been convinced it is my destiny to polish his star, keep his formidable legacy alive, and his memory relevant and going strong. Mark was one of those rare individuals whose passions were transparent at all times. He kept continuity and community going in every aspect of his existence. He was solid as a rock and true blue. He was like an actor studying for a role, immersing himself in the day-to-day credos and life of the character. When he wrote Captain America for ten years straight, he embodied the essence of Cap and made decisions based on the question: “What would Cap do?” He was a superhero in his mind and in his life he taught us what a hero could be. Over the past 22 years since his untimely passing, hearing the stories and accounts about him have made me realize his “rare gem” status, not only in our marriage, but in the world of comics. He truly deserves the titles of “Heart and Soul of Marvel Comics” and “Patron Saint of Marveldom.” Mark didn’t know the word “can’t,” nor did he believe in luck. “You make your own luck,” he would say. It was all about constantly doing, doing, doing. He said his creativity was a compulsion. He was absolutely compulsive and driven. He said he felt “compelled” to write and create stories. The genius of Mark was that he loved the process as much as the end result. He wasn’t all about the dream without hard work behind it. His drive was unceasing. He often said that the comics world doesn’t owe anyone a career in the business. He was a hard worker and loved being viewed as indispensable and devoted. And if you loved your career choice as much as Mark did, that was a 24/7 compulsion. Peter Sanderson, Mark’s comic-book scholar/archivist mentee, originally chosen to write this article, had fallen and fractured his hip in April of 2017 and wound up in the hospital with complications and unable to give his proper concentration to the endeavor. I can’t believe I suggested to Michael Eury that I do the article on Mark’s influence! What was I signing up for? I realized, however, that I may actually be the right person to do it because it wasn’t going to be an article on analysis of story- and plotlines, of issues and numbered volumes. All that anyone can find on Wikipedia! From 1978 when Jim Shooter hired Mark to be his assistant editor, Mark rose up the ranks and in 1982 became an editor in charge of The Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Spider-Woman, and What If? He was everywhere from that time on whether creating D.P. 7, Quasar, “Mark’s Remarks,” or even having characters named after him to continue his legacy. Who can forget his immortalization in the pages of Thor by Walt Simonson, who made him the director of the multiverse monitoring agency, Time Variance Authority, as a tribute to his status as Marvel’s resident continuity custodian? Everyone knows he has garnered innumerable fans, legions of admirers, and friends, and a body of work that is among the industry’s most impressive list. I wanted to do something on what made the man tick. Why he was such a great editor. What it was like to be his wife and watch him work. I must admit, it was the most fun marriage you can imagine. I watched him continually carve out our life and allow it to evolve. It was a truly organic experience. I never had one argument with him except when I was offered a chance to go to Bahrain and start the plus-size industry there due to my status as an icon in the full-figured women market. He said it was too risky, that kidnappings were happening regularly there, and it wasn’t worth going over there to work when it would take me away from our new marriage. In hindsight, seeing as I was only married to him for three years and ten months, I am very thankful I had every moment with him that I did. I knew he was idealistic and a romantic and he proved it with that request. We were both living out our childhood fantasies, mine as a fashion icon and him as a creative suit at a comic-book company. He imagined and dreamed of what it was like to work at Marvel when he was a kid. We were both supportive of each other’s dreams and passions, and together in a relationship we supported and played off each other’s ambitions in the playing field of life. With Mark, you needed to realize that his life was one giant interchangeable equation: creativity = work = play. His life was his work and his passion. I got swept up in his contagious notion of inclusivity and engagement. If you were in love with anyone or anything,

that was the motivating factor. He made you reach further, try harder, and never look back. He taught you to trust your instincts and to act on them. I wound up attempting things I never would have thought I could do in a million years. He always made me dream and scheme, plan and execute elaborate projects, appointing me the entertainment director and event producer of our personal lives. He was guiding and steering, supporting, encouraging, advising, never once making me think I didn’t have what it took to make the task at hand manifest. Once I fully committed to him and proclaimed my love, he felt comfortable, accepted, and validated. He needed to have that trust and soulful knowing to be free to be his full self. He was the locomotive and I was the track. It was prophetic that we were married on Columbus Day in October of 1992. I focused on the buzz word “discovery” as the theme for my wedding speech, hinting at the metaphor of our love as a newfound land of wonder and exploration. He, on the other hand, opened his speech by joking that he had “washed up on these shores before and hadn’t fared so well at the hands of the natives.” Everyone chuckled as they knew he had never had a woman in his corner who “got him” and didn’t fight him on the complete package that was the inimitable Mark Gruenwald. It was a reference to his past failed marriage, but also to the bright future, infinite potential, and hope that he had for the institution of this marital union now with the “girl of his dreams” by his side. He was always willing to be optimistic. A Gruenwald family aphorism was: “Hope for the best, but don’t forget to plan for the worst.” He enjoyed being a good provider. He constantly referred to all of life’s scenarios as reflective of “good casting.” Characters in the play of life (or any great scenario) have chemistry, are perfectly cast to play the role assigned to them based on their onscreen talent and off-screen image. Even though I was cast as his wife and soulmate, I was constantly working out of my comfort zone, yet never feeling as if I wasn’t somehow the only one who could rise to the occasion and deliver on his wishes. That’s what he did for everyone who worked with him in the comic-book world, too. He would learn your strengths and weaknesses and always assume that you would do the very best job you could. He was always there to go to for guidance or direction, or inspiration. He believed in giving everyone with talent

Wedding Photo Note the star-spangled heroes atop the cake. Courtesy of Catherine Schuller. Photo by Henry O.

All-Star Editors Issue • BACK ISSUE • 35

WHERE EVERYTHING OLD IS COOL AGAIN!

NEW MAGAZINE FROM TWOMORROWS BLASTING OFF SUMMER 2018

by J o h n

Tr u m b u l l

In 1983, before Civil War, before The Infinity Gauntlet, and wouldn’t it be funny if the books that came out even before Secret Wars, Marvel Comics had the company- the month that they were traveling to San Diego wide event to end all company-wide events. An event reflected the fact that the editors were gone. so outrageous it featured pages with no That, to him, meant that the books wouldn’t be quite normal. [laughs]” artwork, Galactus gorging himself on Former Marvel editor Denny O’Neil Twinkies, and David Letterman. It was says today, “I’m pretty sure it must’ve Marvel’s Assistant Editors’ Month, and been Jim’s idea. It kind of seems like a comics haven’t seen anything like it before or since. Jim idea. And I had reservations, as I’ve Assistant Editors’ Month was the had about a lot of things that are inside brainchild of Marvel editor-in-chief jokes. This is just a guess on my part, Jim Shooter, inspired by an unusual but anything like that that seems so source: Macy’s department store. “inside baseball” might scare off new readAs Mike Carlin related in a Pro2Pro ers. But [Assistant Editors’ Month] almost interview with Danny Fingeroth in had to have been Jim’s idea because BACK ISSUE #19, “Macy’s would have nobody else on the editorial side sales where their assistant buyers would’ve had enough clout, I don’t bob budiansky would be in charge of buying all the think.” Fellow editor Bob Budiansky © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. stuff that they’d sell. So the idea was shares some of O’Neil’s concerns: “I that Jim was going to be taking all the editors out to thought it was a cute idea, although I questioned—to the Comic-Con in San Diego—all the main editors myself—how much it would mean to our readers since I were going to be out of the office at the same time— doubted many of them knew what an assistant editor was.

Blame Them Caricatures of the guilty parties—uh, we mean, assistant editors—from Marvel’s notorious 1983 stunt. Scan courtesy of John Trumbull. TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

All-Star Editors Issue • BACK ISSUE • 55

Back Issue #103