When Marvel Age #14 hit comic shop shelves in 1984, the idea of a cover based on an earlier, classic cover was still new -- and yet, artist John Byrne did it several times over the years with the classic cover to Fantastic Four #1, starting with this cover. (I'd call the cover to Fantastic Four #264 a semi-homage, as there's no Reed or Sue on it.)
The cover accompanies an interview with Byrne that covers the start of his career, his training, and what he believes makes a good comic, as well as what's coming up in Fantastic Four and Alpha Flight, which he was then writing, penciling and inking every month.
The issue kicks off with an editorial that explains how, with the upcoming move to better paper stock, the cover price of Marvel Age would be increasing by a dime to $0.35 -- still cheap! And this month's "Behind the Lines" column recounts the sad story of a fan artist who had sent in his art, caught Jim Shooter's eye, but then died from an incurable illness.
The big development in this issue is the debut of "Hembeck's Page in Marvel Age," the first of the monthly comic strip written and illustrated by fan artist Fred Hembeck. Hembeck was a familiar name to fans who had seen his work in The Buyer's Guide to Comics Fandom/The Comics Buyer's Guide, and then in DC Comics' "Daily Planet" pages. In this inaugural page, Fred meets the Fantastic Four and gets assaulted by John Byrne for daring to ask him his least favorite question: why did he leave the X-Men? Hembeck would remain a Marvel Age fixture through the rest of the series run.
This month's letters page is titled "Who Cares?" While it was suggested by reader Jeff Plackemeier, the header art (lettering by Rick Parker) depicts Bullpen production artist Morrie Kuramoto -- possibly a self-portrait, based on some input from Kurt Busiek), who was known to yell whenever a discussion was dragging on too long.
Marvel Age #14
Price: $0.25 US
Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)
On sale: February 7, 1984
Cover date: May, 1984
Copyright © 1984 Marvel Comics Group, a division of Cadence Industries Corporation.
• Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter
• Editor and Design Director: Jim Salicrup
• Editorial Assistant: Mark Lerer
• Designer: Bob Kessel
• Art/Production Coordinator: Dan Crespi
• Assistant Art/Production Coordinator: Ron Zalme
• Production: Joe Albelo, Harry Candelario, Rob Carosella, Donald Hudson, Morrie Kuramoto,
Ken Lopez, John Morelli, and Barry Shapiro
• Typesetters: Brenda Mings
• Colorists: Paul Becton and George Roussos
• Friendly Assistance: Craig Anderson and Lynn Cohen
• Cover Artist: John Byrne
• Direct Sales Manager: Carol Kalish
• Assistant Direct Sales Managers: Peter David, Marsha Rosenberg, and Steve Saffel
• Corner Symbol in Exile: Irving Forbush
Front cover
• Characters: The Fantastic Four and John Byrne (Fantastic Four #1 homage)
Inside front cover
• Subscription ad for Epic Illustrated
Page 1
• Contents
• Masthead
• Indicia
Editorial: "What Price Marvel Age?" by Jim Salicrup
Pages 2 – 5
Marvel Comics Coming Attractions
Comics on sale April 24:
• The Thing #14
• Daredevil #209
• New Mutants #18
• Ka-Zar #33
• Alien Legion #2
• Kitty Pryde and Wolverine #3
• Marvel Super Heroes: The Secret Wars (sic) #4
• Dreadstar #11
Comics on sale May 1:
• Amazing Spider-Man #255
• Captain America #296
• Thor #346
• Indiana Jones #20
• Savage Sword of Conan #102
• Doctor Strange #66
• U.S. 1 #11
• Power Pack #1
• Kull the Conqueror #5
Comics on sale May 8:
• Incredible Hulk #298
• Avengers #246
• Conan #161
• Marvel Tales #166
• X-Men #184
• Rom #56
• Power Man and Iron Fist #108
• G.I. Joe #26
• Marvel Age Magazine #17
Comics on sale May 15:
• Fantastic Four #269
• Marvel Team-Up #144
• Iron Man #185
• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #93
• The New Defenders #134
• Star Wars #86
• Alpha Flight #13
• What If #46
• High Adventure #1
Page 6
Newswatch
Item on Steve Saffel joining staff
Item on Jim Shooter being roasted by various Marvel staffers and freelancers
Item on David Mazzucchelli taking over as penciler on Daredevil, with a new writer coming on board to be named later
Item on Jo Duffy and Laurie Sutton both getting promoted, and Arlene Puentes joining staff
Page 7
"Editorial Directions," by Jim Shooter
Article on a young fan named Ritchie Bakner who wanted to be a comics artist; he sent in some samplers at Shooter's request, which were inked by Terry Austin. Shooter commemorates this artist, who died soon after of an incurable disease.
Page 8
"Marvel's Top Ten"
Top selling titles from May 1983:
1 - The Life of John Paul II
2 - X-Men #169
3 - New Mutants #3
4 - Dark Crystal #1
5 - Fantastic Four #254
6 - Amazing Spider-Man #240
7 - Avengers #231
8 - Obnoxious the Clown vs. the X-Men #1
9 - X-Men Classics #1
10 - Daredevil #194
"Marvel Coming Retractions"
Correction on the pronunciation of Bob Budiansky's name
Page 9
Subscription ad with art by Marie Severin
Article: "Marvel Age Talks to John Byrne," by Mark Lerer
Pages 16 - 17
Hembeck's Page in Marvel Age
Pages 18 - 20
Article: "Six from Sirius," by D. Jon Zimmerman and Mark Lerer
Pages 21 - 23
Article: "New Directions for Spider-Man," by Bob Sodaro and Mark Lerer
Pages 24 - 26
Article: "Power Pack: The Origin," by D. Jon Zimmerman
Pages 27 - 29
Article: "Marvel Age: 1962," by Warren Reece
Pages 30 - 32
Letters column: "Who Cares?," suggested by Jeff Plackemeier
Inside back cover
Ad for "The Official Marvel comics Try-Out Book"
Back cover
Ad for Alpha Flight #12
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