Groo the Wanderer hacks and slashes his way onto the cover of Marvel Age #24 at the end of 1984. It would be the first of seven Marvel Age covers by Sergio Aragonés, most of which celebrated the holiday season. And even though this issue hit comics shops' shelves in December 1984, on this cover -- Groo does what Groo does best! Groo -- the series -- came to Marvel after appearances at Pacific Comics and Eclipse Comics, and would go on to run 120 issues and an original graphic novel at Marvel.
The article on Groo is written by Sholly Fisch, who would go on to pen numerous articles for Marvel Age, and, more recently, comics for younger readers starring Scooby-Doo and others.
With this issue, the introductory page that previously ran on page one has been relocated to the inside front cover so that Marvel Coming Attractions can start on page one. Coming Attractions also gives us a first look at art by new Star Wars penciller Cynthia Martin.
This issue also shines a light on Web of Spider-Man, a new series that burst out of the enormous popularity of Spider-Man's black costume and Spidey's role in Marvel Super Hero Secret Wars.
Then, in an interview conducted by the Watcher, Mark Gruenwald discusses the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, with artwork that I would guess is drawn by Gruenwald with inks by Jack Abel. Abel also contributed a drawing of Jim Shooter that ran on this month's letters page.
Marvel Age #24
Price: $0.35 US
Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)
On sale: December 11, 1984
Cover date: March, 1985
Copyright © 1984 Marvel Comics Group, a division of Cadence Industries Corporation.
• Jim Shooter: Editor in Chief
• Jim Salicrup: Editor and Design Director
• Kurt Busiek: Assistant Editor
• Dwight Jon Zimmerman: Coming Attractions
• Dan Crespi: Art/Production Coordinator
• Ron Zalme: Assistant Art/Production Coordinator
• Joe Albelo, Harry Candelario, Rob Carosella, Morrie Kuramoto, John Morelli, and Barry
Shapiro: Production
• Brenda Mings: Typesetter
• Paul Becton, Ken Feduniewicz, and George Roussos: Colorists
• Lynn Cohen and Chantee Foster: Friendly Assistance
• Sergio Aragonés: Cover
• Carol Kalish: Direct Sales Manager
• Peter David: Assistant Direct Sales Manager
• Steve Saffel: Assistant Promotions Manager for Direct Sales
• Irving Forbush: Official Cheese Dip Taster
Front cover
• Character: Groo, a wanderer
Inside front cover
• Marvel Agenda (contents)
• Masthead
• Indicia
Editorial: "It's Our Anniversary -- Again!" by Jim Salicrup
Pages 1 - 5
Marvel Comics Coming Attractions
Titles on sale December 25
• The Thing #22
• Daredevil #217
• New Mutants #26
• Web of Spider-Man #1
• Red Sonja #8
• Planet Terry #1
• Fraggle Rock #1
• Strawberry Shortcake #1
• Iceman #3
• Beauty and the Beast #3
• Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #12
Titles on sale January 1
• Amazing Spider-Man #263
• Captain America #304
• Indiana Jones #28
• Power Pack #9
• Micronauts #7
• Alpha Flight #21
• Dr. Strange #70
• Wally the Wizard #1
• Top Dog #1
• Heathcliff #1
• Groo (sic) #2 (According to comics.org, the official title of the series is "Sergio Aragones' Groo the Wanderer")
• Dune #1
• Savage Sword of Conan #110
• Dreadstar #17
• Void Indigo #2
• Alien Legion #6
• Sisterhood of Steel #2
Titles on sale January 8
• Incredible Hulk #306
• Avengers #254
• Conan #169
• Marvel Tales #174
• X-Men #192
• Rom #65
• Power Man and Iron Fist #116
• Kull the Conqueror #9
• G.I. Joe #34
• Marvel Age #25
Titles on sale January 15
• Fantastic Four #277
• Iron Man #193
• Peter Parker #101
• The New Defenders #142
• Star Wars #94
• Thor #354
• Kitty and Wolverine (sic) #6
• 2010 #1
• Spider-Man Index #1
• Doctor Who #7
• Time Spirits #3
Pages 6 - 7
More Coming Attractions
Titles Shipping in January
• The Thing #23
• Daredevil #218
• New Mutants #27
• Web of Spider-Man #2
• Planet Terry #2
• Peter Porker (sic) #2
• Dazzler #37
• Red Sonja #9
• Cloak and Dagger #1
• Conan the King #28
• Starstruck #2
• Amazing Spider-Man #264
• Captain America #305
• Indiana Jones #29
• Power Pack #10
• Micronauts #8
• Alpha Flight #22
• Wally the Wizard #2
• Ewoks #1
• Dune #2
• Groo (sic) #3
• Savage Sword of Conan #111
• Swashbucklers (sic) #2
• Marvel Age #26
• Incredible Hulk #307
• Avengers #255
• Conan #170
• Marvel Tales #175
• Rom #66
• Power Man and Iron Fist #117
• Royal Roy #1
• Muppet Babies #1
• Getalong Gang #1
• G.I. Joe #35
• Solomon Kane #1
• X-Men #193
• Marvel Fanfare #20
• Iron Man #194
• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #102
• The New Defenders #143
• Star Wars #95
• Thor #355
• Rocket Raccoon #1
• 2010 #2
• Spider-Man Index #2
• Dr. Who #8
• Coyote #11
• Dreadstar #18
• Epic Illustrated #29
Titles Shipping in February
• The Thing #24
• Daredevil #219
• New Mutants #28
• Web of Spider-Man #3
• Planet Terry #3
• Fraggle Rock #2
• Strawberry Shortcake #2
• Gargoyle #1
• Iceman #4
• Beauty and the Beast #4
• Amazing Spider-Man #265
• Captain America #306
• Indiana Jones #30
• Power Pack #11
• Micronauts #9
• Alpha Flight #9
• Wally the Wizard #3
• Top Dog #2
• Heathcliff #2
• Dr. Strange #71
• Dune #3
• Groo (sic) #4
• Savage Sword of Conan #112
• Alien Legion #7
• Sisterhood of Steel #3
• Void Indigo #3
• Marvel Age #27
• Incredible Hulk #308
• Avengers #256
• Conan #171
• Marvel Tales #176
• X-Men #194
• Rom #67
• Power Man and Iron Fist #118
• Kull the Conqueror #10
• G.I. Joe #36
• Fantastic Four #279
• Iron Man #195
• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #103
• The New Defenders #144
• Star Wars #96
• Thor #356
• Transformers #5
• Rocket Raccoon #2
• Spider-Man Index #3
• Dr. Who #9
• Time Spirits #4
Page 8
Newswatch
• Item: Steve Englehart will be writing a limited series starring the Silver Surfer with art by John Buscema; a limited series starring the Vision and Scarlet Witch with art by Richard Howell; and a new West Coast Avengers series with art by Al Milgrom and Joe Sinnott
• Item: John Buscema and Tom Palmer will work together as penciller and inker on Avengers #259; it's their first issue as a team in 13 years.
• Item: Power Man and Iron Fist #115 features the debut of the new art team of Mark Bright and Jerry Acerno.
• Item: Editors Mark Gruenwald and Mike Carlin are trading assignments. Mark will now edit The Thing, and Mike will edit Captain America.
• Item: Alpha Flight #23 introduces a new villain called Caliber and new powers for a member of the team.
• Item: Marvel welcomes Bill Vallely as a new member of the Bullpen.
Page 9
Behind the Lines
A column written by editor Carl Potts explains that assistant editor Jim Massara has left staff, and has been replaced by Pat Blevins.
Marvel Top Ten (titles on sale July 1984)
1 - Secret Wars (sic) #7
2 - Kitty Pryde and Wolverine #1
3 - X-Men #187
4 - New Mutants #21
5 - Alpha Flight #16
6 - West Coast Avengers #3
7 - Spider-Man #256
8 - Fantastic Four #272
9 - Fantastic Four Annual #18
10 - Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #96
Pages 10 - 13
Article: "The Song of Sergio Aragones Groo the Wanderer," by Sholly Fisch
Pages 14 - 15
Article: "The New Web of Spider-Man," by D. Jon Zimmerman
Pages 16 - 17
Hembeck's Page in Marvel Age
Pages 18 - 22
Article: "The Marvel Age Interview: Mark Gruenwald"
Pages 23 - 24
"The Marvel Age -- 1966 (Part VII)," by Warren Reece
Pages 25 - 28
The New Talent Department, by Kurt Busiek
Page 28
How to Submit Your Samples
Page 29
Bullpen Bulletins
Pages 30 - 32
Letters column: "Can We Talk?," suggested by Robert Thurman -- from Joan Rivers' catchphrase.
Inside back cover
Ad for Star Comics line
Back cover
Ad for Cloak and Dagger
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