Make Mine Marvel Age

 

Marvel Age gained 26 new contributors with issue #28 -- consulting editors who worked down the hall and provided story details, behind the scenes art, and other vital information for every issue of what was now touted on the cover as "The Official Marvel News Magazine." There were other publications around that provided fans with inside info on upcoming comics, but none that with mastheads including industry legends like Archie Goodwin or Denny O'Neil. 

This issue went on sale April 9, and in keeping with the fun atmosphere at Marvel at the time, it opened with a section called "Not the Marvel Coming Attractions, which mixed fanciful descriptions for regular upcoming issues (Captain America #309 -- "Steve Rogers fails the Famous Artists's art talent test!") with titles that...no, they can't really be planning a Jarvis the Butler miniseries, right? But some are convincing, too, like new miniseries for Ariel, Havok and Polaris, the Sentinels, or Silver Surfer. Like, why not, right? 

This section also feature the famous Barry Windsor-Smith Daredevil cover guest-starring Spiny Norman of Monty Python fame. 

Also in this issue, I interview editor Mike Carlin and writer Archie Goodwin about Dazzler...an article I have no memory of writing! Plus, the Rawhide Kid returns, Elfquest comes to Marvel for a reprint series (with Cutter scaring Irving Forbush on the cover), and more. 

Oh, and fans learned why Spider-Man makes a great urban hero, but isn't as successful in the 'burbs. No tall buildings around to thwipp to! 

Marvel Age #28

Price: $0.35 US 

Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)

On sale: April 9, 1985

Cover date: July, 1985

Copyright © 1985 Marvel Comics Group, a division of Cadence Industries Corporation. 

• Jim Shooter: Editor in Chief

• Jim Salicrup: Editor and Design Director

• Kurt Busiek: Assistant Editor

• Craig Anderson, Pat Blevins, Nancy Brown, Bob Budiansky, Mike Carlin, Margaret Clark, Don Daley, Tom DeFalco, Jo Duffy, Archie Goodwin, Mark Gruenwald, Bob Harras, Larry Hama, Mike Higgins, Sid Jacobson, Ralph Macchio, Howard Mackie, Al Milgrom, Ann Nocenti, Denny O'Neil, Jim Owsley, Carl Potts, Pat Redding, Louise Simonson, Laurie Sutton, and Keith Williams: Consulting Editors

• Janet Jackson: Designer

• Dwight Jon Zimmerman: Coming Attractions

• Dan Crespi: Art/Production Coordinator

• Ron Zalme: Assistant Art/Production Coordinator

• Harry Candelario, Rob Carosella, Phil Felix, Morrie Kuramoto, John Morelli, Miriam Larsson, and Barry Shapiro: Production

• Brenda Mings: Typesetter

• Adam Philips and George Roussos: Colorists

• Lynn Cohen and Chantee Foster: Friendly Assistance 

• Bill Sienkiewicz: Cover 

• Carol Kalish: Director of Specialty Sales

• Peter David: Direct Sales Manager Administrative

• Steve Saffel: Assistant Promotions Manager for Direct Sales

• Irving Forbush: Dim Bulb

Front cover 

• Character: The Dazzler

 Inside front cover

• Marvel Agenda (contents) 

• Masthead 

• Indicia 

Editorial: "It All Started..." by Jim Salicrup 

 

Pages 1 - 3

Not the Marvel Coming Attractions

Titles not shipping now or ever

• Daredevil #222
• New Mutants #31
• The Mutant Muppets #1
• The Thing #27
• Dial "D" for Dead Hero #1
• Marvel Super Special #40: Friday the 13th Part Six 
• Captain America #309
• Silver Smurfer #1
• The Amazing Spider-Man #268
• Alpha Flight #25

Titles not shipping now or ever

• Dennis the Menace #1
• Two Wild and Crazy Mutants #1
• Friday the 13th Part Six #1
• The Mighty Thor #359
• Avengers #259
• Professor X #1
• Colossus #4
• Not Brand Echh Special Edition #1
• MTV #1
• X-Men and the A-Team #1

Titles not shipping now or ever

• The Micronauts #10
• The Incredible Hulk #311
• Conan the Barbarian #174
• Storm #3
• Rom #68
• Ariel #1
• X-Men #197
• Skull the Slayer Special Edition #2
• Havok and Polaris #1
• Marvel Super Special #41: Odin the Movie
• The New Defenders #147
• Jarvis the Butler #2

Titles not shipping now or ever

• X-Men and Michael Jackson #1
• Iron Man #198
• Odin the Movie #1
• Fantastic Four #282
• The Web of Spider-Man #7
• Sentinels #1
• Old Mutants #1
• Silver Surfer #1
• Aunt May #1

Pages 4 - 8

Marvel Comics Coming Attractions

Titles on sale April 23

• The Thing #26
• Daredevil #221
• New Mutants #30 - Secret Wars II tie-in
• Web of Spider-Man #5
• Planet Terry #5
• Fraggle Rock #3
• Strawberry Shortcake #3
• Red Sonja #10
• Dreadstar and Company #2
• The Gargoyle #3
• Rawhide Kid #1
• The Sectaurs #2
• Starstruck #3
• The Life of Captain Marvel #1

Titles on sale April 30 

• The Amazing Spider-Man #267
• Captain America #308 - Secret Wars II tie-in
• Power Pack #13
• The Micronauts #11
• Alpha Flight #25
• Wally the Wizard #5
• Top Dog #3
• Heathcliff #3
• Doctor Strange #72
• Groo the Wanderer #6
• Savage Sword of Conan #114
• Black Dragon #2
• The Sisterhood of Steel #4

Titles on sale May 7

• Marvel Age Magazine #29
• The Incredible Hulk #310
• The Avengers #258
• Conan #173
• Marvel Tales #178
• X-Men #196 - Secret Wars II tie-in
• Rom #69
• Moon Knight #3
• G.I. Joe #38
• Dreadstar #19

Titles on sale May 14

• Fantastic Four #281 - Secret Wars II tie-in
• Iron Man #197 - Secret Wars II tie-in
• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #105
• The New Defenders #146
• Star Wars #98
• Thor #358
• The Transformers #7
• Elfquest #1
• Secret Wars II #2
• Rocket Raccoon #2
• Spider-Man Index #5
• Doctor Who #11
• Alien Legion #8 

Pages 9 - 10

More Coming Attractions

• Titles shipping in May
• The Thing #27
• Daredevil #222
• New Mutants #31
• Web of Spider-Man #6
• Planet Terry #6
• Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham #3
• Ewoks #3
• Cloak and Dagger #2
• Dreadstar and Company #3
• The Gargoyle #4
• Rawhide Kid #2
• Squadron Supreme #1
• Swords of the Swashbucklers #2
• Conan the King #30
• Moonshadow #3
• The Life of Captain Marvel #2
• Power Pack #14
• Micronauts #12
• Alpha Flight #26
• Wally the Wizard #6
• The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #31
• Dazzler #39
• Groo the Wanderer #7
• Longshot #1
• Savage Sword of Conan #115
• Black Dragon #3
• The One #1
• Timespirits #5
• Marvel Age #30
• The Incredible Hulk #311
• The Avengers #259
• Conan #174
• Marvel Tales #179
• X-Men #197
• Rom #70
• Moon Knight #4
• Power Man and Iron Fist #119
• Royal Roy #3
• Muppet Babies #3
• Get Along Gang #3
• Solomon Kane #1
• G.I. Joe #39
• Web of Spider-Man Annual #1
• Marvel Fanfare #22
• Fantastic Four #282
• Iron Man #198
• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #106
• The New Defenders #147
• Star Wars #99
• Thor #359
• Elfquest #2
• Secret Wars II #3
• Transformers #8
• Spider-Man Index #6
• Doctor Who #12
• Coyote #13
• Epic Illustrated #31

Titles shipping in June 

• The Thing #28
• Daredevil #223
• New Mutants #32
• Web of Spider-Man #7
• Planet Terry #7
• Fraggle Rock #4
• Strawberry Shortcake #4
• Dreadstar and Company #4
• Rawhide Kid #3
• Squadron Supreme #2
• The Sectaurs #3
• Starstruck #4
• The Life of Captain Marvel #3
• The Amazing Spider-Man #269 
• Captain America #310
• Power Pack #15
• Micronauts #13
• Alpha Flight #27
• Wally the Wizard #7
• Top Dog #4
• Heathcliff #4
• Doctor Strange #73
• Groo the Wanderer #8
• Longshot #2
• The Specactular Spider-Man Annual (sic) #5
• The Fantastic Four Index #1
• Savage Sword of Conan #116
• Black Dragon #4
• The One #2
• Sisterhood of Steel #5
• Marvel Age Magazine #31
• The Incredible Hulk #312
• The Avengers #260
• Conan #175
• Marvel Tales #180
• X-Men #198
• Rom #71
• Moon Knight #5
• G.I. Joe #40
• The Eternals #1
• Dreadstar #20
• Fantastic Four #283
• Iron Man #199
• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #107
• The New Defenders #148
• Thor #360
• Elfquest #3
• Secret Wars II #4
• Transformers #9
• Star Wars #100
• Marvel Team-Up Index #1
• Doctor Who #13
• Alien Legion #9

Page 11

Newswatch 

Item: Assistant Editor Peter Sanderson has left staff to do freelance work on the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe and other projects; Assistant Editor Pat Blevins has moved to Editor Ann Nocenti's office; Editor Carl Potts has hired Rosemary McCormack-Lowy as his new Assistant Editor. 

Item: The editorial team of Mark Gruenwald and Howard Mackie has unveiled the official Marvel Comics Editorial Uniform, seen below in art by James Fry and Tom Morgan, with patented 1980s-style design by Janet Jackson: 

Item: Walter Simonson will write a Balder and Karnilla miniseries, with art by Sal Buscema. (This was published under the name Balder the Brave.) 

Marvel Top Ten 

Titles for February 1985 (direct sales rankings only)

1. X-Men #194
2. Cloak and Dagger #1
3. Web of Spider-Man #3
4. Alpha Flight #23
5. New Mutants #28
6. Amazing Spider-Man #265
7. Fantastic Four #279
8. Moon Knight #1
9. Iceman #4
10. Beauty and the Beast #4

Pages 12 - 14

Article: "Michael Carlin and Archie Goodwin Talk about Dazzler," by Adam Philips

Page 15

Article: "Star Spotlight on Ewoks," by Sandy Hausler 

Pages 16 - 17

Hembeck's Page in Marvel Age

Pages 18 - 19

Article: "The Rawhide Kid," by Sholly Fisch

Pages 20 - 22

Article: "The Marvel Age Interview: Bill Sienkiewicz," by Mark Lerer

Pages 23 - 25

Article: "Say Hello to Elfquest," by Peter Sanderson

Pages 26 - 27

Article: "The Life of Captain Marvel," by Dwight Jon Zimmerman

Pages 28 - 29

Article: "The Marvel Age -- 1968 (Part I)," by Adam Philips

Pages 30 - 31

Letters column: "Oh! Look at All This Mail!", suggested by Alex Wai

Inside back cover

Unused New Mutants art by Bill Sienkiewicz -- it got lost in the mail. 

Back cover 

The Marvel Age 1985 Calendar for April

Jim Salicrup - Writer

Ron Zalme - Artist

George Roussos - Colorist