Make Mine Marvel Age

Writer Bill Mantlo and two of his best-known heroes, Cloak and Dagger, are heavily featured in Marvel Age #25, starting with a lengthy interview of Mantlo by assistant editor Kurt Busiek. That's followed by something really unusual: an article that prints the entire unfinished version of Cloak and Dagger #1 with art by Ed Hannigan, much of which is still in thumbnail form. Gargoyle, another new character for the 1980s, also launches into a miniseries at this time, with an article to promote it. 

With this issue, Marvel Age gains a new designer in Janet "JayJay" Jackson, who would provide Marvel Age with an updated look that reflected the decade's design trends. And our pal Fred Hembeck celebrates the season with this collection of Marvel Universe Santas... 

This month's letters column tally the results of the 1984 Marvel Oscars...here are the results:

• Favorite writer: Chris Claremont and John Byrne (tie) 

Second place: Roger Stern and Jim Shooter (tie)

• Favorite penciller: John Byrne

Also mentioned: Walter Simonson, John Romita Jr., and Paul Smith

• Favorite inker: Terry Austin

Runner-ups (sic): Bob Wiacek and Bill Sienkiewicz

• Favorite character: Wolverine

Runner-ups: Spider-Man and Rogue

• Favorite supporting character: Beta Ray Bill

Also mentioned: Frogman, Jarvis, and Mary Jane Watson 

• Favorite team: The Uncanny X-Men

Also mentioned: Fantastic Four and Alpha Flight

• Favorite villain: Doctor Doom

Also mentioned: Hobgoblin, Magneto, and Graviton

• Best story of 1983: "The Return of Phoenix," from X-Men #175

Runner-up: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1

Marvel Age #25

Price: $0.35 US 

Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)

On sale: January 1, 1985

Cover date: April, 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

• Janet Jackson: Designer

• 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 

• Carl Potts: Cover 

• Carol Kalish: Direct Sales Manager

• Peter David: Assistant Direct Sales Manager

• Steve Saffel: Assistant Promotions Manager for Direct Sales

• Irving Forbush: Stocking Stuffer

Front cover 

• Characters: Cloak and Dagger, Rocket Raccoon, and Gargoyle

 Inside front cover

• Marvel Agenda (contents) 

• Masthead 

• Indicia 

Editorial: "Good-bye 1984 or Orwell that Ends Well," by Jim Salicrup (continues on page 8)

 

Pages 1 - 5

Marvel Comics Coming Attractions

Titles on sale January 22

• The Thing #23

• Daredevil #218

• The New Mutants #27

• The Web of Spider-Man #2

• Planet Terry #2

• Peter Porter, the Spectacular Spider-Ham #1

• Red Sonja #9

• Conan the King #28

Titles on sale January 29

• Dazzler #37

• The Amazing Spider-Man #264

• Captain America #305

• The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #29

• Power Pack #10

• Micronauts #8

• Alpha Flight #22

• Wally the Wizard #2

• Ewoks #1

• Dune #2

• Groo the Wanderer #3

• Savage Sword of Conan #111

• Moonshadow #1

Titles on sale February 5

• Marvel Age Magazine #26

• The Incredible Hulk #307

• Avengers #255

• Conan #170

• Marvel Tales #175

• Rom #66

• Power Man and Iron Fist #117

• Royal Roy #1

• Muppet Babies #1

• Get Along Gang #1

• G.I. Joe #35

• X-Men #193

• Marvel Fanfare #20

Titles on sale February 12

• Fantastic Four #278

• The Invincible Iron Man #194

• Swashbucklers (sic) #1

• Cloak and Dagger #1

• 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

• Doctor Who #8

• Coyote #11

• Epic Illustrated #29 

Pages 6 - 7 

More Coming Attractions

Titles shipping in February 

• The Thing #24

• Daredevil #219

• The New Mutants #28

• The Web of Spider-Man #3

• Planet Terry #3

• Fraggle Rock #2

• Strawberry Shortcake #2

• Gargoyle #1

• Iceman #4

• Beauty and the Beast #4

• The Amazing Spider-Man #265

• Captain America #306

• Power Pack #11

• Micronauts #9

• Alpha Flight #23

• Wally the Wizard #3

• Top Dog #2

• Heathcliff #2

• Doctor Strange #71

• Dune #3

• Groo (sic) #4

• Savage Sword of Conan #112

• Alien Legion #7

• Sisterhood of Steel #3

• Marvel Age #27

• The Incredible Hulk #308

• The Avengers #256

• Conan #171

• Marvel Tales #176

• X-Men #194

• Rom #67

• Kull the Conqueror #10

• G.I. Joe #36

• Fantastic Four #279

• The Invincible 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

• Doctor Who #9

• Time Spirits #4

Titles shipping in March 

• The Thing #25

• Daredevil #220

• The New Mutants #29

• The Web of Spider-Man #4

• Planet Terry #4

• Dazzler #38

• Gargoyle #2

• Conan the King #29

• The Amazing Spider-Man #266

• Captain America #307

• The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #30

• Power Pack #12

• Micronauts #10

• Alpha Flight #24

• Wally the Wizard #4

• Groo (sic) #5

• Savage Sword of Conan #113

• Swords of the Swashbucklers #2

• Marvel Age #28

• The Incredible Hulk #257

• Conan #172

• Marvel Tales #177

• X-Men #195

• Rom #68

• Power Man and Iron Fist #118

• G.I. Joe #37 

• Royal Roy #2

• Muppet Babies #2

• Get Along Gang #2

• Marvel Fanfare #21

• Fantastic Four #280

• The Invincible Iron Man #196

• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #104

• The New Defenders #145

• Star Wars #97

• Thor #357

• Ewoks #2

• Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham #2

• Rocket Raccoon #3

• Spider-Man Index #4

• Doctor Who #10

• Coyote #12

• Epic Illustrated #30 

Page 8

Newswatch

Item: The two-part story by Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz scheduled for Daredevil #219 and 220 now will be an original graphic novel. 

Item: Marvel is creating the second Marvel Preview video for showings in comics shops and at conventions, highlighting new titles like Sisterhood of Steel, The Swords of the Swashbucklers, Void Indigo, Time Spirits, Starstruck, Groo, Elfquest, Steelgrip Starkey, Black Dragon, and Moonshadow. 

Item: The Avengers are having their special government status revoked. 

Item: Four new posters are coming from Marvel Press.

Item: Marie Severin will pencil, ink, and color Fraggle Rock. 

Pages 9 - 15

Article: "The Marvel Age Interview: Bill Mantlo," by Kurt Busiek

Pages 16 - 17

Hembeck's Page in Marvel Age

Pages 18 - 24

Article: "Ed Hannigan's Version of Cloak and Dagger Limited Series #1" 

Pages 25 - 28 

Article: "The Gargoyle," by Ken Hart

Pages 27 - 28 

Article: "The Marvel Age -- 1966 (Part VIII)," by Warren Reece

Page 29

Subscription ad

Pages 30 - 32

Letters column: "And the Winner Is..." 

Inside back cover

Ad for Moonshadow

Back cover

Ad for the Star Comics line