Make Mine Marvel Age

 

Mutant madness kept on rolling as Marvel unveiled the top-secret new series X-Factor in this issue of Marvel Age. The series was introduced in "The Mutant Report," in a series of heavily redacted interviews with editor Mike Carlin, writer/inker Bob Layton, penciller Jackson Guice, another writer Roger Stern, writer penciller John Byrne, and editor in chief Jim Shooter. The launch of X-Factor included story points from Avengers and Fantastic Four, which made it a debut to be remembered. 

In honor of X-Factor's debut, Fred Hembeck talked to Cyclops, a man of few words. 

Also in this issue, editor Jim Salicrup bids a fond farewell to assistant editor Kurt Busiek, who was moving on to bigger and better endeavors. 

This issue's New Talent Department looks at a penciling contest that took place at Comix Fair, where artists Steve Leialoha, John Romita Jr., and Ron Wilson judged entries based on The Official Marvel Comics Try-Out Book...and the winner is...Steve Erwin! Tied for second place were George Turney and Ben Dunn. 

And, for anyone wondering why Marvel Age and other titles had been looking so weird lately, there's an article on the new printing process known as flexography that gave us brighter, blotchier colors. 

Marvel Age #33

Price: $0.35 US 

Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)

On sale: September 10, 1985

Cover date: December, 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

• Dwight Jon Zimmerman: Coming Attractions

• Craig Anderson, Adam Blaustein, Nancy Brown, Bob Budiansky, Mike Carlin, Bobbie Chase, Margaret Clark, Don Daley, Tom DeFalco, Jo Duffy, Archie Goodwin, Mark Gruenwald, Bob Harras, Larry Hama, Mike Higgins, Sid Jacobson, Terry Kavanagh, Ralph Macchio, Howard Mackie, Rosemary McCormick-Lowy, Al Milgrom, Margie Neville, Ann Nocenti, Denny O'Neil, Jim Owsley, Carl Potts, Pat Redding, Louise Simonson, and Keith Williams: Consulting Editors

• John Romita: Art Director

• James W. Fry, Mark McKenna, and Tom Morgan: Romita's Raiders

• Ron Zalme: Art/Production Coordinator

• Janet Jackson: Designer

• Phil Felix, Aggie Kelley, Kenny Lopez, Joe Macal, Bill Oakley, Bruce N. Solomon, and Bill Vallely: Production

• Brenda Mings: Typesetter

• Adam Philips and George Roussos: Colorists

• Virginia Romita: Traffic Manager

• Lynn Cohen: Friendly Assistance 

• Bob Layton and Jackson Guice: Cover 

• Sally Pomeroy: Rights and Permissions Editor

• Carol Kalish: Director of Specialty Sales

• Peter David: Direct Sales Manager Administrative

• Steve Saffel: Assistant Promotions Manager for Direct Sales

• Irving Forbush: X-pendable

Front cover 

• Characters: X-Factor

 Inside front cover

• Salicrup's Section

• Marvel Agenda (contents) 

• Masthead 

• Indicia 

Pages 1 - 5

Marvel Coming Attractions

Titles on sale September 24

• The Thing #31
• Daredevil #226
• The New Mutants #35
• Web of Spider-Man #10
• West Coast Avengers #4
• Planet Terry #10
• Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham #5
• Cloak and Dagger #4 -- Secret Wars II tie-in 
• Squadron Supreme #5
• Conan the King #32
• The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #2
• Swords of the Swashbucklers #4
• Moonshadow #5
• Starstruck #5

Titles on sale October 1

• The Amazing Spider-Man #272
• Power Pack #18 -- Secret Wars II tie-in 
• The Micronauts #18 -- Secret Wars II tie-in 
• Captain America #313
• Alpha Flight #30
• Wally the Wizard #10
• Ewoks #5
• The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #33
• Dazzler #41
• Groo the Wanderer #11
• Longshot #5
• The Vision and Scarlet Witch #4
• X-Men Annual #9
• The Official Marvel Index to the Fantastic Four #2
• Savage Sword of Conan #119
• The One #3

Titles on sale October 6

• Marvel Age Magazine #34
• The Incredible Hulk #315
• The Avengers #263
• Conan #178
• Marvel Tales #183
• X-Men #201
• Rom #74
• Power Man and Iron Fist #121 -- Secret Wars II tie-in 
• Royal Roy #5
• Muppet Babies #5
• Get Along Gang #5
• Solomon Kane #3
• G.I. Joe #43
• Nightcrawler #3
• The Eternals #4
• Balder the Brave #2
• The Marvel Saga #2
• The Punisher #1
• The X-Men and Alpha Flight #2
• Marvel Fanfare #24

Titles on sale October 14

• Marvel Graphic Novel #20: Hooky 

Titles on sale October 15

• Fantastic Four #286
• Iron Man #202
• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #110
• Care Bears #2
• The New Defenders #151
• Star Wars #103
• Thor #363  -- Secret Wars II tie-in 
• The Transformers #12
• Elfquest #6
• Secret Wars II #7
• The Sectaurs #4
• The Official Marvel Index to Marvel Team-Up #1
• The Handbook of the Conan Universe #1
• Doctor Who #16
• Coyote #15
• Savage Tales #2
• Timespirits #7
• Epic Illustrated #33

Pages 6 - 7

More Coming Attractions

Titles shipping in November

• The Thing #32
• Daredevil #227
• The New Mutants #36
• Web of Spider-Man #11
• West Coast Avengers #5
• Planet Terry #11
• Fraggle Rock #6
• Strawberry Shortcake #6
• Thundercats #2
• Misty #2
• Red Sonja #12
• Squadron Supreme #6
• Conan Annual #10
• The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #3
• Starstruck #6
• The Amazing Spider-Man #273
• Captain America #314
• Micronauts #17
• Alpha Flight #31
• Wally the Wizard #11
• Top Dog #6
• Heathcliff #6
• Doctor Strange #75
• Groo the Wanderer #12
• The Vision and Scarlet Witch #5
• The Official Marvel Index to the Fantastic Four #3
• Longshot #6
• Power Pack #20
• Savage Sword of Conan #120
• The Sisterhood of Steel #7
• Bozz Chronicles #1
• Marvel Age Magazine #35
• The Incredible Hulk #316
• The Avengers #264
• Conan #179
• Marvel Tales #184
• X-Men #202
• Rom #75
• G.I. Joe #44
• Nightcrawler #4
• The Eternals #5
• The Punisher #2
• Marvel Saga #3
• Dreadstar #22
• Fantastic Four #287
• Iron Man #203
• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #111
• Thor #364
• Transformers #13
• Elfquest #7
• Secret Wars II #8
• The Official Marvel Index to Marvel Team-Up #2
• X-Factor #1
• The New Defenders #152
• Doctor Who #17
• Marvel Graphic Novel #21: Greenberg the Vampire
• Six from Sirius II #1

Titles shipping in December 

• The Thing #33
• Daredevil #228
• The New Mutants #37
• Web of Spider-Man #12
• West Coast Avengers #6
• Planet Terry #12
• Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham #6
• Cloak and Dagger #5
• Squadron Supreme #7
• Conan the King #33
• The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #4
• Swords of the Swashbucklers #5
• Moonshadow #6
• The Amazing Spider-Man #274
• Captain America #315
• Power Pack #20
• Micronauts #18
• Alpha Flight #32
• Wally the Wizard #12
• Ewoks #6
• The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #34
• Dazzler #42
• Groo the Wanderer #13
• The Vision and Scarlet Witch #6
• Firestar #1
• The Official Marvel Index to the Fantastic Four #4
• The Savage Sword of Conan #121
• The One #4
• Marvel Age Magazine #36
• The Incredible Hulk #317
• The Avengers #265
• Conan #180
• Marvel Tales #185
• X-Men #203
• Power Man and Iron Fist #122
• Care Bears #3
• Transformers #14
• Elfquest #8
• Secret Wars II #9
• The Sectaurs #5
• The Official Marvel Index to Marvel Team-Up #3
• Doctor Who #18
• Six from Sirius II #2
• Coyote #16
• Savage Tales #3
• Timespirits #8
• Epic Illustrated #34
• Royal Roy #6
• Muppet Babies #6
• Get Along Gang #6
• Solomon Kane #4
• G.I. Joe #45
• The Eternals #6
• The Punisher #3
• Balder the Brave #3
• Marvel Saga #4
• Marvel Fanfare #25
• Marvel Graphic Novel #22: Shamballa
• Fantastic Four #288
• Iron Man #204
• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #112
• Star Wars #104
• Thor #365
• X-Factor #2

Page 8 

Newswatch 

Mini Mutant Report

The Top Ten

Page 9 

Newswatch Extra

Pages 10 - 13

Behind the Lines

Pages 14 - 15

Article: "The Punisher," by Sholly Fisch

Pages 16 - 17

Hembeck's Page in Marvel Age 

Pages 18 - 25

The Mutant Report

Page 23

"It's Genetic," by Kyle Baker

Pages 26 - 27

New Talent Department, by Sholly Fisch 

Pages 28 - 29

Article: "The Marvel Age - 1969 (Part III)," by Adam Philips 

Pages 30 - 32

Letter column: "What Does Mark Evanier Do on Groo?", suggested by Ted "Crazyman" Condi

Inside back cover

Ad for Misty by Trina Robbins 

Back cover

The Marvel Age 1985 Calendar -- September