Tuesday, January 3, 2023

 

The holidays were back for the end of 1989, which meant another Christmas themed cover by Sergio Aragonés featuring Groo the Wanderer. The cover accompanies an article on the state of Groo, including the monthly comic series as well as the two graphic novels, "The Death of Groo" and "The Life of Groo." 

This issue also includes a new Mutant scorecard (not a New Mutants scorecard), a roundup of Marvel graphic novels, another roundup of Marvel holiday gifts, and the final chapter of the Marvel A - Z coverage. 

Marvel Age #85

Price: $0.75 US 

Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)
On sale: December 19, 1989
Cover date: February 1990 
Copyright © 1989 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. 

• Tom DeFalco: Editor in Chief
• Mark Gruenwald: Executive Editor
• Ralph Macchio: Senior Editor 
• Jim Salicrup: Supreme Marvel Zombie
• Barry Dutter: Assistant Editor
• Steve Alexandrov: Designer
• Sholly Fisch and Dwight Jon Zimmerman: Contributing Editors
• Fred Hembeck: Sage of Marvel Age
• Craig Anderson, Gary Barnum, Bob Budiansky, Bobbie Chase, Daniel Chichester, Margaret Clark, Kelly Corvese, Dan Cuddy, Don Daley, Daryl Edelman, Eric Fein, Danny Fingeroth, Bob Harras, Sid Jacobson, Marie Javins, Len Kaminski, Terry Kavanagh, Howard Mackie, Dwayne McDuffie, Marc McLaurin, Al Milgrom, Carl Potts, Mike Rockwitz, Evan Skolnick, Rob Tokar, Lisa Trusiani, Sara Tuchinsky, Renée Witterstaeter, and Gregory Wright: Consulting Editors
• John Romita: Art Director
• Don Perlin: Managing Art Director
• Joe Rosas, Mickey Ritter, and Brad Vancata: The Raiders
• Virginia Romita: Traffic/Production Manager
• Len Kaminski: Assistant Traffic/Production Manager
• Dawn Geiger: Assistant Production Manager 
• Lynda Strunk: Typesetter
• Jack Abel: World's Toughest Proofreader
• Joe Albelo, Paul Becton, Rob Carosella, Chris Eliopoulos, Cindy Emmert, Vince Evans, Jesus Gonzalez, Brad K. Joyce, Ed Lazellari, Ken Lopez, Jade Moede, Edward Murr, Joyce Phus, and George Roberts: Production
• Sergio Aragonés: Cover
• Gregory WrightColorist
• Christine Aurilia, Paula Butterworth, Dwight Coye, Dan Cuddy, Suzanne Gaffney, Arthur Parris Jackson, John Lewandowski, George Roussos, Stu Schwartzberg, and Christine Slusarz: Friendly Assistance 
• Carol Kalish: Vice President Direct Sales
• Kurt Busiek: Direct Sales Project Manager
• Lou Bank: Assistant Direct Sales Manager Customer Service
• Sven Larsen: Administrative Assistant 
• Steve Saffel: Promotion Manager 
• Fabian Nicieza: Advertising Manager
• Irving Forbush: Happy to get coal in his stocking this year


Front cover 
• Characters: Groo the Wanderer, Santa's Elves 

 Inside front cover
• Salicrup's Section 
• Marvel Age Subscription Coupon 
• Marvel Agenda (contents) 
• Masthead 
• Indicia 

Pages 1 - 8
Marvel Coming Attractions

Titles on sale January 23
  • Avengers West Coast #56
  • Captain America #368
  • Daredevil #278
  • Web of Spider-Man #62
  • The Uncanny X-Men #259
  • The Sensational She-Hulk #13
  • The Punisher Magazine #8
  • The War #4
  • Critical Mass #3
  • Marvel Year in Review #1
  • The Punisher and Wolverine: African Saga
Titles on sale January 30 
  • Alf #27
  • The Amazing Spider-Man #330
  • Marvel Comics Presents #45
  • Alpha Flight 382
  • Nth Man #10
  • Avengers Spotlight #30
  • The New Mutants #87
  • Quasar #8
  • Heathcliff #45
  • Wolverine #22
  • Power Pack #54
  • Groo the Wanderer #63
  • Savage Sword of Conan #171
  • Electric Undertow #5
Titles on sale February 6
  • The Avengers #315
  • Conan the Barbarian #230
  • Silver Surfer #35
  • The Incredible Hulk #367
  • G.I. Joe #98
  • Marvel Age Magazine #86
  • Marvel Tales #235
  • Police Academy #7
  • The Punisher #31
  • Robocop #1
  • What If...? #11
  • Excalibur #20
  • Shield #9
  • The Destroyer #6
  • Lieutenant Blueberry Graphic Novel #4: The Ghost Tribe
  • Strip #1
  • Doctor Who Magazine #157
Titles on sale February 13
  • Thor #415
  • Count Duck #10 (no number listed) 
  • Fantastic Four #338
  • Iron Man #254
  • Spectacular Spider-Man #162
  • Punisher War Journal #15
  • X-Factor #52
  • Classic X-Men #45
  • Transformers #64
  • Marvel Comics Presents #46
  • Conan Saga #36
  • Moon Knight #12
  • The 'Nam #42
  • Spider-Man Vs. Venom trade paperback
  • Dr. Strange #15
  • Akira #17
Titles on sale February 20
  • Silver Surfer Graphic Novel: The Enslavers
Page 8 

Newswatch
Item: Coverage of the annual Marvel Halloween party - no photos, sadly
Item: Look for the Marvel Year in Review, coming soon
Item: How to order your Solarman VHS tapes
Item: Marvel helps to battle illiteracy with Adventures in Reading Starring the Amazing Spider-Man 

Marvel Top Twenty
  1. X-Men #256
  2. Wolverine #19
  3. Excalibur #17
  4. Amazing Spider-Man #327
  5. X-Factor #49
  6. Punisher War Journal 313
  7. Punisher #28
  8. Avengers West Coast #53
  9. Avengers #312
  10. Web of Spider-Man #57
  11. Spectacular Spider-Man #159
  12. New Mutants #84
  13. Iron Man #251
  14. Daredevil #275
  15. Fantastic Four #235
  16. What If...? #8
  17. Captain America #365
  18. Marvel Universe Handbook Update #8
  19. Moon Knight #9
  20. Marvel Comics Presents #38
Page 9
Mark's Remarks


Page 11
Article: "Captain America: The  Motion Picture," by Barry Dutter

Pages 12 - 13
Article: "A Sword, Some Cheese Dip, and Thou...the Amazing Legend of Sergio Aragonés' Groo the Wanderer," by Brian Nelson



Page 14
The Mutant Report: "The Mighty Marvel Mutant Scorecard"


Page 15
Stan Lee's Soapbox

Pages 16 - 17
Hembeck's Page in Marvel Age

Pages 18 - 21
Article: "Marvel Graphic Novels," by Peter Sanderson 

Pages 22 - 25
Article: "Marvel A-Z Conclusion" 


Includes:
  • Steeltown Rockers
  • Super Stars (published as Hollywood Superstars)
  • Thor
  • Tomorrow Knights
  • Transformers
  • Web of Fortune
  • Web of Spider-Man
  • West Coast Avengers
  • What If...
  • What The—?!
  • Wild Cards
  • Witch
  • Wolverine
  • X-Factor
  • X-Men
  • X-Men Cartoon Adaptation

Pages 26 - 27
Article: "Marvel Universe Gifts," by Dwight Jon Zimmerman

Pages 28 - 29
The Marvel Age of Comics — 1980 Part Five

Pages 30 - 32
Letters Column: "Go Ahead...Make My Lunch!", suggested by Paul Vescera


Inside Back Cover
The Marvel Age Super Shopper Gallery

Back Cover
Ad for Silver Surfer #34 and Fantastic Four #337 

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