Two of Marvel's hottest teams of the 1980s -- plus one god of mischief! -- crowded onto the cover of Marvel Age #32, in a portrait by Paul Smith that promoted the miniseries X-Men/Alpha Flight. 

This miniseries got coverage in "The Mutant Report," which has already expanded by this issue to nine pages. The section includes coverage of X-Men/Alpha Flight, X-Men #200, and X-Men: Marvel Heroes for Hope, plus these great Kitty Pryde sketches by Arthur Adams and "It's Genetic," this time a team effort by Jim Salicrup and Kyle Baker. 

This issue's letters column (titled "Kurt Busiek and the Letter Column of Doom) includes a suggestion for a sketchbook section, and in response the editors printed these character sketches for The Eternals miniseries by Sal Buscema... 

And the 1980s design sensibility is getting more pronounced, courtesy of designer Janet "Jayjay" Jackson...lots of pinks and yellows, plus geometric shapes. 

As for me, I'm kind of all over this issue, with two mini-articles (less than two pages each) on Coyote and Power Pack in the "Newswatch Extra" section, the "Marvel Age 1969" article, and various bits of coloring throughout the issue. 

Marvel Age #32

Price: $0.35 US 

Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)

On sale: August 6, 1985

Cover date: November, 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, 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, Ann Nocenti, Denny O'Neil, Jim Owsley, Carl Potts, Pat Redding, Louise Simonson, Laurie Sutton, 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

• Harry Candelario, Rob Carosella, Ken Feduniewicz, Phil Felix, Miriam Larsson, John Morelli, Barry Shapiro, and Bill Vallely: Production

• Brenda Mings: Typesetter

• Adam Philips and George Roussos: Colorists

• Virginia Romita: Traffic Manager

• Lynn Cohen and Margaret Brockie: Friendly Assistance 

• Paul Smith: 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: Scorecard Salesman 

Front cover 

• Characters: X-Men, Alpha Flight, and Loki

 Inside front cover

• Salicrup's Section

• Marvel Agenda (contents) 

• Masthead 

• Indicia 

Pages 1 - 5

Marvel Coming Attractions

Titles on sale August 27 

• The Thing #30 - Secret Wars II tie-in
• Daredevil #225
• The New Mutants #34
• Web of Spider-Man #9
• The West Coast Avengers #3
• Planet Terry #9
• Fraggle Rock #5
• Strawberry Shortcake #5
• Misty #1
• Thundercats #1
• Red Sonja — The Movie #1
• Dreadstar and Company #6
• Squadron Supreme #4
• The Incredible Hulk Annual #14
• The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #1
• The Life of Captain Marvel #5

Titles on sale September 3

• The Amazing Spider-Man #271
• Captain America #312
• Power Pack #17
• Micronauts #15
• Marvel Heroes for Hope
• The Marvel Saga #1
• Doctor Strange #74 - Secret Wars II tie-in
• Groo the Wanderer #10
• Alpha Flight #29
• Wally the Wizard #9
• Top Dog #5
• Heathcliff #5
• Longshot #4
• The Vision and the Scarlet Witch #3
• Rom Annual #4
• Fantastic Four Index #1
• Savage Sword of Conan #118
• The Black Dragon #6
• The Sisterhood of Steel #6

Titles on sale September 10

• Marvel Age Magazine #33
• The Incredible Hulk #314
• The Avengers #262
• Conan #177
• Nightcrawler #2
• Marvel Tales #182
• Moon Knight #6
• G.I. Joe #42
• The Eternals #3
• The X-Men #200
• Thor Annual #13
• Dreadstar #21
• The X-Men and Alpha Flight #1

Titles on sale September 17 

• Fantastic Four #285 - Secret Wars II tie-in
• Iron Man #201
• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #109
• Star Wars #102
• Thor #362
• Transformers #11
• Elfquest #5
• Secret Wars II #6
• The New Defenders #150 
• The Amazing Spider-Man Index #9
• Doctor Who #15
• The New Mutants Special #1
• Alien Legion #10
• Marvel Graphic Novel #19: The Witch Queen of Acheron

Pages 6 - 7

More Coming Attractions

Titles shipping in September 

• The Thing #31
• Daredevil #226
• The New Mutants #35
• Web of Spider-Man #10
• The West Coast Avengers #4
• Planet Terry #10
• Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham #5
• Cloak and Dagger #4
• Sectaurs #4
• 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
• The Amazing Spider-Man #272
• Captain America #313
• Power Pack #18
• Micronauts #16
• Alpha Flight #30
• Wally the Wizard #10
• Ewoks #5
• The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #33
• Dazzler #41
• Groo (sic) #11
• Longshot #5
• The Vision and Scarlet Witch #4
• The X-Men Annual #9
• The Fantastic Four Index #2
• The Savage Sword of Conan #119
• The One #3
• Timespirits #7
• Marvel Age Magazine #34
• The Incredible Hulk #315
• The Avengers #263
• Conan #178
• Marvel Tales #183
• The X-Men #201
• Rom #74
• Care Bears #2
• Moon Knight #7
• Power Man and Iron Fist #121
• Royal Roy #5
• Muppet Babies #5
• Get Along Gang #5
• The Sword of Solomon Kane #3
• G.I. Joe #43
• Nightcrawler #3
• The Eternals #4
• The Punisher #1 
• The X-Men and Alpha Flight #2
• Marvel Fanfare #24
• Fantastic Four #286
• Iron Man #202
• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #110
• The New Defenders #151
• Star Wars #103
• Thor #363
• The Transformers #12
• Elfquest #6
• Secret Wars II #7
• Marvel Team-Up Index #1
• The Handbook of the Conan Universe #1
• Doctor Who #16
• Coyote #15
• Savage Tales #2
• Epic Illustrated #33
• Marvel Graphic Novel #20: Greenberg the Vampire 

Titles shipping in October 

• The Thing #32
• Daredevil #227
• The New Mutants #36
• Web of Spider-Man #11
• The West Coast Avengers #5
• Planet Terry #11
• Fraggle Rock #6
• Strawberry Shortcake #6
• Thundercats #2
• Red Sonja #12
• Squadron Supreme #6
• Conan Annual #10
• The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #3
• Starstruck #6
• Bozz Chronicles #1
• The Amazing Spider-Man #273
• Captain America #314
• Micronauts #17
• Alpha Flight #31
• Wally the Wizard #11
• Top Dog #6
• Heathcliff #6
• Misty #2
• Doctor Strange #75
• Groo the Wanderer #12
• The Vision and Scarlet Witch #5
• The Fantastic Four Index #3
• Longshot #6
• Power Pack #19
• Savage Sword of Conan #120
• The Sisterhood of Steel #7
• Marvel Age Magazine #35
• The Incredible Hulk #316
• The Avengers #264
• Conan #179
• Marvel Tales #184
• X-Men #202
• Rom #75
• Moon Knight #8
• G.I. Joe #44
• Nightcrawler #4
• The Eternals #5
• The Punisher #2
• Dreadstar #22
• Fantastic Four #287
• Iron Man #203
• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #111
• Thor #364
• The Transformers #13
• Elfquest #7
• Secret Wars II #8
• Marvel Team-Up Index #2
• X-Factor #1
• The New Defenders #152
• Doctor Who #17
• Six from Sirius II #1
• Alien Legion #11
• Marvel Graphic Novel #21: The Hills Are Alive 

Page 8 

Newswatch 

Item: New creative teams on the Spider-Man titles

• Amazing Spider-Man: writer - Tom DeFalco; penciller - Ron Frenz; inker - Joe Rubinstein

• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man: writer - Peter David; penciller - Rich Buckler; 

  inker - Brett Bredding

• Web of Spider-Man: writer: David Michelinie; penciler - Marc Sylvestri; Kyle Baker - inker

Item: Special projects editor Bob Budiansky will be teaching a comics art course at Parsons School of Design

Item: Punisher limited series coming in September by writer Steven Grant, penciler Mike Zeck, and inker John Beatty 

Item: The Children's Museum of Manhattan will host the exhibit "Comics Came Alive" 

Item: Artist Kerry Gammill will be drawing covers for Rom, Avengers Annual, Fantastic Four Annual, and the Marvel Age Annual

Item: Christy Marx, creator and writer of The Sisterhood of Steel, and artist Mike Vosburg may be touring comics shops 

Pages 9 - 11

Newswatch Extra 

"Setting the Woods on Fire," by Adam Philips 

"Packing in the Power," by Adam Philips 

Page 11

The Top Ten 

Titles for May 1985

• Secret Wars II #3
• X-Men #197
• Web of Spider-Man #6
• Fantastic Four #282
• Cloak and Dagger #2
• Amazing Spider-Man #268
• New Mutants #31
• Web of Spider-Man Annual #1
• Squadron Supreme #1 

Pages 12 - 13

Article: "The Bozz Chronicles," by Steve Freitag

Pages 14 - 15 

Star Spotlight on Meet Misty, by Sandy Hausler

Pages 16 - 17

Hembeck's Page in Marvel Age

Pages 18 - 26

The Mutant Report

"When Teams Team Up: X-Men and Alpha Flight," by Ken Hart

"200 Issues of Mutants: The Uncanny X-Men," by Peter Sanderson

"It's Genetic," by Kyle Baker

"The Uncanny X-Men: Marvel Heroes for Hope," by Peter Sanderson 

Page 27 

Article: "The Marvel Saga: The Official History of the Marvel Universe," by Danny Fingeroth

Pages 28 - 29

The Marvel Age: 1969 (Part II), by Adam Philips 

Pages 30 - 32

Letters column: "Kurt Busiek and the Letter Column of Doom," suggested by Steven P. Charlie Jr. 

Inside back cover

Ad for The West Coast Avengers and The Vision and The Scarlet Witch 

Back cover

The Marvel Age 1985 Calendar: August

Jim Salicrup: Writer

Ron Zalme: Artist

Andy Yanchus: Colorist 

 

When Marvel Age #14 hit comic shop shelves in 1984, the idea of a cover based on an earlier, classic cover was still new -- and yet, artist John Byrne did it several times over the years with the classic cover to Fantastic Four #1, starting with this cover. (I'd call the cover to Fantastic Four #264 a semi-homage, as there's no Reed or Sue on it.) 

The cover accompanies an interview with Byrne that covers the start of his career, his training, and what he believes makes a good comic, as well as what's coming up in Fantastic Four and Alpha Flight, which he was then writing, penciling and inking every month. 

The issue kicks off with an editorial that explains how, with the upcoming move to better paper stock, the cover price of Marvel Age would be increasing by a dime to $0.35 -- still cheap! And this month's "Behind the Lines" column recounts the sad story of a fan artist who had sent in his art, caught Jim Shooter's eye, but then died from an incurable illness. 

The big development in this issue is the debut of "Hembeck's Page in Marvel Age," the first of the monthly comic strip written and illustrated by fan artist Fred Hembeck. Hembeck was a familiar name to fans who had seen his work in The Buyer's Guide to Comics Fandom/The Comics Buyer's Guide, and then in DC Comics' "Daily Planet" pages. In this inaugural page, Fred meets the Fantastic Four and gets assaulted by John Byrne for daring to ask him his least favorite question: why did he leave the X-Men? Hembeck would remain a Marvel Age fixture through the rest of the series run. 

This month's letters page is titled "Who Cares?" While it was suggested by reader Jeff Plackemeier, the header art (lettering by Rick Parker) depicts Bullpen production artist Morrie Kuramoto -- possibly a self-portrait, based on some input from Kurt Busiek), who was known to yell whenever a discussion was dragging on too long. 

Marvel Age #14

Price: $0.25 US 

Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)

On sale: February 7, 1984

Cover date: May, 1984

Copyright © 1984 Marvel Comics Group, a division of Cadence Industries Corporation. 

• Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

• Editor and Design Director: Jim Salicrup

• Editorial Assistant: Mark Lerer

• Designer: Bob Kessel

• Art/Production Coordinator: Dan Crespi

• Assistant Art/Production Coordinator: Ron Zalme

• Production: Joe Albelo, Harry Candelario, Rob Carosella, Donald Hudson, Morrie Kuramoto, 

    Ken Lopez, John Morelli, and Barry Shapiro

• Typesetters: Brenda Mings

• Colorists: Paul Becton and George Roussos

• Friendly Assistance: Craig Anderson and Lynn Cohen

• Cover Artist: John Byrne

• Direct Sales Manager: Carol Kalish

• Assistant Direct Sales Managers: Peter David, Marsha Rosenberg, and Steve Saffel

• Corner Symbol in Exile: Irving Forbush 

Front cover 

• Characters: The Fantastic Four and John Byrne (Fantastic Four #1 homage) 

 Inside front cover

• Subscription ad for Epic Illustrated

 

Page 1

• Contents

• Masthead 

• Indicia 

Editorial: "What Price Marvel Age?" by Jim Salicrup

Pages 2 – 5

Marvel Comics Coming Attractions 

Comics on sale April 24:

• The Thing #14

• Daredevil #209

• New Mutants #18

• Ka-Zar #33

• Alien Legion #2

• Kitty Pryde and Wolverine #3

• Marvel Super Heroes: The Secret Wars (sic) #4

• Dreadstar #11

Comics on sale May 1: 

• Amazing Spider-Man #255

• Captain America #296

• Thor #346

• Indiana Jones #20

• Savage Sword of Conan #102

• Doctor Strange #66

• U.S. 1 #11

• Power Pack #1

• Kull the Conqueror #5

Comics on sale May 8: 

• Incredible Hulk #298

• Avengers #246

• Conan #161

• Marvel Tales #166

• X-Men #184

• Rom #56

• Power Man and Iron Fist #108

• G.I. Joe #26

• Marvel Age Magazine #17

Comics on sale May 15: 

• Fantastic Four #269

• Marvel Team-Up #144

• Iron Man #185

• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #93

• The New Defenders #134

• Star Wars #86

• Alpha Flight #13

• What If #46

• High Adventure #1

Page 6

Newswatch

Item on Steve Saffel joining staff

Item on Jim Shooter being roasted by various Marvel staffers and freelancers

Item on David Mazzucchelli taking over as penciler on Daredevil, with a new writer coming on board to be named later

Item on Jo Duffy and Laurie Sutton both getting promoted, and Arlene Puentes joining staff

Page 7 

"Editorial Directions," by Jim Shooter

Article on a young fan named Ritchie Bakner who wanted to be a comics artist; he sent in some samplers at Shooter's request, which were inked by Terry Austin. Shooter commemorates this artist, who died soon after of an incurable disease. 

Page 8

"Marvel's Top Ten"

Top selling titles from May 1983:

1 - The Life of John Paul II

2 - X-Men #169 

3 - New Mutants #3

4 - Dark Crystal #1

5 - Fantastic Four #254

6 - Amazing Spider-Man #240

7 - Avengers #231

8 - Obnoxious the Clown vs. the X-Men #1

9 - X-Men Classics #1

10 - Daredevil #194 

"Marvel Coming Retractions" 

Correction on the pronunciation of Bob Budiansky's name

Page 9 

Subscription ad with art by Marie Severin

Pages 10 - 15

Article: "Marvel Age Talks to John Byrne," by Mark Lerer

Pages 16 - 17

Hembeck's Page in Marvel Age

Pages 18 - 20 

Article: "Six from Sirius," by D. Jon Zimmerman and Mark Lerer

Pages 21 - 23

Article: "New Directions for Spider-Man," by Bob Sodaro and Mark Lerer

Pages 24 - 26

Article: "Power Pack: The Origin," by D. Jon Zimmerman

Pages 27 - 29

Article: "Marvel Age: 1962," by Warren Reece 

Pages 30 - 32

Letters column: "Who Cares?," suggested by Jeff Plackemeier

Inside back cover

Ad for "The Official Marvel comics Try-Out Book" 

Back cover 

Ad for Alpha Flight #12

MARVEL AGE #2

 

Legendary artist John Byrne makes his Marvel Age debut with this cover featuring Alpha Flight, a team I used to call "Awful Flight," ha ha ha. (They were fine...I was young.) Byrne would go on to become M.A.'s most prolific cover artist, contributing a total of nine covers to the series' 140 issue run. This issue's cover is oddly similar to the cover to Alpha Flight #1 -- yellow sky, red logo, naturalistic setting. 

In this issue assistant editor Peter David hands the design chores over to Lea Sapp, who gives the layouts a cleaner, more open look. Also new in the credits: colorist Stan Goldberg (who I thought by this time was full-time cartooning for Archie Comics) and frequent future M.A. contributor Rick Parker. Rick is credited as a letterer here -- his cartooning days still lay ahead, as they say. 

Marvel Age #2

Price: $0.25 US 

Pages: 20 (16 interior plus four covers)

On sale: May 1983 

Copyright © 1983 Marvel Comics Group, a division of Cadence Industries Corporation. 

• Editor: Carol Kalish 

• Assistant Editor: Peter David 

• Designer: Lea Sapp

• Production: Danny Crespi and Ron Zalme 

• Colorists: Stan Goldberg, Paul Becton and George Roussos 

• Letterer: Rick Parker 

• Logo designer: John Morelli 

• Photographer: Eliot R. Brown 

• Guiding light: Jim Shooter

Front cover 

• Pencils/inks: John Byrne

• Characters: Alpha Flight

 Inside front cover 

• Triptych ad for The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (drawing by Ron Zalme), Spider-Woman and Iron Man

Page 1 

• Contents

• Masthead 

• Indicia 

Pages 2 – 4

• Marvel Comics Coming Attactions (no writing credits) 

Comics on sale April 26, 1983 - May 17 1983

    Summaries of: 

        The Thing #2

        Daredevil #197

        The New Mutants #6

        Incredible Hulk Annual #12

        The Amazing Spider-Man #243

        Captain America #284

        Thor #334

        Indiana Jones #8

        U.S. 1 #4

        Dr. Strange #60 (sic)

        Incredible Hulk #286

        Avengers #234

        Conan #149

        Marvel Tales #154

        Rom #45

        G.I. Joe #14

        The Uncanny X-Men #172

        Power Man/Iron Fist #96 

        Marvel Team-Up #132

        Iron Man #173

        Star Wars #74

        Fantastic Four #257

        Defenders #122

        Peter Parker #81 (sic)

        The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #8

        Alpha Flight #1

        What If #40

        Coyote #2

        Savage Sword of Conan #90

        Return of the Jedi -- Marvel Super Special #26

        Blip #5 (for those who don't recall this one, it was a comic-sized magazine about video games that ran seven issues)

        Marvel Age #5

 Page 4 

• Marvel Comic Retractions

        Corrections on previous listings on:

        Indiana Jones #7

        Star Wars #73

        Moon Knight #32

        New Mutants #5

• One-third page ad for retailers to be listed in the Marvel Comics Super Mart 

Page 5

• Art feature: "The Space Slammers"  

    Couple of paragraphs on the graphic novel Star Slammers by Walter Simonson with art from a 1974 convention souvenir book appearance of the team under their earlier name, the Space Slammers. 

Page 6

• News Watch

    Items on:

    • A one-scene crossover between Daredevil #96 and Iron Man #171 (both stories have scenes set at parties, so writer Denny O'Neil made it the same party)

    • Don't worry, everyone -- Bill Sienkiewicz hasn't left Marvel. He's drawing covers for The Dazzler. 

    • The logo to Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #78 is not chopped up in any way --  apparently several recent issues had messed around with the logo in various ways

    • Marvel will be adapting the upcoming James Bond movie Octopussy, it is reported with absolutely no snickering. 

    • The difficulties of super-heroes changing their names while being listed under their old names in The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe are examined.

    • The Mysterions, listed in Marvel Age #1 as a new series coming soon, will not be coming soon. The toy company that owns the property has gone out of business. (Dish that dirt, Marvel Age!) 

   • Lea Sapp moves into a new role as Carol Kalish's assistant. She was formerly an administrative assistant to Jim Shooter

   • Bob Budiansky joins staff as an editor

Pages 7 – 10

• Article: “Alpha Flight” by Patrick O'Neill

        Interview with John Byrne about the new series with art from the first issue. 

Page 11-13

• Behind the Lines

    Items on:

       • Ralph Macchio on New York City as depicted in comics by Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz. 

        • Larry Hama on the end of Crazy Magazine 

        • Dennis O'Neil on Bizarre Adventures

        • Jim Shooter on new talent submissions

        • Louise Jones and Danny Fingeroth on new artists including Paul Smith, Ron Frenz (both former animators in Canada), and Armando Gil

        • Archie Goodwin and Jo Duffy on Bernie Wrightson's illustrated Frankenstein. 

        • Mark Gruenwald on the end of Spider-Woman

        • Tom DeFalco on Amazing Spider-Man 

Pages 13 – 16 

• Article: “Life Among the Barbarians" by Neil Patterson

    Covers Conan tie-in titles Red Sonja and Kull the Conqueror, which are confusingly described as "bi-monthly titles published four times a year." 

Inside back cover 

• Ad for U.S. 1

Back cover 

• Ad for Kull the Conqueror II