The big price hike arrived at last in Marvel Age #79, with the price increasing from $0.50 to $0.75 -- still far cheaper than a standard comic book at the time. Salicrup's Section explained that they managed to offset the original promised price increase, which would have made Marvel Age cost a whole buck, by adding the Marvel Age Super Shopper Gallery, seen in the back cover.

This would imply that retailers had to pay for the privilege of being listed on the inside back cover.

Plus, cigar smokers united in the new graphic novel Wolverine & Nick Fury: The Scorpio Connection. At this point, Marvel could have paired off Wolverine with, well, Millie the Model, and it probably would have sold. But this epic was by two comics legends: writer Archie Goodwin and artist Howard Chaykin -- which meant fans were in for a treat. 

And Marvel followed up its run of Moebius reprints, including tales of Arzach and other science fiction / fantasy fare, with reprints of Lieutenant Blueberry, now credited to Moebius rather than the artist's real name, Jean Giraud. 

Marvel Age #79

Price: $0.75 US 

Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)

On sale: June 20, 1989

Cover date: October 1989

Copyright © 1989 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. 

• Tom DeFalco: Editor in Chief

• Mark Gruenwald: Executive Editor

• Ralph Macchio: Senior Editor 

• Jim Salicrup: Supreme Marvel Zombie

• Dwight Jon Zimmerman: Managing Editor

• Cindy Emmert Kruhm: Designer

• Sholly Fisch: Contributing Editor

• Fred Hembeck: Sage of Marvel Age

• Craig Anderson, Steve Buccellato, Bob Budiansky, Bobbie Chase, Daniel Chichester, Margaret Clark, Kelly Corvese, Don Daley, James DiGiovanna, Daryl Edelman, Archie Goodwin, Larry Hama, Bob Harras, Glenn Herdling, Sid Jacobson, Marie Javins, Terry Kavanagh, Howard Mackie, Dwayne McDuffie, Marc McLaurin, Al Milgrom, Carl Potts, Mike Rockwitz, Marc Siry, Lisa Trusiani, Sara Tuchinsky, Renée Witterstaeter, David Wohl, and Gregory Wright: Consulting Editors

• John Romita: Art Director

• Don Perlin: Managing Art Director

• James Brock Jr., Gavin Curtis, and Vince Mielcarek: The Raiders

• Virginia Romita: Traffic/Production Manager

• Len Kaminsky: Assistant Traffic/Production Manager

• Lynda Strunk: Typesetter

• Jack Abel: World's Toughest Proofreader

• Joe Albelo, Paul Becton, Harry Candelario, Rob Carosella, Harry Eisenstein, Chris "Spike" Eliopoulos, Vince Evans, Dawn Geiger, Jesus Gonzalez, Brad K. Joyce, Ed Lazellari, Ken Lopez, Jade Moede, Joyce Phus and George Roberts: Production

• Howard Chaykin: Cover

• Gregory Wright: Colorist

• Adam Blaustein: Manufacturing Coordinator 

• Don Alcindor, Christine Aurilia, Dwight Coye, Dan Cuddy, Suzanne Gaffney, Arthur Parris Jackson, John Lewandowski, George Roussos, Stu Schwartzberg, Mark Silverman, and Evan Skolnick: Friendly Assistance 

• Carol Kalish: Vice President Direct Sales

• Kurt Busiek: Direct Sales Project Manager

• Lou Bank: Assistant Direct Sales Manager Customer Service

• Mike Ruffino: Administrative Assistant

• Steve Saffel: Promotion Manager 

• Fabian Nicieza: Advertising Manager

• Irving Forbush: Cutup 

Front cover 

• Characters: Wolverine and Nick Fury 

 Inside front cover

• Salicrup's Section 

• Marvel Agenda (contents) 

• Masthead 

• Indicia 

Pages 1 - 7

Marvel Coming Attractions

Titles on sale July 25 

• Daredevil #272
• Avengers West Coast #50
• Amazing Spider-Man #323
• Captain America #361
• G.I. Joe Special Missions #27
• Indiana Jone and the Last Crusade #3
• The Uncanny X-Men #251
• Conan the King #55
• The Sensational She-Hulk #7
• Avengers West Coast Annual #4
• Nightmare on Elm Street #1
• The Punisher Magazine #2 
• Wolverine Saga #3

Titles on sale August 1

• Web of Spider-Man #56
• Alf #21
• Avengers Spotlight #24
• Groo the Wanderer #57
• Heathcliff #39
• Nth Man #4
• The New Mutants #81
• Quasar #2
• Groo Chronicles #5
• Alpha Flight #76
• Wolverine #15
• G.I. Joe European Missions #14
• The Marvel Universe Update #5
• Wolverine and Nick Fury: The Scorpion Connection graphic novel
• Thor Annual #14
• Marvel Comics Presents #32
• Savage Sword of Conan #165

Titles on sale August 8 

• Marvel Age Magazine #80
• Police Academy #1
• Captain America #362
• The Incredible Hulk #361
• Marvel Tales #229
• The Avengers #309
• SHIELD #3
• Shadowmasters #2
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade #4
• Conan the Barbarian #224
• The Punisher #25
• Silver Surfer #29
• The Amazing Spider-Man 3324
• The Uncanny X-Men #252
• Excalibur #14
• What If...? #5
• Power Pack #50
• Fantastic Four Annual #22
• G.I. Joe #92 

Titles on sale August 15

• Fantastic Four #332
• Iron Man #248
• Thor #409
• Count Duckula #9
• Spectacular Spider-Man #156
• The Transformers #58
• X-Factor #46
• The 'Nam #36
• Marvel Comics Presents #33
• Doctor Strange #9
• Moon Knight #6
• Death's Head #9
• Akira #12
• Blueberry 1: Chihuahua Pearl 
• Elektra Saga trade paperback 

Page 8

Newswatch 

Item: Marvel will publish the graphic novel Roger Rabbit: The Resurrection of Doom by Bob Foster and Dan Spiegle. 

Item: Talking Tops is offering a new t-shirt featuring the MarvelComicsaurus, as well as a Wolverine porcelain bisque. 

Item: Editor Carl Potts has married Cathleen Meloni in April. 

Item: Steve Buccellato is leaving staff to go freelance. Sara Tuchinsky will take his place as assistant editor in the Epic offices, while Evan Skolnick takes her place as assistant editor working for Greg Wright. 

Top Ten 

February 1989

1. The Uncanny X-men #245
2. Punisher War Journal #6
3. Excalibur #9
4. X-Factor #41
5. Wolverine #8
6. Havok and Wolverine #4
7. The Sensational She-Hulk #2
8. The Amazing Spider-man #316
9. The New Mutants #76
10. The Punisher #20

   29 - Marvel Age Magazine #75

Page 9 

Mark's Remarks

Page 10

The Mutant Report

"Wolverine & Nick Fury Starring in The Scorpio Connection," by Sholly Fisch 

Pages 11 - 15

Wolverine & Nick Fury graphic novel preview 

Pages 16 - 17

Hembeck's Page in Marvel Age 

Page 18 

Stan's Soapbox 

Willie Lumpkin by Stan Lee and Dan DeCarlo

Page 19 

Marvel Trivia Quiz

Pages 20 - 21

Article: "Before Nick Fury, There Was...Lieutenant Blueberry," by R.J.M. L'officier

Pages 22 - 24

Article: "A Nightmare on Elm Street," by Peter Sanderson

Pages 25 - 26

Article: "Police Academy: The Comic Book," by Sandy Hausler

Pages 27 - 29

The Marvel Age of Comics: 1979 Part IV, by Brian Nelson

Pages 30 - 32

Letters Column: "Talk Is Cheap, Bub!", suggested by Michael Ewing-Chow

Inside Back Cover

Marvel Age Super Shopper Gallery 

Back cover

Ad for twice monthly comics running May through July 

The two names fans most wanted to hear from in 1983 -- Stan Lee and Jim Shooter -- are featured in a lengthy interview in Marvel Age #8, under a cover illustrated by Ron Zalme. This is one of those covers that doesn't promote anything in particular other than Marvel itself, but that didn't make it any less appealing. (Love that magenta shirt and yellow/black pants combo!) 

This cover also features the first appearance of Irving Forbush, the Marvel Age mascot who would go on to symbolize the spirit of fun the magazine stood for. 

The 11-page interview covers what Stan was up to at the time -- developing movie projects, mostly -- and how Jim got started in comics and made his way to Marvel. Along the way, they discuss two stories I'd heard about for years but never saw in print: How Iron Man got his nose (Stan saw a very flat looking Iron Man mask and said "Doesn't he have a nose?"), and why Stan hates green on covers (he doesn't, but the one time he said something seems to have had a big impact). 

As for those movies...here's the list:

    • An original super-hero project created by Shooter and George Romero

    • A Human Torch movie from Columbia pictures

    • A live action X-Men movie from Nelvana 

    • A Dazzler movie

    • A Spider-Man movie produced by Roger Corman

    • A Black Widow movie -- probably not this one

    • A Daredevil movie

    • A Captain America...Broadway show

Also in this issue, Marvel Age explains why The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe was expanding by two issues (answer: because you demanded it!), and an article explaining who the Golden Age characters that appear in the then-current reprint of the Avengers Kree/Skrull War epic were, with what appears to be a new piece of art by John Byrne and Jack Abel. 

Paul Smith and John Romita Jr., then rising star artists, are also profiled this issue. And the New Talent Department spotlights future G.I. Joe artist Rod Whigham, who Marvel editor Bob Budiansky had met at a comic book convention. 

More Conan comedy courtesy of Paul Smith

Marvel Age #8

Price: $0.25 US 

Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)

On sale: August 9, 1983

Cover date: November 1983 

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

• Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

• Editor and Design Director: Jim Salicrup

• Editorial Assistant: Mark Lerer

• Art/Production Coordinator: Danny Crespi

• Assistant Art/Production Coordinator: Ron Zalme

• Production: Joe Albelo, Harry Candelario, Rob Carosella, Ken Lopez, Morrie Kuramoto, John 

  Morelli, and Barry Shapiro

• Typesetters: Nancy Dodaro and Carl Gafford

• Colorist: George Roussos

• Friendly Assistance: Lynn Cohen and Margaret Clark

• Cover: Ron Zalme 

• Direct Sales Manager: Carol Kalish

• Assistant Direct Sales Managers: Peter David and Lea Sapp

• Corner Symbol: Irving Forbush

Front cover 

• Characters: Stan Lee, Jim Shooter and friends 

 Inside front cover

• Ad for The New Defenders

 

Page 1

• Contents

• Masthead 

• Indicia 

Editorial: "Get Well, Stan" (Stan Lee had recently undergone minor surgery) 

Pages 2 – 5

• Marvel Comics Coming Attactions 

Red Sonja art by Howard Chaykin -- not sure what it's from

Comics on sale October 25, 1983 

    • The Thing #8

    • Daredevil #203

    • New Mutants #12

    • Ka-Zar #30

    • Red Sonja #4

    • The Falcon #4

    • Kull the Conqueror #4

    • Hercules #1

    • Conan Annual #8

    • The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #13

Comics on sale November 1, 1983

    • Amazing Spider-Man #249

    • Captain America #290

    • Thor #340

    • The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #134

    • Savage Sword of Conan #96

    • Doctor Strange #63

    • U.S. 1 #8

    • X-Men/Micronauts #2

    • Illyana and Storm #3

Comics on sale November 8, 1983

    • Incredible Hulk #292

    • Avengers #240

    • Conan #155

    • Marvel Tales #160

    • X-Men #178

    • Rom #51

    • Power Man and Iron Fist #102

    • G.I. Joe #20

    • Marvel Age Magazine #11

    • The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #14 

Comics on sale November 15, 1983

    • Fantastic Four #263

    • Marvel Team-Up #138

    • Iron Man #179

    • Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #87

    • Defenders #128

    • Star Wars #80

    • Alpha Flight #7

    • Coyote #5

    • What If #43

    • Jack of Hearts #2

Page 5

    Last Minute Additions...

        • Tales of Asgard #1, on sale October 25

        • Marvel Fanfare Special Edition #1, on sale November 1 (doesn't look like this published) 

        • The Super Boxers Graphic Novel #9 (sic), on sale November 8

        • Micronauts Special Edition #3, on sale November 15

        • Captain America Special Edition #1, on sale November 15

Page 6

    Newswatch

    Items on:

    • Jack of Hearts miniseries with art by George Freeman

    • Marvel Team-Up Thrillers trade paperback 

Pages 7 - 8

    Behind the Lines

    • "Short story" by Larry Hama about the Abomination 

    • Al Milgrom on the job of an editor

    • "In Your Future," by Carl Potts, about Alien Legin

Pages 9 - 19

    Article: "The Marvel Age Magazine Interview: Stan Lee and Jim Shooter"

Not sure why this was stuck in the middle of the Stan Lee and Jim Shooter interview, but it's probably the best cover of the month, hands down... 

Pages 20 - 21

    Article: "The Marvel Universe Expanded," by Mark Lerer 

    Covers three extra issues of The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe

Pages 22 - 24

    Article: "Golden Age Greats, Revisited," by Warren Reece

    Covers Golden Age heroes

Pages 25 - 27

    Article: "A Tale of Two Artists," by Robert Sodaro and Mark Lerer 

    Article on artists Paul Smith and John Romita Jr. 

Pages 28 - 30

    The New Talent Department

    Spotlight on artist Rod Whigham

Pages 31 - 32

    Letters: "Mark Duncan's Page" (because a guy named Mark Duncan wrote in and said, "Why not call it 'Mark Duncan's Page'?" Why not indeed.) 

Inside back cover

    Ad for the Cloak and Dagger miniseries

Back cover

    Ad for King Conan #20