In a strange case of time-travel corporate synergy, this issue of Marvel Age promotes Marvel's comics adaptation of The Muppets Take Manhattan -- and surely, no one could have guessed back in 1984 that one day both Marvel and the Muppets would both answer to the same corporate overlords at Disney.
The issue begins with "An Important Message" from Jim Salicrup, in which Jim writes that starting with Marvel Age #18 the "Coming Attractions" section will hype comics on sale in one month rather than those on sale in three months, thus making them more accurate. Makes sense, right?
Editor Jim Salicrup himself is the subject of this issue's "Behind the Lines," written by Jim Shooter, who describes Salicrup rather strangely -- but compliments him as a visionary who led the way in deluxe format reprints and other new ideas. Here's Salicrup as described by Shooter, illustrated by Ron Zalme.
John Romita Jr. talks about his upcoming run on the X-Men in the "Marvel Age Interview," saying that he has his own approach that won't look like anything that came before under artists Dave Cockrum, John Byrne, or Paul Smith. The interview opens with a drawing of John, the X-Men, Iron Man, and Spider-Man by Jack Abel, and includes pencil art and sneak peeks finished art from an upcoming issue.
And this month's "New Talent Department" spotlights inker Jerry Acerno, whose work is critiqued by legendary inker Joe Rubinstein.
The issue wraps up with an ad for Epic Illustrated #25, which touts a new story by Bernie Wrightson but does not show the issue's cover by Wrightson's former studio mate, Jeffrey Catherine Jones, followed by an ad...for Marvel Age! (I always love when a comic runs an ad for itself.)
Marvel Age #17
Price: $0.35 US
Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)
On sale: May 8, 1984
Cover date: August, 1984
Copyright © 1984 Marvel Comics Group, a division of Cadence Industries Corporation.
• Jim Shooter: Editor in Chief
• Jim Salicrup: Editor and Design Director
• Mark Lerer: Assistant Editor
• Bob Kessel: Designer
• Jim Massara: Coming Attractions
• Dan Crespi: Art/Production Coordinator
• Ron Zalme: Assistant Art/Production Coordinator
• Joe Albelo, Harry Candelario, Rob Carosella, Morrie Kuramoto, Ken Lopez, John Morelli,
and Barry Shapiro: Production
• Brenda Mings: Typesetter
• Paul Becton and George Roussos: Colorists
• Craig Anderson and Lynn Cohen: Friendly Assistance
• Warren Kremer: Cover
• Carol Kalish: Direct Sales Manager
• Peter David: Assistant Direct Sales Manager
• Marsha Rosenberg: Sales Manager for Special Events
• Steve Saffel: Assistant Promotions Manager for Direct Sales
• Irving Forbush: Mutated Muppet
Front cover
• Characters: The Muppets
Inside front cover
• Ad for The Sub-Mariner
Page 1
• Marvel Agenda (contents)
• Masthead
• Indicia
Editorial: "An Important Message from Jim Salicrup," by Jim Salicrup
Pages 2 – 5
Marvel Comics Coming Attractions
Titles on sale July 24
• The Thing #17
• Daredevil #212
• New Mutants #21
• The Muppets Take Manhattan #1, 2, and 3
• Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars #7
• West Coast Avengers #3
• Machine Man #3
• Conan the King #25
• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #4
Titles on sale July 31
• Amazing Spider-Man #258
• Captain America #299
• Thor #349
• Indiana Jones #23
• Power Pack #4
• Micronauts #2
• Crystar #10
• Sub-Mariner #3
• Fantastic Four Annual #18
• Savage Sword of Conan #105
Titles on sale August 7
• Incredible Hulk #301
• Avengers #249
• Conan the Barbarian #164
• Marvel Tales #169
• X-Men #187
• Rom #60
• Power Man and Iron Fist #111
• G.I. Joe #29
• Temple of Doom (sic) #3
• The Last Star Fighters (sic) #2
• Marvel Age Magazine #20
• Thor Annual #12
• Marvel Fanfare #17
Titles on sale August 14
• Fantastic Four #272
• Marvel Team-Up #147
• Iron Man #188
• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #96
• The New Defenders #137
• Star Wars #89
• Alpha Flight #16
• Kitty and Wolverine #1
• Hulk Annual #13
• Epic Illustrated #26
Page 6
Newswatch
• Item: Mike Carlin has been promoted to editor, and will handle the Fantastic Four, Rom, Dazzler, The Thing, and more. Editor Bob Budiansky will shift toward special projects.
• Item: Statement regarding a lawsuit between a comic book printer, First Comics, and Marvel.
• Item: Jim Owsley is the new writer on Power Man and Iron Fist.
• Item: The Machine Man limited series is coming soon.
• Item: Kevin Nowlan has designed the logos for Solomon Kane, Gargoyle, and The Punisher, while Walter Simonson designed the logo for Alien Legion.
• Item: The Magneto limited series is scheduled for November. Red Sonja will have four monthly issues in 1984, then continue bimonthly in 1985. The following annuals will ship from June through October: Iron Man Annual #7, Spider-Man Annual #18, Fantastic Four Annual #18, Thor Annual #12, Hulk Annual # 13, Peter Parker Annual (sic) #1, Rom Annual #3, Marvel Team-Up Annual #7, Conan Annual #9, X-Men Annual #8, New Mutants Annual #1, and Star Wars Annual #4. Shipping changes for these Super Specials: Temple of Doom (sic) #30, The Last Star Fighters (sic) #31, and The Muppets Take Manhattan #32. Coyote will continue past its initial six-issues on a bimonthly schedule. Questprobe #1 will ship in April. Six from Sirius #1 will ship in May with a $1.50 cover price. Dr. Who #1 will ship in June.
Page 7
Behind the Lines: "Editorial Directions," by Jim Shooter
Pages 8 - 10
Article: "The Transformers," by Dwight Jon Zimmerman
Pages 11 - 15
Article: "The Marvel Age Interview: John Romita Jr.," by Mark Lerer
Pages 16 - 17
Hembeck's Pages, focusing on questionable costume designs.
Pages 18 - 20
Article: "The Muppets Come to Marvel," by Andrew Coe
Pages 21 - 22
Article: "Secret Wars Update," by Andrew Coe
Pages 23 - 25
Article: "The Marvel Age: 1965," by Warren Reece
Page 26
Bullpen Bulletins
Pages 27 - 29
The New Talent Department
Pages 30 - 32
Letters column: "The Marvel Age Sage Page," art by Rick Parker
Inside back cover
Ad for Epic Illustrated #25, featuring a new story written and illustrated by Bernie Wrightson entitled "The Potty's Over."
Back cover
Ad for Marvel Age
