Looking back at the 1980s, the popularity of toy-based comics series like Micronauts, G.I. Joe, Transformers, and Rom is amazing. This issue of Marvel Age focuses on Rom, with a creepy Dire Wraith cover by Bill Sienkiewicz. And an article touting the series' new direction features some terrific art by Steve Ditko and P. Craig Russell, but at this point it was only months away from its conclusion in issue #75.
Mike Carlin, editor of Rom at the time, talks about his work on Crazy Magazine, writing series like Ka-Zar, The Thing, and Captain America, and his approach to editing.
This month's Newswatch mentions a new Frank Miller project called Elektra: Act of Love, which may have morphed into another project like Electra: Assassin -- or it may have disappeared entirely.
Marvel Age itself underwent a big change with this issue and the arrival of Kurt Busiek as assistant editor. This was long before Kurt's breakthroughs on Marvels and Astro City, when he had only written some issues of Power Man and Iron Fist, backup stories in Green Lantern, and a few other odds and ends. At the time, Kurt and I were sharing an apartment in Cliffside Park, NJ, so I had a ringside seat to what was happening at Marvel Age and Marvel in general.
The New Talent Department shined a spotlight on penciller Mike Clark, someone I got to know at the time. Mike was a talented artist who went on to draw for Marvel and DC, on series like All-Star Squadron, Infinity Inc., and The Last Days of the Justice League.
Marvel Age #23
Price: $0.35 US
Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)
On sale: November 6, 1984
Cover date: February, 1985
Copyright © 1984 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
• Dan Crespi: Art/Production Coordinator
• Ron Zalme: Assistant Art/Production Coordinator
• Joe Albelo, Harry Candelario, Rob Carosella, Morrie Kuramoto, John Morelli, and Barry
Shapiro: Production
• Brenda Mings: Typesetter
• Paul Becton, Ken Feduniewicz, and George Roussos: Colorists
• Lynn Cohen and Chantee Foster: Friendly Assistance
• Bill Sienkiewicz: Cover
• Carol Kalish: Direct Sales Manager
• Peter David: Assistant Direct Sales Manager
• Steve Saffel: Assistant Promotions Manager for Direct Sales
• Irving Forbush: Resident Spaceknight
Front cover
• Character: A Dire Wraith from Rom
Inside front cover
• Photo of Rom
Page 1
• Marvel Agenda (contents)
• Masthead
• Indicia
Editorial: "Cutting Through the Hype," by Jim Salicrup
Pages 2 – 5
Marvel Comics Coming Attractions
Titles on sale November 27
• The Thing #21
• Daredevil #216
• New Mutants #25
• Red Sonja #7
• Dazzler #36
• Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #11
• Conan the King #27
• G.I. Joe Yearbook #1
• Crash Ryan #4
• Starstruck #1
Titles on sale December 4
• The Amazing Spider-Man #262
• Captain America #303
• Indiana Jones #27
• Power Pack #8
• Micronauts #6
• Alpha Flight #20
• Transformers #4
• Conan the Destroyer #2
• Groo (sic) #1
• Savage Sword of Conan #108
• Swashbucklers (sic) #1
• Marvel Super Special #36: Dune
Titles on sale December 11
• Marvel Age Magazine #24
• Incredible Hulk #305
• The Avengers #253
• Conan #168
• Marvel Tales #173
• X-Men #191
• Rom #64
• Power Man and Iron Fist #115
• G.I. Joe #33
• Marvel Fanfare #19
• Void Indigo #2
Titles on sale December 18
• Fantastic Four #276
• Iron Man #192
• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #100
• The Defenders #141
• Star Wars #93
• Thor #353
• Kitty and Wolverine (sic) #5
• Doctor Who #6
• Coyote #10
• Epic Illustrated #28
Pages 6 - 8
More Coming Attractions
Shipping in December
• The Thing #22
• Daredevil #217
• New Mutants #26
• The Web of Spider-Man #1
• Red Sonja #8
• Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #12
• Iceman #3
• Beauty and the Beast #3
• Spider-Man #263
• Captain America #304
• Indiana Jones #28
• Power Pack #9
• Micronauts #7
• Alpha Flight #21
• Dr. Strange #70
• Groo #2
• Dune #1
• Savage Sword of Conan #110
• Dreadstar #17
• Alien Legion #6
• Sisterhood of Steel #2
• Incredible Hulk #306
• Avengers #254
• Conan #169
• Marvel Tales #174
• X-Men #192
• Rom #65
• Power Man and Iron Fist #116
• G.I. Joe #34
• Kull the Conqueror #9
• The New Defenders #142
• Star Wars #94
• Thor #354
• Kitty and Wolverine (sic) #6
• 2010 #1
• Spider-Man Index #1
• Doctor Who #7
• Time Spirits #3
• Fantastic Four #277
• Iron Man #193
• Marvel Age #25
• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #101
• Wally the Wizard #1
• Top Dog #1
• Heathcliff #1
• Planet Terry #1
• Fraggle Rock #1
• Strawberry Shortcake #1
• Void Indigo #2
Shipping in January
• The Thing #23
• Daredevil #218
• New Mutants #27
• Web of Spider-Man #2
• Red Sonja #9
• Dazzler #37
• Cloak and Dagger #1
• Conan the King #28
• Spider-Man #264
• Captain America #305
• Indiana Jones #29
• Power Pack #10
• Micronauts #8
• Alpha Flight #22
• Wally the Wizard #2
• Dune #2
• Groo (sic) #3
• Savage Sword of Conan #111
• Marvel Age #26
• Incredible Hulk #307
• Avengers #255
• Conan #170
• Marvel Tales #175
• X-Men #193
• Rom #66
• Power Man and Iron Fist #117
• G.I. Joe #35
• Royal Roy #1
• Muppet Babies #1
• Getalong Gang #1
• Fantastic Four #278
• Iron Man #194
• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #102
• The New Defenders #143
• Star Wars #95
• Thor #355
• Ewoks #1
• Peter Porker (sic) #1
• Rocket Raccoon #1
• 2010 #2
• Spider-Man Index #2
• Doctor Who #8
• Coyote #11
• Dreadstar #18
• Epic Illustrated #29
• Solomon Kane #1
• Marvel Fanfare #20
• Void Indigo #3
• Swashbucklers (sic) #2
• Starstruck #2
Page 9
Newswatch
Item: Prices on Marvel titles will increase in January by $0.05.
Item: Frank Miller is returning to Marvel for the one-shot Elektra: Act of Love, as well as writing Daredevil #219 and 220.
Item: Star Comics titles will debut in December
Page 10
The Top Ten by Jim Salicrup
Titles from April and May 1984
1 - Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #6
2 - X-Men #186
3 - Alpha Flight #15
4 - The Amazing Spider-Man #257
5 - The New Mutants #20
6 - The Fantastic Four #271
7 - G.I. Joe #28
8 - The Mighty Thor #348
9 - The Avengers #248
10 - Power Pack #1
Pages 11 - 15
Article: "Rom: The New Direction," by Dwight Jon Zimmerman
Pages 16 - 17
Hembeck's Page in Marvel Age
Pages 18 - 21
Article: "The Marvel Age Interview: Mike Carlin," by Nancy Leigh Brown
Pages 22 - 24
Article: "The Marvel Age -- 1966 (Part VI)," by Warren Reece
Pages 25 - 28
The New Talent Department, by Kurt Busiek
Page 29
Bullpen Bulletin
Pages 30 - 32
Letters page: "I <3 Marvel Age," suggested by Gary O'Neil
Inside back cover
Ad for Swords of the Swashbucklers
Back cover
Ad for Starstruck #1
