Spider-Man introduces what is arguably the first comics publishing imprint, Star Comics, in this issue of Marvel Age, with an article on Fraggle Rock, an interview with editor Tom DeFalco, an article on the origins of the line, and even a Hembeck Page about Wally the Wizard and writer/artist Bob Bolling, better known to fans for his work on Little Archie. The Star Comics line would stick around for four years and include over 30 titles -- many of them miniseries, and most of them licensed rather than original properties. (I'm defining "imprint" as a cohesive line of titles that bears its own brand that's not the publisher's main name, and is dedicated to publishing a particular kind of comics.) The articles include introductory art and preliminary story pages.
While the Star Comics coverage is fun, the centerpiece of this issue is a dense, four-page article called "Behind the Lines: Special Report -- The Story Behind the Avengers/JLA Team-Up Controversy." Not surprisingly, the article (which bears no byline) lays the blame at the feet of the DC staff for delays in delivering a plot, not sharing information about how and who needs to approve the plot, and letting artist George Pérez start drawing when the story had not been approved. It's a terse read that provides insights into how tense the situation between Marvel and DC was at the time.
Also in this issue, "The Marvel Books Checklist" provides a list of books from this arm of the Marvel publishing empire, and is mostly interesting for the books of new material -- activity, puzzle and coloring books, mostly -- with full credits for writers like Jim Salicrup and David Anthony Kraft, as well as artists who didn't do much comics work for modern-day Marvel, like Joe Edwards and Winslow Mortimer, as well as relative newcomer Owen McCarron.
Last things I'll mention are a couple of ads. The inside front cover features an ad for Void Indigo, an Epic Comics series that started in a Marvel Graphic Novel and is mostly remembered for causing a public outcry due to what was seen as excessive violence. The series would run only two issues before Marvel decided to pull the plug rather than continue to court controversy. And the back cover for Epic Illustrated #26 featuring the start of "The Last Galactus Story" includes the tagline, "How will it end?" As many of us know...it won't. End, that is.
Marvel Age #19
Price: $0.35 US
Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)
On sale: July 10, 1984
Cover date: October, 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
• Harry Candelario, Rob Carosella, Phil Felix, Morrie Kuramoto, Ken Lopez, John Morelli,
and Barry Shapiro: Production
• Brenda Mings: Typesetter
• Paul Becton, Ken Feduniewicz, and George Roussos: Colorists
• Craig Anderson and Lynn Cohen: Friendly Assistance
• Carol Kalish: Direct Sales Manager
• Peter David: Assistant Direct Sales Manager
• Steve Saffel: Assistant Promotions Manager for Direct Sales
• Irving Forbush: Star
Front cover
• Characters: Spider-Man and the stars of the Star Comics line
Inside front cover
• Ad for the Void Indigo graphic novel
Page 1
• Marvel Agenda (contents)
• Masthead
• Indicia
Editorial: "New Stars in the Marvel Universe," 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 #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
• Graphic Novel #12 - Void Indigo (sic)
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 (sic) #1
• Hulk Annual #13
• Epic Illustrated #26
• Starriors #1
Pages 6 - 7
More Coming Attractions (no specific on sale dates listed)
Shipping in August
• The Thing #18
• Daredevil #213
• New Mutants #22
• The Muppets (sic) #2
• Marvel Super Heroes: The Secret Wars (sic) #8
• West Coast Avengers #4
• Machine Man #3
• Iceman #1
• Buckeroo Bonzai (sic) #1
• Spider-Man Annual (sic) #18
• Dreadstar #14
• Crash Ryan #1
• Amazing Spider-Man #259
• Indiana Jones #24
• Power Pack #5
• Micronauts #3
• Alpha Flight #17
• Doctor Strange #68
• Kull the Conqueror #7
• The Last Star Fighters (sic) #3
• Sub-Mariner #4
• Black Panther #2
• Captain America #300
• Rom Annual #3
• Savage Sword of Conan #106
• Alien Legion #4
• Marvel Super Special #35: Conan II (sic)
• Incredible Hulk #302
• Conan (sic) #165
• Marvel Tales #170
• X-Men #188
• Rom #61
• Power Man and Iron Fist #112
• G.I. Joe #30
• Sheena of the Jungle (sic) #1
• Avengers #250
• Marvel Age #21
• Marvel Graphic Novel #13 - Starstruck
• Fantastic Four #273
• Marvel Team-Up #189
• Iron Man #189
• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #97
• The New Defenders #138
• Star Wars #90
• Starriors #2
• Kitty and Wolverine (sic) #2
• What If #48
• Conan Annual (sic) #9
• X-Men Annual #8
• Doctor Who #3
• Six from Sirius #4
• Timespirits #1
Shipping in September
• The Thing #19
• Daredevil #214
• New Mutants #23
• Dazzler #35
• Muppets (sic) #3
• Red Sonja #5
• Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars #9
• Machine Man #4
• Iceman #2
• Buckeroo Banzai (sic) #2
• Dazzler / Beast (sic) #2
• Conan the King #26
• Crash Ryan #2
• Amazing Spider-Man #260
• Captain America #301
• Thor #351
• Indiana Jones #25
• Power Pack #6
• Micronauts #4
• Black Panther #3
• Transformers #3
• Conan II (sic)
• New Mutants Annual #1
• Savage Sword of Conan #107
• Sisterhood of Steel #1
• Incredible Hulk #303
• Avengers #251
• Conan (sic) #166
• Marvel Tales #171
• X-Men #189
• Rom #62
• Power Man (sic) #113
• G.I. Joe #31
• Sheena, Queen of the Jungle (sic) #2
• Marvel Age #22
• Marvel Fanfare #18
• Dreadstar #15
• Void Indigo #1
• Fantastic Four #274
• Marvel Team-Up #274
• Iron Man #190
• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #98
• Defenders (sic) #139
• Star Wars #91
• Alpha Flight #18
• Starriors #3
• Kitty & Wolverine (sic) #3
• Dr. Who (sic) #4
• Coyote #9
• Epic Illustrated #27
Page 8
Newswatch
Item: Howard Mackie joins staff as an assistant editor
Item: Watch for a new video presentation coming to comics shops and conventions covering titles including Dreadstar and Frankenstein
Item: Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham, is getting his own series
Item: Rod Whigham is drawing G.I. Joe #31 and the Lightrunner graphic novel; Michael Golden is doing covers for Indiana Jones #2, Kull #6, Peter Porker #1, and Savage Sword of Conan #105; Chris Warner will be the artist on Moon Knight, the Fist on Khonshu; Andy Mushynsky will be the inker on G.I. Joe; and Jerry Acerno will be the inker on Power Man and Iron Fist
Pages 9 - 12
Behind the Lines: Special Report -- The Story Behind the Avengers/JLA Team-Up Controversy
Page 13
Subscription ad - art by John Byrne
Pages 14 - 15
Article: "Star Comics Presents: Fraggle Rock," by Andrew Coe
Pages 16 - 17
Hembeck's Page in Marvel Age -- Discussing the new series Wally the Wizard
Pages 18 - 21
Article: "The Marvel Age Interview: Tom DeFalco," by Jim Massara
Pages 22 - 23
Article: "The Origin of Star Comics," by Jim Massara
Page 23
Star Comics Coming Attractions
Titles shipping September 11
• Planet Terry #1
• Fraggle Rock #1
• Heathcliff #1
Titles shipping September 25
• Wally the Wizard #1
• Top Dog #1
• Strawberry Shortcake #1
Titles shipping October 9
• The Muppet Babies #1
• The Ewoks #1
Titles shipping October 23
• Royal Roy #1
• Get Along Gang #1
Pages 24 - 26
Article: "The Marvel Age -- 1966 (Part II)" by Warren Reece
Pages 27 - 29
The Marvel Books Checklist, by Dwight Jon Zimmerman
Page 30
Bullpen Bulletins
Pages 31 - 32
Letters Page: "MARVEL languAGE," suggested by Kenny Everhart
Inside back cover
Ad for Power Pack
Back cover
Ad for Epic Illustrated #26 featuring "The Last Galactus Story"
