Just two issues after featuring Dreadstar on the cover of Marvel Age, this issue spotlights a host of characters from the Epic Comics line, with legendary writer/editor Archie Goodwin front and center. The cover accompanies an interview with Goodwin that highlights the Epic line. This cover was also the first major contribution to Marvel Age by cartoonist/letterer Rick Parker, who would soon become famous as the artist of the Beavis and Butt-Head comic. 

The "Behind the Lines" column features an open letter from Marvel EIC Jim Shooter to DC VP - Executive Editor Dick Giordano, in which Shooter chides Giordano (in the nicest popular terms) for publishing claims in The Flash #332 that Marvel was about to raise its prices. Shooter finishes by writing that DC owes Marvel a retraction. 

Fred Hembeck refers to himself this month as "The Sage of Marvel Age," a title I thought I had made up myself. Well, since Fred isn't currently using it I believe I'll hold on to it.  

"The New Talent Department" takes on the difficult topic of would-be writers trying to break into comics. Marvel Age assistant editor Mark Lerer submits his proposal for a character called Decathlon to Jim Shooter, who points out ways in which the story could be improved. 

Marvel Age #15

Price: $0.35 US 

Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)

On sale: March 13, 1984

Cover date: June, 1984

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

• Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

• Editor and Design Director: Jim Salicrup

• Assistant Editor: Mark Lerer

• Coming Attractions: Jim Massara

• 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: Rick Parker

• Direct Sales Manager: Carol Kalish

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

• Back in the Saddle Again: Irving Forbush 

Front cover 

• Characters: Archie Goodwin and the stars of the Epic Comics line

 Inside front cover

• Subscription ad for Epic Illustrated

 

Page 1

• Contents

• Masthead 

• Indicia 

Editorial: "Money Talks!" by Jim Salicrup

Takes on the rarely covered topic of tipping your comics writers and artists. A note pasted over the editorial explains that the pressure of editing a monthly magazine has clearly gotten to Jim, and he should be ignored.

Pages 2 – 5

Marvel Comics Coming Attractions 

Comics on sale May 22

• The Thing #15

• Daredevil #210

• New Mutants #19

• Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars #5

• Conan the King #24

Comics on sale May 29

• Amazing Spider-Man #256

• Captain America #297

• Thor #347

• Indiana Jones #21

• Power Pack #2

• Crystar #9

• Savage Sword of Conan #103

Comics on sale June 5

• Incredible Hulk #299

• Avengers #247

• Conan the Barbarian #162

• Marvel Tales #167

• X-Men #185

• Rom #58

• Power Man and Iron Fist #109

• G.I. Joe #27

• Marvel Fanfare #16

• Dreadstar #12

• Epic Illustrated #25

Comics on sale June 12

• Fantastic Four #270

• Marvel Team-Up #145

• Iron Man #186

• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #94

• The New Defenders #135

• Star Wars #87

• Alpha Flight #14

Page 6

Newswatch

Item: Mike Carlin to take over as writer on The Thing

Item: Marvel to publish index magazines

Item: Daredevil #208 and 209 will be written by science fiction authors Harlen Ellison and Arthur Byron Cover

Item: Shipping changes for Elektra Saga #4, Coyote #5, and Micronauts #59

Item: Ka-Zar ends with issue #34, Moon Knight ends with issue #38, and Micronauts ends with issue #59

Item: Micronauts and Moon Knight will relaunch with new #1 issues

Item: Hulk Annual #13 will ship on July 17, and Power Pack #1 will be a 48-page issue with a cover price of $1.00. 

Note on the passing of comics writer Lennie Herman

Marvel's Top Ten, by Jim Salicrup

Top ten titles for June, 1983

1 - X-Men #170

2 - New Mutants #4

3 - Fantastic Four #255

4 - Amazing Spider-Man #241

5 - Avengers #231

6 - X-Men Classics #2

7 - Daredevil #195

8 - Dark Crystal #2

9 - Incredible Hulk #284

10 - Super-Villain Classics #1

Page 7 

Behind the Lines

Pages 8 - 11

Article: "The G.I. Joe File," by Dwight Jon Zimmerman

Page 12 - 15

Article: "Marvel Age: 1963," by Warren Reece

Pages 16 - 17

"The Sage of Marvel Age, Fred Hembeck"

Pages 18 - 22

Article: "Marvel Age Talks to Archie Goodwin," by Mark Lerer

Pages 23 - 26

Article: "Spotlight on Marvel Fanfare," by Sandy Hausler and Mark Lerer

Pages 27 - 28

New Talent Department

Page 29

Bullpen Bulletins

Pages 30 - 32

Letters column: "The Marvel Age Rage Page" 

Inside back cover

Ad for The Official Marvel Comics Try-Out Book 

Back cover 

Subscription ad for Epic Illustrated

Just two issues after a Dreadstar cover, Marvel Age is back on the Epic Comics bandwagon with this cover featuring legendary writer/editor Archie Goodwin surrounded by a host of characters from that line, including several that only appeared in the pages of Epic Illustrated. This cover also marks the first major contribution to Marvel Age by cartoonist and letterer Rick Parker, who would soon make his mark as the artist of the hit Beavis and Butt-head series. 

In his interview, Archie talks about the entire Epic line, which causes him to lose his head. 

This issue's editorial takes on a subject you rarely hear about: tipping your favorite comics creators for a job well done. Fortunately, a note laid over the editorial says that the pressure of editing a monthly magazine is clearly getting to Jim Salicrup, and that we should ignore him. 

This issue also credits the writer of the "Coming Attractions" column for the first time, as well as shining a spotlight on the unforgettable demon bear of New Mutants fame. 

The "Behind the Lines" column is dedicated to an open letter from EIC Jim Shooter to DC VP and Executive Editor Dick Giordano, in which he writes (in the most polite terms possible) that DC was mistaken when a staffer wrote on a letters page that Marvel was about to raise its prices, and that DC owed Marvel a retraction. Whether that appeared I have no idea. 

 In Fred Hembeck's second Marvel Age comic, he refers to himself as "the Sage of Marvel Age," a title I thought I had invented! Well, since Fred isn't using it these days, I see no reason to give it up... 

The "New Talent Department" takes on the difficult task of looking at the work of a would-be comics writer -- in this case, it's Marvel Age assistant editor Mark Lerer, whose plot for a story involving a new character is critiqued by Jim Shooter. 

Marvel Age #15

Price: $0.35 US 

Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)

On sale: March 3, 1984

Cover date: June, 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

• Jim Massara: Coming Attractions

• Bob Kessel: Designer

• Dan Crespi: Art/Production Coordinator

• Ron Zalme: Assistant Art/Production Coordinator

• Joe Albelo, Harry Candelario, Rob Carosella, Donald Hudson, 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

• Rick Parker: Cover 

• Carol Kalish: Direct Sales Representative

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

• Irving Forbush: Back in the Saddle Again

Front cover 

• Characters: Archie Goodwin and various characters from Epic Comics titles 

 Inside front cover

• Subscription ad for Power Pack #1

 

Page 1

• Marvel Agenda (contents) 

• Masthead 

• Indicia 

Editorial: "Money Talks!" by Jim Salicrup

Pages 2 – 5

Marvel Comics Coming Attractions 

Comics on sale May 22

• The Thing #15

• Daredevil #210

• New Mutants #19

• Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars #5

• Conan the King #24

Comics on sale May 29

• Amazing Spider-Man #256

• Captain America #297

• Thor #347

• Indiana Jones #21

• Power Pack #2

• Crystar #9

• Savage Sword of Conan #103

Comics on sale June 5

• Incredible Hulk #299

• Avengers #247

• Conan the Barbarian #162

• Marvel Tales #167

• X-Men #185

• Rom #58

• Power Man and Iron Fist #109

• G.I. Joe #27

• Marvel Fanfare #16

• Dreadstar #12

• Epic Illustrated #25

Comics on sale June 12

• Fantastic Four #270

• Marvel Team-Up #145

• Iron Man #186

• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #94

• The New Defenders #135

• Star Wars #87

• Alpha Flight #14 

Page 6 

Newswatch

• Item: Mike Carlin takes over as writer of The Thing

• Item: Marvel will publish a series of Marvel index books

• Item: Daredevil #108 and 109 will be co-written by science fiction authors Harlan Ellison and Arthur Byron Cover

• Item: Shipping changes for Elektra Saga #4, Coyote #5, and Micronauts #59

• Item: Ka-Zar will end with issue #34, Moon Knight with issue #38, and Micronauts with issue #59

• Item: Moon Knight and Micronauts will relaunch with new #1 issues

• Item: There will be a Hulk Annual this year (#13), and Power Pack #1 will be a 48-page issue with a $1.00 cover price. 

Note on the passing of cartoonist Lennie Herman, writer of Richie Rich and contributor to Crazy magazine. 

Marvel's Top Ten

Top sellers for June 1983:

1 - X-Men #170

2 - New Mutants #4

3 - Fantastic Four #255

4 - Amazing Spider-Man #241

5 - Avengers #231

6 - X-Men Classics #2

7 - Daredevil #195

8 - Dark Crystal #2

9 - Incredible Hulk #284

10 - Super-Villain Classics #1

Page 7

Behind the Lines 

Pages 8 - 11

Article: "The G.I. Joe File," by Dwight Jon Zimmerman

Pages 12 - 15

Article: "Marvel Age - 1963," by Warren Reece

Pages 16 - 17

"The Sage of Marvel Age," by Fred Hembeck

Pages 18 - 22

Article: "Marvel Age Talks to Archie Goodwin," by Mark Lerer 

Pages 23 - 26

Article: "Spotlight on Marvel Fanfare," by Sandy Hausler and Mark Lerer 

Pages 27 - 28 

The New Talent Department 

Page 29

Bullpen Bulletins 

Pages 30 - 32

Letters page: "The Marvel Age Rage Page!"

Inside back cover

Ad for The Official Marvel Comics Try-Out Book

Back cover 

Subscription ad for Epic Illustrated 

 

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

 

The long-running Dreadstar series, one of the most memorable titles from the Epic comics line, is the cover feature on Marvel Age #13, as illustrated by writer/artist Jim Starlin, creator of the series. Dreadstar proved to be popular and long-running, and would go on to be published by Marvel, First, and Malibu, with collected editions from Slave Labor, Dynamite, and Ominous Press. It's all the more impressive considering the series' long runway before it began, with a serialized story that ran in Epic Illustrated, a Marvel Graphic Novel, and the companion graphic novel The Price, published by Eclipse. 

This issue of Marvel Age also features the debut of the long-running series of articles recapping Marvel history, starting in 1961 before the launch of the Fantastic Four, with series like Millie the Model, Kid Colt, and the Rawhide Kid, plus monsters like Goom, son of Googam, and Fin Fang Foom. First written by Warren Reece, the series would have several writers in future installments.

There's also a four-page article on Conan that's a primer on everyone's favorite barbarian hero as he appeared in Conan the Barbarian, Conan the King, and Savage Sword of Conan. (This article ran between the two Arnold Schwarzenegger Conan movies, btw.)

The centerpiece of this issue is a long (eight pages!) article called "How to Color Comics the Marvel Way," that explains the arcane craft of coloring projects in the pre-computer era, with Dr. Martin's Synchromatic Watercolor Dyes, percentage tones, and coding. There's a two-page spread that shows all the available color combinations at the time, when all colorists had to work with were zero, 25, 50, or 100 percentages of red, yellow, and blue -- and that was it! The article also includes the various color schemes suggested for a new version of Red Wolf, and, best of all, short bios of the Marvel colorists with caricatures probably drawn by Ron Zalme. 

Frequent Marvel Age contributor John Byrne pops up with a subscription ad starring Black Bold, Medusa, and Lockjaw playing Santa Claus. Not sure if this ad was exclusive to Marvel Age. 

Also, this is the second issue in a row with no New Talent Department, with no explanation. 

And the back cover highlights the Marada the She-Wolf story then running in Epic Illustrated. Marada was poised to be a breakout character, but after several appearances in Epic written by Chris Claremont and illustrated by John Bolton, there doesn't seem to have been more new material. 

Marvel Age #13

Price: $0.25 US 

Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)

On sale: January 10, 1984

Cover date: April, 1984

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

• Designer: Bob Kessel

• Art/Production Coordinator: Dan Crespi

• Assistant Art/Production Coordinator: Ron Zalme

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

    Ken Lopez, John Morelli, and Barry Shapiro

• Typesetters: Brenda Mings and Jay Zilber

• Colorists: Paul Becton and George Roussos

• Friendly Assistance: Lynn Cohen and Craig Anderson

• Cover Artist: Jim Starlin

• Direct Sales Manager: Carol Kalish

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

• Cosmic Defender: Irving Forbush 

Front cover 

• Character: Vanth Dreadstar

 Inside front cover

• Subscription ad for Marvel Age

 

Page 1

• Contents

• Masthead 

• Indicia 

Editorial: by Jim Salicrup:

Pages 2 – 5

Marvel Comics Coming Attractions 

Comics on sale March 27:

• The Thing #13

• Daredevil #208

• New Mutants #17

• Dazzler #33

• Conan the King #23

• Kitty Pryde and Wolverine #2

• Six from Sirius #4

Comics on sale April 3: 

• Amazing Spider-Man #254

• Captain America #295

• Thor #345

• Indiana Jones #19

• Savage Sword of Conan #101

• Moon Knight #38

• Micronauts #49

• Crystar #8

Comics on sale April 10: 

• Incredible Hulk #297

• Avengers #245

• Conan #160

• Marvel Tales #165

• X-Men #183

• Rom #56

• Power Man and Iron Fist #107

• G.I. Joe #25

• Marvel Age Magazine #16

• Marvel Fanfare #15

• Epic Illustrated #24

Comics on sale April 17: 

• Fantastic Four #268

• Marvel Team-Up #143

• Iron Man #184

• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #92

• The New Defenders #133

• Star Wars #85

• Alpha Flight #12

• Dreadstar #10

• Beauty and the Beast #3

Page 6

Newswatch 

Item: Louise Jones leaves staff to write full time; Ann Nocenti takes over as editor on her titles. 

Item: Epic Comics line adds new titles for summer 1984, including Crash Ryan, Sisterhood of Steel, Time Spirits, and Void Indigo. 

Page 7

Behind the Lines 

"Big and Green Dept," by Carl Potts

Potts writes about changes in The Incredible Hulk. 

Page 8 

Coming Retractions

• Update on shipping schedules for Dreadstar, which will now ship every six weeks

• Marvel limited series will be printed on Mando paper with a cover price of $0.75 US.

• Both the Kull the Conqueror and Red Sonja miniseries will as bimonthly series.

• The Beauty and the Beast limited series and the Dazzler graphic novel have been delayed.

• Captain America #300, Avengers #250, and Alpha Flight #12 all will be 48 pages with a cover price of $1.00 US.  

Page 8

Marvel's Top Ten, by Jim Salicrup

Best-selling titles cover date April 1983:

1 - New Mutants #2

2 - X-Men #168

3 - Amazing Spider-Man #239

4 - Fantastic Four #253

5 - Avengers #230

6 - Daredevil #193

7 - Marvel Universe Handbook (sic) #4

8 - Conan the Barbarian #145

9 - Peter Parker (sic) #77

10 - Incredible Hulk #282 

Pages 9 - 12

Article: "Marvel Age Looks at Jim Starlin," by Mark Lerer

Pages 13 - 15

Article: "Marvel Age 1961," by Warren Reece

Pages 16 - 19

Article: "Conan the Barbarian," by Bob Sodaro and Mark Lerer

Pages 20 - 27

Article: "How to Color Comics the Marvel Way," by Mark Lerer

Page 28

Ad for Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars

Page 29

Subscription ad for Marvel titles, with new art by John Byrne

Pages 30 - 32

Letters page: "Comments on Da Comics," suggested by Jerome P. Anello 

Inside back cover

Ad for Alpha Flight #12

Back cover

Subscription ad for Epic Illustrated

 

In late 1983, Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars had fans everywhere buzzing with excitement, and this issue of Marvel Age built on that with the first glimpses of Spider-Man's new costume. Just the idea of Spidey getting a new costume was pretty much unthinkable back then, let alone one that had a secret origin that would only be revealed in Secret Wars (even though it made its official debut in Amazing Spider-Man #252, which went on sale January 31, 1984)! 

The sketches of the new costume (which look like Rick Leonardi art) would make this one of the rare issues of Marvel Age that has value as a back issue. And Marvel knew it was a big deal -- so much so that the editors ran those sketches both in the Secret Wars article and in another article on Marvel Age itself. 

Yes, this was the one-year anniversary of Marvel Age, and the editors celebrated with "Looking Back at Marvel Age," in which they discuss the ever-changing roster of projects and personnel of the day. 

This issue also featured articles on the Heartburst graphic novel by Rick Veitch, Bernie Wrightson's illustrated Frankenstein, and the A-Team miniseries -- a project Marvel Age editor Jim Salicrup wrote for the first two issues after only seeing one episode of the TV show!

Also in this issue, Marvel Age looks at the expanding Epic line of comics, and, to close things out, we get a letters page called "Notes from Nuts!"

In addition, this is the only issue of Marvel Age I'm aware of that does not have original cover art. The cover sports the same art that would run on Secret Wars #1, which went on sale on January 24, 1984. 

Marvel Age #12

Price: $0.25 US 

Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)

On sale: December 6, 1983

Cover date: March, 1984

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: Dan Crespi

• Assistant Art/Production Coordinator: Ron Zalme

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

  Morelli, and Barry Shapiro

• Typesetters: Brenda Mings

• Colorists: Paul Becton and George Roussos

• Proofreader: Alice Roth

• Friendly Assistance: Lynn Cohen and Craig Anderson

• Cover Artist: Mike Zeck and John Beatty

• Direct Sales Manager: Carol Kalish

• Assistant Direct Sales Managers: Peter David and Lea Sapp

• Melvin's Cousin: Irving Forbush 

Front cover 

• Characters: Heroes of Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars

 Inside front cover

• Subscription ad for Marvel Age

 

Page 1

• Contents

• Masthead 

• Indicia 

Editorial: "It's Our Anniversary" by Jim Salicrup:

Pages 2 – 5

Marvel Comics Coming Attactions 

Comics on sale February 28 

• The Thing #12

• Daredevil #207

• New Mutants #16

• Ka-Zar #32

• Alien Legion #1

• Kitty Pryde and Wolverine #2

• Six from Sirius #2

• Doctor Strange Special Edition #4

(Comics on sale March 6 -- date for these titles not listed in Marvel Age but confirmed on Mike's Amazing World of Comics)

• Amazing Spider-Man #253

• Captain America #294

• Thor #344

• Indiana Jones #18

• Savage Sword of Conan #100

• Doctor Strange #65

• U.S. 1 #10 

Comics on sale March 13

• Incredible Hulk #296

• Avengers #244

• Conan #159

• Marvel Tales #164

• X-Men #182

• Rom #55

• Power Man and Iron Fist #106

• G.I. Joe #24

• Marvel Graphic Novel #11 - Heartburn

• Marvel Age Magazine #15

Comics on sale March 20

• Fantastic Four #267

• Marvel Team-Up #142

• Iron Man #183

• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #91

• The New Defenders #132

• Star Wars #84

• Alpha Flight #11

• Hercules #4

• What If #45

• Beauty and the Beast #2

Page 6

Newswatch

• Item on collected editions of X-Men: The Phoenix Saga and Iron Man: Demon in a Bottle. 

• Item: Marvel Age will move to better paper with issue #14 (this did not happen)

• Item on the new Fantastic Four logo starting with issue #263 (that didn't happen either) 

• Item on the Marvel Super Special and two-issue miniseries adapting the Tarzan movie moving to a new date due to the movie's opening date moving

• Schedule changes for the Kitty Pryde and Wolverine miniseries and the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #15, "the book of weapons"

Pages 7 - 8 

Behind the Lines

• Carl Potts introduces new assistant editorial Jim Massara

• Official Marvel Comics Personnel Pronounciation Guide

• "Stan's Soapbox" explains the secret origin of Irving Forbush/Forbush Man

• "Marvel's Top Ten" by Jim Salicrup - titles from March 1983

    1 - X-Men #167

    2 - Fantastic Four #252

    3 - Amazing Spider-Man #238

    4 - Avengers #229

    5 - Daredevil #192

    6 - Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #76

    7 - Conan #144

    8 - The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #3

    9 - Marvel Team-Up #127

    10 - Incredible Hulk #281 

Pages 9 - 12

Article: "Are You Ready for Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars" by Mark Lerer

Pages 13 - 17 

Article: " Looking Back at Marvel Age" by Mark Lerer

Pages 18 - 20 

Article: "Heartburst, the Graphic Novel," by D. Jon Zimmerman

Pages 21 - 23

Article: "Frankenstein," by Mark Lerer

Pages 24 - 26

Article: "The A-Team," by Mark Lerer

Pages 27 - 29

Article: "Epic," by Mark Lerer

Pages 30 - 32

Letters page: "Notes from Nuts," suggested by letter writer Eric Eramo 

Inside back cover

Ad for The A-Team (with a lot of detail!)

Back cover

Subscription ad for Epic Illustrated