On Halloween, I celebrated my forty years in the comics industry.
Which is to say I thought about how long forty years is, got a bit
dizzy at the thought and then moved on to whatever I had to do that
day. Because, in many ways, every day, every bloggy thing I write,
every comics-related Facebook message I post, is a celebration of
my decades in the comics industry and my life-long love of comics.
I suspect somebody read comic books to me while I was still in the
womb. It may have been the restless spirit of former New York City
mayor Fiorello La Guardia. But I digress.
Earlier in October, in another kind of celebration of my years in
comics, I announced I would read, review or otherwise write about
the first 40 comics or graphic novels sent to me. Naturally, I
didn’t guarantee a favorable review. The offer was open to comics
creators, freelancers, publishers and readers. I added:
If you are sending me these comics and graphic novels from within
the United States, I will send you ten random-selected comic books
from my garage sale stock and at least one of those ten comics will
be written and signed by me. Ten comics for the one you send me.
Which strikes me as a pretty good deal.
I received 29 review items in October and that was counting over a
dozen items from publishers who routinely send me review copies of
their publications. I was somewhat disappointed by the low turnout
for my offer, but determined to press on.
My original plan was to review these comics in November. That got
derailed by some family/household matters, some paying gigs and the
usual “Knock, knock, it’s life calling” stuff. My current plan is
to start these reviews today and continue writing about them until
I get through them. As space and time permit, other items will be
reviewed as well. But the October items will be my headliners for
the immediate future.
I’ll be back tomorrow with the first of these reviews.
© 2012 Tony Isabella
Friday, December 7, 2012
Thursday, December 6, 2012
THE MOST UNTOLD STORIES OF ALL
Sean Howe’s Marvel Comics: The Untold Story tells of the somewhat
contentious “changing of the guard” after Roy Thomas informed Stan
Lee he was resigning his position as Marvel’s editor-in-chief. In
assorted configurations, the candidates to replace Roy were Gerry
Conway, Len Wein and Marv Wolfman. I have no comment on whether or
not Howe’s published account is accurate. What I can tell you is
that there was a fourth candidate. Kind of sort of.
The relatively few years I lived in New York City were borderline
crazy for me. I worked hard. I played hard. I got burned out on
the city quickly. I wanted to be back in Cleveland.
When I write about my life in New York, I exercise a great deal of
caution. Some of what I experienced seems so fantastic to me that
I question if I’m remembering it correctly. Before I write about
that time, I consult whatever notes and/or papers I still have from
those years and, when those don’t satisfy my standards of accuracy,
I ask people who knew me what they remember.
For years, I have been telling close friends about the “changing of
the guard,” my truncated role in those events and what I believed
were the reasons for that truncated role. But writing about these
things demanded I reexamine those events and, when necessary, reduce
certainty to conjecture. That said, here’s my best assessment or,
if you prefer, speculation. on what happened with me.
I believe I was a “stealth candidate” to be Marvel’s new editor-in-
chief. I don’t believe Roy knew this and I’m becoming increasingly
convinced Gerry, Marv and Len didn’t know this either. Nor can I
believe that Gerry, Marv and Len had anything at all to do with my
not getting the job...which contradicts what I was told at the time
by someone I now think was working their own angle. If you’re
expecting a name here, don’t hold your breath.
Here’s what I am “I was there” certain of...
Sol Brodsky and John Verpooten asked me to meet with them. It may
have been in Sol’s office during lunch or after hours. My memory
is foggy on this, though I am sure no one else was hanging around
at the time of this meeting.
I already knew, not from Roy, that Roy was leaving his editor-in-
chief position. I don’t think Roy knew I knew and I wouldn’t have
brought it up to him in any case. It was his business, even though
I would be sorry to see him go.
Sol and John asked me what I would do if I were Marvel’s editor-in-
chief. Which stunned me. I thought of myself as “the new kid” and
didn’t think I was qualified for the job. Maybe I could handle the
creative end of things okay, but I was way out of my league when it
came to the business and production aspects of the job.
I told them I didn’t think the editor-in-chief should be competing
with the other writers. I would want to do some writing - it was,
after all, my first love - but I thought the top titles had to be
earned and not seized by virtue of rank. Stan and Roy had surely
earned the right to write whatever they wanted. Their successors,
not so much.
John asked how much writing I would want to do. I told him I would
like to remain on Ghost Rider, which seemed like it was heading to
monthly publication. I told him I would write a second comic each
month and it would be whatever comic book he needed me to write to
ease his production schedule. If the writer of The Pulse-Pounding
Potato-Man was late, I would write an issue of The Pulse-Pounding
Potato-Man. Any writing beyond Ghost Rider and the fill-in script
would be anthology stories or special projects stuff that wouldn’t
have deadlines. This answer pleased John greatly.
I said Marvel needed to be realistic about how much work we could
get from the writers and artists we had, find ways to use them in
the most effective and stress-free manner and actively recruit new
writers and artists. I thought we would need to hire someone just
for recruitment and development purposes.
I stressed that I was pretty much an idiot when it came to business
and production matters. They both said they would teach me whatever
I had to know and help me along the way. As they saw it, I would
be both the editor-in-chief and their student. The thought of me
in that job scared the crap out of me, but I told them I would do
it if that’s what they thought was best for Marvel.
That night, I confided all of the above to the actress I was dating
at the time. She was excited, mostly because it meant I would need
a new and more professional wardrobe and she would get to take me
shopping. That relationship is another one of my untold stories of
my life in New York, but I have absolutely no plans to write that
story. I have to retain some of my mystery.
There was a brief meeting with Stan later that week. He said Sol
and John thought very highly of me and asked if I thought I was up
to the job. I answered honestly. I didn’t think I was up to the
job, but that I could see where I might be a reasonable choice for
it. As I had said to Sol and John, I was ready to do whatever was
best for Marvel. I added that I would be relying heavily on Stan,
John and Sol to teach me what I would need to know. Stan was not
his usual boisterous self that day. I’m sure he wished Roy would
stay in the job. I could relate to that.
I wasn’t actually told I didn't get the job. Roy, who, as noted,
likely did not know I was even a half-assed candidate, gave me
the heads up that Len and Marv would be my new bosses. That
came as something of a relief to me. Those guys were my friends.
They had helped me out on several occasions. I figured things
would go on much as they had. I figured incorrectly.
Neither Sol or John ever mentioned my being up for the job again.
Because I was still wearing numerous hats around the office, they
started giving me weekly schedules combining all the things I had
to do and the order in which they needed them. I liked and relied
on those schedules. Such schedules were given to other writers,
but I think mine might have been unique in that it combined everything
I was doing for multiple departments. Things were moving along okay.
It didn’t take long before I started having problems with the Len
and Marv regime. Rightly or wrongly, I began to feel they looked
at me as a rival rather than a friend and asset. Marvel had become
less fun for me, but it’s not something I feel any need to discuss
further. It was a long time ago and I have nothing but the best
feelings and wishes for those guys.
When things got worse, Sol and I had some discussions about setting
me up as an independent editor/packager for Marvel. The big bosses
wanted more books. I came up a list of 20-30 new titles and wrote
them up for Sol. Nothing ever came of it.
[Somewhere in my Vast Accumulation of Stuff, I have my handwritten
notes on these titles. When said notebook turns up again, I might
write a bloggy thing or two about it.]
I left staff because I figured that might ease the obvious tensions
between the new regime and myself. Which it didn’t. I moved back
to Cleveland because I figured that might ease the obvious tensions
between the new regime and myself. It didn’t. I began to think my
comics career was fading fast.
I moved back to New York because things were happening at both DC
and Marvel. It made sense to be in the city to take advantage of
the developing situations.
Roy Thomas was considering returning to the editor-in-chief job at
Marvel. We had a conversation about me coming aboard as second-in-
command. My requirements weren’t excessive. My staff salary had
to be good enough to cover my basic living expenses, which included
living in Manhattan. I wanted to write two books a month - Ghost
Rider and a title to be determined later - and do special projects,
anthology stories and fill-ins when I had time. I know we talked
about writing some big story that would cross over between Amazing
Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Marvel Team-Up and Marvel Two-in-One.
We might have discussed my writing one of those four titles as my
regular second book a month.
Roy changed his mind before returning as editor-in-chief. This would be
the last time even the most remote possibility of my returning to a Marvel
staff job would cross my path. I think Roy made the right decision for
himself and, in the long run, it was the right thing for me as well.
When I relate stories of my comics career, I like to remind readers
I’m really happy where I ended up. I might not have accomplished
everything I wanted to accomplish in the comics industry, but I won
the grand prize when it comes to life itself.
I have the best wife and kids in the world. I have great friends
and readers. I can look back on work of which I am proud and know
that I can still do terrific work. I am in reasonably good health.
I am content with my past, delighted with my present, and full of
hope for my future.
I’m not just good. I’m exceedingly good. It’s all I could wish for
myself and it’s what I wish for all the great friends I’ve met in
comics and all the great creators whose works have entertained and
inspired me. All the best to all of you.
I’ll be back tomorrow with more stuff.
© 2012 Tony Isabella
contentious “changing of the guard” after Roy Thomas informed Stan
Lee he was resigning his position as Marvel’s editor-in-chief. In
assorted configurations, the candidates to replace Roy were Gerry
Conway, Len Wein and Marv Wolfman. I have no comment on whether or
not Howe’s published account is accurate. What I can tell you is
that there was a fourth candidate. Kind of sort of.
The relatively few years I lived in New York City were borderline
crazy for me. I worked hard. I played hard. I got burned out on
the city quickly. I wanted to be back in Cleveland.
When I write about my life in New York, I exercise a great deal of
caution. Some of what I experienced seems so fantastic to me that
I question if I’m remembering it correctly. Before I write about
that time, I consult whatever notes and/or papers I still have from
those years and, when those don’t satisfy my standards of accuracy,
I ask people who knew me what they remember.
For years, I have been telling close friends about the “changing of
the guard,” my truncated role in those events and what I believed
were the reasons for that truncated role. But writing about these
things demanded I reexamine those events and, when necessary, reduce
certainty to conjecture. That said, here’s my best assessment or,
if you prefer, speculation. on what happened with me.
I believe I was a “stealth candidate” to be Marvel’s new editor-in-
chief. I don’t believe Roy knew this and I’m becoming increasingly
convinced Gerry, Marv and Len didn’t know this either. Nor can I
believe that Gerry, Marv and Len had anything at all to do with my
not getting the job...which contradicts what I was told at the time
by someone I now think was working their own angle. If you’re
expecting a name here, don’t hold your breath.
Here’s what I am “I was there” certain of...
Sol Brodsky and John Verpooten asked me to meet with them. It may
have been in Sol’s office during lunch or after hours. My memory
is foggy on this, though I am sure no one else was hanging around
at the time of this meeting.
I already knew, not from Roy, that Roy was leaving his editor-in-
chief position. I don’t think Roy knew I knew and I wouldn’t have
brought it up to him in any case. It was his business, even though
I would be sorry to see him go.
Sol and John asked me what I would do if I were Marvel’s editor-in-
chief. Which stunned me. I thought of myself as “the new kid” and
didn’t think I was qualified for the job. Maybe I could handle the
creative end of things okay, but I was way out of my league when it
came to the business and production aspects of the job.
I told them I didn’t think the editor-in-chief should be competing
with the other writers. I would want to do some writing - it was,
after all, my first love - but I thought the top titles had to be
earned and not seized by virtue of rank. Stan and Roy had surely
earned the right to write whatever they wanted. Their successors,
not so much.
John asked how much writing I would want to do. I told him I would
like to remain on Ghost Rider, which seemed like it was heading to
monthly publication. I told him I would write a second comic each
month and it would be whatever comic book he needed me to write to
ease his production schedule. If the writer of The Pulse-Pounding
Potato-Man was late, I would write an issue of The Pulse-Pounding
Potato-Man. Any writing beyond Ghost Rider and the fill-in script
would be anthology stories or special projects stuff that wouldn’t
have deadlines. This answer pleased John greatly.
I said Marvel needed to be realistic about how much work we could
get from the writers and artists we had, find ways to use them in
the most effective and stress-free manner and actively recruit new
writers and artists. I thought we would need to hire someone just
for recruitment and development purposes.
I stressed that I was pretty much an idiot when it came to business
and production matters. They both said they would teach me whatever
I had to know and help me along the way. As they saw it, I would
be both the editor-in-chief and their student. The thought of me
in that job scared the crap out of me, but I told them I would do
it if that’s what they thought was best for Marvel.
That night, I confided all of the above to the actress I was dating
at the time. She was excited, mostly because it meant I would need
a new and more professional wardrobe and she would get to take me
shopping. That relationship is another one of my untold stories of
my life in New York, but I have absolutely no plans to write that
story. I have to retain some of my mystery.
There was a brief meeting with Stan later that week. He said Sol
and John thought very highly of me and asked if I thought I was up
to the job. I answered honestly. I didn’t think I was up to the
job, but that I could see where I might be a reasonable choice for
it. As I had said to Sol and John, I was ready to do whatever was
best for Marvel. I added that I would be relying heavily on Stan,
John and Sol to teach me what I would need to know. Stan was not
his usual boisterous self that day. I’m sure he wished Roy would
stay in the job. I could relate to that.
I wasn’t actually told I didn't get the job. Roy, who, as noted,
likely did not know I was even a half-assed candidate, gave me
the heads up that Len and Marv would be my new bosses. That
came as something of a relief to me. Those guys were my friends.
They had helped me out on several occasions. I figured things
would go on much as they had. I figured incorrectly.
Neither Sol or John ever mentioned my being up for the job again.
Because I was still wearing numerous hats around the office, they
started giving me weekly schedules combining all the things I had
to do and the order in which they needed them. I liked and relied
on those schedules. Such schedules were given to other writers,
but I think mine might have been unique in that it combined everything
I was doing for multiple departments. Things were moving along okay.
It didn’t take long before I started having problems with the Len
and Marv regime. Rightly or wrongly, I began to feel they looked
at me as a rival rather than a friend and asset. Marvel had become
less fun for me, but it’s not something I feel any need to discuss
further. It was a long time ago and I have nothing but the best
feelings and wishes for those guys.
When things got worse, Sol and I had some discussions about setting
me up as an independent editor/packager for Marvel. The big bosses
wanted more books. I came up a list of 20-30 new titles and wrote
them up for Sol. Nothing ever came of it.
[Somewhere in my Vast Accumulation of Stuff, I have my handwritten
notes on these titles. When said notebook turns up again, I might
write a bloggy thing or two about it.]
I left staff because I figured that might ease the obvious tensions
between the new regime and myself. Which it didn’t. I moved back
to Cleveland because I figured that might ease the obvious tensions
between the new regime and myself. It didn’t. I began to think my
comics career was fading fast.
I moved back to New York because things were happening at both DC
and Marvel. It made sense to be in the city to take advantage of
the developing situations.
Roy Thomas was considering returning to the editor-in-chief job at
Marvel. We had a conversation about me coming aboard as second-in-
command. My requirements weren’t excessive. My staff salary had
to be good enough to cover my basic living expenses, which included
living in Manhattan. I wanted to write two books a month - Ghost
Rider and a title to be determined later - and do special projects,
anthology stories and fill-ins when I had time. I know we talked
about writing some big story that would cross over between Amazing
Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Marvel Team-Up and Marvel Two-in-One.
We might have discussed my writing one of those four titles as my
regular second book a month.
Roy changed his mind before returning as editor-in-chief. This would be
the last time even the most remote possibility of my returning to a Marvel
staff job would cross my path. I think Roy made the right decision for
himself and, in the long run, it was the right thing for me as well.
When I relate stories of my comics career, I like to remind readers
I’m really happy where I ended up. I might not have accomplished
everything I wanted to accomplish in the comics industry, but I won
the grand prize when it comes to life itself.
I have the best wife and kids in the world. I have great friends
and readers. I can look back on work of which I am proud and know
that I can still do terrific work. I am in reasonably good health.
I am content with my past, delighted with my present, and full of
hope for my future.
I’m not just good. I’m exceedingly good. It’s all I could wish for
myself and it’s what I wish for all the great friends I’ve met in
comics and all the great creators whose works have entertained and
inspired me. All the best to all of you.
I’ll be back tomorrow with more stuff.
© 2012 Tony Isabella
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
MORE UNTOLD STORIES
In yesterday’s bloggy thing, Sean Howe’s Marvel Comics: The Untold
Story and my sadness reading it were discussed. There was a teary
moment or two, some guarded praise, underplayed aversion to Howe’s
sensationalistic approach to the material, a personal revelation or
two and, finally, the start of my discussing the handful of times
I was mentioned in the book. We continue...
From page 135:
...McGregor welcomes a revolving door of proofreading partners:
first Tony Isabella, and then Doug Moench, from Chicago, and then
David Anthony Kraft, a seventeen-year-old from Georgia. Each of
them was a writer as well and each of them shared an understanding:
you leave alone my stuff and I’ll leave alone yours.
During the period when I was doing some proofreading on the color
comics, I was helping Don McGregor and Marv Wolfman, who I recall
came on staff around the same time I did...though I think I might
have been there first. But the proofreading was in addition to my
work on the British weeklies, on FOOM Magazine and assisting Stan
Lee on Monster Madness, a mostly photos-and-gags magazine with
a smattering of assigned-and-edited-by-me articles. On days when
Roy Thomas worked at home, I also wrote some color comics cover
copy, but only on the reprint titles. I was fast and I was good at
all of the above jobs, which is why I wore so many hats.
What Howe calls an “understanding” was unspoken at best. I think
it was more common courtesy than anything else.
From page 157, Bill Mantlo is quoted:
“It seemed at the tune that the key to being a successful Marvel
writer was that you had worked for two companies, that made you
better than all the hacks like me and Claremont and Moench who’d
begun at Marvel, stayed with Marvel, and were loyal to Marvel. In
fact, financially, if you quit Marvel and went to DC, you could
come back to Marvel at a higher rate than somebody who stayed at
Marvel. It was a sign of success to shit on the company, go
somewhere else, and then come back, and Chris [Claremont], Doug,
and I, and maybe Tony at that point, were left cleaning up the
manure, without thanks, without reward. That went on for quite a
while. There was also a theory that if you were Editor, you were
supposed to write the Hulk, Spider-Man, and Thor. Maybe Fantastic
Four. It fluctuated, depending on who your favorite characters
were when you were fifteen. That was what ‘Editor’ meant at Marvel.
Not that you were someone who was efficient, who was a good
administrator, or who was an excellent writer in his own stead -
being an editor at Marvel meant that now you should be able to
write whatever the top books were considered to be and everyone
else got the dregs.”
That’s a long quote and I only present it in its entirety because
a few things will become important when I talk about something that
almost no one knows about my time at Marvel. Of course, that tale
will be in tomorrow’s bloggy thing because I am a heartless tease.
It seems to me Mantlo’s quote covers more years than I was working
at Marvel in the 1970s. I certainly did my share of jumping in to
write late books, but there was less of that by the time Bill and
Chris and Doug were on board. My own duties editing several black-
and-white magazines, putting together FOOM Magazine with almost no
budget, supervising the work of others on the British weeklies and
pitching in to help Roy, Stan and Sol on this and that pretty much
took me out of the emergency fill-in squad. In fact, because of my
workload and a later move back to Ohio, Chris and Bill would fill
in for me on frequent occasions. They’re the real heroes of saving
Marvel’s butt and they never got the credit they deserved for doing
that time and time again.
Page 158 has an abridged but accurate account of my creation of The
Champions. On several occasions, I’ve written about the editorial
meeting wherein my concept of an Angel/Iceman/Route 66/buddy book
was transformed into something quite different. It should be noted that,
while it was Wein who issued his imperial pronouncements on what
heroes had to comprise a super-hero team, I chose the heroes who
filled those positions.
Page 185 has a fairly accurate account of Jim Shooter changing the
final chapter of my two-year-long Ghost Rider story involving Jesus
Christ. Howe doesn’t seem to give any credence to Shooter’s claim
of being ordered to do this by Marv Wolfman or Gerry Conway. But
this is one of those “I was there” events; Shooter told me face-to-
face he was offended by the story. Religious propaganda? Hardly.
Yes, Johnny Blaze was saved from Satan’s power in my version of the
script, but it was my intent - stated to each of the three editors
I had during those two years - to move away from the supernatural
tone of the series and make it more of a super-hero series, albeit
one that would take inspiration from Simon and Kirby’s Stuntman and
other Hollywood adventures.
Page 188 states that incoming editor-in-chief Gerry Conway would be
writing Ghost Rider...“vacated by an angry Tony Isabella.” That’s
a simplistic take on my leaving my signature title, understandable
because of its relative lack of importance, but not 100% accurate.
I was angry and I did leave Ghost Rider. However, the leaving was
because I was fired by my friend Gerry - and we are friends - just
before I could tell him I was quitting Marvel and going over to DC.
That’s another long story I’ve already told, so don’t expect me to
repeat it here. If you do some web-searching, I’m sure you’ll be
able to find one of my previous tellings of that tale.
I’m mentioned one more time in Howe’s book...in a paragraph on Len
Wein’s short time as Marvel’s editor-in-chief: As the writer and
editor of Amazing Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four and
Thor, four of Marvel’s biggest titles, Len Wein should have felt on
top of the world. But he was quibbling with John Verpoorten, going
into a rage over such minor details as, say, which letterers were
being hired. He was challenging Chris Claremont and Tony Isabella
on the way they used characters borrowed from his titles.
Quoting Len directly:
I had become obsessively involved with the books. I was watching
my books with such a hawk-like eye I had no sense of perspective on
this stuff anymore.
I like Len Wein and admire his writing, though I think his DC work
is much better than his Marvel work. But, when he got the editor-
in-chief job, he would frequently make ridiculous statements as if
he were dispensing commandments from on high.
When I was writing Luke Cage, Power Man, he told me the title hero
didn’t have super-strength. He claimed Cage was able to punch through
stone prison walls because he could hit the walls over and over again
without feeling any pain. Except, without super-strength, such an
escape would take hundreds of years. The Luke Cage issues before
Len’s brief time as the book’s writer clearly showed that the hero
had super-strength. Just as did my issues. Because, after making
one awkward fix to appease Len, I just ignored his ill-considered
edict. He never brought it up again.
We had another clash when Ghost Rider defeated the Hulk by way of
what I thought was an extremely clever way for Johnny Blaze to not
get killed by a much more powerful opponent. While the Hulk might
have some of the strongest lungs on the planet, I figured he would
still have to take a deep breath to make that work for him. So I
had Ghost Rider create a fiery tornado around the Hulk before the
Hulk could take that deep breath. Len reacted as if this was some
kind of blasphemy.
This time, I addressed his concern in a Ghost Rider letters column.
I cajoled Marie Severin into drawing a cartoon of the Hulk sitting
and holding the Ghost Rider’s smoking skull in “Alas, poor Johnny
Blaze” contemplation. Yes, I explained as if I were explaining it
to a child, the Hulk was much stronger than the Ghost Rider and, if
the Ghost Rider had faced him head-on, the Hulk would have punched
him into little pieces. Len was either satisfied by this cartoon
or resigned to my being uncooperative.
Come back tomorrow for the most untold Marvel Comics story of them
all. It’s a tale I’ve only recently pieced together as best as I can, calling
upon the vast wisdom of my advanced years and a more nuanced
consideration of certain events.
© 2012 Tony Isabella
Story and my sadness reading it were discussed. There was a teary
moment or two, some guarded praise, underplayed aversion to Howe’s
sensationalistic approach to the material, a personal revelation or
two and, finally, the start of my discussing the handful of times
I was mentioned in the book. We continue...
From page 135:
...McGregor welcomes a revolving door of proofreading partners:
first Tony Isabella, and then Doug Moench, from Chicago, and then
David Anthony Kraft, a seventeen-year-old from Georgia. Each of
them was a writer as well and each of them shared an understanding:
you leave alone my stuff and I’ll leave alone yours.
During the period when I was doing some proofreading on the color
comics, I was helping Don McGregor and Marv Wolfman, who I recall
came on staff around the same time I did...though I think I might
have been there first. But the proofreading was in addition to my
work on the British weeklies, on FOOM Magazine and assisting Stan
Lee on Monster Madness, a mostly photos-and-gags magazine with
a smattering of assigned-and-edited-by-me articles. On days when
Roy Thomas worked at home, I also wrote some color comics cover
copy, but only on the reprint titles. I was fast and I was good at
all of the above jobs, which is why I wore so many hats.
What Howe calls an “understanding” was unspoken at best. I think
it was more common courtesy than anything else.
From page 157, Bill Mantlo is quoted:
“It seemed at the tune that the key to being a successful Marvel
writer was that you had worked for two companies, that made you
better than all the hacks like me and Claremont and Moench who’d
begun at Marvel, stayed with Marvel, and were loyal to Marvel. In
fact, financially, if you quit Marvel and went to DC, you could
come back to Marvel at a higher rate than somebody who stayed at
Marvel. It was a sign of success to shit on the company, go
somewhere else, and then come back, and Chris [Claremont], Doug,
and I, and maybe Tony at that point, were left cleaning up the
manure, without thanks, without reward. That went on for quite a
while. There was also a theory that if you were Editor, you were
supposed to write the Hulk, Spider-Man, and Thor. Maybe Fantastic
Four. It fluctuated, depending on who your favorite characters
were when you were fifteen. That was what ‘Editor’ meant at Marvel.
Not that you were someone who was efficient, who was a good
administrator, or who was an excellent writer in his own stead -
being an editor at Marvel meant that now you should be able to
write whatever the top books were considered to be and everyone
else got the dregs.”
That’s a long quote and I only present it in its entirety because
a few things will become important when I talk about something that
almost no one knows about my time at Marvel. Of course, that tale
will be in tomorrow’s bloggy thing because I am a heartless tease.
It seems to me Mantlo’s quote covers more years than I was working
at Marvel in the 1970s. I certainly did my share of jumping in to
write late books, but there was less of that by the time Bill and
Chris and Doug were on board. My own duties editing several black-
and-white magazines, putting together FOOM Magazine with almost no
budget, supervising the work of others on the British weeklies and
pitching in to help Roy, Stan and Sol on this and that pretty much
took me out of the emergency fill-in squad. In fact, because of my
workload and a later move back to Ohio, Chris and Bill would fill
in for me on frequent occasions. They’re the real heroes of saving
Marvel’s butt and they never got the credit they deserved for doing
that time and time again.
Page 158 has an abridged but accurate account of my creation of The
Champions. On several occasions, I’ve written about the editorial
meeting wherein my concept of an Angel/Iceman/Route 66/buddy book
was transformed into something quite different. It should be noted that,
while it was Wein who issued his imperial pronouncements on what
heroes had to comprise a super-hero team, I chose the heroes who
filled those positions.
Page 185 has a fairly accurate account of Jim Shooter changing the
final chapter of my two-year-long Ghost Rider story involving Jesus
Christ. Howe doesn’t seem to give any credence to Shooter’s claim
of being ordered to do this by Marv Wolfman or Gerry Conway. But
this is one of those “I was there” events; Shooter told me face-to-
face he was offended by the story. Religious propaganda? Hardly.
Yes, Johnny Blaze was saved from Satan’s power in my version of the
script, but it was my intent - stated to each of the three editors
I had during those two years - to move away from the supernatural
tone of the series and make it more of a super-hero series, albeit
one that would take inspiration from Simon and Kirby’s Stuntman and
other Hollywood adventures.
Page 188 states that incoming editor-in-chief Gerry Conway would be
writing Ghost Rider...“vacated by an angry Tony Isabella.” That’s
a simplistic take on my leaving my signature title, understandable
because of its relative lack of importance, but not 100% accurate.
I was angry and I did leave Ghost Rider. However, the leaving was
because I was fired by my friend Gerry - and we are friends - just
before I could tell him I was quitting Marvel and going over to DC.
That’s another long story I’ve already told, so don’t expect me to
repeat it here. If you do some web-searching, I’m sure you’ll be
able to find one of my previous tellings of that tale.
I’m mentioned one more time in Howe’s book...in a paragraph on Len
Wein’s short time as Marvel’s editor-in-chief: As the writer and
editor of Amazing Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four and
Thor, four of Marvel’s biggest titles, Len Wein should have felt on
top of the world. But he was quibbling with John Verpoorten, going
into a rage over such minor details as, say, which letterers were
being hired. He was challenging Chris Claremont and Tony Isabella
on the way they used characters borrowed from his titles.
Quoting Len directly:
I had become obsessively involved with the books. I was watching
my books with such a hawk-like eye I had no sense of perspective on
this stuff anymore.
I like Len Wein and admire his writing, though I think his DC work
is much better than his Marvel work. But, when he got the editor-
in-chief job, he would frequently make ridiculous statements as if
he were dispensing commandments from on high.
When I was writing Luke Cage, Power Man, he told me the title hero
didn’t have super-strength. He claimed Cage was able to punch through
stone prison walls because he could hit the walls over and over again
without feeling any pain. Except, without super-strength, such an
escape would take hundreds of years. The Luke Cage issues before
Len’s brief time as the book’s writer clearly showed that the hero
had super-strength. Just as did my issues. Because, after making
one awkward fix to appease Len, I just ignored his ill-considered
edict. He never brought it up again.
We had another clash when Ghost Rider defeated the Hulk by way of
what I thought was an extremely clever way for Johnny Blaze to not
get killed by a much more powerful opponent. While the Hulk might
have some of the strongest lungs on the planet, I figured he would
still have to take a deep breath to make that work for him. So I
had Ghost Rider create a fiery tornado around the Hulk before the
Hulk could take that deep breath. Len reacted as if this was some
kind of blasphemy.
This time, I addressed his concern in a Ghost Rider letters column.
I cajoled Marie Severin into drawing a cartoon of the Hulk sitting
and holding the Ghost Rider’s smoking skull in “Alas, poor Johnny
Blaze” contemplation. Yes, I explained as if I were explaining it
to a child, the Hulk was much stronger than the Ghost Rider and, if
the Ghost Rider had faced him head-on, the Hulk would have punched
him into little pieces. Len was either satisfied by this cartoon
or resigned to my being uncooperative.
Come back tomorrow for the most untold Marvel Comics story of them
all. It’s a tale I’ve only recently pieced together as best as I can, calling
upon the vast wisdom of my advanced years and a more nuanced
consideration of certain events.
© 2012 Tony Isabella
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
CLARIFICATION FROM SEAN HOWE
Sean Howe sent me this e-mail, which, in the interest of fairness, I'm sharing with you:
I just wanted to send a note of clarification: I did request an interview with you, back in 2008. You declined to speak on the phone, but told me that you'd try to answer email questions. I really don't like the format of email questions, for a number of reasons, and don't usually conduct interviews that way. What probably happened was that I remembered that you wouldn't talk on the phone, but I forgot about your email offer. So I'm sorry for that, and for any hard feelings. But I look forward to reading your blog posts.
I didn't remember Sean's request, but, there are, of course, no hard feelings. I think I made it clear in the blog that I didn't consider not being interviewed for the book to be even remotely a big deal.
Tony
I just wanted to send a note of clarification: I did request an interview with you, back in 2008. You declined to speak on the phone, but told me that you'd try to answer email questions. I really don't like the format of email questions, for a number of reasons, and don't usually conduct interviews that way. What probably happened was that I remembered that you wouldn't talk on the phone, but I forgot about your email offer. So I'm sorry for that, and for any hard feelings. But I look forward to reading your blog posts.
I didn't remember Sean's request, but, there are, of course, no hard feelings. I think I made it clear in the blog that I didn't consider not being interviewed for the book to be even remotely a big deal.
Tony
MARVEL COMICS: *MY* UNTOLD STORIES
Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe [Harper; $26.99] and that’s
coming from me, the guy who has often said that the history of the
comics industry is the history of comics creators being screwed by
publishers, editors and even their fellow creators. It’s taken me
several attempts to push through that sadness to write what isn’t
at all a proper review of Howe’s book.
The Untold Story is a well-written if sensationalistic history of
Marvel Comics. Not without some justification, Howe’s book almost
invariably portrays industry people (bosses and workers alike) at
their most venal. However, credit to Howe, this is a page-turner.
I have no doubt the uninvolved will relish its revelations and not
give much heed to whether or not they are accurate.
Understand, I am not accusing Howe of any knowing fabrications in
this book. Nor am I verifying any of them that do not pertain to
me directly. But, as I’ve also said on several occasions, we are
all the heroes of our own stories. Howe interviewed many people in
the preparation of this book. I suspect, knowingly or otherwise,
they tried to put themselves in the best possible light. We all do
that. I recognize this in myself as I recognize it in others and
it’s the reason I try (and certainly do not always succeed) to tell
my own stories as accurately as possible.
My sadness comes from knowing so many of the people who Howe writes
about. The occasions when those people suffered misery saddens me
because they mostly didn’t deserve that. The occasions when they
were the architects of someone else’s misery saddens me because I
have always wanted comics creators to be better than that. So, for
me, someone involved in several of the events and who knows, loves
and admires many of the players, the book is far more sad than it
is fascinating.
And thus I vent for a moment before continuing...
Oh my God. I'm back. I'm home. All the time, it was...we finally
really did it. You maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn
you all to Hell!
Okay...I’m back.
Howe did not interview me for this book. That doesn’t bother me as
much as it bothers some of my readers. God bless them for how much
they love my writing, but I think a realistic assessment of my role
in Marvel Comics history is that I was a damn fine utility player
who took whatever position needed playing, did it as well as or
better than most and managed to write some memorable stories
along the way. I was on staff at Marvel for less than four years
all total. I was out of the loop as often as I was in the loop.
Early on in my reading of this book, I decided I would only address
the handful of mentions of me in the book. I tended to avoid the
office dramas as much as I could. Almost every woman I dated while
living in New York was not involved in the comics industry or even
comics fandom. I hung out with non-comics friends almost as much
as with comics friends...and I tried to keep both “sides” separate.
I figured out early on that, as much as I loved comics and working
in comics, I would occasionally need a break from comics.
Before I address those specific mentions of me in this book, I want
to make an opening statement of sorts. I enjoyed my time working
in the Marvel Bullpen, especially when Roy Thomas was the editor-
in-chief. I learned a lot from Roy, Sol Brodsky, Stan Lee and many
others. I thought my hard work was appreciated as much as anyone’s
hard work could be appreciated in the comics industry. I have fond
memories of my co-workers.
Over the years, I’ve come to the opinion that the Marvel writers of
my time there constituted the best writing staff in comics before
and since that time. In a company often unfairly considered to be
no more than a comic-book fast food joint, Marvel had a whole lot
of extremely talented writers all of whom brought their own voices
to the work. When I compare myself to guys like Roy, Steve Gerber,
Don McGregor, Steve Englehart, Doug Moench, Archie Goodwin, Chris
Claremont, Jim Starlin, Marv Wolfman and Bill Mantlo, I’m clearly
an “also present.” If my writing was memorable, it was because I
was playing on the same field with those writers.
Howe first mentions me on page 127:
Tony Isabella, a devout Catholic and a copyboy at the Cleveland
Plain Dealer, moved to New York to assist Sol Brodsky, who’d
returned to Marvel and was overseeing repackaging comics for the
British market. Isabella also began helping out with the monster
magazines.
That paragraph is mostly accurate. Based on my introducing Jesus
into the cast of Ghost Rider, I can see why someone would assume I
was a devout Catholic. But, at the time I wrote those stories, I
hadn’t been inside a church in years.
While living with my parents and working for the Plain Dealer, I
quickly figured out that, as long as I left the house for about an
hour on Sunday mornings, they assumed I was going to church and not
one of the local diners for breakfast. I moved out of their house
before I moved to New York, which meant I could dispense with that
routine. And, to the best of my recollection, I never stepped into
a church while I lived in New York.
I suppose you could call me a Christian back then...since I tried
to do what Jesus would do to the best of my ability. But “devout”
remained off the table. Adding Jesus to the Ghost Rider series was
a fantasy/mythology thing to me. I thought there needed to be some
sort of counter to all the Satan-types in the Marvel Universe. I
dabbled with born-again Christianity for a time until I figured out
I had gotten it right the first time.
It’s possible my co-workers believed me to be a “devout Catholic.”
It might explain why I was never invited to participate in the drug
use Howe describes in his book. My New York drug experiences
were but thrice in occurrence.
The first occasion was because an artist and staffer convinced me
I should try pot. I burned my lip, but otherwise had no reaction
to the demon weed. On the other hand, that artist would turn into
a right-wing jerk in his later years, possibly proving that pot is,
indeed, a gateway drug to asshat behavior.
The second occasion was...I asked Duffy Vohland to get me some pot
as a birthday present for a woman I knew. I wasn’t dating her, but
she was a terrific friend and, at the time, I thought this was just
a really good idea for a gift.
The third occasion was...when a woman I was dating smoked some of
that pot when we were all together. I wasn’t smoking, but, because
she thought I should, she would inhale and then give me these long
soulful kisses. I rather enjoyed that. I might have gotten a bit
high at the time, but I’m not convinced it wasn’t because the lady
was such an amazing kisser.
I pause here so my children can utter a collective “eww!”
We’ll return to Marvel Comics: The Untold Story and my own untold
stories tomorrow. See you then.
© 2012 Tony Isabella
Monday, December 3, 2012
E-MAIL CORRECTION
When linking to my email address earlier today, I made a typo. If you've tried to email me concerning this week's sale and not received a response, you may have used the wrong email address.
This is the correct one.
I apologize for any inconvenience.
This is the correct one.
I apologize for any inconvenience.
VAST ACCUMULATION OF STUFF SALE 12/3
The honest truth is that I get a kick out of going through my Vast
Accumulation of Stuff looking for items I can put into these weekly
sales. I find items I had forgotten I owned and, sometimes, realize
I’m not willing to let them go just yet. Thankfully, I also find
a lot of items I am ready to sell...and I always try to price these
items so that the customers get a deal and I still make a few bucks
on the transaction.
Most of this week’s items come from boxes scattered throughout my
office, my son’s bedroom and my soon-to-be-reading room. I figure
I’ll be mining those rich veins for several weeks to come before I
start excavating my downstairs storage area.
My goal is to have my house stuff all squared away by the time my
garage sales resume in April or May. The more you buy, the closer
I get to achieving that goal. Think how happy my Sainted Wife Barb
will be when she gets most of her house back.
In addition to these new items, I have previously offered items at,
in many cases, reduced prices. For those of you who’ve asked, once
the last already-assembled and ready-for-shipping mystery boxes are
sold, then I’ll start taking orders for new mystery boxes. When
I’m ready to take orders, I’ll announce it in a bloggy thing and on
my Facebook page.
Here’s how my VAOS sales work...
First come, first serve. In other words, the quicker you e-mail me,
the better your chance of getting the item or items. Only e-mail
orders will be accepted. All the items are in very good or better
condition unless otherwise noted.
Let me stress that “e-mail only” rule. Most of the few mistakes I
have made in assembling/shipping orders have happened with orders
I accepted via phone or Facebook message. So...I’m not gonna break
my own rule anymore.
Items will be shipped via United States Postal Service. There is
a $5 shipping/handling charge for up to four items via media mail.
Add $1 for every two additional items. The charge helps defray my
expenses.
Payments are by check, money order or PayPal. My PayPal address is
the same as my email address. Purchases will be shipped within a
week of checks clearing, money orders received or PayPal payments
received.
Because this is a one-man operation done between family, household
and work responsibilities, these items are only available to buyers
within the United States and to APO buyers.
When you receive your order, please check it and let me know of any
omissions as soon as possible. I’ll be double-checking the orders
on my end, but, if there’s a problem, I want to make it right in a
timely fashion.
Each week’s sales end on Friday at 6 pm EST. The following week’s
sale begins as soon as I post the new items. Which would be right
about now...
1000 COMIC BOOKS YOU MUST READ by Tony Isabella. The best book on comics ever written by Tony Isabella. Hardcover. Signed on request. Price includes shipping. $29.95
AIR; FLYING MACHINE by G. Willow Wilson and M.K. Perker [DC; 2009]. Reprints issues #6-10. Softcover. $6
BLACK LIGHTNING TOTAL JUSTICE ACTION FIGURE [Kenner; 1997]. Great looking figurefeaturing the costume designed by Eddy Newell. It’s my favorite BL costume and Eddy is my favorite BL artist. I have two unopened action figures available at this time. I’ll sign them on request. Price includes shipping. $10
CAPTAIN BRITAIN VOL. 2: SIEGE OF CAMELOT [Marvel; 2011]. Reprints Captain Britain and Black Knight stories from UK’s Super Spider-Man and Captain Britain and Incredible Hulk Weekly. Hardcover. Over 300 pages. $20
CINDERELLA: FROM FABLETOWN WITH LOVE by Chris Roberson and Shawn McManus [DC]. Reprints six-issue mini-series. Softcover. $7
COLONY by Bob Layton and Dick Giordano [IDW; 2012]. Graphic novel.Softcover. $12
COMICBOOK CANDY SECRET ORIGINS [DC/Leaf; circa 1980]. Complete set of eight mini-comics presenting origins of Aquaman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, the Justice League of America, Superman and Wonder Woman. No candy or wrappers, just the eight mini-comics. $25
FABLES #100 by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha and others [DC; 2011]. Over 100 pages. $5
FABLES: ROSE RED Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha and others [DC; 2011] . Reprints issues #94-100. Softcover. $9
FABLES: THE DELUXE EDITION BOOK TWO by Bill Willingham and others [DC]. Reprints issues #11-18, graphic novel Fables: The Last Castle Willingham’s illustrated short story “A Wolf in the Fold,” a new introduction by Willingham and special sketchbook section with art by Craig Hamilton, P. Craig Russell and Mark Buckingham. Unopened hardcover. $15
FLINTSTONES AT THE NEW WORK’S WORLD FAIR [1964]. First printing. No date on cover. $7.50
GIRLS’ LOVE STORIES #127 [DC; May 1967]. $3
GIRLS’ ROMANCES #91 [DC; March 1963]. John Romita cover. Interior art by Romita and Mike Sekowsky. $5
HARD TIME: 50 TO LIFE by Steve Gerber and Brian Hurtt [DC; 2004].Reprints issues #1-6. Softcover. $5
HERITAGE MAGAZINE FOR THE INTELLIGENT COLLECTOR [Winter 2012/2013]. Auction house magazine with great photos of items and articles on Babe Ruth, baseball memorabilia, Joe Simon and more. $4
JACK MAGIC: LIFE AND ART OF JACK KIRBY VOLUME ONE by Greg Theakston [Pure Imagination; 2011]. Softcover. $12
JACK OF FABLES: THE FULMINATE BLADE by Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges [DC; 2011]. Softcover. Reprints issues #41-45. $7.50
JACK OF FABLES: THE END by Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges [DC; 2011]. Softcover. Reprints issues #46-50. $9
MADAME XANADU: DISENCHANTED by Matt Wagner and Amy Reeder Hadley [DC; 2009]. Softcover. Reprints issues #1-10. $7
MADAME XANADU: EXTRA-SENSORY by Matt Wagner [DC; 2011]. Softcover. Reprints issues #24-29. $9
SHOWCASE PRESENTS TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED VOLUME ONE [DC; 2012]. Reprints issues #1-20. $10
TENSE SUSPENSE #1 [December 1958]. All stories drawn by Dick Ayers. $10
UNKNOWN SOLDIER: DRY SEASON by Joshua Dysart and Alberto Ponticelli [DC; 2010]. Reprints issues #15-20. Softcover. $7.50
UNKNOWN SOLDIER: BEAUTIFUL WORLD Joshua Dysart & Alberto Ponticelli [DC; 2011]. Reprints issues #21-25. Softcover. $7.50
WALKING DEAD VOLUME 9: HERE WE REMAIN by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard [Image; 2009]. Reprints issues #49-54. Softcover. $7.50
WALKING DEAD VOLUME 10: WHAT WE BECOME by Robert Kirkman & Charlie Adlard [Image; 2009]. Reprints issues #55-60. Softcover. $7.50
WANDERING SON VOLUME ONE by Shimura Takako [Fantagraphics; 2011]. Hardcover. $10
Here are the previously-offered items...
1000 COMICS YOU MUST READ BEFORE YOU DIE: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO COMIC BOOKS, GRAPHIC NOVELS AND MANGA. Foreword by Terry Gilliam.General editor Paul Gravett. Hardcover. $5
ALTER EGO #110 (June 2012). Shazam! Leonard Starr. $2
ART OF WALT SIMONSON [DC; 1989]. Softcover. $8
BATMAN 3D by John Byrne [DC; 1990]. Softcover. $2
BATMAN: BLIND JUSTICE by Sam Hamm and Denys Cowan [DC; 1992]. From Detective Comics #598-600. First printing softcover. $8
BATMAN: DIGITAL JUSTICE by Pepe Moreno. [DC; 1990]. Hardcover. $8
BATMAN IN DETECTIVE COMICS VOLUMES 1 & 2 [Abbeville Press; 1993]. Features the complete covers of the first 50 years of the title in full-color 4" X 4-1/2" softcovers with introductions by Joe Desris. Originally priced at $10.95 each. For the set: $8.
BOOK OF SCHUITEN. Oversized, unopened hardcover. $10
CAPTAIN BRITAIN by Alan Davis and Jamie Delano [Marvel; 1988] with introduction by Chris Claremont. Softcover. $4
COMIC BOOKS MYSTERY BOX #33. Includes approximately 100 comic books plus another 5-10 items from my garage sales. Price includes the shipping and handling. $25
DEATH’S HEAD: THE BODY IN QUESTION by Simon Furman and Geoff Senior [Marvel graphic novel; 1990]. Softcover. $2
DISTANT NEIGHBORHOOD VOL. 1 by Jiro Taniguchi. Softcover. $2
FANTASTIC ART: THE BOOK OF LUIS ROYO. Oversized hardcover. $5
FRANK FRAZETTA’S DEATH DEALER SHADOWS OF MIRAHAN: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION DELUXE HARDCOVER. Unopened. $10.
GOLDEN AGE OF BATMAN: THE GREATEST COVERS OF DETECTIVE COMICS FROM THE ‘30S TO THE ‘50S. [Artabras; 1994]. Oversized hardcover. $15
GOLDEN AGE OF SUPERMAN: THE GREATEST COVERS OF ACTION COMICS FROM THE ‘30S TO THE ‘50S. [Artabras; 1993]. Oversized hardcover. $15
GREEN ARROW: THE LONGBOW HUNTERS by Mike Grell [DC; 1989]. Reprints mini-series. Softcover. $4
LIFE AND TIMES OF DEATH’S HEAD by Simon Furman, Bryan Hitch, etc. [Marvel; 1990]. Softcover. 146 pages. $2
MANY LIVES OF THE BATMAN: CRITICAL APPROACHES TO A SUPERHERO AND HIS MEDIA [Routledge/BFI; 1991]. Softcover. $10
PRISONER: SHATTERED VISAGE by Dean Motter and Mark Askwith. [DC; 1989]. Based on the TV series. Softcover. $8
SCHULZ AND PEANUTS: A BIOGRAPHY by David Michaelis. Hardcover. $5
SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE by J. Michael Straczynski and Shane David. Hardcover. $5
SUPERMAN TIN PRETZEL SNACK CAN [DC; 1987]. 50th Birthday with large figure of Superman and comic-book covers. 9" high, 5-1/2" wide with original label on bottom and a few small dents. $10
VIKING GLORY: THE VIKING PRINCE by Lee Marrs and Bo Hampton [DC; 1991]. Introduction by Will Eisner. Hardcover graphic novel. $10
Thanks for your patronage.
Tony Isabella
Accumulation of Stuff looking for items I can put into these weekly
sales. I find items I had forgotten I owned and, sometimes, realize
I’m not willing to let them go just yet. Thankfully, I also find
a lot of items I am ready to sell...and I always try to price these
items so that the customers get a deal and I still make a few bucks
on the transaction.
Most of this week’s items come from boxes scattered throughout my
office, my son’s bedroom and my soon-to-be-reading room. I figure
I’ll be mining those rich veins for several weeks to come before I
start excavating my downstairs storage area.
My goal is to have my house stuff all squared away by the time my
garage sales resume in April or May. The more you buy, the closer
I get to achieving that goal. Think how happy my Sainted Wife Barb
will be when she gets most of her house back.
In addition to these new items, I have previously offered items at,
in many cases, reduced prices. For those of you who’ve asked, once
the last already-assembled and ready-for-shipping mystery boxes are
sold, then I’ll start taking orders for new mystery boxes. When
I’m ready to take orders, I’ll announce it in a bloggy thing and on
my Facebook page.
Here’s how my VAOS sales work...
First come, first serve. In other words, the quicker you e-mail me,
the better your chance of getting the item or items. Only e-mail
orders will be accepted. All the items are in very good or better
condition unless otherwise noted.
Let me stress that “e-mail only” rule. Most of the few mistakes I
have made in assembling/shipping orders have happened with orders
I accepted via phone or Facebook message. So...I’m not gonna break
my own rule anymore.
Items will be shipped via United States Postal Service. There is
a $5 shipping/handling charge for up to four items via media mail.
Add $1 for every two additional items. The charge helps defray my
expenses.
Payments are by check, money order or PayPal. My PayPal address is
the same as my email address. Purchases will be shipped within a
week of checks clearing, money orders received or PayPal payments
received.
Because this is a one-man operation done between family, household
and work responsibilities, these items are only available to buyers
within the United States and to APO buyers.
When you receive your order, please check it and let me know of any
omissions as soon as possible. I’ll be double-checking the orders
on my end, but, if there’s a problem, I want to make it right in a
timely fashion.
Each week’s sales end on Friday at 6 pm EST. The following week’s
sale begins as soon as I post the new items. Which would be right
about now...
1000 COMIC BOOKS YOU MUST READ by Tony Isabella. The best book on comics ever written by Tony Isabella. Hardcover. Signed on request. Price includes shipping. $29.95
AIR; FLYING MACHINE by G. Willow Wilson and M.K. Perker [DC; 2009]. Reprints issues #6-10. Softcover. $6
BLACK LIGHTNING TOTAL JUSTICE ACTION FIGURE [Kenner; 1997]. Great looking figurefeaturing the costume designed by Eddy Newell. It’s my favorite BL costume and Eddy is my favorite BL artist. I have two unopened action figures available at this time. I’ll sign them on request. Price includes shipping. $10
CAPTAIN BRITAIN VOL. 2: SIEGE OF CAMELOT [Marvel; 2011]. Reprints Captain Britain and Black Knight stories from UK’s Super Spider-Man and Captain Britain and Incredible Hulk Weekly. Hardcover. Over 300 pages. $20
CINDERELLA: FROM FABLETOWN WITH LOVE by Chris Roberson and Shawn McManus [DC]. Reprints six-issue mini-series. Softcover. $7
COLONY by Bob Layton and Dick Giordano [IDW; 2012]. Graphic novel.Softcover. $12
COMICBOOK CANDY SECRET ORIGINS [DC/Leaf; circa 1980]. Complete set of eight mini-comics presenting origins of Aquaman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, the Justice League of America, Superman and Wonder Woman. No candy or wrappers, just the eight mini-comics. $25
FABLES #100 by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha and others [DC; 2011]. Over 100 pages. $5
FABLES: ROSE RED Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha and others [DC; 2011] . Reprints issues #94-100. Softcover. $9
FABLES: THE DELUXE EDITION BOOK TWO by Bill Willingham and others [DC]. Reprints issues #11-18, graphic novel Fables: The Last Castle Willingham’s illustrated short story “A Wolf in the Fold,” a new introduction by Willingham and special sketchbook section with art by Craig Hamilton, P. Craig Russell and Mark Buckingham. Unopened hardcover. $15
FLINTSTONES AT THE NEW WORK’S WORLD FAIR [1964]. First printing. No date on cover. $7.50
GIRLS’ LOVE STORIES #127 [DC; May 1967]. $3
GIRLS’ ROMANCES #91 [DC; March 1963]. John Romita cover. Interior art by Romita and Mike Sekowsky. $5
HARD TIME: 50 TO LIFE by Steve Gerber and Brian Hurtt [DC; 2004].Reprints issues #1-6. Softcover. $5
HERITAGE MAGAZINE FOR THE INTELLIGENT COLLECTOR [Winter 2012/2013]. Auction house magazine with great photos of items and articles on Babe Ruth, baseball memorabilia, Joe Simon and more. $4
JACK MAGIC: LIFE AND ART OF JACK KIRBY VOLUME ONE by Greg Theakston [Pure Imagination; 2011]. Softcover. $12
JACK OF FABLES: THE FULMINATE BLADE by Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges [DC; 2011]. Softcover. Reprints issues #41-45. $7.50
JACK OF FABLES: THE END by Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges [DC; 2011]. Softcover. Reprints issues #46-50. $9
MADAME XANADU: DISENCHANTED by Matt Wagner and Amy Reeder Hadley [DC; 2009]. Softcover. Reprints issues #1-10. $7
MADAME XANADU: EXTRA-SENSORY by Matt Wagner [DC; 2011]. Softcover. Reprints issues #24-29. $9
SHOWCASE PRESENTS TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED VOLUME ONE [DC; 2012]. Reprints issues #1-20. $10
TENSE SUSPENSE #1 [December 1958]. All stories drawn by Dick Ayers. $10
UNKNOWN SOLDIER: DRY SEASON by Joshua Dysart and Alberto Ponticelli [DC; 2010]. Reprints issues #15-20. Softcover. $7.50
UNKNOWN SOLDIER: BEAUTIFUL WORLD Joshua Dysart & Alberto Ponticelli [DC; 2011]. Reprints issues #21-25. Softcover. $7.50
WALKING DEAD VOLUME 9: HERE WE REMAIN by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard [Image; 2009]. Reprints issues #49-54. Softcover. $7.50
WALKING DEAD VOLUME 10: WHAT WE BECOME by Robert Kirkman & Charlie Adlard [Image; 2009]. Reprints issues #55-60. Softcover. $7.50
WANDERING SON VOLUME ONE by Shimura Takako [Fantagraphics; 2011]. Hardcover. $10
Here are the previously-offered items...
1000 COMICS YOU MUST READ BEFORE YOU DIE: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO COMIC BOOKS, GRAPHIC NOVELS AND MANGA. Foreword by Terry Gilliam.General editor Paul Gravett. Hardcover. $5
ALTER EGO #110 (June 2012). Shazam! Leonard Starr. $2
ART OF WALT SIMONSON [DC; 1989]. Softcover. $8
BATMAN 3D by John Byrne [DC; 1990]. Softcover. $2
BATMAN: BLIND JUSTICE by Sam Hamm and Denys Cowan [DC; 1992]. From Detective Comics #598-600. First printing softcover. $8
BATMAN: DIGITAL JUSTICE by Pepe Moreno. [DC; 1990]. Hardcover. $8
BATMAN IN DETECTIVE COMICS VOLUMES 1 & 2 [Abbeville Press; 1993]. Features the complete covers of the first 50 years of the title in full-color 4" X 4-1/2" softcovers with introductions by Joe Desris. Originally priced at $10.95 each. For the set: $8.
BOOK OF SCHUITEN. Oversized, unopened hardcover. $10
CAPTAIN BRITAIN by Alan Davis and Jamie Delano [Marvel; 1988] with introduction by Chris Claremont. Softcover. $4
COMIC BOOKS MYSTERY BOX #33. Includes approximately 100 comic books plus another 5-10 items from my garage sales. Price includes the shipping and handling. $25
DEATH’S HEAD: THE BODY IN QUESTION by Simon Furman and Geoff Senior [Marvel graphic novel; 1990]. Softcover. $2
DISTANT NEIGHBORHOOD VOL. 1 by Jiro Taniguchi. Softcover. $2
FANTASTIC ART: THE BOOK OF LUIS ROYO. Oversized hardcover. $5
FRANK FRAZETTA’S DEATH DEALER SHADOWS OF MIRAHAN: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION DELUXE HARDCOVER. Unopened. $10.
GOLDEN AGE OF BATMAN: THE GREATEST COVERS OF DETECTIVE COMICS FROM THE ‘30S TO THE ‘50S. [Artabras; 1994]. Oversized hardcover. $15
GOLDEN AGE OF SUPERMAN: THE GREATEST COVERS OF ACTION COMICS FROM THE ‘30S TO THE ‘50S. [Artabras; 1993]. Oversized hardcover. $15
GREEN ARROW: THE LONGBOW HUNTERS by Mike Grell [DC; 1989]. Reprints mini-series. Softcover. $4
LIFE AND TIMES OF DEATH’S HEAD by Simon Furman, Bryan Hitch, etc. [Marvel; 1990]. Softcover. 146 pages. $2
MANY LIVES OF THE BATMAN: CRITICAL APPROACHES TO A SUPERHERO AND HIS MEDIA [Routledge/BFI; 1991]. Softcover. $10
PRISONER: SHATTERED VISAGE by Dean Motter and Mark Askwith. [DC; 1989]. Based on the TV series. Softcover. $8
SCHULZ AND PEANUTS: A BIOGRAPHY by David Michaelis. Hardcover. $5
SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE by J. Michael Straczynski and Shane David. Hardcover. $5
SUPERMAN TIN PRETZEL SNACK CAN [DC; 1987]. 50th Birthday with large figure of Superman and comic-book covers. 9" high, 5-1/2" wide with original label on bottom and a few small dents. $10
VIKING GLORY: THE VIKING PRINCE by Lee Marrs and Bo Hampton [DC; 1991]. Introduction by Will Eisner. Hardcover graphic novel. $10
Thanks for your patronage.
Tony Isabella
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