Volume 1, Number 34 June 2009
The Retro Comics Experience!
Celebrating the Best Comics of the '70s, '80s, '90s, and Today! EDITOR Michael Eury PUBLISHER John Morrow DESIGNER Rich J. Fowlks COVER ARTIST Jim Starlin
BACK SEAT DRIVER: Editorial by Michael Eury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 FLASHBACK: The Life and Death (and Life and Death) of Adam Warlock . . . . . . . . . . . .3 An in-depth look at Marvel’s cosmic messiah, with Jim Starlin and Roy Thomas
PROOFREADERS John Morrow and Eric Nolen-Weathington SPECIAL THANKS Mark Arnold Michael Aushenker Pat Bastienne Jerry Boyd Eliot R. Brown Mike Browning Bruce Buchanan Rich Buckler Glen Cadigan Lex Carson Dewey Cassell Paty Cockrum Jennifer Contino Alan Davis DC Comics Fred L. deBoom Mark DiFruscio Kirk Dilbeck Scott Edelman Danny Fingeroth Ron Frenz Jason Geyer Dick Giordano Grand Comic-Book Database Glenn Greenberg Allan Harvey Heritage Comics Auctions Tony Isabella Dan Johnson Rob Jones Mike Keane Rob Kelly David Anthony Kraft Garry Leach Peter Lee
Steve Lipsky Tony Lorenz Nigel Lowrey Howard Mackie Andy Mangels Marvel Comics Bob McLeod David Michelinie Ian Millsted Brian K. Morris Al Nickerson Nightscream (courtesy of Wikipedia) William F. Nolan George Pérez Paul Ryan Brian Sagar John Schwirian Richard A. Scott Marie Severin Jason Shayer Jim Shooter Dez Skinn Anthony Snyder Jim Starlin Roy Thomas Titan Books J. C. Vaughn Karen Walker Hank Weisinger Brett Weiss Bob Wiacek Bill Worboys Photography Rob Yancey
INTERVIEW: Jim Shooter’s First Day at Marvel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 The in-between years in the career of comics’ teen-turned-titan FLASHBACK: Sparks in a Bottle: The Saga of the New Universe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 A galaxy of creators explore what went right, then wrong, with Marvel’s ambitious line PRO2PRO: Dick Giordano and Pat Bastienne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 When worlds collided! Behind the scenes of Crisis on Infinite Earths GREATEST STORIES NEVER TOLD: The Post-Crisis DC Universe You Didn’t See . . . . . . . .40 Our wish list of all-star talent on DC’s books, circa 1986 BEYOND CAPES: Logan’s Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 William F. Nolan’s future is great—until you turn 30! With George Pérez Detail from Jim Starlin’s cover art to Warlock #9. TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.
COVER DESIGNER Michael Kronenberg
INTERVIEW: Bob Wiacek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 The top-tier inker discusses his Star Wars stint—plus Star-Lord, too FLASHBACK: The Art of Marvel Slurpee Cups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Ever wonder where the art on those cups came from? BEYOND CAPES: Star Crossed: Remembering DC’s Star Hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 An incisive look at David Michelinie’s short-lived sci-fi series FLASHBACK: Blood and Sapphires: The Rise and Demise of Marvelman . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Alan Davis, Garry Leach, and Dez Skinn discuss comics’ first “real world” superhero GREATEST STORIES NEVER TOLD: The Secret History of All-American Comics, Inc. . . . .77 Chapter Six of Bob Rozakis’ fantasy comics history spotlights Kirby, King of Comics! INTERVIEW: The Unique Voice and Vision of Steve Skeates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Concluding the dazzling dialogue with one of comics’ most diverse scribes BACK TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 Reader feedback on our “Tech, Data, and Hardware” issue—plus more photos from the Eliot R. Brown archives! BACK ISSUE™ is published bimonthly by TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614. Michael Eury, Editor. John Morrow, Publisher. Editorial Office: BACK ISSUE, c/o Michael Eury, Editor, 118 Edgewood Avenue NE, Concord, NC 28025. E-mail: euryman@gmail.com. Six-issue subscriptions: $44 Media Mail US, $60 First Class US, $70 Canada, $105 International First Class, $115 International Priority Mail. Please send subscription orders and funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial office. Cover art by Jim Starlin. Warlock and Thanos TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © 2009 Michael Eury and TwoMorrows Publishing. BACK ISSUE is a TM of TwoMorrows Publishing. ISSN 1932-6904. Printed in Canada. FIRST PRINTING. N e w
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