I have a lot of conflicting memories of this period of time. Probably for a few reasons. Moving the Marvel offices, lock, stock and barrel, all the way downtown was no small undertaking. As I may have pointed out previously, we had to put down our tools Friday eve and pick up our tools Monday morn, with no breaks in the cruel, relentless rush of publishing. The thrill of a fresh coat of paint in your new office—A week earlier than that, was funster Mark Gruenwald’s “Wack Offs!”
Now before you run off in a wild direction, this was all about whacking paddle balls. Those things with a wooden paddle and a rubber ball that has a rubber band stapled to the wood. Editor Grue and no doubt Assistant Editor Mike Carlin, had spent some time putting caricatures of Bullpenners on the paddles. I can assure you it was all done after-hours!
The Wack Off Party was Friday, April 16, 1982. With soda and a cake.
I had a fresh roll of film with plans to burn through it all in one day. That was a rarity because a roll of film cost money. Not just the up-front cost of a roll of Tri-X but the processing. I was painfully aware that I was facing a to-and-fro subway ride down to the new digs every day. Which was $.75 per ride (a pittance compared to today’s price)! But no laughing matter for an entire week ($7.50)! Yeah, I know, I’m working my cryin’ towel overtime. We had just gotten used to the new-style chic-chic little lunch spot, “Mr. Chutney’s” new-priced $3.25 sandwiches… ahhh, midtown eating!
But I covered the Wack Offs already. Badly—sure; but I intend to re-scan those images. In the meantime, an image worthy of further study is this:
L-R: Paste-Up Artist Joe Albelo, Cover Production Ron Zalme, Assistant Editor Mike Carlin, Lettering Correction Artist Rick Parker, Art Correction Artist Bob Camp. Rick used to make his own T-Shirts, this one said, “Non Exempt Employee.” Which meant he wasn’t allowed to get over-time.
These guys were a large part of the center of the Marvel Bullpen. These fellows, including Mike, were all comic artists in the traditional sense. Which made them well-equipped to deal with almost any aberration that fell on any page. And these guys handled all of them. Important here is that they are all artists.
Joe Albelo was the artist/creator of Peter Porker, in this oddball Star Comics border version.
Kontonqua, Ron Zalme wrote his first novel and painted up this spiffy cover. Turns out this book is hard to find. Lucky for me, I got mine immediately!
Mike Carlin, along with some childhood friend, had been nursing this story along for years before finding the courage to draw it up and get it printed! He penciled this cover (inked by legendary Jerry Ordway).
Rick Parker did the art for Beavis & Butt-Head for its entire run. It must be noted that he was following the style of those bad boys’ creator, Mike Judge. Otherwise, Rick’s work is much looser and illustrative.
Bob Camp is one of those loons who could do the above but then, as soon as he could, ran to animation and did okay with Ren & Stimpy. Oh, all right, Bob was a seriously trained animator and we were lucky to have him as the staff correction artist for the time we did!
You might have some fun looking these fellows up and I recommend going to “mycomicshop.com” to see what you can find. The only person’s work shown you won’t find so easily is Ron’s. Not sure why! Though you will find Ron ‘s extensive catalog of kid’s books and how-to-draw books. So if you have kids, seek him out.
But almost as interesting as these jamokes, is the framed diploma on the wall. At the time I didn’t even glance that way. And then I never saw anything like it again—who knows where it would be today!
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