“The Players are gentlemen trying to be actors, the Lambs are actors trying to be gentlemen, and the Friars are neither trying to be both.” –George S. Kaufman
Marvel didn’t know what to do! Christmas was coming and there was just nowhere in the building that was large enough for an office party. Marvel had done a bit of growing over the past year. The upstairs copy room was just not good enough any more.
I can picture a lunch – business, of course! – between one Jessie Rosen and James Galton, wherein that troubling matter was brought up. Some of you other there may remember the late Jim Galton who was President of the Marvel Publishing Group at that point. But few will remember or know of dear Mr. Rosen. I will try to set that record straight.
Only the most bear-trap-tight memories will remember the legend, placed at the bottoms
of the tiny ads pages throughout Marvel comics in the 70s will know what
“Kalish, Quigley & Rosen” is. These three smart guys who were “ad
executives” at Marvel’s parent company, Magazine Management made a deal. Such a deal! For a small annual sum of money, these three fellows would sell all the ad spaces in all of Mag Man’s magazines, including the comics.
Sid Kalish, Al Quigley and Jessie Rosen were those smart guys. They had made this deal not long after the “implosion” of 1957. That time—chronicled in many other places far better than I could hope to—was the Dark Time for Marvel Comics as we know it. My recollection of just how dark is best related by one anecdote: Marvel had to “borrow” some valuable rack space in all the newsstands, in order to sell some of their last few comics… They borrowed that space from National Periodicals, better known as DC Comics… Among those comic titles… The Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk, Amazing Fantasy #15 (you know it as Spider-Man #1).
[Now before everyone jumps down my throat, this is my story and has only a nodding acquaintance of the actual timeline of Marvel’s Mighty Swinging 60s Re-Birth! Go look it up if you want the real story. I’m just trying to lay some track for how Marvel got its Office Party in the Friars!]
Here they are,
Al Quigley, Sid Kalish and Jessie Rosen! KQ&R!
This shot was most probably taken in the early 60s. These guys were the real-deal Mad Men—their office was on Madison Avenue. In fact, just a few blocks from the Marvel offices.
[How I know these fellows is because not long after my single Mom and I drifted down from Boston and hit the shores of 45th Street in midtown Manhattan, my Mom got a job working for them. Just about 1961. How I got to Marvel was the sheerest case of nepotism ever—my Mom knew someone… All you slaverin’ pals are just going to have to wait for that comic connection to be fully uhh… connected when I write myself up in these Bullpen sort’a bio pages!]
Where were we? Something about why Jessie Rosen had anything to do with the Christmas Party. He was taking a meal with old chum Jim Galton and no doubt suggested the Friars Club. Jessie was a member after all.
Now what the hell is the Friars Club! Okay. Let me take you back to a deceptively simpler time in dear old Manhattan town. The Players Club was for high-falutin’ actors, the Lambs Club was for lesser high-falutin’ actors and why not another one? The Friars Club was for show people, like entertainers. Comedians. Vaudevillians. Side Show buskers and the like. [I refer you to the quote at the beginning of this unreeling blog.] And—for one gleaming night of low-born dreaming—comic professionals!
Why the hell did I include this? I should do a blog about the camera rig I used for all of these photos. In this day and age of easy (E-Z) digital imagery, it is hard to explain how hard it was to take a “selfie.” The camera and its full-of-batteries motor drive, weighed about 5 pounds. I held it upside-down because there was a hand-grip on the side that I could claw at. I HAD “guess focused” but in clawing at the camera with my monkey-like knuckles, I must have rubbed against the focus ring on the lens. In fact, because the usual manner of “seeing” what black & white negative film looks like is to make a “contact print” of the strips of film, this image being small, upside down and blobby did not tell me that I had a shot of Mark in there. Some may argue I still do not. They may return to their Ivory Towers as they please! Also not helping is that Mark had on a pair of aviator-style glasses.
To further the mystery, why did I think I should not bring my flash unit? I had pretty steady hands and my own vast bulk formed a pretty solid tripod to hold the camera. But the Friars was all about mood. Dark and smokey, narrow little turns and big drapes, warm wood and cool babes. Oh yeah, and not much lighting. I can tell I was shooting at 1/15 second, maybe an 1/8. Ouch. No matter how much warning I gave, people kept moving.
ANYway—Christmas
Party at the Friars Club! Okay, it was held in January of the year after. So this was the 1979 Xmas Party which, in fine Marvel tradition, we got a cheap rate in January of 1980. Plus it was right around the corner from Marvel’s 575 Madison Ave offices. We were on Madison at 56-57th Streets and it was west of Madison on 55th.
Unmistakable silhouette of Editor Larry Hama, The Stat-Maker General, the late Robbie Carosella, I think that’s a waiter—oh, all right, it’s Stan! I can’t quite see who the gal is, could be Barbara Maier, Marketing Marketeer. No idea who is above.
Here’s Stan schmoozing with John Romita, Sr. To John’s right is Dorothy Marcus, Personnel Person. To her right is John Romita, Jr! Hard to say who he’s talking to. Remember, no one held still except for Dorothy
Picture left: holding remarkably still, former Editor of Epic Magazine, Rick Marschall, the fellow turning to us is one of those famous Marvel office characters, Tony Mordelaro. He was in charge of the 6th Floor mailroom. Tony was also a union drummer who still moonlighted on the occasional job! He told tales of his speakeasy days. No idea who the back to the camera is, nor the three to the right. But that’s Stan in mid-picture
And there goes Stan! That’s his fabulous and beautiful wife, Fran. Yes, Stan and Fran. The smiling, dark-haired gal is Pam Rutt, another Marketing person from upstairs. No idea who“lady on the left” is.
Lady Editor of the Black & White Line of magazines, Lynne Graham. Again, my old chum, Robbie.
Lynne again, striking a pose with KQ&R salesman, Vincent Karp!
There are a few more of these B&W pix, but I’m making this a multi-part blog to keep the massive number of pictures down. Be patient! There’s a whole section of color, blurry and out of focus pictures to come!
Not to be “that” guy, but Stan’s wife’s name was Joan, not Fran. I remember this party well. Thanks for the pics, El!
I swear I know! I keep doing that when typing quickly. Thanks Nel.