Marvel Comics Christmas Party — 1983

Notes: Harry Candelario is still fairly new as a stat-camera operator. Ned Sonntag ALWAYS wears a fedora. Bernie Shacktman is the Office Manager. Barry Kaplan is Marvel’s Comptroller. Sally Pomeroy is one of the Marketing gals. Lisa Hachedoorian is a freelance paste-up and mechanical artist. Andy Mushinski is an inker. Belinda Glass was Mark Gruenwald’s first wife. Peter Sanderson is a freelance writer. Sid Jacobsen is a legendary creator and editor, in this part of his life, the Editor of Marvel’s kid line “Star Comics.” Larry Lieber should need no introduction.

I don’t like panoramas unless I have the specialized camera that shoots a single image. But the inner Grinch was subdued enough for me to take this less-than-perfect set of images.

Now the bad thing is, that I can’t remember everyone. There’s a few stand-outs that surprise me when I can tell who they are from their backs alone (Steve’s flannel shirt!)

We were still in the process of messing this place up– the “new” 387 Park Avenue offices! But Virginia made us take all the stuff down. And put big sheets of cardboard over the built-in taborets. You may note that none of the regular taborets are in position.

What I thought was special about this XMas party was that we finally had enough space to hold a full-blown, office-wide party in our own space. The number of people on-staff and the few in-town freelancers was small enough for everyone to pretty much know everyone. (I knew almost everyone, but now, some 35 years later, I can’t ID everyone from their backs and haircuts anymore!)

Peter Sanderson turning, youthful freelance artist Don Hudson being served by Assistant Editor Mike Carlin!

Belinda yakkin’ with Peter. In the background to the right, the fellow in the blue shirt is Milt Shifman. Milt was the Manufacturing Liaison. If you wanted something a little different done, he’d talk you out of it.

This shot is full of people I don’t know, so they’re all from the 11th Floor. Especially the prominently featured Count Dante. But one person we all know is extreme frame bottom-left: legendary Creator Writer Chris Claremont.

Note: The heads just above the newspaper-wrapped box are my own Arlene and to frame right is Designer Artist Extraordinaire Robin Brosterman. Both from the EPIC offices.

Aside from some time-off, soda and some kind of free food– this is the pay-off for many of us. this year began an office Christmas tradition put in place by Jim Shooter, our lovable Editor in Chief. He and some of his chums figured out “presents” for everybody. Some of the presents were, at best, “gag” gifts. Some were generic out of necessity– Jim didn’t know all the people upstairs either.

One might well wonder how well he knew any of us. For example, this year, I got a bag of Pittsburgh’s finest chunk of coal for being “naughty.” Which was fair enough. But the next year I got a 4-foot tall wooden figure of a butler holding a platter. On that platter, you were supposed to put a telephone. Somehow this related to the fact that I was hard to reach by phone. It cost $125 which I found out by my obsessive habit of poring over the Hamacher-Schlemmer Catalog. Out of respect for that $125 I took it home. I needn’t have worried about the “gag” nature of this gift because famed Editor and Writer, Chris “Jim Owsley” Priest, got the maid version too. But he really was hard to reach by phone.

Nearly dead-center is Bernie talking to Barry Kaplan. But exactly behind Barry is Legendary Writer to be, Peter David! Then, he was assistant to Carol Kalish (not shown) who was in charge of Direct Comic Shop stuff. The prominent figure to the right, in the pink shirt, is Jazzy Johnny Romita. Striding purposefully along the wall, is Mailroom Manager, Joe Cucolo.

Here is the Star office line-up: Sid Jacobsen, the fellow in the knit cap is super-artist Ernie Colon, the fellow in blue and the fellow eating ice cream, I do not know. But right behind Ernie, to the left and right are Artist Power Team Roy Richardson and June Brigman. Standing on one foot all in black is Writer Steve Grant. The seated fellow with the paper plate is Morrie Kuramoto, legendary bullpenner from a by-gone era. Standing in purple is Larry Tuminello (Flo’s brother, also in Accounting). I’m pretty sure the seated fellow to Larry’s image right is a noble Mailroom worker who’s name I forget. Prominently to frame right is well-known writer and Editorial Assistant (at EPIC Magazine) Jo Duffy. The fellow fairly glowing and in suspenders, I forget.

Oh, all right! It’s John Byrne.

When I first accosted Editor in Chief Roy Thomas for some work, he connected me with Legendary Artist/Inker Rick Bryant– the fellow in jack boots about to be knocked down by All-Time Great Lettering Lady Janice Chiang. She is getting directions (straight to the ice cream) from her son, Calvin! Rick and I debuted in 1974’s Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction. I think it was a heckuva collab even if it resulted in 3 pieces. That was when science fiction was young. Janice? I just ran into her at Walmarts.

The near ideal comic professional food is ice cream (ideal, of course, is pizza). This was the perfect Marvel office party food. The three gals up front, I just cannot recall — they’re all 11th Floor people. Right at image left is Legendary Writer and Editor (at that point) of EPIC Mag, Archie Goodwin. The Prime 11th Floor person is in the pink sweater, one Millie Shuriff. She of the Vouchers of all Things, Check Lady whose powers are vast and all encompassing. Check Lady seems to like sprinkles on her ice cream.

Here is my old partner in slime, Stat-Man Complete Robbie Carosella, telling to stop taking pictures. Prominent to his right is Production Man and Ace Letterer, Mike Higgins. Just under the clock is Jo Duffy to image right is a group of three, my favorite Creator, Writer and Editrix Annie Nocenti, Artists Roy Richardson and June Brigman.

Entertainment! This was new! The all-artist band, The K-Otics! Their intro piece is the theme from 60s TV The Munsters! For bass guitarist Larry Hama and drummer Nel Yomtov, this might have seemed to be a “busman’s holiday” as they played opposite their offices! But no; they had to drag their own equipment off by themselves.

Ahhh… show-business meets comic professionals… that’s a Marvel Christmas Party!