Why I have only one shot of Marian, I do not know. Perhaps it was a poor point in time—I really didn’t make much money as a stat camera operator. All these lovely pictures you see were ground out of me, with blood, sweat and tears for every frame of film.
Also, this is a pretty poor quality image. I certainly do hope I have only this (also a second essentially identical, Marian is either holding so still and/or my motor drive shutter finger was twitchy that day) left behind because I gave her the better versions.
Who is Marian? When I knew her, she seemed to be a friend of Carl Gafford. That person was Marvel’s first typesetting machine operator (plus a helluva colorist—see this blog entry: The President of Space). Carl and later, myself, were teaching Marian how to use the “new” typsesetting machine (I could re-tell that story, but won’t… you’re welcome).
Marian was also a convention regular. This was a class of latter-day nerd/geek who was out-going and gregarious. She also was a Star Trek fan—back when everyone was fighting over Trekker or Trekkie… So much so, that her credit of “Historian First Class” rings down the halls of Marvel Fandom to this day. Now, I do not know what that meant at the time. Just because we all worked in the same building didn’t mean we chased each other around to find out everybody’s up-to-date doin’s.
Editor–Celebrated in Song and Legend–Louise Jones must have thought she knew her stuff because it is Louise who exploited her deep knowledge of Trek arcania to make Star Trek #6 the stand out it is and gave her that coveted title. Never to be used again title. But that’s the comics biz!
© Disney/Marvel
Marian was a con fave who managed to know two of my all-time favorite authors. Y’see, back then science fiction and fantasy was all mixed in with comics. Computer games were a blip on the horizon. So-called cosplay was only for the truly deranged fan. But! Marian was also a science fiction reader. Two of her author chums were the late Isaac Asimov and Larry Niven.
Marian and Super Accomplished Inker Joe Rubinstein had hooked up. Going to a comic convention was what comic couples did. There, she introduced Joe to Isaac Asimov. A meal was suggested and the three of them went off to have a meal together.
Apparently, the start of the conversation was a little awkward. Mr. Asimov could be intimidating, or so I hear. According to Marian, by the end of the meal, Joe and Ike were trading dirty jokes that turned the air blue!
It might come as no surprise to any Marvel-ite that Marian was also a renaissance fair devotee. Renaissance fairs were a simpler exercise in those days. Ye Olde this and My Fair that… To the point where she made her own period costumes. I recall she asked me to take some pictures of her in her latest creation. I quickly thumbed through my coin purse, gulped and said, glad to!
I deployed my well-trod white-with-footprint backdrop and did my worst to light her. Like I said, I hope the pictures she took were better.
There was a confusing fog of freelance employment and perhaps Marian being on staff for a short while. It could also be that she was just hanging out before and after freelance typesetting gigs. Which could happen. We needed a lot of type done and a good deal of it could not get done during office hours.
Specifically I don’t believe Marian accompanied the editorial offices from 575 Madison down to 387 Park. What I do remember about Marian was that she really was one of us. A true fan and involved in fandom. Plus she was a very pleasant and open person—quite a good sport and fun to be around.
Good sport, did I say? Ahem, well we all know what a playful wag Writer/Creator Editor Mark Gruenwald was. As he was first introduced to Marian and she took her leave, he bequeathed to her retreating form the name: Marian Stenchguard.
We always spoke of her mood as “roll on” or “powder dry.” We really did.
For a period of time, Marian was on staff at 575 handling Art Returns.