This essay is mostly about Jim Shooter. Not ALL about Jim, that will wait a bit more. The impetuous out there may have already noted that Jim is not in this picture. Ah, but he is.
Jim had a playful side—oh yes, he did! I saw it many times. Here is one of those singleton images that I really question my photographic skills over. It’s one shot, no second shots in the series. With “slide” film or Ektachrome, reversal film—what you get is what you get. If this shot is ½ to ¾ of an f-stop underexposed—well, you have to live with it.
My only explanation is that this was the time when I was trying to be “more serious,” not point my camera in everyone’s face all the time. All I can say now is, I should have known better. The other explanation is: David’s Cookies.
Aaaaahhhhhh… this crazy cat, David Liederman, vowed to make the single finest chocolate chip cookie on planet Earth. In 1979 he opened a store right around the corner of one of my oldest childhood friends, right on Second Avenue, and my waistline was never the same. Let me hasten to point out, I love my Mom. Her choco-chip cookies are really good. Even she was rocked back on her heels at first taste of a David’s Cookie. Mom’s cookies were a lot cheaper than David’s—free compared to $3.75 per pound (adjusted for inflation that’s 241lbs this year).
Imagine all the superlatives you like—they were that good.
Now Jim didn’t get out much but we all did and would share some of those inner-secrets of living in Manhattan with him. Not long after the Marvel offices moved downtown, Jim had the idea of a “Milk & Cookies Day.” I believe David’s had not opened up any satellite shops at that point, so Jim probably had a bunch of interns sent up to 54th Street to pick up several pounds of every type of cookie. Yes, they had other types but I am a purist and stick to chocolate-chip as the zenith of all cookies.
Now, just before Marvel moved downtown I had gone a little bonkers about David’s Cookies. Running over several days per week to buy a pound of them. My lean-as-a-bean 180lb frame had chunked up to 220 and I invented a diet—the less about that, the better. It did not help the situation that good Mr. Liederman also staffed his shop with young, vivacious High School women.
When I realized I could rent out my north 40 as an advertising billboard, I had to do something. And so, “cold turkey” was all I could come up with. I did lose weight, we did move downtown and then Jim gave all of us one of his Puckish treats. I believe it was the imminent danger of slobbering drool on my shirt and camera that resulted in only one picture. Here then is:
Milk & Cookie Day!
Annie needs little introduction (at the time of this picture, I think she was Editrix of the X-Men line). Laurie, Robin and Jo were all from the Epic Illustrated Magazine offices just around the corner Stage Left. Laurie and Jo were Associate Editors to Epic Illustrated Editor, Archie Goodwin. Robin was a super accomplished designer. Mike Carlin was Assistant Editor to Editor Mark Gruenwald. John “Lewie” Lewandowski was one of the affable fellows who crawled up from the Mailroom, to printing neg storage archivist and finally to the shining light of becoming Editor Brad Anderson’s Assistant. I believe he made the grade to full Editordom.
That NO LOITERING sign was my idea and since there is no statue of limitations on signs, violatiors will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. In other words, you’re all in a heap’o’trouble.
That NO LOITERING sign was my idea and since there is no statute of limitations on signs, violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. In other words, you’re all in a heap’o’trouble.