I was doing a lot of smiling last night. That’s because I finally carved out some time to read Dewey Cassell’s book Marie Severin: The Mirthful Mistress of Comics. As I’ve told you many times, I don’t just like Marie—I love Marie.

And last night, I relived many of the reasons why. (I was about to write that I “remembered” many of the reasons why, but that would imply I’d forgotten those reasons … and no one could ever forget Marie.)

Your experience of Marie through the pages of Cassell’s book will not be the same as mine, as you are unlikely to find a caricature of yourself with Tony Isabella on your shoulder (above) inside, or an Iron Man splash which has your wife drawn into the center of the page as a bystander (below).

(BTW—one thing not in Cassell’s book is the final panel from the same story, in which you can see me—the tall guy in the suit—gaping as Iron Man skates off.)

No, your experience reading this book won’t be the same as those of us who’ve known Marie for decades in the flesh as well as on the page …

… but it’s as close as you’re likely to get to understanding why we who love her do so as passionately as we do. So get yourself a copy now!