Sunday afternoon was one of the highlights of my year, because at the end of an extended weekend in New York—during which I recorded four new episodes of Eating the Fantastic—I got to take Marie Severin to lunch and then spend several hours sitting outside in the sun with her on an unseasonably warm October day.

And when I say I did those things, I of course mean we did those things—for any visit to the Mirthful one must include the Impish one—my wife, Irene Vartanoff.

I’ve told you many times how I feel about Marie. Second only to my wife, she’s the person I liked most during my years in comics. So I was glad for another chance to take her out to lunch, stuff her with Italian food, and chat about the old days.

And not just the ones we’d lived through together in the Marvel Bullpen, but those from even before she’d come into our lives, such as the time she first realized she was an artist, her father’s career at Estée Lauder, her job at the Federal Reserve Bank, and more.

We also brought her up to date on old friends, such as Joe Sinnott, whose 90th birthday was the very day of our visit, and Jack Davis, who’d sadly passed a few months back.

But in addition to catching up, there was also time for being silly—with the always happy, always smiling Marie, that’s impossible to avoid—especially after we presented her with a doll of The Hulk, a character she drew so well for so many years.

Our visits with Marie are never long enough nor often enough. But we cherish them, and are thankful for the moments we do have.

We love you, Marie!