Back in 1976, Gerry Conway wrote the introductory memo below laying down the law as the newly installed Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics. A lot of what he had to say made sense, because Marvel was a train wreck as far as scheduling was concerned, always falling victim to what was then known as the Dreaded Deadline Doom. But Gerry wasn’t around to see all his plans implemented, because he was only in his position for three weeks.

Or was it four? Or maybe even six?

I’m no longer sure, because though I’ve been remembering his term as lasting only three weeks, I’ve heard others who are equally as sure insist that it was one or the other of those two additional time periods. So until someone turns up further documentation, I’m keeping an open mind (and an elastic memory).

One thing I am sure of, however, is that though this memo is dated March 12, 1974 … that really wasn’t when it was written. After all, I hadn’t started working for Marvel yet by that date, and neither had Gerry. Since it was packed away in my files between a memo from me to Stan Lee dated February 12, 1976, and a letter from Gerry to Len Darvin at the Comics Code dated March 15, 1976, I can safely assume that the date on the memo is off by two years.

Had Gerry’s reign lasted longer, who knows how different Marvel might have been?