Roy Thomas, the first editor-in-chief under whom I served at Marvel Comics, turned 69 today. If he hadn’t brought me on board for my first position working on Marvel’s British reprint books, I likely wouldn’t have ended up where I am today.

And I’m not just talking about professionally, but personally as well, since otherwise I’d never have met my wife, Irene Vartanoff, who was hired just a couple of months before I was.

So thanks for everything, Roy!

Just to show my appreciation, here’s a blast from the past—a letter Roy wrote to Joe Brancatelli’s fanzine Comic Fandom Monthly that was printed in its April 1972 issue, in which he debated the merits of the famed Stan Lee at Carnegie Hall event.

For what it’s worth, I was there that January night, and though I wasn’t one of the unruly fans Joe described, I definitely sided with Roy. We wanted more of the Marvel madmen, and fewer non-comics performances. Though seeing Eddie Carmel, “The Jewish Giant,” who I recall being present as sort of a living version of The Hulk, was kind of cool.

In any case, happy birthday, Roy!

And thanks again!