While shredding nearly 10,000 pages of my accumulated papers, I made several discoveries worth sharing, including memorable hate mail I received while writing Captain Marvel, multiple reasons I’m unqualified to write my own autobiography, a job application at Comico, why I refused to meet editors until after I’d already sold them stories, my unsuccessful score on a DC Comics proofreading test, four rejected Tales from the Darkside pitches which didn’t end up published in Elvira’s House of Mystery, and more.

You can hear me borne back ceaselessly into the past via the embed below or download the episode at the site of your choice.

Here are a few images related to a couple of the topics I mention this episode —

My first and favorite Captain Marvel hate mail

My Media Whore business card
and the reason why

At the 1974 D.C. Worldcon
with Carl Gafford, Paul Levitz, and Steve Gilary

A cover story which got me an unexpected gig at Tales from the Darkside

I don’t have much to say this episode, but I’ve decided to say it anyway, sharing about the way Stan Lee saved me in a dream, what I was thinking (or not) 52 years ago today on the eve of starting my Marvel Comics staff job, the PTSD of older creators who lived through the creation of the Comics Code, why I won’t be writing my autobiography, when I’ll be shredding half a century of daily diaries, and more.

You can hear me wax nostalgic via the embed below or download the episode at the site of your choice.

Here are a few images related to a couple of the topics I mention this episode —

Hanging with Stan Lee at San Diego Comic-Con

Chilling with Brian Keene during StokerCon

Outside the White House during the 1974 Worldcon
with Carl Gafford, Paul Levitz, and Steve Gilary

This time around, I reminisce about what it meant to have met Gerry Conway in 1971 when I was only 16, the comic book comrades I should have known better but never had the chance, my dreams of decluttering with Bernie Wrightson, the first two origin stories I thought up for The Scarecrow before the one fans got to read in 1975, and more.

You can hear me get all nostalgic via the embed below or download the episode at the site of your choice.

Here are a few images related to a couple of the topics I mention this episode —

Gerry Conway
as interviewed on Episode 99 of my Eating the Fantastic podcast

My original notes for The Scarecrow’s (wisely) unused origins

How those origins were summarized on a Dead of Night #11 text page

This time around, I dream of Action Comics #1, consider how the death of Sal Buscema has me thinking of Vinnie Colletta, decide Jim Salicrup will outlive us all, regret my near-miss with Jim Mooney during my honeymoon, remember the time Mike Friedrich threatened to punch me in the nose, and more.

You can eavesdrop on all those memories via the embed below or download them at the site of your choice.

Here are a few images related to a couple of the topics I mention this episode —

What I looked like the honeymoon weekend
I failed to meet Jim Mooney

Jim Mooney’s splash page for Omega the Unknown #7 (March 1997)

Gerry Conway’s thoughts on our first meeting
with art by Alan Weiss

Don Heck draws my Supergirl
from Superman Family #194 (April 1979)

This episode has me reminiscing about why I think of comics artist John Tartaglione every day, my dreams of Paul Anka’s comic book collection and a visit from Gene Colan, my early attempts to get fired from Marvel Comics, a well-earned warning from Marv Wolfman, the puzzle of why covers to romance novels tend to feature aspirational art while comic book romance covers often lean into the problems, and more.

You can eavesdrop on all those memories via the embed below or download them at the site of your choice.

Here are a couple of images related to a couple of the topics I touched on during the episode —

Charlton Comics Lettering
a credit for A. Machine from Blue Beetle #2, Aug 1967

John Tartaglione art
from Love Tales #73, May 1957

I grow a bit verklempt this time around while I rap about the Spider-Man rock album for which I made sure the band didn’t miss a note, remember watching Dave Cockrum and Len Wein create Giant-Size X-Men #1 out of thin air, pass along the surprising truths Steve Ditko’s family most wants you to know, critique the Metropolitan Opera’s production of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, choke up while praising Marie Severin’s posthumous induction into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame, walk the exhibit hall at Baltimore Comic-Con where only a single item of comics memorabilia tempted me, and more.

You can eavesdrop on all those memories via the embed below or download them at the site of your choice.

Here are some images related to some of the topics you’ll hear me touching on during the episode —

Stan Lee sells Spider-Man: Rock Reflections of a Super-Hero

My autographed copy of that album

Praising Marie Severin at the Society of Illustrators

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In which I track down the Fantastic Four panel which caused me to first enter comics fandom, look back at a 1975 Planet of the Apes contents page where I was credited for no reason I can remember, remain confused about Daredevil‘s Matt/Mike Murdock subterfuge, laugh at the way “Fabulous” Flo Steinberg gave The Thing a super headache, and more.

You can eavesdrop on all those memories via the embed below or download them at the site of your choice.

Here are several images related to some of the topics you’ll hear me touching on during the episode —

Bob Larkin’s cover to Planet of the Apes #4

Planet of the Apes #4 Table of Contents

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Having survived my trip to the Seattle Worldcon, I share a few comic book dreams, learn why I should no longer feel guilty about one aspect of my Omega the Unknown fill-in issue, read up on how Marvel Comics artists felt during the mid-’70s about writers receiving original artwork, explain why the Comics Code Authority didn’t seem to understand how to read comics, reveal the way a wolfman was responsible for me being credited on my DC mystery stories, and more.

You can eavesdrop on all those memories via the embed below or download them at the site of your choice.

Here are several images related to some of the topics I touched on during the episode —

My guilt-inducing Omega the Unknown panels
from issue #7 (March 1977)

The Omega the Unknown panel which assuaged that guilt
from issue #4 (September 1976)

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Rereading my mid-’70s run of Captain Marvel teaches me why I should never have been writing comics in the first place — but it also causes me to reminisce about how I rescued Rick Jones from the Negative Zone, the way the success of Crazy Rich Asians caused Captain Marvel reshoots, the travesty of the Teen Brigade’s return, George Tuska’s unseen Wonder Man, why I believe in back-shadowing, not foreshadowing, and more.

You can eavesdrop on all those memories via the embed below or download them at the site of your choice.

Here are several images which illustrate some of the topics I touched on during the episode —

What AI got wrong about me and Stan Lee

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Tragic events and happy anniversaries cause me to reminisce about the convention where I last saw Jim Shooter, how my immaturity cost me my Captain Marvel gig, my sudden realization DC Editor Mort Weisinger could have had a connection to my quitting comics, the time I almost ate Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel’s hair, how the Dreaded Deadline Doom discolored original artwork, my continuing regrets over accepting an assignment to write an issue of Omega the Unknown, and more.

You can eavesdrop on all those memories via the embed below or download them at the site of your choice.

Here are several images to illuminate the topics I touched on during the episode —

The day I went skydiving with Jim Shooter in 1976

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