Marv-elous Monday: Eating the Fantastic with Scott Edelman and Marv (Get It?) Wolfman

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Yeah, Ol' Groove's being a little sneaky with the Marv-elous Monday title, but I think you're really gonna dig this. Scott Edelman, a Groovy Age fave who (among many other accomplishments) edited F.O.O.M. Magazine, wrote some awesome issues of Captain Marvel, and created The Scarecrow has a series of podcasts called Eating the Fantastic, in which Sparkling Scott shares a sumptuous meal and interesting conversation with sci-fi luminaries. Scott's latest podcast, though, is especially of interest to those of us here in Groove City as he's interview another Groovy Age great, none other than Marv Wolfman whose Tomb of Dracula, Nova, and many other 1970s comics (and 80s comics, and 90s comics...) are much loved by us all. Of special interest is how Scott ties his conversation with Marv into an the last interview Scott conducted with Marv--back in 1974 when he was editing the aforementioned F.O.O.M. Magazine!

And just because Ol' Groove loves ya, baby, here's some more cool stuff Scott put into that particular ish of F.O.O.M. (#8)...

How cool is that? Now, the real reason we're here (I'm getting to it, Scott!), if you'll please follow the link and...

Join comics legends Scott Edelman and Marv Wolfman for gelato in Episode 54 of Eating the Fantastic!

One more last pic, of Scott, Marv, and the late, great Len Wein from F.O.O.M. #10!

And if you dig that, how about this discussion with Game of Thrones' George R. R. Martin (who talks a bit about his work in fanzines and as a Marvel letterhack)? It's right here: Down drunken noodles with George R. R. Martin in Episode 43 of Eating the Fantastic.

And there are dozens more cool interviews on Eating the Fantastic, so don't forget to save Scott's site to your favorite browser--oh, and leave a nice tip for the waiter!

Marvel-ous Mondays: "And Then Came...Blockbuster!" by Edelman and Mooney

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Today we're looking back at Omega the Unknown #7 (December 1976), the first of two fill-in issues ordered by Jim Shooter (who was acting as Marvel's Editor-In-Chief, although Archie Goodwin still had the title). Shooter's goal was to get Marvel back on track schedule-wise. He ordered lots of fill-ins and short back-up features to help keep Marvel from publishing any more reprints-as-fillers since 1976 was filled to overflowing with them (1977 had its share of 'em, too, but that's fodder for another column). According to Scott Edelman from his very own website (you can read it for yourself if ya wanna), OtU was in danger of falling to the Dreaded Deadline Doom for some reason or another. In order to head the problem off at the pass, Shooter took Edelman and Roger Stern to dinner to tell them that they were to write fill-ins that wouldn't upset the continuity of Omega (in other words, no major changes to the status quo--such as it was under regular writers Steve Gerber and Mary Skrenes). And he needed those stories right away. Edelman managed to get the art done by regular OtU artist Jim Mooney. You can find out next month who drew Stern's ish (if you don't already know!). Anyway, Ol' Groove feels Edelman did a pretty good job of keeping the ball rolling with "And Then Came...Blockbuster!"

Cover art by Dave Cockrum

Team-up Week! Thursday Team-ups: "The Gravity War!" by Conway, Edelman, Jones, and Tanghal

Check it out, Groove-ophiles! Another day, another day of Team-up Week! Today we're wrapping up the Supergirl/Doom Patrol team-up from Superman Family! "The Gravity War!" plotted by Gerry Conway, scripted by Scott Edelman, and illustrated by Arvell Jones and Romeo Tanghal appeared in Superman Family #193 (October 1978)...

Bring On the Back-ups: "Joyride Into Jeopardy!" by Edelman, Anderson, and McLeod

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Once EIC Jim Shooter got Marvel's mags running like clockwork, there was no longer any need for the 5 page back-ups Archie Goodwin had commissioned. The Dread Deadline Doom had been defeated. But Marvel never wasted during the Groovy Age, not even a measly five page filler. Of course, when the measly five page filler features talents like Scott Edelman, Brent Anderson, Bob McLeod, Glynis Wein, and Gaspar Saladino--not to mention featuring X-Men mainstay Warren Worthington III--aka the high-flying Angel--who would waste it? "Joyride Into Jeopardy!" finally found a home in Marvel Treasury Edition #27 (Spring 1979). Dig it, baby!

Random Reads: "Til Death Do Us Part!" by Edelman, Milgrom, and Austin

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! Here's the fabulous follow-up to Marvel's Captain Marvel #50 (which you can read here), "Til Death Do Us Part!" from Captain Marvel #51 (April 1977). Marv's battle with Thor-villain Mercurio, the 4-D Man is kinda cool, but the really neat stuff are the "minor" bits with Marv and his "side-kick" Rick Jones trying to figure out how to have real lives on earth. Scott and Al also put the Marvel Universe to good use with a quickie Avengers appearance, a funny J. Jonah Jameson cameo and the return of the Teen Brigade (from the Silver Age Hulk and Avengers series). Milgrom provides some cool action sequences and Austin's inks make it all look properly science fictiony (whaddya mean that ain't a word?).