In late 1981, just about the time Comics Scene was debuting, I got a call from Jim Shooter, inviting me to lunch. The Marvel Editor-in-Chief met me with Jim Starlin in tow to discuss the company’s new creator-owned contracts, which enticed Starlin back to the company. The first work to benefit from this would be Marvel Graphic Novel #3, Dreadstar, the third installment in what was to be Starlin’s magnum opus.
Starlin initially serialized his saga in the first nine issues of Marvel’s Epic Illustrated then took The Price the second chapter, to Eclipse because he couldn’t get the deal he wanted from Marvel.
Over the meal, Shooter extolled the virtues and Starlin, who I had met previously, impressed me with his passion, and willingness to do modified work for Marvel, starting with January 1982’s Death of Captain Marvel graphic novel, which was part of the overall deal.
I was flattered to be given my first scoop, running it in issue #2, the same issue that contained John Byrne’s controversial guest column where he declared, “I am a cog in the machine which is Marvel Comics and I rejoice in that.” (Boy, did that stir up some negative sentiment from his peers.)
I had liked Dreadstar up to that point and was delighted to learn there’d be more. I read the entire that graphic novel then the 64 -issue run, which started at Epic Comics and moved to First Comics. I also read the six-issue continuation that Malibu’s Bravura imprint released in the mid-90s.
This is a concept design for how the Who;’s Who pages will look. The actual pages are currently being designed.
Then, about a year ago, Ron Marz, a longtime pal and Editor-in-Chief of Ominous Press, hinted he had me in mind for a project, right about the time they were conducting their Kickstarter campaign to collect Starlin’s run (which ended with issue #40, when he handed the writing off to Peter David) in three lovely volumes.
More recently, he finally asked me to produce a Dreadstar Who’s Who for a companion volume of material that would be part of their next campaign, which launches today. After all these years, Starlin is returning to his creation for a new graphic novel, the first art he’s producing after a lengthy period when his health wouldn’t let him draw.
I spent a portion of Spring Break last week rereading those three hardcovers, then began taking notes, scouring the web for additional resources. I managed to compile the Who’s Who, exercising skills that haven’t been used in a while. Although, last year, I did similar service for Darrin Wiltshire’s Heroes of the Public Domain #3.
Anyway, the Kickstarter event is live and my work on the project is complete. Now, I’ll be a Starlin fan once more, looking forward to this new chapter in the character’s saga.
Bob's Test Import 