Columnist PAUL KUPPERBERG’s warm birthday remembrance of his late friend, writer Martin Pasko… — UPDATED 8/4/26: The late Martin “Pesky” Pasko was born 72 years ago. Perfect time to reprint this lovely piece by columnist PAUL KUPPERBERG, from when Pasko died in May 2020. Right on. — Dan — By PAUL KUPPERBERG We interrupt the regularly scheduled series of shameless plugs for my book Direct Comments: Comic Creators In Their Own Words for a tribute to my late friend, Martin Pasko (Aug. 4, 1954–May 10, 2020). Shortly after his birth in Montreal, Jean-Claude Rochefort was rocketed across the border to New Jersey where he was adopted by a kindly couple named Pasko who raised him as their own. Now known as Marty Pasko, the child grew to maturity, knowing he possessed talents and abilities far beyond those of mortal fans, to one day pen the adventures of that orphan from the stars, Superman. Not to mention hundreds of other heroes of comic books, animation and TV. I don’t remember the circumstances of our first meeting; in my memory, Marty was always in my life, like family. My guess is we first crossed paths at one of the very early-1970s New York Comic Art Conventions, although I knew his name from the many (many!) letters he had printed in the comics of the day, particularly those edited by Julie Schwartz. It was in those letter columns that Julie gave Marty the nickname “Pesky,” but I know for a fact from later talks with Julie that the crusty old editor loved getting intelligent letters from thoughtful fans and he often found Marty’s insights as useful as they were “pesky.” When we did finally get together, Marty and I bonded instantly. It didn’t hurt that I had the unfailing ability to make Marty laugh. He was the Jack Benny to my George Burns (look it up, youngsters!) and it cracked me up that I could crack him up, that I could lay him out on the floor, literally gasping for breath, with as little as a sincere recitation of “Direct dialing” or “Wankel rotary engine.” At the beginning of my career, which followed his by about two years, Marty became a sort of creative mentor to me. While he had only two years on me by the calendar, he was already about...
Corner boxes! Byrne! BULLPEN BULLETINS! — UPDATED 8/1/26: Every once in a while it’s nice to pause and just think about how much we love comics. Well, our pal Anthony Durso did a wonderful job on just that point in 2018 with a quartet of columns about Marvel and DC in the Bronze and Silver Ages. So dig this groovy piece — and check out the links at the bottom for more joyous celebration. We reprint these columns at least once a year and they never fail to entertain. Dig it. — Dan — By ANTHONY DURSO I really started building my Marvel collection in late 1977. Long story short, but Wednesday nights were a “visitation day” and inevitably my brother and I would end up at Carl’s Drugs where my father was usually good for at least a 3-pack of Marvel Comics. The spinner rack had DC too but those were of the dreaded (at the time) Whitman label. The collection quickly grew and it seemed like I couldn’t get enough from the House of Ideas. Over the years I’ve gone back and forth between Marvel and DC but Bronze Age Marvel is definitely the sweet spot for me. Ironic, considering the often tense situation, but there’s fond memories in those four-color pages. — 13. How to Read Comics the Marvel Way. Reading Marvel Comics during the Bronze Age was an immersive experience. Beyond the normal 17- to 22-page story, there were little gems of wisdom tucked throughout the book. Synopsis header strips on the splash page gave a quick rundown on the character or concept featured. Editor’s notes sprinkled throughout the story clued the casual reader in on what came before. The Bullpen Bulletins page (including Stan’s Soapbox) gave readers a glimpse of what Marvel had in the pipeline, while the Mighty Marvel Checklist provided a look at what was at the newsstand currently. Marvel Value Stamps (found on the letters page) could be counted on to showcase characters you’d never heard of (but were eager to seek out). Who needed the internet, fan press, Google or Wikipedia? Marvel had you covered! — 12. Not The Same Old Thing. Who knew that long-term exposure to gamma rays due to countless battles against the Hulk would result in Benjamin J. Grimm losing the power of the Thing? Certainly...
Columnist PAUL KUPPERBERG’s warm birthday remembrance of his late friend, writer Martin Pasko…
Corner boxes! Byrne! BULLPEN BULLETINS!
Kirby Krackle! Pym Particles! EXCELSIOR!
