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Synopsis

Assistant Editor's Month is a one-off event that happened at Marvel Comics wherein the editors of Marvel Comics surrendered full creative control over to their assistants, the end result usually resulting in something humorous or offbeat. The genesis of the Assistant Editor's Month was that all the regular Marvel editors were off at the 1983 San Diego Comic-Con, giving the assistant editors free rein over all of Marvel's titles that month. All these issues had the cover date January 1984.

Checklist[]

Assistant Editor's Month 1984 issues

Issues[]

Issue Assistant Editor Notes
Alpha Flight Vol 1 6

Alpha Flight #6
Linda Grant Used white panels on cover and fighting scenes.
Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 248

Amazing Spider-Man #248
Bob DeNatale The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man!
Avengers Vol 1 239

Avengers #239
Mike Carlin The team made an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman and saves the show from an attack by Fabian Stankowicz, who was jealous of the Avengers notoriety. The issues cover also featured a parody of old DC Comic books from the 1960s, including a check board pattern along the top and the Marvel Comics logo redesigned in a parody of the old DC Comics emblem of that era.
Captain America Vol 1 289

Captain America #289
Mike Carlin Involved a back-up story, where Captain America is captured by an amalgamation of M.O.D.O.K. and the Red Skull (Moskull) and had to be rescued by Bernie America (really Cap's girlfriend Bernie Rosenthal). The issue's cover is also a parody of old DC Comic books from the 1960s, including a checkerboard pattern along the top and the Marvel Comics logo redesigned in a parody of the old DC Comics emblem of that era.
Conan the Barbarian Vol 1 154

Conan the Barbarian #154
Jim Owsley Features a story where Conan's body is drastically altered in the middle of a daring quest. This issue features a cover in parody of DC Comics old cover style. The title name 'The Man-Bats of Ur-Xanarrh!' is also in parody of DC Comics 'Batman of Zur-En-Arrh'.
Conan the King Vol 1 20

Conan the King #20
Jim Owsley Jim states "I felt that is this landmark issue of CONAN THE KING. I'd take the theme of Assistant Editor's month just a bit further."
Daredevil Vol 1 202

Daredevil #202
Mike Higgins Issue featured a Marvel logo reading "Marvel Pop Art Productions" much in the fashion a number of Marvel comic books had on the covers in the early '60s before they were dropped. This issue also has Foggy Nelson as the featured character on the cover.
Dazzler Vol 1 30

Dazzler #30
Bob Harras Dazzler ends up defending the San Diego Comic-Con from a rampaging mutant and encounters Ralph Macchio. Macchio's face is drawn on Dazzler's body in the Marvel logo box on the cover. Also the last page is one-pager 'The Ralph Macchio Gallery'. All Hail Ralph!
Defenders Vol 1 127

Defenders #127
Ann Nocenti Featured a cover alteration, the assistant editor's self-portrait is superimposed on Angel's body in the Marvel Comics logo box.
Fantastic Four Vol 1 262

Fantastic Four #262
Mike Higgins Has a written note from John Byrne in the Marvel logo acknowledging that it's Assistant Editor's Month but asking the staff not to do anything too ridiculous with the cover.
Further Adventures of Indiana Jones Vol 1 13

Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #13
Eliot Brown The Beware stamp in the UPC box on the cover. The assistant editor one-page story is at the end, called 'Massachusetts Brown:Raiders Of The Late Book'.
G.I

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #19
Linda Grant Snake Eyes fact file, without editor's permission. Also has an altered Marvel logo box featuring the assistant editor of this book.
Incredible Hulk Vol 1 291

Incredible Hulk #291
Ann Nocenti Has an altered Marvel logo box featuring the assistant editor of this book on the Hulk's face.
Iron Man Vol 1 178

Iron Man #178
Mike Carlin Features a parody of the old DC Comics cover format. Also has a back up story of a group of kids who pretend they're Avengers, firing their version of "Iron Man." But then they realize that he is an asset to their group when he beats up a local bully.
Marvel Retread Funnies Vol 1 1

Marvel Retread Funnies #1
Scheduled to publish in this month but cancelled. Only a cover released before, features a parody of the old DC Comics cover format, and the line 'She's Dead' is around the MC logo .
Marvel Tales Vol 2 159

Marvel Tales (Vol. 2) #159
Bob DeNatale
Marvel Team-Up Vol 1 137

Marvel Team-Up #137
Bob DeNatale Instead of featuring a Spider-Man team-up like usual, this issue of Marvel Team-Up has Aunt May and Franklin Richards teaming up to stop Galactus.
Micronauts Vol 1 56

Micronauts #56
Bob Harras Two Assistant Editor's Month stories
Moon Knight Vol 1 35

Moon Knight #35
Linda Grant 'Flying Solo, Flying Blind?'
New Mutants Vol 1 11

New Mutants #11
Elliot Brown A slightly altered cover. In the Marvel Comics logo which usually features head shots of the various New Mutants, has the inclusion of the assistant editor of that book with purple antlers drawn on, one of which obscures Cannonball's face.
Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Vol 1 86

Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #86
Bob DeNatale This issue features artwork mostly done by Fred Hembeck.
Power Man and Iron Fist Vol 1 101

Power Man and Iron Fist #101
Linda Grant
Rom Vol 1 50

Rom #50
Bob Harras Featured an altered Marvel logo box featuring Rom in a house coat and pipe (a la Playboy owner Hugh Hefner) and Starshine dressed in a pink apron and oven mitts.
Saga of Crystar, Crystal Warrior Vol 1 5

Saga of Crystar, Crystal Warrior #5
Bob Harras Features a parody of the assistant editor dressed as Crystar. He is wearing Crystar's helmet however is wielding a tennis racket instead of Crystar's trademark sword.
Star Wars Vol 1 79

Star Wars #79
Eliot Brown Eliot Brown had a Darth Vader costume himself, Lando dressing up as Captain Harlock from Space Battleship Yamato.
Thing Vol 1 7

Thing #7
Ann Nocenti Has an altered logo box. In this story Thing reads his own comic, is not impressed, and pays a visit to the Marvel Comics office.
Thor Vol 1 339

Thor #339
Mike Carlin Mike Carlin and Walt Simonson dancing.
Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 177

Uncanny X-Men #177
Elliot Brown Here is a one-page story for this showing Eliot Brown measuring up the Blackbird for the Marvel Handbook released that month. He is kicked out of the X-Mansion by Professor X since he has taken too long to get the correct measurements and the X-Men need to use the jet.
X-Men Annual Vol 1 7

X-Men Annual #7
Elliot Brown X-Men go to the Marvel offices.
Marvel Age Vol 1 10

Marvel Age #10
Marvel Fanfare Vol 1 12

Marvel Fanfare #12
Ann Nocenti 'Editori-Al' is changed to 'Editori-Gal', then Ann faced a writer crisis, Roger Stern cannot find any editors to discuss story plot of next month. So Ann made him wear Captain America's suit to inspire his idea, which prove to be a disaster. There is also a 'Robbie's Page' instead of 'Shooter's Page' in the end, written by Robbie Carosella.

Issues on checklist, but with nothing special[]

Not a part of the event[]

Following issues were published in January, 1983, but they weren't on event checklist and hadn't had anything special.

See Also

Links and References

References

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