2020-12-12 - A Blast From The Past

A Blast From The Past

December 12, 2020 - News Post

Want to know a little bit about my influences behind making comics? Want to know how damn lucky I was as a child? Want to know some strange behind the scenes tales of Marvel Comics? I'm not sure I've ever really talked about this online. So it's about time…

This story starts before I was born.

Once upon a time, there was this guy named Jeff's Dad. This isn't a story about him, but an awesome friend he once had. So we'll shorten “Jeff's Dad” to “Paw”.

Paw is and always has been into comic books. He read them as a child, went to comic book conventions as a teen, and carries on that tradition to this day. I'm pretty sure Paw is no longer in his teens, but who can keep track?

In many many ways, you are reading this comic because of Paw. His love of comics was transferred to me through the “ritual of comic fandom” that all parents conduct with their oldest children (I assume). Maw (Jeff's Mom) was no small influence on me, but this is barely a story about Paw, so we'll skip over her as well.

Now, this story takes place a long time ago, when comic books were somewhat less mainstream. At one of these small 1960s and 70s conventions, Paw met a guy named Mark. A fellow comic book superhero enthusiast. They bonded over comics, discussed comics, became friends because of comics. For some reason, possibly comics, they remained friends.

In the years that followed, Mark wrote a number of fanzines. This is what comic book fans did in the days before blogs, podcasts, and YouTube. He even wrote one or two with Paw. Then, one day, he took a lifetime of artwork, writings, and many many fanzines down to Marvel comics. He looked at them, asked for a job, and they said, “Okay.”

Not too shabby.

There was a little more to the story than that, but the important part was that the talented, experienced person that Paw knew for years got a job making comics.

That's guy's full name was Mark Gruenwald. He went on to be an editor, artist, and writer… and eventually Executive Editor. He wrote for Hawkeye, Quasar, DP7, Spider-Woman, a remarkable graphic novel called Squadron Supreme, and a ten-year run of Captain America. He penciled a number of issues of Hawkeye, What If?, Hulk, and more. This is a small small glimpse at his career. Most importantly, he was known as the keeper of the continuity of the Marvel Universe, and created The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.

He was so knowledgeable about the history and stories of the Marvel Universe, that he is officially a part of it. In 1986, the Time Variance Authority (TVA) was introduced in Thor comics to monitor the multiverse. Every single employee in that bureaucracy is a clone of Mark Gruenwald.

Not familiar with the Time Variance Authority? Fine. The Captain America shield on the wall of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is a painted toboggan that once hung in Mark's office. I've poked that toboggan. Is that more relatable for you?

And before you feel too bad knowing that Paw started in the same place and didn't go on to comic celebrity status... know that Paw had me for a child somewhere along the way. This was truly the greatest prize of them all.

Despite Paw being the clear winner, Mark was still allowed to hang out with him. At random points throughout my childhood, every few months to years, Mark would stop by to visit Paw, or vice versa. At the time, my family lived in New York state, and I was fortunate enough to tag along on a couple visits to NYC. This meant trips to conventions, and tours of Marvel Comics in the 80s and 90s. I've seen a lot of offices in my time, and only once in my life have I watched people dive into comics like a pile of freshly raked leaves (this was at the Marvel office, in case you didn't guess).

Mark was an incredibly encouraging individual. He was hilarious and goofy. Thoughtful and nice. And not just to the people who knew him. His multi-year column in Marvel Age gave comic book fans an inside look into the world of comics, something that I've only recently come to appreciate.

We did not grow up wealthy or well-connected. I knew exactly how rare and precious it was to know someone at Marvel comics. As an annoying little kid, I did NOT take that relationship for granted. I would be a bit… relentless… in my enthusiasm. He was a busy man, and obviously wanted to talk more to Paw than me. Yet whenever I showed him a drawing, he took the time to give me actual meaningful feedback and criticism. He never treated us children like children, and rarely acted like he was an adult.

Throughout my childhood, he would send random boxes to Paw. Sometimes they'd contain comics, sometimes misprinted t-shirts, apple cores, and giant plaster aspirin tablets. Paw would return the favor, sending weird odds and ends and bizarre videotape letters. It was always a joy to communicate with Mark. In person or otherwise.

By the time I reached middle school and high school, we saw less of Mark. Our family had moved to a different state, and he had a life with ups and downs and responsibilities. He and Paw stayed in touch, the strange random boxes continued to arrive via mail, but direct contact became increasingly rare.

The last time I saw him was 1995. We took a trip up north to see his new home. The visit was fun, yet the entire comic book industry had been struggling, and the Marvel Comic offices were a pale shadow of their former selves. No longer vibrant and festive, they were gray, dreary, with half the lights turned off. To be fair, I think we came in on a long weekend, but the change was still apparent. He was noticeably stressed, but the most gracious of hosts.

On that trip, I was in my mid-teens. I did more than my fair share of eye rolling at his hilarious (and slightly corny) jokes. He responded by making even cornier jokes until my eyes could not roll any further. He was endlessly kind, funny, positive, and informative.

He died of a heart attack the following year.

He was a few months older than I am now.

I don't know if he'd like me saying it, but Paw has never quite been the same. No one who knew Mark ever was. The world was a more exciting, fun, interesting place with Mark in it. He had a huge impact on the comic industry, and he is still sorely missed. I genuinely don't think I would be the artist I am today without his early influence.

I learned to draw muscle-bound heroes thanks to him. I learned a lot about sketching thanks to him. And although I never quite learned how to write, I learned that cliffhangers are not the same as endings thanks to--

So why bring all this up now? Why this week? Because Disney+ released a trailer for the upcoming Loki TV show, of course.

In the trailer, you will see a “silver-haired fox” Owen Wilson talking to Loki around the 55 second mark. The character he's playing? Remember the Time Variance Authority I mentioned earlier? That guy sure as hell looks like a clone of Mark Gruenwald!!! His mannerisms, his mustache, his words, it was like seeing Mark's doppelganger. Well, his doppelganger as played by Owen Wilson.

Wilson's hair looks different enough for Disney to legally claim that they didn't use Mark's likeness. But it's him. It's unmistakable.

I watched that trailer last night, and I got three seconds in before losing my mind. It is the happiest I've been to see a trailer in a long long time. Truly. I lost sleep over it. Official character names have not been announced, yet I am not the only one to make this connection. Wilson is most likely meant to be Mr. Mobius M. Mobius, a clone from middle management.

I am overjoyed to see Gruenwald honored in this way. And bonus points to the director for (coincidentally?) shooting his face at the most Mark-like angle they could find.

It makes sense that Mark would still be out in the multiverse somewhere. I never would have guessed it would be on Disney+.

This turned into quite the meandering tale, and I could go on for days. But for now, I will leave you with this:

On that last trip, his family and ours went to watch Batman Forever at the theater. The movie… wasn't great. Comic books were more of a joke at the time, and that was the best big-screen representation available.

Upon leaving, Mark mused, “I wonder which will happen first: That real life superheroes will appear, or that comic books will be considered a respectable form of entertainment.”

That's always stuck with me. It's been 25 years, and a lot has changed. I don't know if we've achieved respect for comics just yet, but I certainly know who my superhero was as a kid:

Owen freakin' Wilson.

-Jeff