All The Stars There Are in (Super-hero) Heaven!

The 1970s Justice Society Revival-All-Starring the Original Cast!
by Roy Thomas

AL MILGROM
(Cover penciler, All-Star Comics #67-70)

From Alter Ego Vol. 3 #14

In Alter Ego #14, you'll find Roy's take on the 1970s JSA revival. You can find mini-interviews with some of the other participants: Paul Levitz, Gerry Conway, Ric Estrada, Keith Giffen, Al Milgrom & Joe Staton.

Courtesy of Al Milgrom-the artist's alternate cover rough for All-Star #68. See p. 20 for the published version. [©2002 DC Comics.]

When asked to confirm that he had, indeed, penciled-with Jack Abel inking-the four covers listed above, Al added these related comments:

A little earlier, I had been doing a lot of covers and cover layouts for Gerry Conway over at Marvel, and [managing editor?] Joe Orlando called me up. He said that [publisher] Jenette Kahn liked my covers and he invited me to do some for DC. They paid a little better than Marvel, so I said yes.

But, before I started, Joe told me, "We don't want our covers to look like Marvel covers." I was confused, because Marvel covers were the reason Jenette had liked my covers, but I tried to make my DC covers a little different from my Marvel ones.

I even got into trouble with [Marvel editor] Archie Goodwin over doing covers for DC, because he didn't think I should be doing covers for both companies. It was the only time I ever really saw Archie get angry! I felt bad about it, because Archie was a good friend, and I thought he was feeling the pressure of the editor-in-chief job. I went to his office and explained that I was a freelancer, and getting to do covers for both the "big two" was a fan's dream come true. Besides, I pointed out that DC was actually paying me more for the same work. He said, "Well, if the money means that much to you...." And I laughed and told him, "Hey, Arch, look at it this way... I'm working for you at bargain prices." Later that day he apologized and said he understood my position as a freelancer. He was a real gentleman about it. Since the majority of my work was for Marvel, I would've had to quit the DC gig if he had pressed me.

Ironically, shortly thereafter, Joe Orlando came to me and said, "Jenette doesn't like your covers. She says they're not like the ones you did for Marvel."

I said, "Joe, you told me not to draw them the way I do for Marvel."

And he just winked, as if to say, "You know that and I know that, but I can't tell Jenette that."

But that was Joe.

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