The fourth issue of FantaCo’s short-lived CHRONCILES series carried with it a new logo for the title–things were perhaps already growing dicey between the company and Marvel, whose output they were reviewing and indexing in these publications. And interview they had run in their FANTASTIC FOUR edition, #2, had earned them the ire of Marvel’s EIC Jim Shooter, and so the largesse that had allowed them not only an allowance to use Marvel artwork and trademarked material but also gave them some access to Marvel resources was about to evaporate.
But as last time, what I’m interested in showcasing here is actually another short parody strip done by cartoonist Don Martinec. I still have found out very little about Martinec himself–who he was, where he came from, what happened to him. But he was active in fan circles in the early 1980s and produced a number of pieces like this one evocative of the 1960s Marvel output. He was really quite good at doing this.
In contrast to his earlier Fantastic Four story, which was little more than a three-page build-up to a single punch line, the greater length of this Avengers “Assemblers” tale allowed him to work in a few more punch lines, even if the final piece was perhaps not as laser-focused as the FF one.
The Tom Brevoort Experience 
I must have read and reread the Steve Englehart interview 5 or 6 times…I found it fascinating as 12/13 year old. I read the Avengers in the British Marvel weekly comics starting with Roy Thomas’s final story, so Steve Englehart’s Avengers were my Avengers. Really soured my point of view on Gerry Conway for many years to come. Have since heard Gerry’s point of view on many a podcast and sounds like blame on both parts, although I think maybe Steve had an ego that was bigger than the room at the point at which he walked away. 1970’s Marvel…you can’t beat it 😂
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I knew Don Martinec a bit because we probably talked at various Midwest conventions. My database of birthdays, historical notes and remembrances has this: Don Martinec (September 17, 1958 – December 30, 1995). I kind of sort of remember that he was in poor health for a while before his death, but that’s been true of so many comics people than I can’t be sure of my memory.
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