I owned at least two copies of this first volume of THE X-MEN COMPANION, possibly three. And I got them for the stupidest of reasons. At the time, having relocated to a new development in Delaware, I was forced to get my comic books monthly via mail order from Geppi’s Comic World. This meant filling out and submitting an order form each months and then being ready with the cash when the package arrived C.O.D. sometime later. And the reason that I wound up with multiple copies of this book was that it ran late. So when it didn’t turn up in the shipment it was meant to be in, I called the Geppi warehouse to complain, and then sent out a replacement copy once the books came in. So I had copies turn up on at least two occasions. This was one of the reasons that I stopped using the mail-order service, I didn’t have so much disposable income at that point where I could be dropping an additional $4.95 on books that I already had.
The two volumes of THE X-MEN COMPANION were among the stranger publications released by Fantagraphics in the 1980s. The firm was mostly know for publishing the Comics Journal, a monthly magazine devoted to comic book criticism. Over time, it skewed more and more away from the mainstream and towards works of greater artistic merit, but in 1982, they were still covering the comics scene of the moment. One of the mainstays of the Comics Journal was their long in-depth interviews with creators in the field; no matter how much I might have disliked or disagreed with the magazine’s editorial slant, those long interviews were always worth buying it for. Fantagraphics themselves had higher artistic aspirations. They had begun to publish LOVE AND ROCKETS by this time. But artistic efforts didn’t always pay the bill, and so the company was forced to also publish AMAZING HEROES as something of a cash cow to stay afloat. These two X-MEN COMPANION volumes were an extension of those efforts.
By 1982, there was no more popular comic book in the Direct Market of comic book specialty shops than X-MEN. In particular, the All-New, All-Different X-Men that had debuted in 1975 in the pages of GIANT-SIZE X-MEN #1. As X-MEN had been a reprint title for many years, those early issues featuring the new team were hard to find, which helped to drive up back issue prices exponentially as more and more readers fell under the spell of what the series’ creators were doing. This all reached a crescendo with UNCANNY X-MEN #137 and the unexpected and emotional Death of Phoenix storyline. Interest exploded, and it never really cooled down again for at least two decades.
What’s more, the nascent fan community had learned that there’d been extensive changes made to that storyline in its final issue, changing its outcome completely. This galvanized conversation, and represented an opportunity for a savvy publisher. Somehow, Fantagraphics struck a deal with Marvel Comics to produce a two-volume retrospective on both the history and creation of the series and specifically the Death of Phoenix storyline and what was going to be coming thereafter. Interviews with all of the major creators as well as historical text was to be produced by Peter Sanderson, a comic book historian and letter-writer who was well known to most of the principles involved. In effect, the book was to be a deep dive look behind the curtain as to how this groundbreaking series came together. I can say for myself that I found it illuminating and inspiring as I pursued my interest in coming into the field.
Not only was Sanderson permitted access to the assorted creators and editors, but Marvel also provided Fantagraphics with black and white proofs from its archive so that the volume could be illustrated with pages, panels and images drawn from throughout X-Men history. This was another part of the appeal for me, as it gave me a glimpse into a wide assortment of comic books that I had never read before. (The same was true, I expect, for a lot of other New X-Men fans who hadn’t been exposed to the original 1960s incarnation of the group.)
Behind a lovely and dramatic cover by Michael Golden, the book opened with a historical overview of the series written by Sanderson, then segued into interviews with four of the principle creators on the title: Roy Thomas, Len Wein, Dave Cockrum and Chris Claremont. The latter’s long interview was broken in two, with the second half slated to be published in the follow-up volume, along with an interview with artist John Byrne. Additionally, this volume reproduced a number of panels and pages from the unused and discarded ending to UNCANNY X-MEN #137, which were amazing to see. I can remember using these pages to try my hand at doing inking samples. Terry Austin didn’t have much of anything to worry about.
The whole publication was really a treasure trove of information about how a comic book series was conceived and executed and how the various writers, artists and editors thought about the job and the work they were producing. I read it cover to cover again and again, and looked forward to the second volume appearing. Which it eventually did, also late, far more so than the first. It sported a cover by Gil Kane rather than the Neal Adams image that had been promised–Kane was a good friend of Fantagraphics publisher Gary Groth, and so it’s likely he stepped in to help Groth out when Adams’ cover never materialized for whatever reason. But I didn’t care. Just like the first book, the second volume was also a treasure trove of insightful information. And especially so many decades later, these two volumes are invaluable as a testimony as to the origins of these characters and storylines, as al parties involved’s memories would have been years fresher in 1982 than in subsequent recountings of events.
The Tom Brevoort Experience 
One of the great things about online comics discussion is reminding me that other fans have completely different frames of reference as to what was new, what was current and what was before their time.
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That is a fine cover by Michael Golden. I think I see his influence on Art Adams, that Adams has mentioned in interviews. Maybe Pat Broderick’s, too, though I’m unsure if Golden or Broderick was published first. And possibly on Bill Willingham, since I think Willingham’s style resembles Golden’s a bit.
The only other X-Man missing that I consider essential for my ideal roster is Rogue. This cover likely predates her joining the team. Golden drew her in that 1981 Avengers Annual.
Wolverine’s green boots can serve as tribute to Rogue’s usual green costume.
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The X-Men Companion was the model I used to do my own Companion books, decades later. Read it over and over and over again. Didn’t even know there was a second one until many, many years later!
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