Was your Dr. Strange vs. Dracula epic designed to permanently write out vampires from the Marvel Universe? It seems like it was written as a conclusion to the Tomb of Dracula series continuity threads. At this period of Marvel history, Ghost Rider and Son of Satan were also apparently written out of the MU. Were the 70's occult heroes and their associated characters intentionally retired during the 80's?

Yes.


Yes, indeed.


Not intentionally. They had just temporarily run out of steam. Ghost Rider came back, bigger than ever, in the '90s.

-- Uncle Rog

I just discovered Steve Gerber originated the Montesi Formula!

Did you know each other well at the time you filled in with the Nitro story in OMEGA THE UNKNOWN?
I notice you did a super-hero slugfest mostly, so as to leave the main arc kind of untouched---although you did bring in Richard Rory! Just read MAN-THING today and realized Ruth Hart was brought in from that series, too...more of that Gerber ongoing Marvel novel thing...

What's your feelings about having some one-off guest shot writing in the middle of a cult classic arc? Is there another of the kind that comes to mind?

I knew Steve on a first name basis, but we weren't close or anything. Always thought he was a monstrously talented guy.




As I recall, Steve was extremely overcommitted at the time. Scott Edelman and I both wrote fill-in issues of OMEGA, doing our best to emulate what Steve and Mary were doing ... and probably not too successfully.

The problem was that no one was quite sure where they were going with the series. I remember one colorist not wanting to work on the book because it was "so depressing."

-- Uncle Rog

The question of where they were going is one of the great mysteries of comic books!
I thought you did fine and kept everyone in-character and gave the little book one more fighting chance. May have been an influence in bringing Nitro back to hassle Spidey later!

Thanks so much, it's so cool having you on IMWAN.