Al Milgrom

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Al Milgrom
Milgrom at Florida SuperCon 2014
BornAllen L. Milgrom
(1950-03-06) March 6, 1950 (age 74)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Area(s)Writer, Penciller, Inker, Editor
Notable works
The Avengers
Captain Marvel
Firestorm
West Coast Avengers
The Spectacular Spider-Man
Secret Wars II
AwardsComics Buyer's Guide Fan Award (1982)
Inkwell Awards Special Recognition Award (2017)

Allen L. Milgrom[1] (born March 6, 1950)[2] is an American comic book writer, penciller, inker and editor, primarily for Marvel Comics. He is known for his 10-year run as editor of Marvel Fanfare; his long involvement as writer, penciler, and inker on Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man; his four-year tenure as West Coast Avengers penciller; and his long stint as the inker of X-Factor. He often inks Jim Starlin's work. Milgrom is the co-creator of DC superhero Firestorm.

Early life[edit]

Al Milgrom grew up in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from the University of Michigan in 1972.[3]

Career[edit]

West Coast Avengers #1 (Oct. 1985). Cover art by penciler Milgrom and inker Joe Sinnott.

Milgrom started his comics career in 1972 as an assistant for inker Murphy Anderson. During that period, Milgrom contributed to Charlton Comics' Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves, Star*Reach, and comics published by Warren Publishing and Atlas/Seaboard, before joining with Marvel. Milgrom also worked as a "Crusty Bunker" for Neal Adams' Continuity Associates in 1977.[4]

At one point Milgrom lived in the same Queens apartment building as artists Walter Simonson, Howard Chaykin, and Bernie Wrightson. Simonson recalls, "We'd get together at 3 a.m. They'd come up and we'd have popcorn and sit around and talk about whatever a 26, 27 and 20-year-old guys talk about. Our art, TV, you name it. I pretty much knew at the time, 'These are the good ole days.'"[5]

Milgrom came to prominence as a penciller on Captain Marvel from 1975 to 1977. He penciled the Guardians of the Galaxy feature in Marvel Presents, which was written by Steve Gerber[6] and Roger Stern.[7] Milgrom worked as editor at DC Comics from 1977 to 1978.[8] While at DC, he co-created Ronnie Raymond, the original Firestorm, with writer Gerry Conway.[9]

Milgrom was an editor for Marvel Comics beginning in 1979,[8] and editing Marvel Fanfare for its full ten-year run (#1–60, March 1982–January 1992).[10] As editor of The Incredible Hulk, he designed the costumes of the U-Foes.[11] He drew The Avengers (1983–85), The West Coast Avengers (1985–88), Kitty Pryde and Wolverine (1984–85), Secret Wars II (1985–86) and wrote the Mephisto limited series (1987).

Milgrom wrote and drew The Spectacular Spider-Man #90–100 (1984–85),[12] and The Incredible Hulk (1986–87). In 1991, he wrote a story arc for The Amazing Spider-Man[13] and collaborated with Danny Fingeroth on The Deadly Foes of Spider-Man limited series.[14]

Milgrom has been a prolific inker, working on most of Marvel's line. He served an eight-year stint as the inker of X-Factor in 1989–1997. He inked Ron Frenz on Thor in 1991–1993 and Thunderstrike from 1994 to 1995. Other series he has worked on include Captain America, Generation X, The Micronauts, and the Uncanny X-Men. Milgrom inked the limited series A-Next, J2, Marvel: The Lost Generation, and Thanos. Beginning in 1996, Milgrom completed his artistic journey on The Spectacular Spider-Man by inking the title until its cancellation in 1998.

In 2001 Milgrom was fired from his Marvel staff job when it was discovered he had added hidden slanderous comments against then Editor-in-Chief Bob Harras in the background of a page in the comic book Universe X Special: Spidey. Milgrom went on to freelance for Marvel, mostly inking Jim Starlin's work. He also started to work for Archie Comics on a regular basis, inking a variety of titles.[15] Beginning in the early 2000s, Al Milgrom freelanced for DC again, providing inks for titles like Mystery in Space (vol. 2), Ambush Bug: Year None and Strange Adventures (vol. 3).

Awards[edit]

In 2009, Cleburne: A Graphic Novel, written and pencilled by Justin S. Murphy and inked by Al Milgrom, was nominated for the Independent Book Publishers Association's Benjamin Franklin Awards.[16] In 2016, Milgrom was nominated and tied for runner-up for the Inkwell Awards Special Recognition Award.[17] In 2017, he was awarded an Inkwell Awards Special Recognition Award.[18][19]

Personal life[edit]

Milgrom married Judy Lewin (also from Detroit) in early 1979.[3] They have a daughter, Rachel, and two sons, Ben and Josh.[20]

In fiction[edit]

In the film Ant-Man, Scott Lang and his crew stay at the Milgrom Hotel, an homage to Al Milgrom.[21]

Bibliography[edit]

Work as inker, unless noted otherwise.

Archie Comics[edit]

  • Archie #518, 528, 545, 565, 620 (2002–2011)
  • Archie & Friends #65, 67, 69, 74, 97, 130, 153 (2003–2011)
  • Archie Digest #209 (writer/inker), #243 (2004–2008)
  • Archie's Double Digest #159, 185, 207, 220, 228–229, 251, 282 (2005–2017)
  • Archie's Holiday Fun Digest #7 (2004)
  • Archie's Pals 'n' Gals Double Digest #92, 117, 126, 132, 135–137, 143 (2005–2010)
  • Archie 1000 Page Comics-Palooza oneshot (2014)
  • Betty #104 (2001)
  • Betty & Veronica #87, 165, 170, 207–208, 211–213, 216–219, 221–225, 232, 252 (1995, 2001–2011)
  • Betty & Veronica Digest #126, 133, 157, 161, 163, 183 (2002–2008)
  • Betty & Veronica Double Digest #112, 153, 159, 174–175, 180–181, 184, 216 (2003–2013)
  • B&V Friends Double Digest #274, 284 (2019–2020)
  • Jughead's Double Digest #97, 171, 177 (2003–2012)
  • Jughead with Archie Digest #188, 190, 194, 196 (2004)
  • Laugh Comics Digest #196 (2004)
  • Tales from Riverdale Featuring Archie & His Friends oneshot (2006)
  • Tales from Riverdale Digest #1, 4, 11, 38 (2005–2010)
  • Veronica #69, 72, 74, 124–125 (1997–1998, 2002)
  • World of Archie Double Digest #4, 7 (2011)

Atlas/Seaboard Comics[edit]

  • Destructor #4 (1975)
  • Morlock 2001 #1–2 (1975)
  • Tiger-Man #3 (1975)
  • Western Action #1 (1975)

Capstone Publishers[edit]

  • George Eastman and the Kodak Camera (artist, with Gordon Purcell) (2007)

Dark Horse Comics[edit]

DC Comics[edit]

DC Comics and Marvel Comics[edit]

  • The Incredible Hulk vs. Superman #1 (1999)
  • Iron Lantern #1 (1997)
  • Speed Demon #1 (1996)

Image Comics[edit]

Marvel Comics[edit]

Rampart Press[edit]

  • Cleburne: A Graphic Novel (2008)

Sitcomics[edit]

  • Barbara Macabre's Morbid Museum #1.1 (artist) (2019)
  • Blue Baron Binge Book #3 (2020)

Star Reach[edit]

Texas Trio[edit]

Totally Galactic Comics[edit]

  • Jetta Raye Adventures (penciller) (2020)

Warren Publishing[edit]

  • Eerie #48–50, 52–53 (writer) (1973–1974)

References[edit]

  1. ^ Bails, Jerry (2006). "Milgrom, Al". Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011.
  2. ^ Miller, John Jackson (June 10, 2005). "Comics Industry Birthdays". Comics Buyer's Guide. Iola, Wisconsin. Archived from the original on February 18, 2011. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Bullpen Bulletins," Marvel Comics cover dated July 1979.
  4. ^ Bails, Jerry. "Crusty Bunkers". Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999. Archived from the original on May 11, 2007. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
  5. ^ Warner, Meredith (March 25, 2017). "How Bernie Wrightson uncovered the soul of the monster in his work". Los Angeles Times.
  6. ^ Sanderson, Peter; Gilbert, Laura (2008). "1970s". Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 175. ISBN 978-0756641238. The Guardians of the Galaxy finally received their own ongoing series in Marvel Presents #3, written by Steve Gerber and penciled by Al Milgrom.
  7. ^ Buttery, Jarrod (July 2013). "Explore the Marvel Universe of the 31st Century With...The Guardians of the Galaxy". Back Issue! (65). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 26–27.
  8. ^ a b Al Milgrom (editor) at the Grand Comics Database
  9. ^ McAvennie, Michael; Dolan, Hannah (2010). "1970s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 177. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9. If inventiveness is the fusion of ideas, then Firestorm was one of the most original characters to emerge from a comic book in years. Penned by Gerry Conway and drawn by Al Milgrom, the Nuclear Man was a genuine sign of the times – the explosive embodiment of a nuclear world.
  10. ^ Clancy, Shaun (June 2017). "Marvel Fanfare's Editoria-Al, Al Milgrom". Back Issue! (96). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 3–11.
  11. ^ DeFalco, Tom "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 199: "Inspired by the 1979 Graham Parker song Waiting for the UFOs, the creation of the U-Foes was truly a team effort. Writer Bill Mantlo and artist Sal Buscema produced the first U-Foes story, but editor Al Milgrom helped design the costumes and Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter suggested some of the names."
  12. ^ Manning, Matthew K.; Gilbert, Laura (2012). "1980s". Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 147. ISBN 978-0756692360. In the final issue of Al Milgrom's stint as writer on Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man, which had begun with issue #90 (May 1984), Milgrom once again served as both author and artist in a tale that wrapped up the Spider-Man/Black Cat romance.
  13. ^ Cowsill, Alan "1990s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 195: "Written by Al Milgrom and illustrated by Mark Bagley, 'Round Robin: The Sidekick's Revenge!' was a six-part story that brought back the organization known as the Secret Empire."
  14. ^ Cowsill "1990s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 192: "Spider-Man's bad guys took center stage as writer Danny Fingeroth and artist Al Milgrom and Kerry Gammill showed the world from the villains' point of view."
  15. ^ "Marvel Once Fired an Artist Over Hidden Messages in a Comic". CBR. April 12, 2017. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  16. ^ "2009 Benjamin Franklin Award Winners and Finalist". Independent Book Publishers Association. 2009. Archived from the original on May 31, 2013. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  17. ^ "Inkwell Awards Winners, 2016". Inkwell Awards. 2015. Archived from the original on August 28, 2016.
  18. ^ Evans, Rhys (July 2, 2017). "2017 Winners". Inkwell Awards. Archived from the original on August 16, 2017.
  19. ^ "2017 Inkwell Award Winners". Newsarama. June 19, 2017. Archived from the original on August 16, 2017.
  20. ^ Shooter, Jim. "Bullpen Bulletins," Marvel Comics cover dated August 1982.
  21. ^ Collura, Scott (July 17, 2015). "11 Coolest Ant-Man Easter Eggs". IGN. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.

External links[edit]

Comic book series
Preceded by Captain Marvel penciller
1975–1977 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Marvel Presents penciller
1976–1977 		Succeeded by
n/a
Preceded by Micronauts inker
1979–1980 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Marvel Team-Up editor
(with Jim Shooter)
1979–1980 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man penciller
1982–1984 		Succeeded by
Preceded by The Avengers penciller
1983–1984 		Succeeded by
Bob Hall
Preceded by Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man writer
1984–1985 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Bob Hall
 West Coast Avengers penciller
1985–1989 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
John Byrne
 The Incredible Hulk writer
1986–1987 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Captain America inker
1988–1989 		Succeeded by
Preceded by X-Factor inker
1989–1997 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Thor inker
1991–1993 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Thunderstrike inker
1994–1995 		Succeeded by
n/a
Preceded by Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man inker
1996–1998 		Succeeded by
n/a
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