Al Milgrom

Al Milgrom
Milgrom at Florida SuperCon 2014
Born	Allen L. Milgrom March 6, 1950 Detroit, Michigan
Nationality	American
Area(s)	Writer, Penciller, Inker, Editor
Notable works	Captain Marvel Firestorm Solo Avengers The Spectacular Spider-Man Secret Wars II
Awards	Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award, 1982

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.

Early life

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

Career

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]

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^[5] and Roger Stern.^[6] Milgrom worked as editor at DC Comics from 1977 to 1978.^[7] While at DC, he co-created Ronnie Raymond, the original Firestorm, with writer Gerry Conway.^[8]

Milgrom was an editor for Marvel Comics beginning in 1979,^[9] presiding over Epic Comics with Archie Goodwin, and editing Marvel Fanfare for its full ten-year run (#1–60, 1982–1992). As editor of The Incredible Hulk, he designed the costumes of the U-Foes.^[10] He drew The Avengers (1983–85), and The West Coast Avengers (1985–88), Kitty Pryde and Wolverine (1984–85), Secret Wars II (1985–86), and the Mephisto limited series (1987).

Milgrom wrote and drew The Spectacular Spider-Man #90–100 (1984–85),^[11] and The Incredible Hulk (1986–87). In 1991, he wrote a story arc for The Amazing Spider-Man^[12] and collaborated with Danny Fingeroth on The Deadly Foes of Spider-Man limited series.^[13]

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.

Awards

In 2009, his Cleburne: A Graphic Novel, with Justin S. Murphy, was nominated for the Independent Book Publishers Association’s Benjamin Franklin Awards.^[14]

Personal life

Milgrom married Judy Lewin (also from Detroit) in the spring of 1979.^[3] They have a daughter, Rachel, born February 1982.^[15]

In fiction

In the film Ant-Man, Scott Lang and his crew stay at the Milgrom Hotel, named in homage to Al Milgrom.^[16]

Bibliography

DC

• Detective Comics (Robin) #450–451 (1975)
• Firestorm #1–5 (1978)
• Firestorm, vol. 2, #100 (1990)
• Fury of Firestorm Annual #4 (1986)
• House of Mystery #234 (1975)
• Orion #18 (2001)
• Showcase #101–103 (Hawkman and Adam Strange) (1978)

Marvel

• The Amazing Spider-Man #196 (1979)
• Avengers #228–232, 234, 236–250, Annual #11, 22–23 (1982–94)
• Bizarre Adventures #32, 34 (1982–83)
• Captain America #356–357 (1989)
• Captain Marvel #37–53 (1975–77)
• Deadly Foes of Spider-Man, miniseries, #1–4 (1991)
• Fantastic Four #296 (among other artists), #355, Annual #24 (1986–91)
• Fantastic Four, vol. 3, #19 (1999)
• Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Comics Magazine, limited series, #11 (among other artists) (2001)
• Gambit (Hydrators) #5 (1999)
• Generation X (Hydrators) #52–53 (1999)
• The Incredible Hulk #320–327, 329–330 (1986–87)
• Kitty Pryde and Wolverine, miniseries, #1–6 (1984–85)
• Marvel Comics Presents #1–4 (1988)
• Marvel Fanfare #21 (with Jim Starlin) (1985)
• Marvel Presents (Guardians of the Galaxy) #3–12 (1976–77)
• Master of Kung Fu #23 (full art); #24 (among other artists) (1974–75)
• Questprobe, miniseries, (Spider-Man) #2 (1985)
• Secret Wars II, miniseries, #1–9 (1985–86)
• Solo Avengers (then, Avengers Spotlight) #14–17, 21–25, 27–28, 30–34, 36 (1989–90)
• The Spectacular Spider-Man #73, 75–79, 81–82, 85–96, 100, Annual #13 (1982–93)
• Venom: Lethal Protector (1993)
• Venom: Funeral Pyre (1993)
• Venom: The Madness (1993–94), #3
• Venom: Nights of Vengeance (1994)
• Venom: On Trial (1997)
• West Coast Avengers #1–37, 39–40, Annual #2–3 (1985–89)

References

1. Bails, Jerry (2006). "Milgrom, Al". Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999. Archived from the original on July 21, 2013.
2. Miller, John Jackson (June 10, 2005). "Comics Industry Birthdays". Comics Buyer's Guide. Archived from the original on October 29, 2010. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
3. "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. Sanderson, Peter; Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2008). "1970s". Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History. 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.
6. Buttery, Jarrod (July 2013). "Explore the Marvel Universe of the 31st Century With...The Guardians of the Galaxy". Back Issue! (TwoMorrows Publishing) (65): 26–27.
7. Al Milgrom (editor, DC Comics) at the Grand Comics Database
8. McAvennie, Michael; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1970s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. 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.
9. Al Milgrom (editor, Marvel Comics) at the Grand Comics Database
10. 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."
11. Manning, Matthew K.; Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2012). "1980s". Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. 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.
12. 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."
13. 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."
14. "2009 Benjamin Franklin Award Winners and Finalist". Independent Book Publishers Association. 2009. Archived from the original on July 21, 2013. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
15. Shooter, Jim. "Bullpen Bulletins," Marvel Comics cover dated August 1982.
16. 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

• Al Milgrom at the Comic Book DB
• "DC Profiles #21: Al Milgrom at the Grand Comics Database
• Al Milgrom at the Lambiek Comiclopedia
• Al Milgrom at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
• Al Milgrom at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators