If ever there was a “Camelot” in the history of the comics industry, Valiant was it. 

It was a magical time that I doubt could ever be repeated.

Designed after the old studio systems of the Golden Age, the majority of the creative personnel worked together under one roof. Fledgling artists, fresh out of art school, worked side-by-side with the likes of legendary figures like Barry Windsor-Smith and Steve Ditko.

The speculator market was booming and Valiant had begun to prosper beyond all of our expectations.

Once-struggling art students suddenly began making serious money. The product was widely-acclaimed and we all remained dedicated to a common goal—to make Valiant the best comic company ever.

We were literally, for all intents and purposes, one, big happy family.

As you will see in the video, our office wasn’t posh or classy. None of us cared about that.

The lines of drawing boards were affectionately known as “Knob Row”.   And, even though I was Editor-In-Chief and Senior V.P., I kept my desk right out in the middle of the action, preferring to be accessible to the troops, rather than confined to a stuffy office. (In the video, my desk is the one covered in toilet paper!)

To be honest, this annual birthday bash was more for my Knobs that for me.  We had several events during the calendar year that served as outlets for the stress of long hours and grueling work. 

In the years to come, my annual birthday bash would evolve into an industry-wide event, with hundreds of people from the comics business in attendance and with many creators using the event as a showcase for their musical talent, as well. (We will show those vids in the months to come.)

It would also grow into something that was very expensive—with me shelling five-figures, for the catering and hotel bills, out of my own pocket.

But--I never cared about that. 

I was totally devoted to my crew and they were loyal to the company and its vision.

Together, we carved out our little niche’ in comics history.

As I said--it was a magical time.