Bob,
I wanted to let you know that this Friday (May 16th) will be my last day at Marvel. I’m going to be attending graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania to get my M.S.Ed. in Reading, Writing and Literacy.
I’ve really enjoyed working with you IRON MAN: LEGACY OF DOOM and IRON MAN: THE END. It was great to be a part of such fun books (and ones that the readership really seems to be enjoying!). I look forward to picking up the last LOD issue in two months and reading THE END as a fan when it comes out in October.
Alejandro Arbona will be finishing out IM: LOD and editing IM: THE END, so you’ll be hearing from him soon.
I wish you all the best in the future and I hope that somehow our paths will cross again.

Molly Lazer
Iron Man Editor

Dear Molly,

I have to say that I am saddened by the news that you will be leaving Marvel. However, I am very happy for you that you are moving on to pursue other goals and wish you every success.

For the record, working with you has been one of the best experiences I've had in comics in recent memory. Your part in the creative process made our collaboration on Legacy of Doom and The End one that I'm very proud of, in no small part to your patience and diligence. Your contributions to David Michelinie and my future endevours will be surely missed.

I have already been in contact with Alejandro and he assures me that we will continue in the same spirit of cooperation that you and I shared.

Thank you for making my return to Marvel exceed my expectations, mostly in part to your editorial acumen and genuinely sincere enthusiasm.

And as I've said in countless emails you, you are a peach!

Hi Bob,
It was a pleasure meeting you at the Free Comic Book Day. Once again, I would like to thank you for giving me the time to show you my portfolio 15 years ago. I have always appreciated that and have told the story many times.
Hope to see you at other Cons.
 

Take care,
Billy Tan

P.S: I would still love to get a drawing from you :)

Dear Billy,

Thank you so much for taking the time to drop me an email after Free Comic Book Day. When you told me the story of how you came to Valiant as a fledging penciller, it took me a little while to recall the actual event. While very pleased of how your career has turned out, I, at the same time, feel like a dope for not hiring you on the spot! But as we discussed, you weren't quite ready for prime-time in those days. Regardless of the circumstances, I have always made an effort to sit down with young talent, to review their portfolios, and try to give them the best critique and guidance possible. The fact that you credit me with having to do anything with your career is high praise, indeed.

I look forward to chatting with you more in Chicago at the end of the month!

I'll make sure that you get that drawing you asked for.

Your friend,

Hi Bob and David,
Thanks again for the thoughtful answers to my [Entertainment Weekly interview] questions. Getting in touch with you and re-reading those '70s issues brought back a lot of good memories. I'll definitely catch up to you again when Iron Man II rolls around, if not sooner.

Best,
Tom Russo
Entertainment Weekly

Tom,
Thanks for the kind comments.
Unfortunately, I need to clarify something for my readers who may have been disappointed by the absence of the announced Michelinie/Layton piece for the May 16th issue of Entertainment Weekly.
Although I hyped your interview with David and me big time on last month’s news page, as circumstances turned out-- it was not to be.
After the movie's big opening, the editorial powers at EW made the decision to run a three-page reaction feature in that issue. What that meant for Tom’s "Demon in a Bottle" sidebar piece was that his material got folded into the larger feature, rather than running as a stand-alone item.
In the end, Mr. Russo was pitching in, being a team player, and handing over his material other writers at the magazine who were grabbing quotes to fit them into the larger framework of the feature article that they were putting together.
I know you are as disappointed as David and I am, Tom. But, you did a super-professional job with us and your continued support of David and my contributions to the Iron Man legacy is greatly appreciated.
 

Bob,

With the release of the movie I've been going through my long box of Iron Man comics and of course I came across wonderful covers like #215 and #216, I also had a flashback.
In the mid 90's I was a bright-eyed and bushy tailed teenager who collected Iron Man comics and loved the precision of your artwork. I took a few of my favorite issues to Wondercon in Oakland and I was anxious to meet you and have you sign my books.
You were there, in like a suit, drinking a coke with a straw and you REFUSED to sign my Iron Man books with YOUR artwork in them and you claimed that you couldn't/wouldn't sign them because you weren't working for Marvel anymore (Valiant?).
Since when is that like, that a rule? I thought this is what "guests" do at conventions. Do you think when Corey Haim signs at a convention he refuses Lost Boys stuff because he isn't under contract with Warner Brothers anymore?
You got into a brief argument with me, a kid at the time, and you broke my heart. I was basically begging you to sign my comics. Now I see that the first thing you mention is your work on Iron Man.
That was just one of life's little disappointments that I had forgotten about for a long time.
Luckily, I don't think I've been let down by anyone else who I've met that I had respect and adoration for.

Mike Inzo

Dear Mike,
As I probably tried to explain at to you, when you were a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed teenager, I was contractually obligated to ONLY sign Valiant books representing the company as Editor-In-Chief and Senior V.P. at that time.
The owners of the company felt that it was not my job to promote my past work or to promote the competition's collectability.
I know that seems unfair, but that's business.
It had nothing to do with my desire or my love for the characters that I previously worked on or since that time. If you ask the hundreds of thousands of fans who I have signed books for over the years, I have been nothing but diligent in fulfilling the requests, sometimes to the point of exhaustion.
With that being said, I humbly and sincerely apologize to you for any inconvenience, discomfort or bitterness I may have caused. As I stated earlier, I was under legal contract to promote ONLY Valiant comics.
Please let me know if there's anything I can do to make this up to you. I will be more than happy to sign anything you want to send to me. I realize that you may still be bitter and would rather me not touch any of your books. However, I think you should know that you are in a very small minority of people who think ill of my behavior towards fans.
Generally, I pride myself on bending over backwards to appease those people who come to see me at shows. Just to demonstrate to you that I am being honest, I will run your letter and my reply on my Letters Page this coming month and make my apology part of the public record.
Please keep in mind that comics are a business.

Sometimes that business demands things of us that we wouldn't normally consider.
Sincerely,

Mike replies:

Bob,
Thank you for the prompt response and for the apology. That's really a heroic thing to do. I understand now that the situation you were in was a tricky one and I apologize for not being more understanding. I still feel that your artwork on Iron Man is my favorite along with some of the earlier Silver Age stuff. Issues like #118 and #221, for example, are fantastic!
 

Thanks again,
Mike Inzo

Hey! I’m Nolan.
I’m 13 and obsessed with Iron Man and I’m a pretty good drawer, but your drawings of Iron Man just amaze me! I've collected so many of Iron Man comics, I just love him! One day when I grow up, I would like to be in the same position your in. Doing what you like to do. And, I was wondering if you could maybe, give me some tips on how to draw Iron Man or show me? Please!!
 

E-mail me back,
Nolan

Dear Nolan,

I am always pleased to hear from young people who aspire to become professional cartoonists. To me, there's no greater satisfaction than having a career that one enjoys doing.

As you probably know, I have started publishing video tutorials on this website. Next month, and in subsequent updates, I hope to impart information that will be helpful to you and any other aspiring artist who wishes to improve their craft. I'll try to add some features on how to draw Iron Man, specifically, as well.

Thanks for taking the time to write me,

Hi Bob,
Two issues into Iron Man: Legacy of Doom, I still find myself saying the same thing over and over again, "Wow." You and Dave have Tony down to the point of perfection and it's very refreshing to see that of a character whose personality has been kicked around the last few years portrayed so succinctly; not to mention the way we Iron Man fans have always known him.

I was excited to hear Ron Lim would be doing the pencils and he continues to prove why. With his style and your and Dave's writing I truly feel like I am "back in the day" when I was a kid getting into comics with its classic feel. And the colors have been fantastic too. It seems many recent books have more dull and muted colors instead of the vibrant and deep colors used by Chris Sotomayor and Moose Baumann on Legacy of Doom. Whether or not the muted colors fit the darker stories, the colors for this series gives it a greater sense of liveliness.

And the mystical armor looks awesome! It reminds me of my favorite armor: the Modular. I cant wait to see it in action.
Nothing against the current teams on the two books, but I'd love to see you, Dave, Ron and Chris be on the book on a permanent basis (we can dream, can't we?).
Keep up the great work! It is truly great to see what a crew with such passion and understanding for a character can do. I can hardly wait for the next issue.

Jordan Weigler

Jordan,

Thank you so much for taking the time to send me your comments concerning our four-issue labor-of-love. Normally, I hesitate to run letters of comment that don't have a question, but you bring up something that I want to discuss briefly.

Namely, the state of coloring in the comic book industry.

I feel extremely fortunate to have had both Moose Baumann and Chris Sotomayor working with me on this mini-series. Color has always been a big sticking point to me in terms of storytelling. I really feel like the current state of computer coloring tends to confuse the reader rather than draw their eye to where it's suppose to go. And, I'm not a huge fan of mono-chromatic palettes with random glowing orbs or radioactive computer screens! A lot of the times, it seems that it's all about special effects and not about clarity. Ask anyone who worked with me at Valiant as a colorist and they will tell you that I used to preach like an evangelist about telling the story with color. One of the reasons this mini-series looks so good to you is that, not only are both talented colorists capable of storytelling in their medium, but they have voluntarily collaborated closely with me to achieve the desired final product. In addition, both editors, Molly Lazer and Alejandro Arbona, have allowed me the unprecedented opportunity to approve final color before going to press.

So, if all our combined efforts have achieved the desire effect for you as a reader, then we've done our job.

Hi Bob.
Thanks for replying to my e-mail last month. I am so happy that both you and David are back on Iron Man. Long overdue. I’m really enjoying your Legacy of Doom story.

Although Part 2 featured action in armor, this was a Tony Stark story (as is characteristic of all your Iron Man stories). Having to face the pain of his father’s words really tested the emotional strength of Tony. Despite his tough outer shell, this scene highlighted his humanity and vulnerability. And ultimately, his inner strength as a man. Great job letting this unfold with his armor on for a nice contrast.

It was also great to see Tony’s resourcefulness in battle through the issue – showing that the greatest weapon he possesses is his mind.

Doom looks as menacing as I’ve ever seen him, with the Excalibur look at the end of the issue. The last page is beautiful. I was amused that the light moments were provided by Mephisto of all people. This issue possessed some pretty intense moments, and to play Mephisto as he was played in Spider-Man’s One More Day for example I think would have been too much. Allowing him to give us chuckles was a great move I think. (the “Big Daddy” door made me laugh)

By the way, I absolutely love the cover. Did Ron Lim design the layout, or was it a collaboration? Props, anyway. It’s one of the best Iron Man covers I’ve seen in a long time.
Seeing a great Iron Man story in print as well as on the big screen, just makes this a great month to be an Iron Man fan.
 

Thanks to the whole team,
Robert Hibbard

Dear Robert,

Thank you so much for taking the time to jot down your thoughts concerning our efforts on the Iron Man: Legacy of Doom mini-series.

Addressing your questions concerning the covers, the origin of the four-issue "theme" actually came to me in a dream one night. As I used to explain in Mike Kalibabky's column, I have the unfortunate tendency to work in my sleep! On occasion, I have leapt up in the middle of the night and starting drawing something that I had dreamt while struggling to squeeze five or six hours sleep into my day.

The idea that came to me in my R.E.M. sleep was to design the covers to all four issues as an homage to the original Camelot story in Iron Man #150, which featured one of the most recognizable images from my first run on the regular series. From that idea, Ron and I began chatting on the phone and exchanging rough sketches in order to come up with the distinct designs that Molly approved. I wanted all four issues' covers to have a thematic layout and still give some idea to the reader of story content.

Story content, these days, is something that I feel is sorely lacking on the front of your monthly comic publications. I used to love the old covers that had cliff-hangers or situations that made you want to pick the book up and find out what was going to happen. So whenever I get a chance to do something on a cover with a little story content, I jump on the opportunity!

While we're at it, let's commend Mr. Lim on producing four, incredibly exciting images that really brought home the feel that David Michelinie and I wanted to have on this project. They just don't get better than the Invincible "Ron" Man! Here are some example of the cover roughs we initially came up with.

(Unpublished Cover Sketches for Iron Man: Legacy of Doom)

Issue #1 Rough	Issue #1 Rough	Issue #2 Rough
Issue #3 Rough	Issue #4 Rough	Issue #4 Rough

Hi, Bob!
I’m a Brazilian fan of marvel comics and I love your work! When I started collecting comics 14 years ago, one of the first comics that I read was Iron Man #150.
Since then, I don’t miss anything from Marvel.
I’ll be going to Wizard World Chicago and I hope to meet you there. It will be my first convention (unfortunately here in Brazil we don’t have comic conventions) and I like to know what days you’ll be there at Chicago and if I can take some comics with me for you to sign..
What's the procedure for acquiring an autograph from you?
Will we have to pay for them?
Well, I hope you can answer the questions of this Brazilian fan.

Fabricio M Leite
 

P.S. The trade paperbacks are something new to Brazil (started 2 years ago). Because the IRON MAN movie, PANINI COMICS (the distributor of marvel comics in Brazil) will launch a trade paperback of DEMON IN A BOTTLE. I hope I can take it with me.

Dear Fabricio,

I am very excited about meeting you in person in Chicago! It is confirmed that I will be there as a guest on June 26-29.

Generally speaking, you will be able to find me at my artist table. You might want to check the program book that you receive when you register. Inside, they have seating chart for guests, publishers, and vendors.

I'll be more than happy to sign anything you can carry past customs from Brazil. I generally don't have a limit on how many books that I'll sign for people. (I actually had a fan show up at a convention, many years back, with a four-wheeled hand-cart, loaded with 14 long boxes of Bob Layton comics. Believe it or not, over the course of the three days, I signed them all!)

As far as payment, show me the artists that are charging for autographs and I will personally track them down and have a long talk with them. That is disgraceful behavior, in my opinion. Unless you are a former TV or film star, trying to make a few bucks on the side, there's NO reason for anyone to be charging to simply sign their own published work.

The only thing I charge for at conventions are sketches or original artwork. This is to offset the costs of attending the shows and for the time I've lost for not being in my studio working on the stuff I'm SUPPOSED to be doing.

I'm very pleased that PANINI will be releasing my work in Brazil in the upcoming months. I love getting copies of my work in other languages, so perhaps I can convince you to snag one for me!

Looking forward to seeing you in the Windy City,

Hello Mr. Layton,
It is me, David from the OHotMU writers, with another question for you if you happen to have the time. We were wondering if you would like to name the two unnamed members of the Assassins' Guild from the Hercules 24th Century story you wrote in Marvel Comics Presents #39 or would you rather leave them unnamed?
I've sent a link to the characters below in case you might not remember whom I am talking about as I am not sure if you remember every character you've created. :-)

David Wiltfong

Dear David,

The website got the names screwed up a wee bit.  Allow me to clarify for you. 

Akootie is the green armored guy that looks like the old 'Cootie' toy from the '60's. Malicon is the guy in the gold armor with the red eyepiece. The big red guy is named Tark.  The Detonator's real name is Ceefer.