Epic Illustrated was acomics anthology in magazine format published in the United States byMarvel Comics. Similar to the US-licensed comic book magazineHeavy Metal, it allowed explicit content to be featured, unlike the traditionalAmerican comic books of that time bound by the restrictiveComics Code Authority, as well as offering its writers and artists ownership rights and royalties in place of the industry-standardwork for hire contracts. The series lasted 34 issues from Spring 1980 to February 1986.
A color comic-book imprint,Epic Comics, was spun off in 1982.
The magazine was initiated under editorRick Marschall in 1979 under the titleOdyssey, and originally set to launch as an issue ofMarvel Super Special.[1] After Marschall learned of at least seven other magazines titledOdyssey, the project was renamedEpic Illustrated and launched as a standalone series.[2] Marschall was replaced by editorArchie Goodwin in September 1979, several months before the first issue was published.[3]
Epic Illustrated also included an occasional Marvel Comics protagonist, such as the first issue'sSilver Surfer story byStan Lee and John Buscema. Each issue usually featured a main story, a number of regular serials, and anthological shorts.[4]
Writer-penciler John Byrne and inker Terry Austin produced "The LastGalactus Story" as a serial inEpic Illustrated #26-34 (Oct. 1984 - Feb. 1986). Nine of a scheduled 10 installments appeared. Each ran six pages, except part eight, which ran 12.
Due to its expensive nature to the company and low sales, the magazine was canceled with issue #34, leaving the last chapter of "Galactus"unpublished and the story unfinished. Byrne later revealed on his website that the conclusion would have seen a dying Galactus releasing his power, causing a new big bang and transforming his heraldNova into the Galactus of the next universe.[8]
Ken Steacy's adaptations ofHarlan Ellison's short stories: "Sleeping Dogs" in issue #4 (Winter 1980), "Life Hutch" in #6 (June 1981), and "Run for the Stars" in #11 (April 1982).
"Abraxas and the Earthman" byRick Veitch in issues #10-17 (Feb. 1982 - April 1983).
"The Sacred and The Profane" byDean Motter and Ken Steacy in issues #20-26 (Oct. 1983 - Oct. 1984).
"Young Cerebus", a series of vignettes of the early life ofCerebus the Aardvark byDave Sim in issues #26 (Oct. 1984), #28 (Feb. 1985), and #30 (June 1985).
Night and the Enemy includes the stories "Sleeping Dogs", "Life Hutch", and "Run for the Stars" fromEpic Illustrated #3-4, and #14,Comico, 84 pages, November 1987,ISBN9780938965060;Dover Publications, 96 pages, November 2015,ISBN978-0486799612
Weirdworld includes the "Weirdworld" stories fromEpic Illustrated #9, 11–13, Marvel Comics, 312 pages, April 2015,ISBN978-0785162889
Abraxas and the Earthman collects the serial fromEpic Illustrated #10-17, King Hell Press, 88 pages, October 2006,ISBN978-0962486487
Marvel Graphic Novel #21 presents in full color the "Marada" stories fromEpic Illustrated #10-12 originally presented in black and white, Marvel Comics, 64 pages, December 1985,ISBN978-0871351531
Last of the Dragons collects the serial fromEpic Illustrated #15-20, Epic Comics, 64 pages, April 1988,ISBN978-0871353351; Dover Publications, 80 pages, December 2015,ISBN978-0486803579
Generation Zero collects the serial fromEpic Illustrated #17-24,DC Comics, 128 pages, September 1991,ISBN978-1563890178
The Sacred and the Profane collects the serial fromEpic Illustrated #20-26,Eclipse Comics, 125 pages, June 1987,ISBN978-0913035184
Fantastic Four byJohn Byrne Omnibus Volume 2 includes "The Last Galactus Story" serial fromEpic Illustrated #26-34, Marvel Comics, 1224 pages, December 2013,ISBN978-0785185437
Toadswart d'Amplestone by Tim A. Conrad collects the serial fromEpic Illustrated #25-28, 30–33, Eclipse Books, 106 pages, June 1990, ISBN 1-56060-013-6
^"Marvel Fires Rick Marschall, Archie Goodwin Named to EditEpic".The Comics Journal (51). Stamford, Connecticut: Fantagraphics Books:5–6. November 1979.
^Daniels, Les (1991).Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics. New York, New York:Harry N. Abrams. p. 183.ISBN9780810938212.Oversize, with full-color artwork printed on glossy paper,Epic Illustrated was Marvel's most luxurious publication to date.
^Brevoort, Tom;DeFalco, Tom; Manning, Matthew K.; Sanderson, Peter (2008). "1980s". In Dowsett, Elizabeth; Dougall, Alastair; Gilbert, Laura; March, Julia; Saunders, Catherine; Scott, Heather (eds.).Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History. London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley. p. 197.ISBN978-0756641238.Epic offered its creators ownership of the material and paid them royalties rather than the traditional page rates.
^Dueben, Alex (March 1, 2016)."Former Marvel Editor Returns to 'Last of the Dragons', Talks Mentoring Talent".Comic Book Resources.Archived from the original on June 5, 2016.One of Potts' first comics projects, 'Last of the Dragons', originally published inEpic Illustrated, has been repackaged and released by Dover Books. The story, written and illustrated by the comics veteran in the early '80s, has a unique take on monks, ninjas, samurais and dragons as a group of monks in 19th Century Japan have trained dragons and plan to bring them to America.
