In Fantastic Four Annual #7 I got a glimpse of my heroes. Not the FF as awesome as they could be, but the men and women who made the comics I loved. One of Stan Lee's genius moves was taking and celebrating his talent. The "Bullpen" was this mythical place that seemed like more fun than humans ought to have. Talented artists and writers huddled together making funny books! Wow! What could be cooler.
The reality of course is much more complicated. The big names like Kirby, Buscema, Steranko, and Ditko weren't in the offices all that much. After years of reading interviews with former talent it seems that almost no one was there much save for the youngsters looking to break in and the editorial staff.
But back in 1969 I didn't know that, and the Bullpen was like a Valhalla, a place where my heroes walked.
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