Pizzazz!

Marvel tried to jump on the youth culture magazine fad of the late 1970s with Pizzazz. Each issue, like most of its competitors, featured a combination of pap interviews with celebrities, trite articles about popular movies and music, and a few comics. The series lasted for about a year and a half and is largely only remembered these days for a serialized Star Wars comic strip started by Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin.

Personally, I just find it kind of amusing that Shaun Cassidy is shown or referenced on six of the 16 covers. And on every cover that uses his image -- it's literally the exact same image! Even the illustration on #4 clearly uses the same photo as a reference. The next most frequent cover guests are the Hulk (five covers), Spider-Man (four, not counting the Marvel logo appearances in the upper left of every issue) and Peter Frampton (three). Star Wars is referenced on ten(!) covers. Also worth noting is the Linda Ronstadt cover. Oh, sure, it's a good likeness of her and the fact that Captain America and Dr. Strange are playing guitars behind her is chuckle-worthy. But I think it's more entertaining to see C-3PO playing drums behind them!

Despite Superman's commentary on that last issue, he had actually already appeared on the cover of a Marvel publication! Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man, the first modern intercompany superhero crossover, came out as a joint Marvel/DC publication in 1976!

Finally, does anyone actually have a copy of #12? I want to read up on those "Albino Roach Jokes!"

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