Bob vs. Al?

Here's something from the "What The Heck?" department. The story as I hear it is as follows.

Al Milgrom is a serious long-time Marvel talent. The Spider-Man credits database indexes around 1500 of the 2100 currently identified Spider-Man appearances, and Al Milgrom has 157 credits amongst that lot. He has been an Inker, Penciler, Writer, and Editor for Marvel for many, many years.

Bob Harras, the Spider-Man group editor, was replaced recently. Many keen Spider-Fans took the opportunity to celebrate, and Al Milgrom was one of them. Of course, celebrating for Al meant more than a couple of beers down at the local.

In the recent Universe X: SPIDEY special, Al Milgrom took the opportunity to add a few words of farewell on the spines of some books in one of the panels, as you see in the picture. A number of unedited copies were printed as part of Marvel's "First Look" program. The words were discovered, were clensed in the final print run, and as I hear it, cost Al his job.

Well, you have to admit that they were kind of inappropriate - but then again, the last five or so years of generally cruddy Spider-Man drivel which Bob Harras offered us were perhaps a little inappropriate too. Two wrongs don't make a right, but Al, if you're in New Zealand any time, I'd be happy to buy you that beer that maybe you should have had instead!