Jason Fulton:  We need at least five more pages of dick-swinging from people that weren't actually there for the event.

That's awfully flattering, Jason...but I don't need to swing my junk about to make the points that are germane to my position.  Nor, in fact, does it matter whether or not I was in the room 22 years ago.  I'm responding to reports made by the people who were there, just as most people in this thread are doing.

Incidentally, you want "who" in that sentence, not "that".

Frank Lauro: A number of people, now, have said that all of Landry Walker's questions were answered somewhere in the body of this thread.  I must have missed a few of the answers.  I would appreciate someone citing the posts where any of the questions in this passage were answered:

And as previously stated: If it was not an act borne out of negative intent, then he was, in fact, just doing his job. Was it his job to screen material? Was it his job to be aware of a major story development that was apparently a tight-lipped secret? You say it was standard practice for the people in his position to waltz in and take artwork for the sake of promotion. Whose job was it to determine what story elements should or should not be revealed through said promotion? Who guides the material in this instance, the editor, or the individuals in marketing. It happened all the time? It sounds mostly like it was a policy failure.

SER: Isn't it relevant in the sense that it makes it possible that someone knew PAD's name. Let me play the lawyer for a moment:

Let me stop you right there.  Since I can barely follow what comes after the nonsense that follows that colon, I don't think I'll let you "play the lawyer," no.  It's "possible that someone knew PAD's name?"  Seriously?  You're going to put your name to that?  That's adorable.  Go back and re-read what I wrote.

JB pointed out that [PAD] was most likely wearing a nametag. I don't see how you can dispute that other than by insisting that you just don't like what you're reading.

And I don't know how you can miss the fact that I don't dispute, in any way, that PAD was wearing a name tag.  Again, please go back and read what I wrote, now, and note why that's not a relevant point.

Me:  Are you permitting respectful inquiries on this matter to be seen, and potentially answered, by Mr. O'Neil?

SER: Wouldn't the question basically be something along the lines of "Did you endorse a truly boneheaded decision that pissed off JB and arguably lessened the enjoyment of many readers" or "Did you lie to JB when you said you didn't do that"?

Well, since I haven't written the question(s) yet, I guess we won't know until I post the question(s) on Mr. O'Neil's site, now, will we?  No matter how I wind up phrasing it, though, I guarantee it'll be more respectful and more eloquent than either of your offerings.  Thanks for trying to read my mind, though.  Dionne Warwick is looking for new talent, I think, if you're looking for work.

It just seems like an attempt is being made to use O'Neil as a blunt instrument.

I'm assuming you're speaking metaphorically here...but, geez, after the shameful use of language above, I'm wondering if you're literally accusing me of picking up Mr. O'Neil with my hands and hitting Mr. Byrne and/or Mr. Hansel with him.  I'd like to point out that I would never do such a thing.  That would just be wrong.

I would like to ask Mr. O'Neil a question or two.  That's all.

Wow.  Am I ever glad I was an utterly unplugged midwest teen when AF number 12 hit the stands!  It was a shock, beyond even the Dark Phoenix ending of Jean dying.  In my personal history of comics, it remains the one time where I had to flip through the comic several times just to convince myself that what I was reading was in fact what happened.  A singular event in my reading experience.

I agree with you Frank I am curious about this subject...but one fact keeps going over and over in my mind.

It's none of my business.

If John Byrne doesn't like Peter David and thinks this...ok. If Peter David has another view of this. Ok. I dont know them personally, no one has taken to calling a friend of mine a liar. We are talking about celebrity gossip. I think going over to O'Neil's board would be...well tacky. Simply because, this is between JB and PD and neither one of them wants to talk to each other. Not seeing the upside to "us" getting involved.

Excuse me.... context? Context?? You say that given the choice, you believe David over Denny. Those are your words. That is your point. What other "context" can be inferred from this???

My reasoning behind why I came to that conclusion.

You were the number one guy at Marvel at the time.  You admit you blew up when you found out that those pages were released, and rightly so.  As angry as you were I'm sure Denny didn't want to say anything that would have possibly pushed you to work for the competition instead of Marvel.

I wasn't there so I can only make logical guesses.  Am I right?  I have no idea.  There are only 2 people in the world that know the facts with 100% certainty, Just Denny and Peter know since it was something that transpired between the 2 of them.  Everyone else can only believe the word of one or the other but it's still just a guess.

I didn't doubt your version of the events at all.  I only gave my opinion of what I believe regarding the one part of the event you have no direct knowledge of, and that is what transpired between Peter and Denny.

Sorry to interject again, but I take objection with your
assumption. As someone who worked a Marvel around that
time, I can tell you it was pretty damned hard to get
fired... near impossible. We used to joke about it all
the time. Also, the superstars of yesteryear were very
different(and differently treated) than those of today.
NO ONE had carte blanche. AND... in any matters were it
came down to siding with a staff member, and a creator...
for better or worse... the company sided with the
staffer.

I say this only to clarify the assumption.

You are misunderstanding what I said.  At no time did I say I thought anyone's job was on the line.  I said that Denny possibly feared that JB would quit and go to DC.