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Dave Kopperman Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 27 December 2004 Location: United States Posts: 4098
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| Posted: 17 July 2026 at 6:27pm | IP Logged | 1
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JB wrote:
| [Marvel] went through several progressively larger offices while I was there. My last, 387 Park Avenue South, was on two floors and quite spacious. |
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Okay, so: about fifteen years ago, my wife and I were trying to conceive via IVF. The clinic we went to was at 635 Madison Avenue, which was where Marvel was from 1962(ish)* through the early 70's - so, like LEE/KIRBY/DITKO/ETC Marvel.
As if that weren't enough, we worked with Dr. Copperman.
That's probably about as much synchronicity as one could imagine - yet the IVF was unsuccessful, so Jung can go stuff it.
*Weirdly, I can't seem to find an exact date for their move from the ESB to Madison, other than "the early 60's".
Edited by Dave Kopperman on 17 July 2026 at 6:27pm
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Brian Miller Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 28 July 2004 Location: United States Posts: 32124
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| Posted: 17 July 2026 at 6:36pm | IP Logged | 2
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Mike Hobson was a great guy, in my experience. ******* Too bad, he didn’t tell Shooter to stop being an ass when you wanted to do Superman and the FF at the same time.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005 Posts: 136630
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| Posted: 17 July 2026 at 6:40pm | IP Logged | 3
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He tried. And he wished me luck on Superman, saying anything that was good for DC would be ultimately good for Marvel, too.
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Chris Caniano Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 27 October 2015 Location: United States Posts: 39
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| Posted: 17 July 2026 at 7:06pm | IP Logged | 4
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Here's three other Marvel stories and it's connection to NYC I have -
1. My brother has been best friends with the late/legendary Marvel inker Frank Giacoia's nephew since elementary school. I believe Frank died in 87. My brother told me Stan Lee was at the wake. Other than that I never met Frank but I have seen his Johnny Rebel strip original art back in 2012 form Frank's brother, father of said friend.
2. In high school I briefly worked with John and Sal Buscema's sister. She was retired but as retiree's do, they like to keep working. Before I even made the connection who she was she told me she had two brothers who were artists, when I let her know that my college plans were going to art school. When she said their names my jaw dropped. She asked me to give her samples to show Sal. I made photocopies of pinups, I did, but nothing ever came of it and I don't remember seeing Carol too much after that.
3. My childhood comic shop was Mike's Comic Hut in Queens. George Perez lived near there at the time. He did Mike's comic bag artwork. You can find the images online. I do have an original bag as well and made a high res scan.
It's bitter sweet having these small but meaningful personal connections to this industry and this city. I wish all involved best of luck.
Edited by Chris Caniano on 17 July 2026 at 7:07pm
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Matthew McCallum Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 03 July 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 2713
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| Posted: 18 July 2026 at 5:34am | IP Logged | 5
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This news was inevitable, and frankly I'm surprised it hadn't happened sooner. My heart goes out to the staff who cannot make a cross-continent move and will be losing their jobs.
Edited by Matthew McCallum on 18 July 2026 at 5:41am
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Eric Jansen Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 27 October 2013 Location: United States Posts: 2569
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| Posted: 18 July 2026 at 7:08am | IP Logged | 6
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Argh. My wife and I visited New York City a year and a half ago and tried to find the Marvel offices. This was to make up for when my mother took me as a kid and we got as far as the secretary, but I was too shy to ask for any sort of tour. (She may have offered something--I don't remember because I was too nervous!) Now my wife and I had the wrong address (I didn't plan it and the internet gives you old information like it's new sometimes) and we were done walking for the day when we discovered our mistake and wouldn't have time before our trip was over. I figured "Maybe next time"...it's sad to realize there won't be a next time.
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Dave Kopperman Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 27 December 2004 Location: United States Posts: 4098
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| Posted: 18 July 2026 at 4:37pm | IP Logged | 7
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I recognize that freelance creative can work anywhere, but there's something to be said for having the real-world offices located where the stories are mostly set. Particularly from the 60's-80's, it lent the stuff a real grounding that was part of that intangible Marvel greatness.
Now there's a story where Ben Grimm goes to the NYC Marvel offices to lodge a complaint and finds only an empty, dark office.
Edited by Dave Kopperman on 18 July 2026 at 4:37pm
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005 Posts: 136630
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| Posted: 18 July 2026 at 4:45pm | IP Logged | 8
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I don’t expect the office to be empty for long!!(Makes me think of who might move in, and if the former tenants hold any significance? The past couple of decades haven’t exactly been glory days for Marvel Comics!)
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Vinny Valenti Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 17 April 2004 Location: United States Posts: 8641
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| Posted: 18 July 2026 at 5:16pm | IP Logged | 9
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I've thought about who now occupies the offices at 387 Park Av South, and 635 Madison Avenue. JB, I presume you've been to both - was 387 a bigger Bullpen?
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005 Posts: 136630
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| Posted: 18 July 2026 at 6:17pm | IP Logged | 10
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Much!! The whole office at 635 was about the size of my kitchen!This was when DC looked like a Madison Ave ad agency.
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Dave Kopperman Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 27 December 2004 Location: United States Posts: 4098
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| Posted: 18 July 2026 at 6:32pm | IP Logged | 11
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JB wrote:
| The past couple of decades haven’t exactly been glory days for Marvel Comics! |
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Or the mainstream comics medium in general - which is either ironic or exactly what one would expect when the cinematic juggernauts rolled in.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005 Posts: 136630
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| Posted: 19 July 2026 at 11:16am | IP Logged | 12
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Although no one noticed at the time, mainstream comics began to die with the creation of the Direct Sales Market.
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