Pastime Publications Index
Information provided by
Marcus Reed (supplemented from Jay Kennedy's Guide)
Monday Funnies #1
Jul/Aug 1980 (Guide #1292)
Cover - Marcus Reed
Sticks & Stones - Lyn Stone
TC - Rick Rudge
Terry Da Shrew - M. Reed
Dr. Forbes - M. Reed
Ace Cat - M. Reed
The Oregonians - M. Reed
Spot gag (pg 16) and Alone on the Throne - M. Reed
Alien Eyeball - Robert Ross
Space Ventures - M. Reed
Monday Funnies #2
Sep/Oct 1980 (Guide #1293)
Cover - M. Reed
Sticks N Stones - Lyn Stone
I'm A Rocker - R. Rudge
Our Earth - Lyn Stone
Adventure Inc. - J. Dana Haynes
TC - R. Rudge
Ace Cat - M. Reed
Space Ventures - M. Reed
Ad Girl - M. Reed
Back cover - M. Reed
Monday Funnies #3
Jan 1981 (Guide #1294)
Cover - Rick Rudge
Sticks N Stones - Lyn Stone
TC - R. Rudge
Terry Da Shrew, Ace Cat,
Ad girl, Back cover -
M. Reed
Inside back cover gag -
Tum Dnew
Monday Funnies #4
March 1981 (Guide #1295)
Cover, Back cover, Ace Cat - M. Reed
Pete Moss, Nankeens Mummy Shop - Roman Scott
TC, Burned Out Cinder -
R. Rudge
Alien Dumping Ground strip (p.7) - Alpo Larson
(Alan Larson)
Fat Mervyn - Clay Robinett
Com-ix - Marc Myers
Sticks N Stones, Ronnie's Truly Needy - Lyn Stone
Monday Funnies #5
July 1981 (Guide #1296)
Cover, Flatworm Man, Dirtmonger - Roman Scott
Sight gags (p. 2, 13) - George Fontaine
Doc Dusk - Scott Leverenz & Jay Amicarella
Gemquest - Becky Coflfrnan & Russell Fletcher
Creature of Willamette - Scott Leverenz
Pete the Inventor - Dean Blodgett
Sticks N Stones, Ronnie's Truly Needy - Lyn Stone
Back Cover-M Reed
(There is a version of this cover with mustard yellow instead of orange.)
Monday Funnies #6
Sep/Oct 1981 (Guide #1297)
Cover, Back cover, Simple Solutions, TC - Rick Rudge
30 Weight, Sticks n Stones, - Lyn Stone
Sight gag (p. 9) -
George Fontaine
Gemquest - Russell Fletcher & Becky Coffman
Fever Duck - Tim Lapsley
Pete the Inventor -
Dean Blodgett
Eye - Alpo Larson
(Alan Larson)
Mumafied - Robert Sumner
Sight gag (p. 3), Ad girl (p. 22) - M. Reed
Monday Funnies #7
Nov 1981 (Guide #1298)
Cover, Pete Moss -
Roman Scott
Terra Incognita Examined - Jonathan Falk
Nether Enmity - Todd Shane Shrull
Fever Duck - Tim Lapsley
Gemquest - R. Fletcher & Becky Coffinan
Modo - Dean Blodgett
Oh Yeah, Neutron Nerds, S & S - L. Stone
Back cover - M. Reed
Monday Funnies #8
Feb 1982 (Guide #1299)
Cover - Dan Florian
The Case of the Extraordinary Occurrence - Jonathan Falk (story)
Gemquest, Drizren -
R. Fletcher & Becky Coffinan
Illustration (p. 3), Pete Moss, Old Leech -
Roman Scott
TC - R. Rudge
S&S - Lyn Stone
Fever Duck - T. Lapsley
Monday Funnies #9
1982
Cover - Marcus Reed
The Practical Joke, gags (p. 3 & 6), Illustrations (p. 4 & 5), Dirt Monger, Limbo Page, Opinion Toons, Back cover - Roman Scott
H. Lee Lincoln (story), Surrealists Section - Jonathan Falk
Gemquest - R. Fletcher & Becky Coffinan
Space Case - Alan Rowlands
Portland UG Comix #1
Sep/Oct 1981 (Guide #1567)
Cover, Dr. Quartballs - Marcus Reed
TC, Back cover - Rick Rudge
Billy Paradox - Curt Marsden
Nether Enmity - T.S. Shrull
The Corpse - Marc Meyers
Portland UG Comix #2
Cover - Marcus Reed
TC - Rick Rudge
No Escape, My Dog That Could Talk - Curt Marsden
Slitheron, A Dream Come True - Todd Shrull
Dr. Z - Russell Fletcher
The Champion - Don Deaton w/Rio Dejanero
Portland UG Comix #3
Cover - Mark Counts
Inside Front Cover, Oddities Ad, Tofo Mummy, Pete Moss - R. Scott
The Wizard of Ounce -
Curt Marsden
Clip Art Funnies -
Marcus Reed
Jus Trouble - Kenny Moran
Tomorrow is Yesterday - Steven Willis
The Button - Brad Foster
A short history of Pastime Publications
From 1980 to 1984 Marcus Reed published nearly two dozen comix that could be categorized as newave, underground and/or ad zines. In 1982 the imprint name changed from Pastime Publications to Pastime Productions. I located Marcus Reed and several of his many contributors (Roman Scott, Steve Lafler, Jonathan Falk and Robert Sumner) and exchanged a series of emails with them to create this inside look at Pastime Publications.
When did you first become interested in comics?
Marcus: I guess I had a pretty normal progression when it came to becoming interested in comics. My first experience was with a Donald Duck comic back in the late fifties. Even though Carl Barks had done only one page in this particular comic, something I did not know until much later, I was hooked.
The colors, the smell of pulp and ink, the whole package just turned me on. This started me off, so around 1960 I began buying comics. My mother would give me a buck and a quarter every time we went somewhere, and we traveled a lot, so I would go and buy ten 12-cent comics. That is, if I didn’t go for a twenty-five center which I did occasionally.
In 1964 I bought my first issue of Mad as well as my first Warren’s with Famous Monsters of Filmland. Then came Creepy and Eerie and Vampirella and all those really sleazy illustrated horror magazines that came along on the coattails. Also I discovered undergrounds. I fell in love with the work of artists such as Tim Boxell, Rich Corbin, Jim Osbourne, S. Clay Wilson just to name a few.
I also drew from day one, doing lavish drawings of early mammals being killed by cavemen as well as lots of dinosaurs. This was my illustrated world that I created for myself and it brought me hours of enjoyment. With the books I published I tended to do covers and spot illustrations leaving the comic stories to others. I did however do most of the pictures of girls being somewhat attuned to this. Incidentally, I have been working on a script for a new comic about three girls that live on a Navy Fleet Submarine in the 1960’s. I have been writing the draft for the first book for several years and it is time I sat down and illustrated it.
What were the origins of the name Pastime Publications?
Marcus: Pastime Productions was a name I came up with simply because I figured I would become a publisher in my spare time and if it went somewhere I would move into it full time. I did have a plan to publish a local magazine in Portland called The Portland Pastime and Roman Scott did do a cover logo for the magazine as I remember but it never came to fruition.
Why did you decide to start a publishing company?
Marcus: I wanted a comic magazine since I was a youngster and once I got to college I found myself putting together ideas for a local publication instead of listening to the teachers. Somewhere along the line I developed a work ethic where if you want to be something just do it. Jump into it and then fight your way into credibility and after the struggle you will have learned the business. I was also working part time at a printing and mailing company and was learning pre-press and printing so I put two and two together and decided I could become a publisher.
How did you connect with the cartoonists you published?
Marcus: I reached cartoonists through ads in The Buyers Guide as well as having entries in one or more ‘where to get published’ type books. Also by word of mouth.
It is so sad to hear about Michael Roden's passing. I have many of his books and he was truly original in his art and also a very nice person and very easy to work with. I will miss him.
Jonathan: I became acquainted with Marcus Reed through Roman Scott—how Roman started to submit to him I don't recall. I believe he saw an ad for Pastime Publications somewhere, probably in a zine or small press publication, and started sending Marcus comics, such as the great Pete Moss series. I believe I was all of fifteen years old when I submitted a humble piece to Marcus, Terra Incognita Examined, and found the work published in short order in The Monday Funnies. To be honest, I didn't know Marcus at all well—I only met him once in person, I believe, in the comics room at Armchair Bookstore in Portland, around 1980 or so. I remember Roman showing him the original pages for the first issue of Oddities on this occasion, presumably as they were discussing their arrangements for printing the magazine. Marcus read Proclamations of Mowjib, a psuedo-philosophical rant of mine (written with liberal reference to a thesaurus), and said jokingly: "It's a bunch of bullshit!"
Other than this meeting, my acquaintance with Marcus was limited to talking to him a few times on the phone (I remember him asking me during one conversation: "How old are you guys anyway?" "Fifteen," I answered. "Shit you guys are young!"), and exchanging a few letters with him. What contact I had with Marcus faded away after a few years. I had several short pieces published in The Monday Funnies and one story in Shocking Fear. I remember Roman mentioning Marcus' father was a World War II veteran (in addition to owning a print shop) who had fought the Japanese, and had some gruesome anecdotes about his experiences...
Robert: Unfortunately I never got to meet Marcus Reed in person...I was only 13 at the time...had I been a bit older then I surely would have hooked up with him and done more for the books. The funny thing is though; through that connection I met one of my good friends who I am currently working on stuff with 31 years later!
Tell us about each of Pastime's titles.
Marcus: The Monday Funnies just came to me. I wanted my first publishing venture to be a simple and interesting publication, filled with comics that local folks would find humorous. At this time in my life politics meant nothing to me. I was not out to change ones thinking, just entertain. The Monday Funnies turned out to be a showcase for more than a few talented folks with Roman Scott and Rick Rudge as stand-outs. I tried to keep the publication ground level since we had some pretty young contributors. At the time Roman was only seventeen or eighteen as I recall. We had a local television show do a spot on our little publication also which was fun. It was all exciting and educational.
Roman: With a cursory look through my archives, I see that at least I was published in Monday Funnies #4 (1981), when I was sophomore in high school (Sandy, Oregon.) I may also have submitted to earlier issues.
Marcus: Portland Underground Comix was a way of growing up and publishing comics that were adult in nature as well as a way to cash in on the last days of the underground comic movement. In those days (I can’t believe I’m saying ‘in those days’), you had regular comics and you had undergrounds which were kept away from kids. With the help of ads in The Buyers Guide as well as in other comic related publications, I was able to attract the talents of Brad Foster, Steve Willis, Curt Marsden and others.
Marcus: Shocking Fear #1 was my first attempt at a horror book. The first issue was pretty local as far as talent went with Roman Scott and Todd Shrull and well as a Mark Counts cover. I liked this cover for #1 but I wish we had not used Counts on later issues. We actually got flak from Bernie Wrightson at the time for the cover of issue #2. Apparently Counts had ripped off an idea of his. Nothing came of it.
#2 also had our only two color story by Brad Foster as well as a wonderful story by Jonathan Falk called Watkins Man illustrated by Roman Scott.
Roman: I contributed to most issues of Monday Funnies and Shocking Fear, and at least one issue of Portland Underground Comix (no.3, 1983.) Marc was inspired by EC, as any one would be, myself included. EC was especially in the air in those days, with the reprints. He also was interested in earlier men's magazines, I seem to recall.
Marcus: Oddities was a slice of genius by Roman Scott. I believe I did the printing on the first three issues as trade for artwork. Something like that.
Roman: As Marc was a printer, and his father owned a fairly large printing company in Portland, he was able to print and publish Monday Funnies with a low overhead. Soon we came to an agreement that he would pay me in kind for my contributions, printing Oddities. Can you imagine how wonderful this was for me? Back in those days the only way for printing comics/zines was a photocopier—which wasn't even very good, an old xerox thing! Suddenly I had reasonably large print runs of a large format zine in the same format as a comic book—real offset printing, tackling the rich, dense black style that Oddities developed into. Oddities had six issues.
I lived in NY from 1989-2002. From 2002 to the present I have lived in Norway.
I might mention that, in addition to my paintings, I continued comic-related stuff in NY, doing freelance editorial illustrations for the NY Times and Wall St. Journal. I'm still interested in comics, and am slowly working on a comic book, whose title I haven't yet decided on.
Jonathan: I first met Roman in the autumn of 1976, when he was attending Boring Middle School in Boring, Oregon, and am still in contact with him. Oddities started in the early 1980s through Roman's interest in surrealism, collage, drawing, painting, and poetry, and my own contributions were closely related to his inclinations as well. Of course, it didn't hurt that my writing was complemented by his wonderful illustrations, such as his Lovecraft head cat for my short "A Glimpse." We were probably the only youths in our respective high schools who were reading, say, Lautreamont or The Unspeakable Confessions of Salvador Dali.
I contributed collage work to Oddities and a few drawings, and poetry and very short stories—using many pseudonyms along the way. Oddities led to a number of one shot minizines by myself and others, and Todd Mecklem's Thumbscrew magazine was also inspired by Roman's publication. After several issues of Oddities had appeared, the magazine was featured (and praised) in R. Crumb's Weirdo Magazine; as a result of Crumb's piece on "Newave" zines, we also grew to know comix artists Marc Myers and Clark Dissmeyer of Nebraska, who also became contributors to Oddities. I still correspond frequently with Clark.
Marcus: The Comic Block was an advertising publication devoted to comic collectors. I wanted something that was based on ad revenue with editorial content in a minor role. I hired S. Clay Wilson to do the first cover and pitched the idea to Steve Lafler whom I had just met at a comic convention after corresponding with for several months. Steve agreed to work with me and we ended up putting out six issues. At that time money was needed and I was starting a graphic design company so I decided to go in that direction. In retrospect the publication had a pretty good paid circulation and had some real value. We could have sold it if we had just considered it. Covers featured Steve Lafler, Brad Foster, Michael Roden, Valentino, S. Clay Wilson and myself.
Steve Lafler and Marcus Reed at the San Diego Comic Convention in 1984
Steve: Marc had the idea to do an UG version of the Comics Buyers Guide.
He was an expert in direct mail and printing, working in sales in that industry. He compiled a list of near 10,000 names and pumped the Comic Block out for six months. He was looking to make money by selling ads, and also subscriptions. I joined him as "art director", but I was his graphics guy and wrote reviews of comics, like stuff from Kitchen Sink, Eclipse, First Comics, and I reviewed the first issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. (Interestingly, I'd met Peter Laird at UMass, I was a frosh when he was just graduating. Talented guy, did not really get to know him. He was trying to do Barry Smith in the mid-70s in the campus paper.)
Marc taught me how to use the graphic arts camera and a Mergenthaler photo typesetting system, I was thrilled to pick up these skills. I'd been living in Eugene, Oregon for three years freelancing tshirt printing and putting out my early comics. I'd just moved to Portland and Marc asked me to join him on the Block. We'd been in touch via mail and had been trading books. He told me that the cover of Dog Boy #3 looked so good, if it had a pussy he woulda fucked it!
We worked pretty furiously on the Comic Block, banging out monthly issues. It was Marc's baby, he was bankrolling the start up. By May, he'd gotten discouraged at the low return on investment.
I was an animal for work those days, I was bummed when he dropped it. But who could blame him? We would work on it at night. I'd show up at the shop at 6 pm with a six pack of beer ready to work for 4 - 5 hours. I loved it. Marc would look at me and ask, "Gonna drink your supper Steve?".
Marc's girlfriend Lily was super nice but ultimately got pissed at the time commitment. My girlfriend was less than thrilled with my obsessive working on the Block and my comics too, come to think of it.
That July, I moved to San Fran and the Comic Block ended. I saw Marc again on a visit to PDX in '86. We drank a huge amount of beer and played guitar that night when I crashed at his place.
Where there any other titles? I saw an advertisement for one called Girls Galore, was it ever produced?
Marcus: Girls Galore never made it and I did consider two other pubs at this time but neither one got done.
Contact Marcus Reed at:
Print Dynamics
P.O. Box 19702
Portland, OR 97280-0702
My thanks to Marcus Reed, Roman Scott, Steve Lafler, Jonathan Falk and Robert (Floydman) Sumner for their generous contributions to this presentation. Artwork is copyright by the artists.
-RK
Unpublished cover to Shocking Fear #1 that ran in an advertisement.
Shocking Fear #1
Cover - Mark Counts
Inside Front Cover, Thing In Asylum, A Disturbing Event - Roman Scott
Amazon, The Jealously Factor, Wolverine -
Todd Shrull
Lords of the Street -
Russell Fletcher & Bob Lee
Mermaid ad and Back cover - M. Reed
Shocking Fear #2
Cover, The Undertakers, Escape into Tomorrow -
Mark Counts
Inside front cover, The Head, Illus. for Watkins Man, The Direct Hit, A Journey Into Pinrotto, Back cover -
Roman Scott
8th 'Floor - Joe Zabel
Rebellious Spirits -
Brad Foster (two-color story)
The Seed of Fear -
Michael Roden
The Vidiot - Gary Hardman
Dormitory Death -
Clark A. Dissmeyer
Oddities #1
Oddities #2
Oddities #3
1982 Roman Scott & Jonathan Falk
Oddities #4
Oddities #5
Oddities #6
(published by Roman Scott)
Oddities #7
(published by Roman Scott)
The Comic Block #1
Cover - S. Clay Wilson
Underground Station -
Bruce Sweeney
Dog Boy - Steve Lafler
The Comic Block #2
Cover - Brad W. Foster
The Comic Block #3
March 1984
Cover - Michael Rodan
Feature - Michael Roden
Reviews - Steve Lafler
The Comic Block #4
April 1984
Cover - Steve Lafler
News - Michael Lodispoto
San Diego Jam '83
The Comic Block #5
May 1984
Cover - Marcus Reed
Underground Station -
Bruce Sweeney
Short Shorts - Steve Lafler
(This issue printed on newsprint)
The Comic Block #6
June 1984
Cover - Valentino &
Steve Lafler
News - Michael Lodispoto
Reviews - Steve Lafler