Jim Salicrup's Brthday Celebration at MoCCA

Matt Murray, MoCCA CEO, and Jim Salicrup

Saturday night, the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art hosted a 50th birthday party for Jim Salicrup. A writer and editor for Marvel, Topps, Stan Lee Media and now Papercutz, Jim has been a comics industry pro since he was 15 years old. The Soho-located museum was packed with well-wishers.

My pal, editorial cartoonist Tom Stiglich, took a break from Book Expo to grab the F train downtown with me, and join in the festivities.

One of the men behind Troma Studios' POULTRYGEIST gave Jim a DVD of the flick.

Jim, who has been on the MoCCA Board of Trusteees since Lawrence Klein began the Museum, was the recipient of a special video message from one friend and former employer who could not be there: Stan Lee. Mr. Lee began by jokingly asking an offscreen person who this Jim Salicrup person was.


This is a cake, with the icing all Photoshopped with some of the seminal comics Jim has edited. The new TALES FROM THE CRYPT revival series is the latest.

There will now be an exhibit space at MoCCA called "Salicrup's Section," showcasing Jim's career.

"In his 35 years on the comics scene Salicrup has worked with a pantheon of industry greats. The list includes not only his own heroes such as Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Roy Thomas and Steve Ditko, but current industry giants whose career "Slim Jim" helped foster such as Kyle Baker, Kurt Busiek, Fred Hembeck, and Todd McFarlane."

Press release here.

I got a kick out of seeing a 1971 letter from the editors of KIDS MAGAZINE to Jim, accepting some of his work for an upcoming issue. I have fond memories of KIDS, an early 1970s mag that was "by and for kids." CURTIS cartoonist Ray Billingsley got his start at KIDS too.


Fred Hembeck takes my photo while I do the same.

Thanks to the gang at MoCCA for a fun event, and congratulations Jim!


Lots of original art on the walls, but this color piece by Crockett Johnson caught my eye.