Epic Illustrated #11

Marvel's Epic Illustrated marks its third anniversary with this April 1982 issue, and James Fox's cover painting sets a fittingly ambitious tone — a hulking, battle-worn figure in ornate, heavily weathered armor stares out from beneath a grotesque helmet crowned with a snarling beast, every rivet and cable rendered with striking detail. The cover alone signals that this is a magazine serious about the intersection of fantasy and science fiction. Inside, Harlan Ellison's "Run for the Stars" headlines the lineup, with Ken Steacy handling the full creative execution — writing, art, inks, and color all in one hand.