The Official Marvel Comics Try-Out Book

In 1983, Marvel issued a unique one-shot, The Official Marvel Comics Try-Out Book, a hands-on challenge from editor-in-chief Jim Shooter and artist John Romita Jr. that invited readers to submit their own comic pages for a chance to break into the industry. Rather than telling a traditional story, this issue presented aspiring creators with a series of script and art exercises, making it a fascinating artifact of Marvel's talent-scouting era. It remains a singular, interactive piece of comics history—a literal audition in print.