To build interest in the ROM toy, Parker Brothers licensed the character to Marvel Comics, which created a comic book featuring Rom. The comic expanded on the premise that Rom was a cyborg and gave him an origin, personality, set of supporting characters and villains, as well as interaction within the Marvel Universe. The comic was written by Bill Mantlo and initially illustrated by artist Sal Buscema. Buscema stated in a 2010 interview, “I liked the character. And I liked what they did with it. I thought the concept was quite good. It was unique. It made it attractive to do. I almost hate to say this, but it was pretty easy to draw, too.” Buscema was the main artist for the series from its creation through 1984. Steve Ditko took over for the final two years of the original run.
Ultimately, the toy failed and only sold 200,000 to 300,000 units in the US, with creator McCoy blaming the failure on poor packaging and marketing. Parker Brothers subsequently abandoned the line.
The comic book outlasted the toy which it was created to support. The series lasted for 75 issues (not including the four annual issues) from December 1979 to February 1986. Rom’s regular encounters with mainstream heroes and villains established him as part of Marvel continuity.
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