Alan Kupperberg entered the comics industry by working at Neal Adams' Continuity Associates.He began writing and drawing for Marvel Comics in 1974, mostly doing fill-ins and one-shots. He later worked on team books such as The Invaders and The Defenders and drew several issues of What If.
Occasionally working as a writer, Kupperberg created the 1983 one-shot comic Obnoxio the Clown vs. the X-Men as a one-man band, handling everything from writing and illustrating to lettering. In 1987, Kupperberg worked on both The Spectacular Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man. His work on those titles included The Amazing Spider-Man #289 (June 1987) which featured the Jack O'Lantern (Jason Macendale) becoming the new Hobgoblin as well as The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #7 (1987) which depicted the honeymoon of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson.From 1988–1991, Kupperberg drew Spider-Ham back-up stories in Marvel Tales.
