Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics
This article is about the comic book company using that name after 1961. For the earlier comic book series, see Marvel Comics Logo Marvel Entertainment Industry Publishing Genre Crime, horror, mystery, romance, science fiction, superhero, war, Western Founded 1939 (as Founder(s) Martin Goodman Headquarters 417 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY Area served USA, UK Key people

Axel Alonso, EIC
Dan Buckley, publisher, Stan Lee, former EIC, publisher Products Revenue increase US$125.7 million (2007) increase US$53.5 million (2007)[1] Owner(s) Martin Goodman (1939-1968) Magazine Management Co. (1968-1973)
Cadence Industries (1973-1986)
Marvel Entertainment Group (1986-1997)
Marvel Entertainment (1997- ) Website marvel.com

Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media. In 2009, The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Worldwide's parent company,[2] for $4.24 billion.

Marvel started in 1939 as Atlas Comics. Marvel's modern incarnation dates from 1961, with the company later that year launching Fantastic Four and other superhero titles created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and others.

Marvel counts among Spider-Man, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, Thor and Captain America; antagonists such as Doctor Doom, the Green Goblin, Galactus, and the Red Skull. Most of Marvel's fictional characters operate in a single reality known as the Marvel Universe, with locales set in real-life cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago.[3]

Contents

History

Timely Publications

Main article:
Timely Comics. Cover art by Martin Goodman founded the company later known as Marvel Comics under the name Timely Publications in 1939,[4] publishing comic books under the [5] Goodman, a pulp magazine publisher who had started with a New York City, New York, he officially held the titles of business manager, with Abraham Goodman officially listed as publisher.[4]

Timely's first publication, cover dated Oct. 1939), included the first appearance of Carl Burgos' android superhero the Bill Everett's anti-hero [6] While its contents came from an outside packager, Funnies, Inc., Timely by the following year had its own staff in place.

The company's first true editor, writer-artist Jack Kirby to create one of the first[citation needed] patriotically themed superheroes, Captain America, in Captain America Comics #1. (March 1941) It, too, proved a major sales hit, with sales of nearly one million.[6]

While no other Timely character would achieve the success of these "big three", some notable heroes—many of which continue to appear in modern-day retcon appearances and flashbacks—include the Whizzer, Destroyer, the original Vision, and the Angel. Timely also published one of humor cartoonist Powerhouse Pepper",[7][8] as well as a line of children's funny-animal comics featuring popular characters like Super Rabbit and the duo Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal.

Goodman hired his wife's cousin,[9] Stanley Lieber, as a general office assistant in 1939.[10] When editor Simon left the company in late 1941,[11] Goodman made Lieber—by then writing pseudonymously as "Stan Lee"—interim editor of the comics line, a position Lee kept for decades except for three years during his military service in World War II. Lee wrote extensively for Timely, contributing to a number of different titles.

Goodman's business strategy involved having his various magazines and comic books published by a number of corporations all operating out of the same office and with the same staff.[5] One of these shell companies through which Timely Comics was published was named Marvel Comics by at least Marvel Mystery Comics #55 (May 1944). As well, some comics' covers, such as All Surprise Comics #12 (Winter 1946-47), were labeled "A Marvel Magazine" many years before Goodman would formally adopt the name in 1961.[12]

Atlas Comics

Main article: Atlas Comics (1950s)

The post-war American comic market saw superheroes falling out of fashion.[13] Goodman's comic book line dropped them for the most part and expanded into a wider variety of genres than even Timely had published, featuring horror, Westerns, humor, funny animal, crime, and war comics, and later adding espionage, and even medieval adventure, Bible stories and sports.

Goodman began using the globe logo of the Atlas News Company, the newsstand-distribution company he owned,[14] on comics cover-dated November 1951 even though another company, Kable News, continued to distribute his comics through the August 1952 issues.[15] This globe branding united a line put out by the same publisher, staff and freelancers through 59 shell companies, from Animirth Comics to Zenith Publications.[16]

Atlas, rather than innovate, took a proven route of following popular trends in television and movies—drive-in movie monsters another time—and even other comic books, particularly the EC horror line.[17] Atlas also published a plethora of children's and teen humor titles, including Dan DeCarlo's Homer the Happy Ghost (à la Archie Andrews). Atlas unsuccessfully attempted to revive superheroes from late 1953 to mid-1954, with the Human Torch (art by Syd Shores and Dick Ayers, variously), the Sub-Mariner (drawn and most stories written by Captain America (writer Stan Lee, artist John Romita Sr.).

The Fantastic Four #1 (Nov. 1961). Cover art by Jack Kirby (penciler) and unconfirmed inker.

1960s

The first modern comic books under the Marvel Comics brand were the science-fiction anthology Patsy Walker #95 (both [18] Then, in the wake of DC Comics' success in reviving superheroes in the late 1950s and early 1960s, particularly with the Green Lantern, and other members of the team the Justice League of America, Marvel followed suit.[19] The introduction of modern Marvel's first superhero team, in The Fantastic Four #1, (Nov. 1961),[20] began establishing the company's reputation. The majority of its superhero stories were written by editor-in-chief Stan Lee. The company continued to publish a smattering of Western comics such as Millie the Model, and romance comics such as Love Romances, and added the war comic Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four, reminiscent of the non-superpowered adventuring quartet the Cold War culture that led their creators to revise the superhero conventions of previous eras to better reflect the psychological spirit of their age.[21] Eschewing such comic book tropes as secret identities and even costumes at first, having a monster as one of the heroes, and having its characters bicker and complain in what was later called a "superheroes in the real world" approach, the series represented a change that proved to be a great success.[22] Marvel began publishing further superhero titles featuring such heroes and antiheroes as the Hulk, Spider-Man, Thor, Iron Man, the X-Men, and Daredevil, and such memorable antagonists as Doctor Doom, Galactus, the Green Goblin, and The Amazing Spider-Man. Marvel even lampooned itself and other comics companies in a parody comic, [23]

Marvel's comics had a reputation for focusing on characterization to a greater extent than most superhero comics before them.[24] This applied to The Amazing Spider-Man in particular. Its young hero suffered from self-doubt and mundane problems like any other teenager. Marvel often presents flawed superheroes, freaks, and misfits—unlike the perfect, handsome, athletic heroes found in previous traditional comic books. Some Marvel heroes looked like villains and monsters. In time, this non-traditional approach would revolutionize comic books. This

In the world of [rival DC Comics'] Superman comic books, communism dd not exist. Superman rarely crossed national borders or involved himself in political disputes. ... From 1962 to 1965, there were more communists [Marvel Comics] than on the subscription list of Viet Cong guerrillas take potshots at Iron Man.[25]

Writer Geoff Boucher in 2009 reflected that, "Superman and DC Comics instantly seemed like boring old The Beatles and the British Invasion. It was Kirby's artwork with its tension and psychedelia that made it perfect for the times—or was it Lee's bravado and melodrama, which was somehow insecure and brash at the same time?"[26]

Wasp, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and (inset) the Sub-Mariner. Cover art by Jack Kirby and George Roussos.

Lee, with his charming personality and relentless salesmanship of the company, became one of the best-known names in comics.[citation needed] His sense of humor and generally lighthearted manner became the "voice" that permeated the stories, the letters and news-pages, and the hyperbolic house ads of that era's Marvel Comics. He fostered a clubby fan-following with Lee's exaggerated depiction of the Bullpen (Lee's name for the staff) as one big, happy family. This included printed kudos to the artists, who eventually co-plotted the stories based on the busy Lee's rough synopses or even simple spoken concepts, in what became known as the Watcher, the Silver Surfer and The Amazing Spider-Man and the surreal atmosphere of the Bullpen Bulletins" and letters pages, giving readers humanizing hype about the likes of "Jolly Jack Kirby," "Swingin' Sammy Rosen" and "Adorable Artie Simek".

Lesser-known staffers during the company's growth in the 1960s (some of whom worked primarily for Marvel publisher Martin Goodman's umbrella magazine corporation) included circulation manager Johnny Hayes, subscriptions person Nancy Murphy, bookkeeper Doris Siegler, merchandising-person Charles "Chip" Goodman (son of publisher Martin), and Arthur Jeffrey, described in the December 1966 "Bullpen Bulletin" as "keeper of our MMMS [Merry Marvel Marching Society] files, guardian of our club coupons and defender of the faith".

In 1968, while selling 50 million comic books a year, company founder Goodman revised the constraining distribution arrangement with Independent News he had reached under duress during the Atlas years, allowing him now to release as many titles as demand warranted.[14] In the fall of that year he sold Marvel Comics and his other publishing businesses to the Perfect Film and Chemical Corporation, which grouped them as the subsidiary Magazine Management Company, with Goodman remaining as publisher.[27] In 1969, Goodman finally ended his distribution deal with Independent by signing with Curtis Circulation Company.[14]

1970s

In 1971, the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare approached Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Stan Lee to do a comic book story about drug abuse. Lee agreed and wrote a three-part Spider-Man story portraying drug use as dangerous and unglamorous. However, the industry's self-censorship board, the The Amazing Spider-Man #96-98 (May–July 1971), without the Comics Code seal. The market reacted well to the storyline, and the CCA subsequently revised the Code the same year.[28]

Gene Colan and Steve Leialoha

Goodman retired as publisher in 1972 and installed his son, Chip, as publisher,[29] Shortly thereafter, Lee succeeded him as publisher and also became Marvel's president[29] for a brief time.[30] During his time as president, he appointed as editor-in-chief [29]

A series of new editors-in-chief oversaw the company during another slow time for the industry. Once again, Marvel attempted to diversify, and with the updating of the Comics Code achieved moderate to strong success with titles themed to horror (The Tomb of Dracula), martial arts, (Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu), sword-and-sorcery (Conan the Barbarian, satire (science fiction (2001: A Space Odyssey, "Star Trek, and, late in the decade, the long-running Star Wars series). Some of these were published in larger-format black and white magazines, that targeted mature readers, under its Curtis Magazines imprint. Marvel was able to capitalize on its successful superhero comics of the previous decade by acquiring a new newsstand distributor and greatly expanding its comics line. Marvel pulled ahead of rival DC Comics in 1972, during a time when the price and format of the standard newsstand comic were in flux.[31] Goodman increased the price and size of Marvel's November 1971 cover-dated comics from 15 cents for 39 pages total to 25 cents for 52 pages. DC followed suit, but Marvel the following month dropped its comics to 20 cents for 36 pages, offering a lower-priced product with a higher distributor discount.[32]

Goodman, now disconnected from Marvel, set up a new company called Atlas Comics line, but this lasted only a year-and-a-half.[33] In the mid-1970s a decline of the newsstand distribution network affected Marvel. Cult hits such as Howard the Duck fell victim to the distribution problems, with some titles reporting low sales when in fact the first specialty comic book stores resold them at a later date.[citation needed] But by the end of the decade, Marvel's fortunes were reviving, thanks to the rise of direct market distribution—selling through those same comics-specialty stores instead of newsstands.

Marvel held its own Fantastic Four panel discussion to announce that Jack Kirby, the artist co-creator of most of Marvel's signature characters, was returning to Marvel after having left in 1970 to work for rival DC Comics.[34] In October 1976, Marvel, which already licensed reprints in different countries, including the UK, created a superhero specifically for the British market. [35]

1980s

Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1 (May 1984). Cover art by Mike Zeck.[36]

In 1978, Jim Shooter became Marvel's editor-in-chief. Although a controversial personality, Shooter cured many of the procedural ills at Marvel, including repeatedly missed deadlines. During Shooter's nine-year tenure as editor-in-chief, Chris Claremont and John Byrne's run on the Daredevil became critical and commercial successes.[citation needed] Shooter brought Marvel into the rapidly evolving direct market,[37] institutionalized creator royalties, starting with the creator-owned material in 1982; introduced company-wide crossover story arcs with Secret Wars; and in 1986 launched the ultimately unsuccessful Star Comics, a younger-oriented line than the regular Marvel titles, was briefly successful during this period.

Despite Marvel's successes in the early 1980s, it lost ground to rival DC in the latter half of the decade as many former Marvel stars defected to the competitor. DC scored critical and sales victories[38] with titles and limited series such as Watchmen, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Byrne's revamp of Superman, and Alan Moore's Swamp Thing.

In 1986, Marvel's parent, Marvel Entertainment Group, was sold to Revlon executive 1990s

Spider-Man #1, later renamed "Peter Parker: Spider-Man" (August 1990; second printing). Cover art by Todd McFarlane.

Marvel earned a great deal of money and recognition during the comic-book boom of the early 1990s, launching the successful Spider-Man 2099, etc.) and the creatively daring though commercially unsuccessful Razorline imprint of superhero comics created by novelist and filmmaker Clive Barker.[39][40] Yet by the middle of the decade, the industry had slumped, and in December 1996 Marvel filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.[41]

Marvel suffered a major blow in early 1992, when seven of its most prized artists—Todd McFarlane (known for his work on Spider-Man), X-Men), X-Force), Wolverine), The Amazing Spider-Man), Whilce Portacio—left to form the successful company [42]

Marvel's logo, circa 1990s

In late 1994, Marvel acquired the comic-book distributor Heroes World Distribution to use as its own exclusive distributor.[43] As the industry's other major publishers made exclusive distribution deals with other companies, the ripple effect resulted in the survival of only one other major distributor in North America, Diamond Comic Distributors Inc.[44][45] In early 1997, when Marvel's Heroes World endeavor failed, Diamond also forged an exclusive deal with Marvel[46]—giving the company its own section of its comics catalog Previews.[47]

Creatively and commercially, the '90s were dominated by the use of gimmickry to boost sales, such as variant covers, cover enhancements, swimsuit issues. In 1991 Marvel began selling Marvel Universe Cards with trading card maker SkyBox International. These were collectible trading cards that featured the characters and events of the Marvel Universe.

Another common Marvel practice of this period was regular company-wide crossovers that threw the universe's continuity into disarray. In 1996, Marvel had almost all its titles participate in the "Onslaught Saga", a crossover that allowed Marvel to relaunch some of its flagship characters, such as the Fantastic Four, in the Jim Lee and Marvel Universe proper. In 1998, the company launched the imprint Joe Quesada, it featured tough, gritty stories showcasing such characters as the Black Panther and Daredevil.

In 1991 New York Stock Exchange stock-offering underwritten by Marvel Enterprises.[41] With his business partner Bill Jemas, and editor-in-chief [48]

2000s

With the new millennium, Marvel Comics escaped from bankruptcy and again began diversifying its offerings. In 2001, Marvel withdrew from the Marvel Rating System for comics. The first title from this era to not have the code was imprints, such as Marvel Age (developed for younger audiences). In addition, the company created an alternate universe imprint, X-Men movie series, starting in 2000, and the highest grossing series [49]

In a cross-promotion, the November 1, 2006, episode of the CBS soap opera The Guiding Light, titled "She's a Marvel", featured the character Harley Davidson Cooper (played by [50] The character's story continued in an eight-page backup feature, "A New Light", that appeared in several Marvel titles published November 1 and 8.[51] Also that year, Marvel created a wiki on its Web site.[52]

In late 2007 the company launched Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited, a digital archive of over 2,500 back issues available for viewing, for a monthly or annual subscription fee.[53]

In 2009 Marvel Comics closed its Open Submissions Policy, in which the company had accepted unsolicited samples from aspiring comic book artists, saying the time-consuming review process had produced no suitably professional work.[54] The same year, the company commemorated its 70th anniversary, dating to its inception as Marvel Mystery Comics 70th Anniversary Special #1 and a variety of other special issues.[55][56]

On August 31, 2009, The Walt Disney Company announced a deal to acquire Marvel Comics' parent corporation, Marvel Entertainment, for $4 billion, with Marvel shareholders to receive $30 and 0.745 Disney shares for each share of Marvel they own.[57]

While, Marvel and Disney Publishing have jointly began publishing "Disney/Pixar Presents" magazine starting in May 2011, there has been no announcement of a new Disney Comics imprint.[58] Marvel relaunched the Disney Publishing Worldwide, in March 2011.[59]

Officers

  • Michael Z. Hobson Executive Vice President, Publishing [60] Group vice-president, publishing (1986)[61]
  • Stan Lee, executive vice-president & publisher (1986)[61]
  • Joseph Calamari, executive vice-president (1986)[61]
  • Barry Kaplan, senior vice-president, fiance and administration (1986)[61]
  • Jim Shooter, vice-president and Editor-in-Chief (1986)[61]
  • Gene J. Durante, vice-president, manufacturing and operations (1986)[61]
  • Harry Flynn, vice-president, Marvel Books (1986)[61]
  • Thomas R. Costello, vice-president , circulation (1986)[61]
  • Steven R. Herman, vice-president, licensing and merchandising (1986)[61]
  • David Fox, vice-president, legal affairs (1986)[61]
  • Katherine Beekman, vice-president, subscription (1986)[61]
  • Milton Schiffman, vice-president, production (1986)[61]

Publishers

Editors-in-chief

Marvel's chief editor originally held the title of "editor". This head editor's title later became "editor-in-chief". Martin Goodman, who had initially outsourced editorial content, having been the titular editor previously.

In 1994, Marvel briefly abolished the position, replacing Mark Gruenwald and Potts]. We all answered to Editor-in-Chief Tom DeFalco and Publisher Mike Hobson. All three Executive Editors decided not to add our names to the already crowded credits on the Marvel titles. Therefore it wasn't easy for readers to tell which titles were produced by which Executive Editor ... In late '94, Marvel reorganized into a number of different publishing divisions, each with its own Editor-in-Chief."[63] Marvel reinstated the overall editor-in-chief position in 1995 with Martin Goodman (1939–1940)[4]

  • Stan Lee (1941–1942)
  • Vincent Fago (acting editor during Lee's military service) (1942–1945)
  • Stan Lee (1945–1972)
  • Len Wein (1974–1975)
  • black-and-white magazines 1974-1975, entire line 1975-1976)
  • Archie Goodwin (1976–1978)
    • Editor-in-chief
  • Joe Quesada (2000–2011)
  • Axel Alonso (2011–present)

    • Offices

    Located in New York City, Marvel has been successively headquartered in the McGraw-Hill Building,[4][64] where it originated as Empire State Building;[64] at 635 indicia listed the parent publishing-company's address of 625 Madison Ave.);[64] 575 Madison Avenue;[64] 387 Park Avenue South;[64] [64] 417 Fifth Avenue;[64] and a 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m2) space at 135 W. 50th Street.[65][66]

    Marvel characters in other media

    Marvel characters and stories have been adapted to many other media. Some of these adaptations were produced by Marvel Comics and its sister company, Films

    Main article: Main article: Prose novels
    Main article: Marvel Books

    Marvel first licensed two prose novels to Bantam Books, who printed The Avengers Battle the Earth Wrecker by Ted White (1968). Various publishers took up the licenses from 1978 to 2002. Also, with the various licensed films being released beginning in 1997, various publishers put out movie novelizations.[67] In 2003, following publication of the prose young adult novel Mary Jane, starring Spider-Man mythos, Marvel announced the formation of the publishing Marvel Press.[68] However, Marvel moved back to licensing with Pocket Books from 2005 to 2008.[67] With few books issued under the imprint, Marvel and Disney Books Group relaunched Marvel Press in 2011 with the Marvel Origin Storybooks line.[69]

    Television programs

    Main article: List of television series based on Marvel Comics

    Many television series, both live-action and animated, have based their productions on Marvel Comics characters. These include multiple series for popular characters such as Spider-Man and the X-Men. Additionally, a handful of television movies based on Marvel Comics characters have been made.

    Role-playing games

    TSR published the pen-and-paper role-playing game Marvel Super Heroes in 1984.[citation needed] TSR then released the Marvel Super Heroes Adventure Game in 1998.[citation needed] In 2003 Marvel Comics published its own role-playing game, the Marvel Universe Roleplaying Game.[citation needed]

    In August 2011 Margaret Weis Productions announced it was developing a tabletop role-playing game based on the Marvel universe, set for release in February 2012.[70][71]

    Theme parks

    Marvel has licensed its characters for theme-parks and attractions, including at the Islands of Adventure, in Orlando, Florida, which includes rides based on their iconic characters and costumed performers.[72] Universal theme parks in California and Japan also have Marvel rides.[73] In early 2007 Marvel and developer the Al Ahli Group announced plans to build Marvel's first full theme park, in United Arab Emirates, by 2011.[73]

    Video games

    Main article: digital comics that serve as prequels to Disney Epic Mickey.[citation needed] Marvel also released two games under the title Marvel Ultimate Alliance between 2000 and 2010. The same game has been remodeled as an arcade game as well.[citation needed]

    Imprints

    Defunct

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