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Post by MWGallaher on May 12, 2022 19:53:27 GMT -5
I didn’t read Trevor’s question that way, thinking instead about the use of minor characters in team-up books, but yeah, the contract between DC and Marston is the big example there. My understanding is, and I’m willing to be corrected, that sales on Wonder Woman fell well below cancellation levels a number of times. The book wasn't canceled because the character would have reverted to the Marston Estate and because licensing of the character made decent money. The power of Underoos. Which brings up an interesting question: Batman, Superman/boy, and Wonder Woman were the only superheroes to run continuously past the Golden Age and into the superhero revival. Did Wonder Woman achieve that because the comic continued to be a sales success, or did some of those cancellation level sales period occur in the 50's? It seems like it would show excellent foresight for National to anticipate the licensing value of Wonder Woman back then, when, unlike Superman and Batman, her newspaper strip was unsuccessful, and she had no movie serial or radio or tv program. Were other publishers known to have interest in snapping up the character if National were to forfeit the rights? If so, I could see them being willing to suffer some unprofitable years to keep one of "their" properties away from competitors, but what publishers would have been willing to take over the series in, say, the mid-50's, when no one wanted to re-enter the superhero genre? Or did the sales slumps start hitting in the 60's, when the potential value might have been more obvious? It was then that Wonder Woman kept getting adjustments--the Wonder Woman Family era, the return to a Golden Age style, the Diana Prince period--so that would imply some major sales struggles.
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Post by Icctrombone on May 12, 2022 20:51:00 GMT -5
The second Legion of Super-Heroes story, in Adventure #267, may well be the dumbest comic story I’ve ever read. There. I said it! Now I HAVE to read it.
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Post by MDG on May 13, 2022 8:25:10 GMT -5
Which brings up an interesting question: Batman, Superman/boy, and Wonder Woman were the only superheroes to run continuously past the Golden Age and into the superhero revival.... I believe Green Arrow and Aquaman also ran continuously, but always as back-up features.
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Post by majestic on May 13, 2022 16:27:09 GMT -5
Which brings up an interesting question: Batman, Superman/boy, and Wonder Woman were the only superheroes to run continuously past the Golden Age and into the superhero revival.... I believe Green Arrow and Aquaman also ran continuously, but always as back-up features. In Adventure Comics and World's Finest.
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Post by Rob Allen on May 13, 2022 17:24:31 GMT -5
I didn’t read Trevor’s question that way, thinking instead about the use of minor characters in team-up books, but yeah, the contract between DC and Marston is the big example there. My understanding is, and I’m willing to be corrected, that sales on Wonder Woman fell well below cancellation levels a number of times. The book wasn't canceled because the character would have reverted to the Marston Estate and because licensing of the character made decent money. The power of Underoos. Which brings up an interesting question: Batman, Superman/boy, and Wonder Woman were the only superheroes to run continuously past the Golden Age and into the superhero revival. Did Wonder Woman achieve that because the comic continued to be a sales success, or did some of those cancellation level sales period occur in the 50's? It seems like it would show excellent foresight for National to anticipate the licensing value of Wonder Woman back then, when, unlike Superman and Batman, her newspaper strip was unsuccessful, and she had no movie serial or radio or tv program. Were other publishers known to have interest in snapping up the character if National were to forfeit the rights? If so, I could see them being willing to suffer some unprofitable years to keep one of "their" properties away from competitors, but what publishers would have been willing to take over the series in, say, the mid-50's, when no one wanted to re-enter the superhero genre? Or did the sales slumps start hitting in the 60's, when the potential value might have been more obvious? It was then that Wonder Woman kept getting adjustments--the Wonder Woman Family era, the return to a Golden Age style, the Diana Prince period--so that would imply some major sales struggles. I don't have actual information, but my guess is that WW was valuable in licensing all along. Licensees who wanted to sell Superman-branded merchandise would want something that parents could buy for their daughters too.
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Post by Duragizer on May 13, 2022 19:50:13 GMT -5
Aquaman isn't fishlike enough, Hawkman isn't birdlike* enough.
I said it, there.
*Kingdom Come notwithstanding.
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Post by Batflunkie on May 13, 2022 21:02:40 GMT -5
Aquaman isn't fishlike enoug h
Neither is Namor, now that I think about it. But I think that comes with the territory of both of them being half-breeds of mer-people and humans
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Post by badwolf on May 16, 2022 9:19:12 GMT -5
Namor did have certain fish powers in his early days, but they were abandoned... I kinda wish he could still make like a puffer fish.
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Post by Cei-U! on May 16, 2022 10:00:35 GMT -5
Namor did have certain fish powers in his early days, but they were abandoned... I kinda wish he could still make like a puffer fish. Those "fish-like powers" were imposed on Subby by Jack Kirby early in the Silver Age. They were NOT part of the original Bill Everett version and Stan, as editor, was absolutely right in ordering those new powers eliminated when he gave Namor his slot in Tales to Astonish.
Cei-U! Imperious Rex!
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Post by tonebone on May 16, 2022 12:02:52 GMT -5
Aquaman isn't fishlike enoug h
Neither is Namor, now that I think about it. But I think that comes with the territory of both of them being half-breeds of mer-people and humans As when I was a kid, whenever I see Namor, the only thing I can think is "WHY DOES HE HAVE WINGS ON HIS FEET??" This weird mixed metaphor has literally kept me from ever being able to get into the character. Wings. On his feet.
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Post by badwolf on May 16, 2022 12:16:04 GMT -5
He got them from Wyatt Wingfoot.
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Post by Commander Benson on May 16, 2022 14:48:33 GMT -5
Namor did have certain fish powers in his early days, but they were abandoned...Those "fish-like powers" were imposed on Subby by Jack Kirby early in the Silver Age. They were NOT part of the original Bill Everett version and Stan, as editor, was absolutely right in ordering those new powers eliminated when he gave Namor his slot in Tales to Astonish. [/div] Forgotten, perhaps, but not eliminated from the canon. In the Sub-Mariner's battle with the Hulk in The Defenders # 52 (Oct., 1977), writer David Kraft depicts Namor using his power to imitate an electric eel's electric charge to zap Ol' Jadejaws. Then, in Namor, the Sub-Mariner # 18 (Sep., 1991), John Byrne showed Namor thwarting the Super-Skrull's invisibility by resorting to the same power he used 'way back in Fantastic Four # 9 (Dec., 1962)---duplicating the radar-like sense of the eyeless cave fish. Hope this helps.
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Post by Duragizer on May 16, 2022 16:29:52 GMT -5
Neither is Namor, now that I think about it. But I think that comes with the territory of both of them being half-breeds of mer-people and humans As when I was a kid, whenever I see Namor, the only thing I can think is "WHY DOES HE HAVE WINGS ON HIS FEET??" This weird mixed metaphor has literally kept me from ever being able to get into the character. Wings. On his feet. Especially egregious considering flying fish are a thing.
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Post by kirby101 on May 17, 2022 8:01:36 GMT -5
All reprint books should be either scanned from the original comics or done by a colorist to look as close to the original printed book as possible.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on May 17, 2022 8:05:21 GMT -5
All reprint books should be either scanned from the original comics or done by a colorist to look as close to the original printed book as possible.
Dark Horse went that way for its reprints of the original Kull comics, and they looked quite good indeed. Much better than the recoloured Conan volumes, with their garish computer colouring that fairly drowned Barry Smith's fine linework.
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