shaxper
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Posts: 22,874
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Post by shaxper on Sept 8, 2017 6:41:17 GMT -5
I've come to see the success of Marvel in the 1960s and 1970s as at least partially being due to Stan Lee developing an entire subculture around the company. In addition to building up the creative talents and making them familiar to the readers, in addition to developing an inter-title continuity that rewarded fans who were invested in multiple titles, and in addition to striking a conversational tone with readers and letter writers in the letter pages and bullpen solicitations, there seemed to be an entire Marvel language, choc full of familiar phrases and expressions that were repeatedly used on covers and in letter columns. Off the top of my head, that would have included: True Believers Excelsior The Marvel Age of Comics Fearless Reader the notable creative team nicknames, especially Jack "King" Kirby repeated use of cover phrases like "In a world he never made" (which saw use repeatedly long before it landed on the covers of Howard the Duck) ...and that's just off the top of my head. I'm sure there are tons more, so help me flesh out an encyclopedia of Marvel Age expressions!  |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Sept 8, 2017 6:53:02 GMT -5
I definitely appreciated the bits on creators and upcoming stuff in the bulletins page.. when I was buying new comics in the early 90s, it was a legit source of info... on classic comics they are a fun window into what was going on at the time.
I think you got most of the terms, my favorite was always Distinguished Competition for DC, but that might be a Tom DeFalco thing, not a Stan Lee thing.
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Post by Nowhere Man on Sept 8, 2017 7:06:23 GMT -5
Since I'm reading The Marvel Age of Comics chronologically, I get a kick out seeing the Marvel language develop over time. I think the funniest aspect to me is when we get to the point where the credits always say something hyperbolic and grandiose about the talents of Lee and Kirby, but playfully mock the contributions of poor old Artie Simek. Some humor challenged readers took this literally and started sending in letters to Marvel demanding that they stop insulting Artie.
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Post by Nowhere Man on Sept 8, 2017 7:07:46 GMT -5
Face Front! is another Lee contribution to the lexicon.
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Post by Cheswick on Sept 8, 2017 9:25:17 GMT -5
'Nuff said.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2017 9:27:29 GMT -5
Dreaded Deadline Doom
Fill-In Issue
No Prize
-M
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,874
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Post by shaxper on Sept 8, 2017 10:10:01 GMT -5
I'm both surprised this phrase hadn't been used prior to Marvel and that Marvel actually used this phrase to describe stories they wanted you to buy. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2017 10:23:08 GMT -5
I'm both surprised this phrase hadn't been used prior to Marvel and that Marvel actually used this phrase to describe stories they wanted you to buy. They didn't but it became part of the lexicon when discussing Marvel. They would do things like special re-presentation of a classic with an all new framing sequence by... or enjoy this classic tale form Marvel's glorious past, or our regular team had to take a month off so we present you this special instant classic by hack creator one and hack creator two or something else to dress it up and try to put the huckster spin on it, but in the language used by those who also adopted the "Language" of Marvel as you put it it was referred to as another "G** D***ed reprint or another useless reprint, especially in cases like say Avengers 144 which ended on a cliffhanger in the middle of a long arc then issues 145 and 146 were fill ins of inventor story that had nothing to do with the story in process and delayed the resolution of the cliffhanger for 3 months. Sometimes the colorful language of Marvel drew people in, but in other instances, like in fill ins when it became an obvious ploy, it had the opposite effect and a language about Marvel was developed that was integrated into the language of Marvel to the point where they were inseparable. -M |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2017 10:24:37 GMT -5
I'm both surprised this phrase hadn't been used prior to Marvel and that Marvel actually used this phrase to describe stories they wanted you to buy. And who prior to Marvel was telling long form stories in comics where a fill in story would have been noticeable? -M |
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,874
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Post by shaxper on Sept 8, 2017 10:26:49 GMT -5
I'm both surprised this phrase hadn't been used prior to Marvel and that Marvel actually used this phrase to describe stories they wanted you to buy. And who prior to Marvel was telling long form stories in comics where a fill in story would have been noticeable? -M Newspaper serials mostly, I'd imagine. Excellent point about language that developed in response to Marvel. I hadn't considered that. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2017 10:30:24 GMT -5
And who prior to Marvel was telling long form stories in comics where a fill in story would have been noticeable? -M Newspaper serials mostly, I'd imagine. Excellent point about language that developed in response to Marvel. I hadn't considered that. And if newspapers had a ghost team come in to do the strip for a while, it usually wan't announced in the credits and the ghosts carried on the story in progress so it wasn't immediately noticeable except to those with a refined eye to notice subtle differences in the dialogue, cations, or art. And you usually weren't shelling out money for just the strip to be fooled by a bait and switch tactic. -M |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2017 10:37:52 GMT -5
Speaking of which...
To Be Continued/Continued Next Issue were likely language introduced into comics by Marvel.
-M
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2017 10:38:53 GMT -5
Pop Art Production
The Merry Marvel Marching Society (a.k.a) The MMMS want you.
FOOM
-M
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2017 10:40:15 GMT -5
Then theirs the idea of Marveldom and the Hallowed Ranks of Marveldom...  -M |
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Post by badwolf on Sept 8, 2017 10:51:28 GMT -5
I never understood the phrase "in a world he never made."
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