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Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 7, 2019 19:40:16 GMT -5
Riffing on a Facebook conversation with a number of CBR alums talking about points of divergence that would change comics history.
One I proposed is...
Max Gaines doesn't die in a boat accident in 1947. William Gaines remains a school teacher and doesn't change the direction of EC Comics. No Weird Science. No Tales From the Crypt. No Mad.
Honestly the ramifications here on not just comics but on popular culture is huge. So many creators influenced by Gaines the Younger’s books. Stephen King. George Lucas. Stephen Spielberg. George Romero. The list goes on and on.
Anyway... feel free to expound in this. Point out additional interesting possible points of diversion. Have fun.
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Post by Cei-U! on Dec 7, 2019 19:58:35 GMT -5
What if Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster had successfully peddled their Superman proposal to one of the smaller newspaper syndicates instead of selling it outright to Detective Comics? Even if the strip managed to survive (most new syndicated strips, then and now, don't), it likely wouldn't have reached as wide an audience as the comic book version did. Moreover, we know that DC vetoed Siegel's longterm plans for the character, which included Lois Lane learning the Big Red S's true identity. Would DC ever have become the powerhouse in the industry it remains today, or would it have gone the way of other early publishers who offered up tepid rehashes of the pulps? Would the super-hero genre as we know it even exist? Without DC looking to duplicate its success, would Kane and Finger have concocted Batman? Would Timely or Fawcett or M.L.J. (Archie) or any other pulp publishers have ventured into comics without the the mystery man fad fueling their interest? It all could've been very, very different.
Cei-U! I summon the ultimate what if?
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zilch
Full Member
Posts: 244 
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Post by zilch on Dec 7, 2019 23:17:54 GMT -5
OOOHHH....
What If... instead of the Atlas Implosion, Marty Goodman decides to sell Atlas Comics to National? And on condition that he hire his cousin-in-law Stanley? What properties would they use? What books would Stan get? Would he be an editor?? What properties would Julius Schwartz revive???
A fave among fans... What if... Joe Maneely stayed in the train car and didn't die?
What if... Jack Schiff wasn't a dick and Jack stayed at National?
More to come??
-z
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Post by tartanphantom on Dec 8, 2019 0:01:18 GMT -5
What direction would comics have taken in the '80's if Frank Miller had done "Archie at 50-- Mid-life Crisis" instead of " Batman-- The Dark Knight Returns"?
Would Archie be having an affair with Big Ethel, who is now a "Dominatrix for Hire"? Would Jughead suffer a heart attack at 35 due to a fat-rich diet of hamburgers and chocolate malts? Would "Watchmen" be based on the characters of Josie and the Pussycats? and more importantly--
Would the industry still be suffering the lasting effects of a "dark humor" trend to this day? |
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Post by Prince Hal on Dec 8, 2019 0:33:52 GMT -5
What if Martin Goodman had skipped that golf game with Jack Liebowitz?
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Post by hondobrode on Dec 8, 2019 2:06:16 GMT -5
What if Martin Goodman never hired Stanley Lieber as a young assistant ?
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Post by berkley on Dec 8, 2019 4:30:42 GMT -5
I don't know if Stan Lee and Jack Kirby would have revolutionised superhero comics in quite the same way without the influence of MAD's irreverent humour on Stan's writing (as I see it).
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Post by Cei-U! on Dec 8, 2019 9:37:12 GMT -5
I don't know if Stan Lee and Jack Kirby would have revolutionised superhero comics in quite the same way without the influence of MAD's irreverent humour on Stan's writing (as I see it). That aspect of Stan's writing was already apparent in his Golden Age work, so I don't think MAD was especially influential. It was part and parcel of his personality.
Cei-U! I summon the reality check!
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Post by Cei-U! on Dec 8, 2019 9:38:32 GMT -5
What if Martin Goodman never hired Stanley Lieberman as a young assistant ? Lieber. No "man."
Cei-U! I summon the red pencil!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2019 11:37:09 GMT -5
What if the Submariner TV show had happened in the 50s? And if it had been popular? What would Marvel Comics look like in the 60s?
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Post by Farrar on Dec 8, 2019 12:16:07 GMT -5
Something I've wondered about here (and elsewhere): what if Roy Thomas had stayed at DC working for Mort Weisinger? Lots of implications, including would ENB--whom Roy was replacing at DC--have eventually made it over to Marvel, or another comics company, or would he have left comics entirely?
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Post by berkley on Dec 8, 2019 12:25:33 GMT -5
I don't know if Stan Lee and Jack Kirby would have revolutionised superhero comics in quite the same way without the influence of MAD's irreverent humour on Stan's writing (as I see it). That aspect of Stan's writing was already apparent in his Golden Age work, so I don't think MAD was especially influential. It was part and parcel of his personality.
Cei-U! I summon the reality check!
Ah, good to know. I'll have to lay that theory to rest. |
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Post by beccabear67 on Dec 8, 2019 14:33:07 GMT -5
Hmm, all the best what ifs might be taken, I'm left with: What If Superman had stayed a Merman?   Really, just an excuse to show this great cover I ran across. |
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Post by Calidore on Dec 8, 2019 14:54:00 GMT -5
Numerous comic creators served in the military, but often were able to use their artistic talents behind the scenes. Jack Kirby, however, was one who saw combat. So, if Kirby tragically never returns from World War II, does Stan find another regular partner in his place? If so, who were possible candidates, and what would Marvel's early slate look like as a result?
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Post by beccabear67 on Dec 8, 2019 15:08:20 GMT -5
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