Why the 70s nostalgia?

[matthewaos]

Lately I think that the marvel editors decided to bring the 70s back. You can see it all over the place. I think it's nice in a way, though it's a product of some older guys, who grew up then.

Though I thought of something strange. The nostalgia factor is something inevitable in art, fashion, lifestyle, etc. The 90s nostalgia is something no one can stop. Consider the fact that when guys around 20 - 25 grab some important jobs, these guys have grew up with Lobdel X-Men, clone saga, Onslaught, HEroes reborn, Azrael, Death of Superman, kid Tony Stark, cybernetic implants for no reason, futuristic mad max kind of stuff and such. So what I thought is that maybe, just maybe, the crazy minds from marvel, thought to push this as far as they can, and bring the 70s back. I know it sounds crazy, but you know, I'm waiting for these stuff, cause I loved the 90s (sorry...) and I don't see any signs.

[Shellhead]

Lately I think that the marvel editors decided to bring the 70s back. You can see it all over the place. I think it's nice in a way, though it's a product of some older guys, who grew up then.

Though I thought of something strange. The nostalgia factor is something inevitable in art, fashion, lifestyle, etc. The 90s nostalgia is something no one can stop. Consider the fact that when guys around 20 - 25 grab some important jobs, these guys have grew up with Lobdel X-Men, clone saga, Onslaught, HEroes reborn, Azrael, Death of Superman, kid Tony Stark, cybernetic implants for no reason, futuristic mad max kind of stuff and such. So what I thought is that maybe, just maybe, the crazy minds from marvel, thought to push this as far as they can, and bring the 70s back. I know it sounds crazy, but you know, I'm waiting for these stuff, cause I loved the 90s (sorry...) and I don't see any signs.

I was thinking along similar lines the other day. Nostalgia is an inevitable influence on creative works, especially nostalgia for whatever was going on ten years ago, and also for whatever was going on when a given person was in their late teens or early 20s.

However, some time periods had disproportionate amounts of crap in one way or another. For example, I doubt that most people will feel much nostalgia ever for this current decade when it comes to music. And there were so many terrible comics in the '90s that there will probably be a lot less nostalgia for that decade found in comic fans.

[matthewaos]

Hey, I loved Prodigy, and I really liked the X-Factor!

I see what you say though and you are right, but consider this: If for example I was going to write a comic book (I'm 24), the books that I read as a teen were those of that period. Even if I don't use Bastion or Kaine, don't you think that my influences will "make me" use the 90s vibe?

[Rick Summers]

For some reason the success of a certain TV show comes to mind. You may have heard of it. It's called "That 70's Show" ;)
http://www.that70sshow.com/

[Michael P]

Because the fans who were teenagers in the '70s are writing the books now.

[Shellhead]

Hey, I loved Prodigy, and I really liked the X-Factor!

I see what you say though and you are right, but consider this: If for example I was going to write a comic book (I'm 24), the books that I read as a teen were those of that period. Even if I don't use Bastion or Kaine, don't you think that my influences will "make me" use the 90s vibe?

Yeah, and it makes sense to me. Ideally, your nostalgia for '90s comics will be filtered through your current concept of what makes a comic good. Your might have a certain gritty tone, but maybe your characters won't be running around with 30 pouches on their costumes wielding guns bigger than their heads.

[matthewaos]

Oh yeah, there was also Liefield... But Ironically enough, Oliveti uses this "aspect", literally. In Cable #1, last page, Bishop's bionic arm seems bigger than Bishop!
(And now that I think about it, Cable has that 90s feeling, cause both characters were trademarks of that decade, there is also time travel, kind of post apocalyptic future, and bionic arm)

[WorstThingUS]

Because the fans who were teenagers in the '70s are writing the books now.

Exactly. And not even teenagers. Bendis was just a lad when Spiderwoman, Ms. Marvel and Luke Cage had their shot.

[brundlefly]

Because the fans who were teenagers in the '70s are writing the books now.

QFT. This is the correct answer.

[Beast]

Because the fans who were teenagers in the '70s are writing the books now.
Except for Robert Kirkman. He was a fan of the 90's for some reason. :biggrin:

[TotalWorldDomination]

Because the fans who were teenagers in the '70s are writing the books now.

"Comics were better when I was a kid!" is the "Get off my lawn!" of comics.

[Leocomix]

Well, the 60s have been stripmined and it was too simplistic for modern tastes but the 70s is the age of contestation, of doubt in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. The feeling is close to the modern times with the Irak War.

The Essential and Masterworks are now reaching the seventies, most of these stories had not been seen since contrary to the 60s ones who had been regularly reprinted so there is a whole new generation discovering the 70s work of Marvel (pre-Shooter) which was a period of writerly renaissance. The 80s were the period of the writer-artist and the 90s those of the artist. We are again in a period where writers dominate.
Even a post-apocalyptic series like Y the Last man (at Vertigo) is reminiscent of the 70s series (Planet of the Apes, Kamandi, Omac, Killraven, Deathlok, Planet of the Vampires)

[Maestro]

I think you're confused with the DC Universe.

[Shellhead]

I think you're confused with the DC Universe.

I'm not sure if the Vietnam War even happened in the DCU. The superhero comics seemed to completely ignore it.

[psm]

Oh yeah, there was also Liefield... But Ironically enough, Oliveti uses this "aspect", literally. In Cable #1, last page, Bishop's bionic arm seems bigger than Bishop!
(And now that I think about it, Cable has that 90s feeling, cause both characters were trademarks of that decade, there is also time travel, kind of post apocalyptic future, and bionic arm)

Don't forget David Finch either. He is the living embodiment of 90's image artist.

[Leocomix]

I'm not sure if the Vietnam War even happened in the DCU. The superhero comics seemed to completely ignore it.

It's not a matter of whether the war was depicted in comics, it's the matter of America being in a similar situation, of a population shaped by similar events. and reacting to the dame kind of stories. It's not limited to Marvel, it affects the whole culture.

[samson]

In Cable #1, last page, Bishop's bionic arm seems bigger than Bishop!
I can't look at a picture of Gauntlet without wondering how he can even stand up straight.

[HeckBoy]

Kinda makes me wonder if in 20 years, we won't be reading about gun-toting, muscle-bound, morally-ambiguous anti-heroes with pouches, and shoulder pads, and bionic arms again.

[DaeJi]

Kinda makes me wonder if in 20 years, we won't be reading about gun-toting, muscle-bound, morally-ambiguous anti-heroes with pouches, and shoulder pads, and bionic arms again.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

[CyberCoyote]

Kinda makes me wonder if in 20 years, we won't be reading about gun-toting, muscle-bound, morally-ambiguous anti-heroes with pouches, and shoulder pads, and bionic arms again.

'Scuze me while I clean up the mess you just got me to make :redface:

For the most part Marvel and DC can't do anything else. The characters are more important as trademarks or whatever to use for merchandise and film/tv, so they have to find ways to look like they're doing something without actually doing anything or evolving in any real way. The whole retro thing is just another way to do that. Hey, in the 70's the stories were still moving forward, Marvel was only a decade or so old. They didn't realize what a cash cow they had on their hands entirely and hadn't quite yet condemned their characters to eternal non-aging stagnation (although that's probably when it really kicked in)

[valentine]

Because the 70s was a great time for comics.

[matthewaos]

What, the 80s wasn't? I think anyone has it's favorites

[Leocomix]

The 70s was the time of the writer/editor and the wrirerly renaissance until Shooter lost a lot of talent. Then it was the period of the writer/artist and while their run were excellent, it was a period of decline. There was no creativity.
While Moench, Wolfman, Gerber, McGregor created excellent new characters (and revamped old ones), Miller, Byrne, Simonson just revamped old ones. The X-Men engulfed everything which is what nearly killed Marvel. Harras compounded this. Marvel was reborn when they realised that they had to invest in their classic characters (Captain America, Iron Man, Avengers, FF, DD, Thor) instead of treating them like second stringers. By creating interest in these old franchises they could reprint past glorious runs. Concentrating on X-Men was a cannibalisation.
When Quesada created Marvel Knights they did wonders with past second stringers (Black Panther, Inhumans) showing the same creativity there had been in the 70s.