Marvel MasterWorks Blunder

[InfoBroker]

Hey Mike Kuypers!

Did'ja see the cool Tales to Astonish Marvel Masterwork that is coming in a few months? It looks great, but they got the cover all wrong.


http://www.marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/0106/MM_TTA_vol1_HC.jpg


We should write to them or something. As all the follower's of Kimosabe's wonderful Guess the Classic Covers thread know, It's suppose to look like this. (http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showpost.php?p=1785530&postcount=642)

-jb the (finally getting some free time to hang out here and be silly) ib-

[Mike Kuypers]

Poor InfoBroker! You've been dissed twice! First by me, then by Marvel! :cool:

[Red Oak Kid]

Does anyone know if there is going to be a Tales of Suspense Masterworks?

[InfoBroker]

Poor InfoBroker! You've been dissed twice! First by me, then by Marvel! :cool:

Well, technically Marvel dissed me first way back in 1970-71 when then insulted my intelligence with those really stupid covers. So get in line Mike, get in line.

-jb the (also hoping for a Suspense Masterworks) ib-

And Strange Tales, Amazing Fantasy, Strange Worlds and Journey Into Mystery. I'll take 'em all...

[Red Oak Kid]

Well, technically Marvel dissed me first way back in 1970-71 when they insulted my intelligence with those really stupid covers.

What covers are you talking about?

[InfoBroker]

What covers are you talking about?

As the silver-age waned, and comic sales plummetted in 1969, Marvel editorial policy decided to dumb down their covers, and in some instances the stories within as well, in an attempt to bolster sales.

The trend eased up a year or so later, my guess is because it wasn't making much if any difference. The following Daredevil covers are typical of that pattern.

This is not a slam against the artist, it is definitely a critique of the cover's presentation style and approach.

We've talked about this editorial down-slide at Marvel on the Jump The Shark thread a few months back.

-jb-

[Red Oak Kid]

That first DD cover brings up a question I have been wondering about. I wasn't buying Marvels then(1968?) but in looking around the GCD I have noticed there seemed to be a period where Marvel covers had no word balloons and little if any blurbs. I think this was around the time Stan was doing those Soapboxes about how the "kids" in college had discovered Marvel comics and how Marvel books were considered "high" art etc. etc.

Was there ever a month when all the main Marvel superhero titles had no word balloons/cover blurbs?

[InfoBroker]

Was there ever a month when all the main Marvel superhero titles had no word balloons/cover blurbs?

Off the top of my head, the prime time would be 1968 to very early 1969 for little to no hard sell on Marvel Comics covers. The month that Dugan was being investigating for a possible court martial in Howling Commandos comes to mind. This would come close to this DD.

Let me do some digging...

-jb the still missing the bulk of his comic collection ib-

[InfoBroker]

What the heck is going on here? Did someone take potshots at all the comic cover locations and bring their servers down? Like GCD, the Marvel Silver-Age Index is not serving up pages.

Anyway, here's a bit more info.

I am looking at my set of Captain Savage comics. From issue #3 to issue #17, there is either a single, one banner box with the title for the story or the cover is completely empty of words.

This would be a range of cover dates from May68 to Jan70. Newstand dates Feb68 to Sep69.

The final two issues in this range of the Leatherneckin', Battlefield Raiders have a few extra words. Issue 9 and 12 have no verbage at all.

Within that range of time, Marvel was pretty much letting the title, the characters, the Marvel label, and a solid visual image that symbolized the story do the selling.

Issue 18 and 19 have a single word balloon. And don't get me wrong, I have nothing against words on a cover. For example, Journey Into Mystery #114 is loaded with hard sell, but I consider it a fantastic cover. The final issue of Captain Savage is also a very effective cover. Although I don't like the style of the lettering in the caption very much.

I will do some additional looking as time and online resources permit.



-jb the ib-

[Mike Kuypers]

I remember that period of no word balloons very well. In fact, there was a Daredevil cover where he's about to be unmasked by the Beetle that stood out because it had a word balloon on it.

[InfoBroker]

^Yea that was issue #34. One of my wacky favorites was DD#27.

Foggy and Karen are shown on the lower right hand side of a yellow cover.

Karen: Foggy! What can we DO?

Foggy: Well... we can always resort to sheer PANIC!

It's one of my favorite lines. I've been know to use it on occassion.

This cover is also one of my faves, and it typical of the hard sell style that Marvel used heavily. John Romita has commented that it was Gleason comic covers that influenced this type of hard sell. Hold a couple of golden age Daredevils next to a heavy verbage Marvel Comic Cover from the 60s and 70s and it becomes obvious.

-jb the gotta make a food run ib-

[Red Oak Kid]

It was Captain Marvel 9,10 and 13 that first made me aware of the missing verbage.

http://image.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/14781264402.13.GIF

What will Chuck R. think about all the additional hits the Mile High site is getting since the GCD is down?

[InfoBroker]

Well I managed to find a near complete set than spans two cover months, but I think they stretch across three newstand release months.

Thor is the only one that I have found (so far) that breaks the norm, but 161 has but a single title blurb. There are a couple of Thor comics just prior to this that are sans words (156,158).

Anyway here is the list (so far)

Hulk 111
Captain America 110
Dr. Strange 176 ( 177 almost qualifies, and with such a great cover it has been attached anyway)

FF 82
X-men 53 (the first Barry Smith Marvel work)
Avengers 61

Spidey 67
DD 49

Subby 12
Captain Marvel 10
Silver Surfer 4
Shield 9 (Although almost all of them are sans-words, 2,3,5,6,7,8,10,11)

The Exceptions
Thor 160 161
Iron-man - another exception - DARN IT!

Looking the covers over, one things for sure...

It was a couple of great months to be a Marvelite!

-jb the MMMSer ib-

[InfoBroker]

Cover set part two...

[InfoBroker]

Cover Set Part three...

[InfoBroker]

Cover set part Four ....

Still gathering the remainders...

[InfoBroker]

And while it is out of synch month-wise with the others, this is a great Sgt. Fury cover.

-jb the partial to Dum Dum ib-

[InfoBroker]

Oops, now that I look over the list, I realize Spidey 67 is a month premature of the two month window as well. DANG AGAIN!!

-jb the blundering ib-