053 - Marvelous Math
Feb. 22nd, 2015 11:09 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
captain_slinkyThis fact hits me every once in a while, how the "New" comics publisher Image Comics has been around just as long *now*, as Marvel Comics had been around when I started collecting comics.
Given a base of 1984 as the first year I *consciously* collected comic books (the year that Kevin Closson took me to my very first "Comic Specialty Shop" which was called The Stamp & Coin and showed me the wonderful world of Bagged-N-Boarded Back Issues as opposed to the motley piles of garage sale comics I had accumulated over the years).
Assuming that Marvel Comics (as we know them, despite having a history that goes back to the 1930's as "Timely Comics") started with Fantastic Four #1 which was cover-dated as November 1961.
And assuming that Image Comics, though *founded* much earlier, started with the actual distribution of Youngblood #1 which was cover-dated as April 1992.
Marvel Comics had been around for 23 years when I started, and was considered a gold standard that had been around forever.
Image Comics has been around now for 23 years, and I consider them to be the newcomers that still have something to prove before I can really take them seriously.
So do the kids of today see characters like Spawn and Savage Dragon in the same way I saw Spider-Man and The Hulk, all iconic and genre-defining and junk? I doubt it... no kid asks for Silverhawk Pajamas or Cyberforce action figures on their Christmas List. But why?
The answer, is 7-11 Slurpee Cups. At least I'm pretty sure of it. I've done the math.
Given a base of 1984 as the first year I *consciously* collected comic books (the year that Kevin Closson took me to my very first "Comic Specialty Shop" which was called The Stamp & Coin and showed me the wonderful world of Bagged-N-Boarded Back Issues as opposed to the motley piles of garage sale comics I had accumulated over the years).
Assuming that Marvel Comics (as we know them, despite having a history that goes back to the 1930's as "Timely Comics") started with Fantastic Four #1 which was cover-dated as November 1961.
And assuming that Image Comics, though *founded* much earlier, started with the actual distribution of Youngblood #1 which was cover-dated as April 1992.
Marvel Comics had been around for 23 years when I started, and was considered a gold standard that had been around forever.
Image Comics has been around now for 23 years, and I consider them to be the newcomers that still have something to prove before I can really take them seriously.
So do the kids of today see characters like Spawn and Savage Dragon in the same way I saw Spider-Man and The Hulk, all iconic and genre-defining and junk? I doubt it... no kid asks for Silverhawk Pajamas or Cyberforce action figures on their Christmas List. But why?
The answer, is 7-11 Slurpee Cups. At least I'm pretty sure of it. I've done the math.
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no subject
Date: 2015-02-23 02:32 am (UTC)SilverHawk was an under-rated comic book; as was CyberForce. Savage Dragon was brilliant...when Erik Larsen could be bothered to send in his work. Spawn was also pretty good, & this coming from someone who wasn't a big Spawn fan. Spawn at least, got it's own movie, and I seem to recall a cartoon.
The publisher I really miss is First comics. Remember The Badger, GrimJack, and Jon, Sable Freelance? Good writing, good art, but sadly, not so great marketing.
no subject
Date: 2015-02-23 02:38 am (UTC)