boyajian@akov68.DEC (Jerry Boyajian) (05/10/84)
NEWS [from THE COMIC BUYER'S GUIDE 18 May 1984]:
(1) Western Publishing is suspending the Whitman Comics (ex-Dell, ex-Gold Key)
line.
(2) Jerry Ordway is leaving INFINITY, INC.; no permanent replacement found.
"`Basicly, he's going to do X-MEN work,' Thomas said."
(3) Will Meugniot leaves DNAGENTS. Concentrating on "Vanity" strip and animation
work. He may still do covers and a "Rainbow" mini-series.
(4) Pacific cancels SILVERHEELS; lateness of Scott Hampton's art is said to be
the cause.
(5) In the "Comics in Your Future" department:
(a) MS. TREE #9 is listed as the "last Eclipse issue". This seems to
help confirm the rumor that Aardvark-Vanaheim is to pick up this comic.
(b) EPIC ILLUSTRATED #26 (on sale at end of July) contains a Cerebus
story by Dave Sim and "The Last Galactus Story" by Byrne & Austin.
********************************************************************************
COMMENTARY:
(1) I have to agree with Alice Bentley; I like the Baxter paper, too. I don't
think that the colors are too garish. I suspect that most people are too used to
how "comics are supposed to look like" that the coloring in the Baxter books
looks wrong. HOWEVER, I also think that a good deal of the material published in
the Baxter format doesn't deserve it. Mando is a fine grade of paper, and I'd
like to see most comics printed on it, reserving a select few for the Baxter.
(2) re: Guardian's death. I suspect that as far as Byrne's concerned, Jamie-boy
is dead, deceased, no more, pushing up daisies, a member of the Choir Invisible,
etc. In short, an ex-superhero. I still suspect, and I've heard others put forth
the same, that somewhere along the line, Heather will become the new Guardian
(perhaps take up the old, discarded name of Vindicator). Of course, I wouldn't
put it past someone else with lesser ethics at Marvel to pull a Ressurection Rag
on him.
(3) As another measure of Marvel Continuity, X-MEN #187 not only has Storm and
Forge fighting Dire Wraiths (from ROM) in Dallas, but they'll be doing it in the
middle of a blizzard (in summer), brought about by the Casket of Ancient Winters
from THOR. Wintry effects from the Casket also pop up in AVENGERS #249.
(4) Soapbox time. I'm getting a bit tired of all the complaints in the fan press
about the deluge of mutant-related comics coming out of Marvel. Look at it this
way: even if we consider THE NEW MUTANTS to be a second X-MEN title, so far we
have two monthly titles (plus annuals), and there have been two graphic novels
(with at least 3 more planned) and 3 mini-series (WOLVERINE, MAGIK, and X-MEN/
MICRONAUTS), with at least four more planned (KITTY AND WOLVERINE, MAGNETO, and
two NIGHTCRAWLERs). Oh, and on top of this, lets add the 5 Baxter issues (the 3
Thomas/Adams issues, the Special Edition, and PHOENIX), the trade paperback, and
the X-MEN/TEEN TITANS (with a second one planned, unless they've cancelled it
along with the AVENGERS/JLA book. MARV???). I can't deny that this seems like a
lot, but compare this with the FOUR monthly Spider-Man titles (and the various
other tie- n publications with Spidey) that Marvel puts out.
And if we take a look at DC, we see that Batman and Superman have FOUR
monthly titles each, plus Superman's appearances (soon to cease) in JLA, plus
the one Batman and 3 Superman mini-series (UNTOLD LEGEND OF THE BATMAN, THE FAB-
ULOUS WORLD OF KRYPTON, THE KRYPTON CHRONICLES, and THE PHANTOM ZONE), plus an-
nuals (BATMAN, SUPERMAN, DC COMICS PRESENTS, and BATMAN & THE OUTSIDERS), plus
the various tie-in publications, and 3 crossovers with Marvel, plus the forth-
coming Baxter reprints of classic Batman stories, plus the Earth-2 Supes/Bats
appearances. AND--- if we consider the NEWTIES as a second X-MEN title, should
we not also consider the SUPERBOY and SUPERGIRL books as other Superman titles
(and let us not forget *their* occasional appearances in the LSH...).
So, when you really look at it, there is really *a lot* less X-Men and
X-Men-related material being published today than either Superman- *or* Batman-
related material. I think that the fact that the latter two been in this situa-
tion for the past few decades has blinded a lot of people to this fact --- they
are simply used to that much Superman and Batman stuff, whereas the X-Men stuff
is all relatively recent. End of soapbox.
--- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC Maynard, MA)
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*NOTE CHANGE IN ADDRESSING*moriarty@uw-june.UUCP (05/14/84)
Yes, I'm sorry this is so late, but I've been held silent by several downed sites (LET MY NEWSNOTES GO!) NEWS: Again, thanks, as the Comic's buyers guide is the fastest news around, and is not available to many of us.... Ordway doing X-Men? Sounds good, but I was just getting to like Romita (I can't see Ordway bring the sensitivity which X-Men needs so badly (think of the famous Peter/Kitty scene an issue back)). DNAgents was getting borderline... this may kill it. Silverheels -- another one with potential but presently not a big loss (what ever happened to artists with discipline? Apparently it went out with Neal Adams debut...). Ms. Tree additions to A-V (O.K., you don't have to be good buddy Holmes to figure that one out, Pancho) makes it the strongest publishing house around, with First giving them good, solid competition. Thanks for the Epic note... I don't touch it normally. On Baxter vs. Mondo: Perhaps it's not the paper we should be critiquing, but the colorists... it sounds like there are just not enough Baxter-knowledgable colorists to go around. It may just take some time to get it going... Continutity: God, another huge Marvel Tie-In? While Secret Wars is still going on? Thor, ROM, X-Men? Mr. Gumby, My Brain Hurts.... Mutant Menace: I'm not sure people are complaining about the outbursts of X-Men products... only the outbreak of mutants in the Marvel Chaosverse. It's seems like Reagan and Mondale and Jackson and Hart should be playing up to the mutants as a minority on Earth-Shooter; they seem to represent a hell of a big share of the population (but they're probably not voting age yet...). I'm just noting it, not complaining... perhaps there is a **Larger Significance**? (Hint, hint, wink, wink, Know what I mean, Know what I mean?) Well, now maybe I can read the news from Friday and catch up. "DANGER is my BUSINESS"| Currently residing in | UUCP: MORIARTY | {ihnp4,decvax,tektronix}!uw-beaver!uw-june!moriarty | ARPANET: AKA -jwm- | moriarty@washington