| Author |
|
Kurt Anderson
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 18 November 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 2035
|
| Posted: 21 May 2007 at 5:20pm | IP Logged | 1
|
|
|
Brendan, do you have the international numbers for SR and GR?
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Kurt Anderson
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 18 November 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 2035
|
| Posted: 21 May 2007 at 5:30pm | IP Logged | 2
|
|
|
QUOTE:
| Kurt, DC has owned Captain Marvel for much longer than that if I'm not mistaken. They have missed the boat on so many occasions with a character that if marketed correctly could have resulted in an icon |
|
|
DC licensed the characters in 72. Fawcett promised not to publish Marvel Family comics, and could not take advantage of the 60's heroes boom. DC attempted to keep the stories as lighthearted and fun as possible, with art by Beck and Schaeffenberger. Beck left because he felt that the stories were too silly, even for Captain Marvel.
They marketed Cap into a live action TV series and animated series that brought him to the attention to a new generation and have attempted to make him a hit as everything from fun to serious to grim and gritty. Right now they have the Marvel Family as the focus of at least four different titles and have a movie in the works.
Short of forcing Fawcett to sign over the character during the period that Binder was turning the Superman Family into the Marvel Family, I don't know what else they could've tried.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Roque Martinez
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 06 May 2007
Location: Spain
Posts: 292
|
| Posted: 21 May 2007 at 6:17pm | IP Logged | 3
|
|
|
QUOTE:
|
Dan Didio, or Bill Jemas-Lite as I call him. |
|
|
Did I miss some interviews with DiDio constantly insulting fans and retailers, publishing strict and ridiculous guidelines on how to write and dismissing DC's decades of history?
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Kurt Anderson
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 18 November 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 2035
|
| Posted: 21 May 2007 at 6:29pm | IP Logged | 4
|
|
|
QUOTE:
Quote:
| Dan Didio, or Bill Jemas-Lite as I call him. | | |
Did I miss some interviews with DiDio constantly insulting fans and retailers, publishing strict and ridiculous guidelines on how to write and dismissing DC's decades of history?
|
|
|
The TV series Smallville is a direct attack at Jemas' popular Marville series.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Jason Czeskleba
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 30 April 2004
Posts: 4635
|
| Posted: 21 May 2007 at 6:57pm | IP Logged | 5
|
|
|
Chad Carter wrote:
| Businesswise: Carmine Infantino overreacting to "declining sales" and
jettisoning blossoming titles that might have given Marvel a run for
their money ie "The DC Implosion?" |
|
|
For the record, Carmine Infantino was ousted from his position as president and publisher of DC in 1976. The "DC Implosion" happened in summer 1978, when Jenette Kahn was publisher. It's also important to note that the decision to cancel all those titles and cut back was made by upper management at Warner Brothers, not by Kahn or anyone at DC Comics. They had no choice in the matter. It's also questionable whether the DC Explosion would have worked anyway, since it was essentially a repeat of Infantino's failed 1971 experiment of having higher-priced books with a lower per-page price. My guess is once again buyers would have stuck with the cheaper overall-priced Marvels, regardless of the quality of the DC books.
Edited by Jason Czeskleba on 21 May 2007 at 7:20pm
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Brendan Howard
Byrne Robotics Member
FAQ Master Supreme
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 4943
|
| Posted: 21 May 2007 at 7:05pm | IP Logged | 6
|
|
|
Kurt Anderson wrote:
Brendan, do you have the international numbers
for SR and GR? |
|
|
According to BoxOfficeMojo.com , both films made about the same amount
internationally as they did in the US.
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=ghostrider.htm
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=superman06.htm
The same ratio holds true for the Spider-Man and Pirates films, while Harry
Potter films make 70% of their box office overseas.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
| www
e-mail
|
| |
Jason Czeskleba
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 30 April 2004
Posts: 4635
|
| Posted: 21 May 2007 at 7:12pm | IP Logged | 7
|
|
|
Kurt Anderson wrote:
While the price increase of '71 may have been a financial fiasco, it
also led to a treasure trove of golden age comics becoming available to
the public for the first time in decades. |
|
|
Yeah, I guess it might have been overstating things to say it was DC's biggest mistake ever, and you're right that it had a silver lining in terms of all the great reprints in those books. Marvel had been gradually creeping up on DC in sales, and would have overtaken them eventually. The price thing definitely speeded the process, though. I guess I'd say it was a significant psychological milestone when it finally happened... Marvel, the underdog company that DC staff used to laugh at, finally hitting the #1 spot in sales.
I think to a degree the price thing did kill any momentum DC might have gained from the fact they had some really good books in the early 70's. The ironic thing is that DC arguably was the better overall comic company in the first few years of the 70s, the very time Marvel was overtaking them in sales. DC had Kirby's Fourth World, Kubert's Tarzan, Neal Adams on Batman and Green Lantern, the Superman revamp. Marvel was still reeling from the loss of Kirby and going through a stale period before the influx of great new writers that came around 1972-74.
QUOTE:
| I'd put the mishandling of Crisis as the largest missed opportunity in DC's history. |
|
|
If we are talking creative, as opposed to business decisions, I'd tend to agree Crisis was a big mistake, though perhaps for different reasons. For me Crisis represents the beginning of the trend towards writing for the fan audience instead of for a general audience, which has gradually led to the insularity, impenetrability, violence, deconstruction, cynicism, and shock value of today's comics.
Edited by Jason Czeskleba on 21 May 2007 at 7:24pm
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Chad Carter
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 June 2005
Posts: 9584
|
| Posted: 21 May 2007 at 7:34pm | IP Logged | 8
|
|
|
Thanks Jason.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
John Benson
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 06 May 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 1070
|
| Posted: 21 May 2007 at 7:48pm | IP Logged | 9
|
|
|
My biggest is with DC's handling of Captain Marvel is that it's ALWAYS emphasized the "silly" side of CM's history. If he had been published continually, there's no doubt that the silver age issues would have taken a more serious approach.
Jeff Smith has made one good first step in separating the personalities of Billy and the Captain. Give the Captain some reason for pathos, perhaps a lost history, and new villains that can make his sweat, and he may out sell Superman again.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
| www
e-mail
|
| |
Chad Carter
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 June 2005
Posts: 9584
|
| Posted: 21 May 2007 at 8:08pm | IP Logged | 10
|
|
|
I have to admit I've never gotten the Captain Marvel with kid's brain thing. Is that the true creator intent?
Couple that with DC showing a mid-30s Cap mooning over teenage Stargirl and you've got a creep factor.
Almost as bad as the Hawkman stalking Hawkgirl thing in "JLU".
I always thought Billy Batson achieved a "dream" of being adult, and actually adult with the wisdom of the gods and all that (he may be naive, not child-like), and then he's a regular kid again. Only he questions from the eyes of a child whether his adult actions were really the right way, and vice versa. I guess...like the future Bill interacting with the past Billy, but in the same timeline.
I think Spider-Man's success is kind of based on this as well. He's a teen, then a superhero which everyone assumes is "adult", and then he's a teen again, lamenting the adult responsibilities thrust on him.
When Peter was made more adult, this core gem of the character was lost.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Ron Farrell
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Posts: 1518
|
| Posted: 21 May 2007 at 10:34pm | IP Logged | 11
|
|
|
Don't know about all time worst decisions, but assigning the Kubert brothers to ACTION and BATMAN hasn't been a banner success.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Jason Czeskleba
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 30 April 2004
Posts: 4635
|
| Posted: 21 May 2007 at 10:51pm | IP Logged | 12
|
|
|
Chad Carter wrote:
| I have to admit I've never gotten the Captain Marvel with kid's brain thing. Is that the true creator intent? |
|
|
Definitely not. Golden Age Captain Marvel (in fact, pre-crisis Captain Marvel) always was clearly shown to have an adult brain/personality. It's debatable whether he was a totally different being than Billy or merely a mature version of him (I believe the former, based on the Christmas present story). But regardless, he clearly was an adult. I cannot overstate how much I dislike the idea of turning him into Tom Hanks from Big.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Topic Closed)
