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Mike Norris
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 4274
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| Posted: 17 February 2010 at 6:00pm | IP Logged | 1
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I think the better point is that when they aged the character the sales started dropping. I would place many the original Marvel characters as being under or around 30. And they should have remained under and around 30.
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Michael Todd
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 07 September 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 4115
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| Posted: 17 February 2010 at 6:16pm | IP Logged | 2
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Let`s see, here are the "original" 60`s characters who had their own books
Fantastic Four
Avengers
X-Men
Iron Man
Captain America
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Hulk
Spider-Man
Daredevil
Doctor Strange
Nick Fury
Captain Marvel
Human Torch
Sub-Mariner
Thor
Of those not many were teens.
Spider-Man, X-Men, Human Torch.
Daredevil and Wasp were really young but most were full fledged adults or even middle aged.
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Michael Todd
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 07 September 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 4115
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| Posted: 17 February 2010 at 6:23pm | IP Logged | 3
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Oh and Paul, I wouldn`t say that General Ross was an "adult figure" who told Banner what to do, he was a military General in command of the project Banner was working for he would have ordered Banner around even if he were 60.
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Patrick McNally
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Joined: 10 February 2010
Posts: 33
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| Posted: 17 February 2010 at 6:54pm | IP Logged | 4
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> Daredevil and Wasp were really young My memory may be wrong, but I think that Murdock & Nelson had already opened a law practice when Murdock put his costume on. Is that correct? Finishing law school and opening a practice can sometimes take awhile.
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Michael Todd
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 07 September 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 4115
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| Posted: 17 February 2010 at 7:02pm | IP Logged | 5
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That is true, but DD always struck me as being in his late 20`s while still in the red and yellows.
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Koroush Ghazi
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 25 October 2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 1665
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| Posted: 17 February 2010 at 7:30pm | IP Logged | 6
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As a general rule, I personally think the issue of age has to do with the readers' desire to escape reality.
When comics had younger readers, they wanted heroes who were older and more mature - mainly because this gave the young reader a chance to fantasize about turning into a hero when they themselves grew up.
Now that comics have older readers, it seems they want younger heroes, so that they can fantasize about being young, vigorous and careless.
In other words, the average reader at any period of time in comic history doesn't want to read a story about someone precisely their own age, because chances are it makes them feel inadequate. They relate better to characters which are a better version of themselves physically and mentally, either in the future or in the past.
Just an observation, not something I can back up with any real facts.
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Mike Norris
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 4274
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| Posted: 17 February 2010 at 7:59pm | IP Logged | 7
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Well, I said under 30, not teen. No idea what Paul means by younger. My guesses: Fantastic Four Johnny was a teen, Sue in her twenties. Reed and Ben Forties
Avengers Hawkeye, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch twenties.
X-Men All teens except for Prof X
Iron Man Thirties
Captain America Late twenties
Ant-Man and the Wasp Hank, late twenties. Jan, eary twenties
Hulk Late twenties
Spider-Man teenager
Daredevil Late twenties
Doctor Strange-Fortyish
Nick Fury- Forties
Captain Marvel An alien, but probably look like a thirtyish human.
Human Torch Johhny still a teen.
Sub-Mariner, Look thirtyish
Thor He' s an ageless God, but Don Blake looks about thirty.
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Chris Durnell
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 26 February 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 1235
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| Posted: 17 February 2010 at 7:59pm | IP Logged | 8
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Comics are aging their teenage characters to adult years. Then they find that they can't tell the same stories with them anymore, so they bring in new characters who are teenagers. Who will no doubt be aged and new teenage characters will be needed.
All of this could be avoided if they simply kept their characters around the same age to begin with.
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Chris Durnell
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Joined: 26 February 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 1235
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| Posted: 17 February 2010 at 8:05pm | IP Logged | 9
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I think readers simply want good stories with interesting characters. I had no problems reading immortal Thor, college age Spider-Man, teenage runaways Cloak & Dagger, or the X-Men who had everyone from teenage Shadowcat to young adult Colossus to twenty something Cyclops to old Wolverine. I enjoyed reading about Peter Parker's tumultuous love life and the stable marriage of Mr Fantastic and the Invisible Woman.
The age of the characters, in and of itself, was never important. I wanted interesting, likable characters, and liked the variety among the various titles. I didn't want everyone to be the same.
The problem is when the age changes. When that happens, you change the dynamic. Behavior that would be acceptable for a teenager becomes unacceptable for someone in their mid-twenties, much less older. And all of a sudden, you have a different character.
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James Malone
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 September 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 340
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| Posted: 17 February 2010 at 8:16pm | IP Logged | 10
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kids don't want to read about married 35 year olds who have kids. They want to read about other kids, with similar although magnified, problems. If you can't grasp that, you have outgrown this hobby... move on!
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James Malone
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Joined: 19 September 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 340
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| Posted: 17 February 2010 at 8:18pm | IP Logged | 11
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Big Bird is the same age as he was in 1980 too! And Sesame Street still caters to children. Should they have grown with their audience and be telling adult oriented morality stories? Fanboys are an abomination..
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Matthew McCallum
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Joined: 03 July 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 2711
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| Posted: 17 February 2010 at 8:42pm | IP Logged | 12
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Just imagine the adult Sesame Street:
The awful truth about Bert and Ernie -- More than roommates?
Just why did Big Bird call his friend Mr. Snuffleupagus "Snuffie"?
And why does Cookie Monster always have the munchies?
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Topic Closed)
