Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login
The John Byrne Forum
Byrne Robotics > The John Byrne Forum Page of 38 Next >>
Topic: "Marvel Comics, The Untold Story" (Topic Closed Topic Closed) Post ReplyPost New Topic
Author
Message
James Elliott
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 16 November 2010
Location: United States
Posts: 481
Posted: 04 October 2012 at 1:24pm | IP Logged | 1  

I just read an excerpt from "Marvel Comics, The Untold Story" at

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8433000/view/full/an-exc erpt-sean-howe-marvel-comics-untold-story

Has anyone read the whole book?  Is it worth reading?

P.S. Sorry if this is a repeat topic, a brief search of the words in the title turned up nothing.


Edited by James Elliott on 04 October 2012 at 1:25pm
Back to Top profile | search
 
Matt Hawes
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 16502
Posted: 04 October 2012 at 2:00pm | IP Logged | 2  

The book is just coming out next week, as I understand it. At least, that's when I get my order in at my shop. I plan on reading it.

 

 

 

Edited to correct typo.



Edited by Matt Hawes on 04 October 2012 at 2:01pm
Back to Top profile | search | www
 
James Elliott
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 16 November 2010
Location: United States
Posts: 481
Posted: 04 October 2012 at 2:05pm | IP Logged | 3  

Thanks for the information Matt.  The excerpt was interesting enough that I think I'll pick up a copy of the book.

I wasn't reading much Marvel back then and was a little too young, but the "untold" story that's told reminds me of that time.
Back to Top profile | search
 
John Leach
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 1860
Posted: 04 October 2012 at 2:12pm | IP Logged | 4  

I had planned on reading it, but that excerpt really turned me off. "Ooooo, look how racist and sexist Marvel was back in the 70's!". And then he tries to turn some of the dreck that was produced in that era into high art. Bleh.
Back to Top profile | search | www
 
Stephen Churay
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 25 March 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 8369
Posted: 04 October 2012 at 5:17pm | IP Logged | 5  

And then he tries to turn some of the dreck that was produced in that
era into high art. Bleh.

=====
John, I didn't read the excerpt. Was that about 70's Marvel Comics or
today's?

If you want a really good read about what the heck was going on with
Marvel in the 90's, check out COMIC BOOK WARS. That was a very
interesting read.
Back to Top profile | search e-mail
 
John Leach
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 1860
Posted: 04 October 2012 at 7:31pm | IP Logged | 6  

Stephen, it was 70's Marvel.
Back to Top profile | search | www
 
Mike Norris
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 4274
Posted: 04 October 2012 at 9:12pm | IP Logged | 7  

The 70s were my "golden age" for comics,especially Marvel Comics, so I found the excerpt interesting.

You have to admit, Marvel and DC were a bit behind the curve in the area of women's rights. Though they did a little better when it came to black characters. I suppose Luke Cage might be looked at as a step back after Black Panther and the Falcon. 

Not sure which of the books mentioned were the "dreck". Most of them seem to be pretty fondly remembered. I know that Captain America, the Defenders, the Avengers and Howard the Duck are among my favorites. . 


Edited by Mike Norris on 04 October 2012 at 9:12pm
Back to Top profile | search e-mail
 
Robert Bradley
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 20 September 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 4883
Posted: 04 October 2012 at 9:29pm | IP Logged | 8  

I cut my teeth reading 1970's Marvel comics, so I'll be picking this up too.

I was a big fan of Englehart and Starlin as a kid, although a lot of what was going on was certainly getting past me.

Back to Top profile | search | www
 
John Byrne
Avatar
Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 133328
Posted: 05 October 2012 at 4:53am | IP Logged | 9  

When I started at Marvel, we were in the middle of the Seventies, and most of us who had been reading for a longish while considered that period something of a Dark Age. We were starting to see the blatant tie-ins to current fads, for instance (monsters, kung fu, etc), and the art in many of the books was very much sub-par.

As years went by, I was surprised to see more and more people coming in who had "cut their teeth" on Marvel of the Seventies, and thought that stuff was GREAT. It underscored for me that what was really great was those CHARACTERS. Spider-Man, the FF, Iron Man, Thor… they were so good in concept that they could survive just about anything dumped on them.

Just about.

Back to Top profile | search
 
Shawn Kane
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 04 November 2010
Location: United States
Posts: 3239
Posted: 05 October 2012 at 6:12am | IP Logged | 10  

I've read the exceprt and I'm intrigued. I've often said that 70's Marvel is a bright spot for me because my older brother was buying alot of great stuff and when I discovered his comics near the end of the decade (even though I couldn't read yet) THOSE were the comics that hooked me.
Back to Top profile | search
 
Steven Legge
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 28 July 2012
Location: Canada
Posts: 866
Posted: 05 October 2012 at 7:00am | IP Logged | 11  

Between the lengthy excerpt linked above and the first chapter or so available as a sample (which were about the early Timely days) in iBooks, it feels like I've read a chunk of the book already, although I'm still interested in picking up a copy. It's kind of like Easy Riders, Raging Bulls but about comics.
Back to Top profile | search | www e-mail
 
Michael Penn
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 12 April 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 12717
Posted: 05 October 2012 at 7:26am | IP Logged | 12  

The 70s were my prime reading years, mostly Marvel. Looking back the early and late 70s were pretty good but the middle was a muddle of mediocrity. You'd never have convinced me when I was 10 years old, though!
Back to Top profile | search
 

Page of 38 Next >>
  Post ReplyPost New Topic
Printable version Printable version

Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

 Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login