We’ve done a few posts on the costuming aspects of New York
Comic Con 2013, and this might be the last one, but I think it’s an interesting observation.
Traditionally, with rare months of exception, Marvel Comics almost always beats-out DC Comics in terms of sales – often quite handily.
But, one place DC soundly trounced Marvel is in the fan costuming, as observed at New York Comic Con 2013.
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| I don't care if you DID win, DC... I STILL don't like that logo! |
To be sure, there are X-Men of all sizes, genders, and varieties
but, beyond an occasional Captain America or Iron Man, I can’t say I’ve seen
many more Marvelites. I don’t think I saw a single
Spidey, or Hulk. (You think THEY’D be popular subjects!) No members of the Fantastic Four, Thor,
Daredevil, or any recognizable villains.
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| Look! Green Lantern's even infiltrated X-Men costumers! |
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| Wait'll they get a load o' me! (Yeah, I know THAT Joker didn't say it!) |
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| At least it's a "SMILEY Mallet!" |
Superman and Supergirl were naturally next, with other Justice League characters, including Green Arrow and Black Canary, also in attendance.
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| Sorry Supes and Green Arrow, but we decided to run this photo of Batgirl again! |
I have no explanation for this but, as a longtime DC partisan,
it was kinda fun to watch.
7 comments:
Now when it comes to comics ... I was originally a Marvel Zombie but came to love DC in 1980, but this new direction with the New 52, I don't think I have any DC titles I still buy. :(
Same here, JoeC… except for that “Marvel Zombie” part. Though, in the ‘90s, I probably WAS a “DC Zombie”. Now, maybe I’m a “Walking Dead Zombie”, if there’s a joke in there somewhere for me to mine.
Now, let’s test a Comic Book Urban Legend, shall we!
I first heard the term “Marvel Zombie” applied to someone who bought YOGI BEAR (when Marvel published it in the late ‘70s) BECAUSE Marvel published it!
Patient Zero didn’t *like* YOGI BEAR. Nor did he *read* YOGI BEAR once he got it home. He just bought YOGI BEAR *because* Marvel published it!
Now, this is clearly a “Comic Book Urban Legend”, because I’ve heard the same story later told with GROO THE WANDERER. But, I first heard the term “Marvel Zombie” attached to such a story. Just curious, as a self-declared former “Marvel Zombie”, did you ever experience moments like that?
Here’s your chance to affirm or debunk a “Comic Book Urban Legend”!
Never saw Marvel Zombie-ism to the point of JUST "buying it because it's Marvel" but certainly a lot of disdain and trash talking about DC. Hey, I didn't buy DC either because they were "silly", or so I always heard. It was the New Teen Titans that got me started, but probably because Wolfman and Pérez were both Marvel veterans that I enjoyed. Once I read more of their older books I grew to appreciate how DC stories were just fun for the sake of fun in sharp contrast to modern Marvel's stories of relevance.
But I love that Yogi Bear story so, apocryphal or not, I desperately want it to be true :)
It IS a great story, isn’t it?
I can’t say I ever saw any such manifestation during my more comics-intensive years of the ‘80s and ‘90s. More as you describe, and primarily directed at DC.
Yes, NEW TEEN TITANS was the single comic that changed the overall trajectory for DC, though it was a very slow evolution. The “Marv and George” run was a great one, until not long after DC made the move to the “Better (Baxter?) Paper, More Expensive Issues”. I don‘t think ANYTHING quite like Trigon was seen in DC Comics before!
But, how wonderful would it be for that story to be true – even if it’s only “one guy” still living with a box of unread YOGIs and GROOs!
I definitely remember a letter published in GROO THE WANDERER when it was published in Marvel's "Epic" line. The fan asked them to cancel it, complained that they were "forcing us" to buy it, and said, "I hate this comic but I have to buy it because it's a Marvel." I don't remember hearing the term "Marvel Zombie" until later, but that letter was a perfect example of the concept. BTW, Mark Evanier's reply to the letter (and every other letter published in that issue) was to repeat the comic's running gag: the definition of "mulch." -TC
And, there’s a vote for the GROO VERSION of the origin of the term “Marvel Zombie”, from an eye (letter-column) witness!
Thank you, TC! Any idea which issue of GROO THE WANDERER it was? I’d like to look it up.
Don’t know how I’d ever be able to legitimize the YOGI BEAR version of the legend, beyond personal recollection of hearsay. But, I love EITHER version of the story, and appreciate your efforts at verification!
Finally, as a nod to historical consistency, I’ll close my response to you with the word “Mulch”!
It was probably sometime around 1985-86, and I think it was between issues #19-28 or so. It would almost certainly be after #4, since (AFAIR) that's when the "mulch" jokes started. -TC
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