Doug: If you like your X-Men uncanny and your Hulk incredible, but you've never had your pulse pounded, then this conversation is for you! --and how about that exclamation point? Today let's talk about sensationalism we've both loved and loathed, from across companies and time. It's all fair game... because you demanded it!
Nothing generates excitement and anticipation than the Marvel Bullpen 'hyperbs' of the Silver and Bronze Age. They sure charmed and excited the masses like nobody's business. Could that have been a Dozer/Batman-influence, especially when done to extremes on the cover and splash pages..?
ReplyDeleteAs for the adjectives, they become somewhat of a joke at times. Just how many times in those early issues of Iron Man (sorry.., 'INVINCIBLE Iron Man') did he face well.., 'less-than-menacing' villains on the cover? He sure didn't look all that **invincible** to me.
Great column subject today.
It may not be "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine", but it is still my favorite: the AMAZING Spiderman! Very fun topic today; upon seeing it the first thing that came to my mind was the caption on the cover of one of the best Ditko issues: ASM 19. A great issue, where Spidey goes back into action after quitting briefly out of concern for (who else) Aunt May. The issue features the Sandman, the Enforcers and the Human Torch; a rollicking fun story. The cover caption reads: "An Adventure Epic of Most Compelling Excellence". Makes it sound like Stan was touting the latest British spy novel...
ReplyDeleteAnother senses-shattering BAB topic. I don't think the titles of comics can be called hyperbole - Spider-man was indeed amazing, the Avengers were mighty, the Hulk was incredible and the X-Men were uncanny, that's just a fact. I don't see how the Sub-Mariner was savage though - he seemed quite civilized to me. And a happy Guy Fawkes Night to all British BAB readers, woo hoo !!
ReplyDeleteA senses shattering post, Doug!!!
ReplyDeleteI'd say hyperbole in comics was just annoying. On the grounds that if its true, it isn't hyperbole; so "the worlds greatest comic magazine" is simply a statement of fact on the cover of, say, FF 51 but it was plainly just false advertising by the mid 70s.
-sean
Curses - Colin got to senses-shattering first!!! By my slow typing betrayed!!
ReplyDelete-sean
Love the hyperbole!!! How about "The Ever Lovin' Hulk!"? What does that mean exactly? I dunno but don't it sound great?
ReplyDeleteTom
The direct-to-market animated movie "The Invincible Iron Man" -- except every suit of armor he wore got *trashed*. I don't think they know what 'invincible' means...
ReplyDeleteObjectively, the marketing hyperbole on those covers from the Silver and Bronze Ages is completely silly and quite often just plain old false advertising, but man, I mostly love it. Especially, as in the case of the Spider-man cover posted, you have little gems like "He's the prize pussycat of the year!" I'm not even sure what, exactly, that's supposed to mean, but it's friggin' awesome.
ReplyDeleteThis is another reason Marvel's comics always appealed more to me than DC's. The hyperbole made the characters and the comics sound more interesting. Maybe I would have bought more DC comics if they had titles like "The Jugular Jonah Hex" or whatever.
ReplyDeleteHyperbole was just one part of the rich pageant that was Marvel in the 60s (and to a lesser degree the 70s) with the others being variously cod-Shakespearian English and a mangled version of beatnik/hipster cool.
ReplyDeleteThe combination was silly, amusing and beguiling all at the same time.
That's all on Stan Lee and his number one disciple Roy Thomas. Once they had both left, Marvel become a duller place.
Colin, I would agree with your last comment. I don't think we had our senses shattered as much in the Shooter era and beyond.
ReplyDeleteDoug
PS: In a related way (maybe), I always thought the expressions and exclamations used in the Speed Racer cartoon made even the smallest calamity seem apocalyptic.
I enjoyed how the adjectives extended to the creators at Marvel... Gene the Dean Colan, Battlin' Bob Brown, Roarin' Rick Buckler and my favorites Gallopin' Gerry Conway and Jet Propelled John Romita Jr.
ReplyDeleteIt was fun how just saying something was great, kind of made it so.
I always liked the "All New, All Different..." well into its run, even when it was really "Old Shoe, Slightly Indifferent..."
How many exclamation points on "Excelsior"?
Should have proofread names better... Roarin' Rich Buckler...with and "h"
ReplyDeleteYeah, Stan always was good at the hype...I suspect it was just his natural personality turned up a couple of notches.
ReplyDeleteThen in the 90s, all the hype was about how violent the comic was, or whether someone died or not. I don't mind violence, but it's a bit weird to use it as a selling point. Of course, most of those comics sold really well, so I guess it says more about those of us who were BUYING them than it does about the creators.
Mike Wilson
M M Martinex1- yes!!! The old MMMS is a perfect example of vintage Marvel hyperbole! Think of the ranks they offered on the old letters pages. RFO ( Real Frantic One); QNS ( Quite Nuff Sayer). Don't know if I ever said Quite Nuff, but I was certainly a Real Frantic One!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI tell ya, true believers, I think Krazy Karen, and Dandy Doug run one of coolest, kookiest, and far out websites on the interwebs!
ReplyDeleteEach post is loaded with enough spine tingling thrills, chills and excitement to literally blow your mind!
Each day they have the uncanny ability to make you to ponder the preposterous, and contemplate the cosmic meaning of the way out, whacky, and enigmatic era known as the bombastic Bronze-Age of Comics!!
Why, it's nothing short of Amazing, Spectacular, Incredible, and quite possibly the World's Greatest Comic based website!!!
We appreciate that, William!
ReplyDeleteAnd it only serves to show me that had I tried to write that comment it would have taken me several minutes to come up what I wanted to say. I truly think speech like that just rolls off Stan's tongue (or onto his typewriter, whatever...).
Doug
William: re: "quite possibly?" I say thee nay! 'Tis indeed the Greatest Comic-based website, and not only in Midgard but in all of the Nine Realms! Enow said!
ReplyDeleteHello true believers!
ReplyDeleteJust chiming in my 2 cents on this rollickin'blog! Yeah Stan was indeed the master of hyperbole, the boss of the bombastic, the sultan of swagger! I think this is what really separated Marvel from DC at the time. Just the language of how they advertised their issues really caught your attention.
I've always said that Stan would have been a great Carnival barker (or used car salesman!) if he had not been in comics - he truly promised you the greatest show on Earth!
- 'Marvelous' Mike 'the magnificent' from Trinidad & Tobago.
The over the top self-promotion and hyperbole is one of the things I miss most about the classic days of good 'ol Marvel.
ReplyDeleteIt was a lot of fun, and really made you feel like you were part of something special.
In fact, it is probably one of the biggest contributing factors to the success of Marvel Comics.
Excelsior!!!
Just to post a day late and a dollar short:
ReplyDeleteThe Epee-Toe-Mee Of Hyper-Bowl-Eee (thanks Brian Regan) is the blurbs in the Bullpen (remember when the went on the run where almost every word had to start with the same letter of the alphabet!?!) and the line ads for other issues that ran at the bottom of the pages!!! Red-Wolf faces the Menace of the Southwest, this month in the pages of Marvel Premeire!!!!
(I wanna tell you bout my good thing
I ain't disclosing no names but--
He sure is a good friend and!
I ain't gonna tell you where he comes from, no!
If I tell you you wont come again! Hey!
I ain't gonna tell you nothin but I do will, but I know, yeah!
I should do but I know now let me tell you bout my girl:
Open up a newspaper and what do I see? Ahh, ah
See my girl, ah, looking at me
Ooh, And when she walks, Ooh, lemme tell ya:
She walks and when she talks, she talks and
When she looks at me in the eye
She's my baby lord I wanna make her mine
Tell me baby what you want me to do!
You want me to love you, love some other man too?
Ain't gonna call me Mr. pitiful, no!
I don't need no respect from nobody...)
The spiritual successor to Stan Lee is no doubt Donald Trump! There ought to have been a "HUGE" something or other at Marvel, but all I can come up with is "Manatee".
ReplyDelete