I’ll miss Ann Telnaes’ version of Dick Cheney, too: The Washington Post’s Michael Cavna quizzes various political cartoonists what they’ll miss most about President George W. Bush. Answers range from Ruben Bolling’s “Nothing” to Telnaes’ “his vice president.”
So, would calling ASM #583 the commemorative plate of comics actually be a compliment?: This Telegraph story about the impulse to celebrate and/or capitalize on Barack Obama’s inauguration mentions Marvel’s variant cover scheme. I liked this line:
The most coveted item on news-stands will be the special edition of Marvel’s Spider-Man comic, which features Mr. Obama (a fan of the superhero) on the cover and a storyline in which he is saved from an inauguration day attack.
Oh, Telegraph reporter, since when do comic books appear on newsstands?
Also of note is the mention that, “More than 700,000 copies of a plate bearing Obama’s image have already been sold and the shopping channel QVC, which has sold all 100,000 copies of a commemorative coin, is relocating to Washington for the week.”
The chances of that issue of Amazing Spider-Man hitting 100,000 seem slim to unlikely—unless Marvel did some sort of crazy 40K plus overprint of the variant cover—but let’s be crazy generous and say ASM hits Secret Invasion level sales in the direct market. That would still mean there are still seven times more people who collect plates that QVC sells than read the flagship Spider-Man comics.
Really puts things in perspective, doesn’t it?
Sick of reading about Reals yet?: If not, this NPR story “reviewing” some of them is kinda funny.
What’s with Canadians appraising the sexual attractiveness of super-men?: This National Post blog entry rates the top five sexiest superheroes. The writer focuses on movie heroes only though; the world’s number one source for rating the sexiness of superheroes remains Rachelle Goguen’s Rating The Super Hunks project (As for her top five, it’s Batman, Superman, Midnighter, Winter Soldier and Magnus, Robot Fighter. I think it’s the dress).
I just want to take a moment to point and laugh: Check out the first two lines of this review (?):
Over break, I went to go see the new Marvel comic superhero movie, The Spirit. Given the generally (and I mean generally) decent quality of the Marvel superhero movies, I was expecting a little romance, a lot of action and a little bit of a tie back to the Marvel superhero movies.
So when Sam Jackson and Robert Downey Jr. finally gather up enough heroes to get their Avengers movie off the ground, sadly, The Spirit won’t be on the team…
January 14th, 2009 at 10:48 am
If Marvel went with a mad overprint, slabbed them up with a certificate of authenticity and actually got on QVC, then yes, they could sell that many, at upwards of twenty bucks a set, easily. The important words in the sentence are “on QVC”. It amazes me what you can sell on QVC, and at what price.
I am not 100% sure that there isn’t a plan to so this in the pipe, maybe not directly through marvel, but via Dynamic Forces, once king of the signed and bagged QVC appearances.
And bear in mind, this is not a comic book they’re buying, it’s an Obama Item.
January 14th, 2009 at 10:56 am
Love how reviewer thought it was a Marvel even though in the beginning of the spirit you clearly see the DC logo..shows that still to some ‘experts’ all these comic book movies are all the same
January 14th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Frank Miller’s: The Avengers! XD
Also, yes it is sad as to what people will buy on QVC. If Marvel sold anything on that channel it would sell twice as much there than it would with Diamond.
January 14th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Comics appear on news stands in Britain. Viz, 2000AD, the Marvel UK line, lots of kids comics…