Marvel Comics
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225950716
2008-07-16T04:25:19Z
66.68.183.118
/* Timely */
{{otheruses4|the comic book company|the comic-book series originally titled "Marvel Comics"|Marvel Mystery Comics}}
{{Infobox Company
| company_name = Marvel Comics
| logo = [[Image:MarvelLogo.svg|200 px|Logo]]
| type = [[Privately held company|Private]] (subsidiary)
| genre = Science fiction
| foundation = [[1939]] as [[Timely Comics]]
| founder = [[Martin Goodman (publisher)|Martin Goodman]]
| location_city =
| location_country =
| location = 417 [[Fifth Avenue (Manhattan)|5th Avenue]], [[New York City]], [[New York]], [[United States|U.S.]]
| locations =
| area_served = Worldwide
| key_people = [[Joe Quesada]], Editor-in-chief<br>
[[Dan Buckley]], Publisher, C.O.O.
| industry = [[Publishing]]
| products = [[Comics]]
| services =
| revenue = [[United States dollar|US$]]125,700,000 (2007) {{increase}}
| operating_income = [[United States dollar|US$]]53,500,000 (2007) {{increase}} <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.marvel.com/company/pdfs/10-k_as_filed_3-25_00054158.PDF |title=Annual Report 2007 |accessdate=2008-05-08 |format=PDF |work=Marvel.com SEC Filings }}</ref>
| net_income =
| assets =
| equity =
| owner =
| num_employees =
| parent = [[Marvel Entertainment]]
| divisions =
| subsid =
| homepage = [http://marvel.com/ marvel.com]
| footnotes =
| intl =
}}
'''Marvel Comics''' is an [[United States|American]] [[American comic book|comic book]] company owned by Marvel Publishing, Inc., a subsidary of [[Marvel Entertainment]], Inc.
Marvel counts among its [[List of Marvel Comics characters|characters]] such well-known properties as [[Captain America]], [[Spider-Man]], the [[X-Men]], the [[Fantastic Four]], the [[Hulk (comics)|Hulk]], [[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]], [[Iron Man]], [[Doctor Strange]], [[Blade (comics)|Blade]], the [[Punisher]], [[Daredevil (Marvel Comics)|Daredevil]], [[Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze)| Ghost Rider]] and many others. Most of Marvel's fictional characters are depicted as inhabitants of a single shared reality; this [[continuity (fiction)|continuity]] is known as the [[Marvel Universe]].
The comic book arm of the company was founded in 1939 as [[Timely Comics|Timely Publications]]<ref name="MMC4">Per statement of ownership, dated Oct. 2, 1939, published in ''[[Marvel Mystery Comics]]'' #4 (Feb. 1940), p. 40; reprinted in ''Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics'' Volume 1 (Marvel Comics, 2004, ISBN 0-7851-1609-5), p. 239</ref> and was generally known as [[Atlas Comics (1950s)|Atlas Comics]] in the 1950s. Marvel's modern incarnation dates from the early 1960s, with the launching of ''[[Fantastic Four]]'' and other superhero titles created by [[Stan Lee]], [[Jack Kirby]], [[Steve Ditko]], and others. Marvel has since become one of the largest American comics companies, along with [[DC Comics]].
==History==
===Timely===
: {{main|Timely Comics}}
[[Image:Timelysm.jpeg|thumb|The Timely logo, inspired by Captain America.]][[Image:MarvelComics1.jpg|left|thumb|''[[Marvel Mystery Comics|Marvel Comics]]'' #1 (Oct. 1939), the first comic from Marvel precursor [[Timely Comics]]. Art by [[Frank R. Paul]]]]
Marvel Comics was founded as Timely Publications in 1939, and is now the largest comic company in the world. It was founded by [[Martin Goodman (publisher)|Martin Goodman]], a [[pulp-magazine]] [[publisher]] whose first publication was a [[Western fiction|Western]] pulp in 1933. Expanding into the emerging and by then already highly popular new medium of comic books, Goodman began his new line at his existing company at 330 West 42nd Street, [[New York City]], [[New York]]. His official titles were [[editing|editor]], managing editor, and [[business manager]], with Abraham Goodman officially listed as publisher.<ref name="MMC4" />
Timely's first publication was ''[[Marvel Mystery Comics|Marvel Comics]]'' #1 (Oct. 1939), containing the first appearance of [[Carl Burgos|Carl Burgos']] [[android]] [[superhero]], the [[Human Torch (android)|Human Torch]], and the first generally available appearance of [[Bill Everett|Bill Everett's]] [[anti-hero]] [[Namor|Namor the Sub-Mariner]], among other features. <!--Namor had debuted in Motion Picture Funnies #1; see Wikipedia Sub-Mariner article--> The contents of that sales blockbuster<ref name="fromm">Per researcher Keif Fromm, ''Alter Ego'' #49, p. 4 (caption), ''Marvel Comics'' #1, cover-dated October 1939, quickly sold out 80,000 copies, prompting Goodman to produce a second printing, cover-dated November 1939. The latter is identical except for a black bar over the October date in the inside-front-cover indicia, and the November date added at the end. That sold approximately 800,000 copies. Per Fromm also, the first issue of ''Captain America Comics'' sold nearly one million copies.</ref> were supplied by an outside packager, [[Funnies, Inc.]], but by the following year Timely had a staff in place. With the second issue the series title changed to ''[[Marvel Mystery Comics]]''.<!--per hundreds of references and reprints, some cited under References below-->
The company's first true editor, [[writer]]-[[artist]] [[Joe Simon]], teamed with soon-to-be industry legend [[Jack Kirby]] to create one of the first patriotically themed superheroes, [[Captain America]], in ''Captain America Comics #1'' (March 1941). It, too, proved a major sales hit, with a circulation of nearly one million.<ref name="fromm" />
While no other Timely character would be as successful as these "big three", some notable heroes — many continuing to appear in modern-day [[retcon]] appearances and flashbacks — include the [[Whizzer (Robert Frank)|Whizzer]], [[Miss America (Marvel Comics)|Miss America]], the [[Destroyer (Timely Comics)|Destroyer]], the original [[Vision (Timely Comics)|Vision]], and [[Paul Gustavson|Paul Gustavson's]] [[Angel (Timely Comics)|Angel]]. Timely also published one of humor cartoonist [[Basil Wolverton|Basil Wolverton's]] best-known features, "[[Powerhouse Pepper]]",<ref>[http://www.comics.org/search.lasso?type=character&query=powerhouse+pepper&sort=chrono&Submit=Search Grand Comics Database: "Powerhouse Pepper"]</ref><ref>''A Smithsonian Book of Comic-Book Comics'' (Smithsonian Institution / Harry N. Abrams, 1981)</ref> as well as a children's [[funny animal]] line whose most popular characters were [[Super Rabbit]] and the duo [[Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal]].
Goodman hired a teenaged relative, Stanley Lieber, as a general office assistant<!--note: not his personal assistant--> in 1939. When editor Simon left the company in late 1941, Goodman made Lieber — by then writing [[pseudonym]]ously as "Stan Lee" — interim editor of the comics line, a position Lee kept for decades except for three years during his [[World War II]] military service.
===Atlas===
: {{main|Atlas Comics (1950s)}}
[[Image:Atlaslog.jpeg|thumb|The Atlas logo, adopted in 1950.]]Sales of all comic books declined drastically in the post-war era as the superheroic ''übermensch'' archetype popular during the Depression and the war years went out of fashion. Like other comics companies, Timely — generally known as [[Atlas Comics (1950s)|Atlas Comics]] in the 1950s — followed pop-cultural trends with a variety of genres, including [[funny animals]], [[Western (genre)|Western]], [[horror (genre)|horror]], [[War comics|war]], [[crime fiction|crime]], [[humor]], [[Romance comics|romance]], [[spy fiction]] and [[Fantasy comics|fantasy]], all with varying degrees of success. An attempted superhero revival with the Human Torch, the Sub-Mariner and Captain America lasted only from late 1953 to mid-1954.
From 1952 to late 1956, Goodman distributed his comics to newsstands through his self-owned distributor, Atlas. He then switched to American News Company, the nation's largest distributor and a virtual [[monopoly]] — which shortly afterward lost a [[United States Department of Justice|Justice Department]] [[lawsuit]] and discontinued the business. As historian and author [[Gerard Jones]] explains, the company in 1956
{{cquote|...had been found guilty of restraint of trade and ordered to divest itself of the newsstands it owned. Its biggest client, [[George Delacorte]], announced he would seek a new distributor for his [[Dell Comics]] and paperbacks. The owners of American News estimated the effect that would have on their income. Then they looked at the value of the [[New Jersey]] real estate where their headquarters sat. They liquidated the company and sold the land. The company ... vanished without a trace in the [[suburban]] growth of the 1950s.<ref>Jones, Gerard. ''Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book'' (Basic Books, 2004; trade paperback ISBN 0-465-03657-0</ref>}}
[[Image:AmazingAdventuresV1no3.jpg|thumb|200px|left|''[[Amazing Adventures]]'' Vol. 1, #3 (Aug. 1961), the first modern comic labeled "Marvel Comics" (MC below Comics Code seal). Cover art by [[Jack Kirby]] (penciler) & [[Dick Ayers]] (inker)<!--credits per Jack Kirby Museum site-->.]]
The final comic to bear the Atlas globe logo was ''Dippy Duck'' #1, one of the company's two releases with an October 1957 [[cover date]].
Although Timely's titles occasionally used a cover treatment reading "A Marvel Magazine" as early as ''All Surprise Comics'' #12 (Winter 1946/47; see logo [[Marvel Comics#Imprints|below]]), and though for several months in 1949 and 1950 the company's comics bore a circular logo labeled "Marvel Comic", the first comic book formally branded as "Marvel Comics" was the science-fiction anthology ''[[Amazing Adventures]]'' #3, which showed the "MC" box on its cover. Cover-dated August 1961, it was published May 9, 1961.<ref>[[Library of Congress]] copyright information at [http://www.comics.org/details.lasso?id=16392 Grand Comics Database: ''Amazing Adventures'' #3]</ref>
At that point, Goodman attempted a new direction by following the current [[drive-in]] [[science fiction]]-[[Film|movie]] trend, launching or revamping six titles to offer that [[genre]] of story: ''[[Strange Worlds]]'' #1; ''[[World of Fantasy]]'' #15; ''[[Strange Tales]]'' #67; ''[[Journey into Mystery]]'' #50; ''[[Tales of Suspense]]'' #1; and ''[[Tales to Astonish]]'' #1. Their space-fantasy tales proved unsuccessful, and by the end of 1959, most of these titles (''Strange Worlds'' and ''World of Fantasy'' being canceled) were devoted to [[B-movie]] [[Monsters#Monsters in cinema|monsters]]. Most featured a line-up of Jack Kirby-drawn stories (often inked by [[Dick Ayers]]) followed by [[Don Heck]]'s atmospheric rendering of jungle/prison escapes and weird adventures, or stories by artists such as [[Paul Reinman]] or [[Joe Sinnott]], followed by a Stan Lee-[[Steve Ditko]] twist-ending bagatelle, which were sometimes daringly self-reflexive.<ref>[http://www.hembeck.com/WordsAboutPictures/DitkoTalesLeeToo.htm Hembeck.com (Nov. 12 2004): "Tales of the Mysterious Mr. Ditko (and the Not-So-Mysterious Mr. Lee...)", by Fred Hembeck]</ref>
Marvel also during this time continued publishing a handful of Western titles, including ''[[Kid Colt, Outlaw]]'', and expanded its line of girl-humor titles, adding ''Kathy'', "the teen-age tornado!" (Oct. 1959) and the short-lived ''Linda Carter, Student Nurse'' (Sept. 1961) to its long-running ''[[Millie the Model]]'' series and spin-offs.<!--Specific series and issue dates in article are collectively per GCD and other databases given under References, which is more practical than dozens of Ibids.-->
===1960s===
[[Image:ff1kirby.jpg|thumb|right|205px|''[[The Fantastic Four]]'' #1 (Nov. 1961). Cover art by [[Jack Kirby]] (penciler) and unconfirmed inker.]]
In the wake of [[DC Comics]]' success reviving superheroes in the late 1950s and early 1960s, particularly with [[The Justice League of America]], Marvel followed suit.<ref>Apocryphal legend has it that in 1961, Timely and Atlas [[publisher]] [[Martin Goodman (publisher)|Martin Goodman]] was playing golf with either [[Jack Liebowitz]] or [[Irwin Donenfeld]] of rival [[DC Comics]], then known as National Periodical Publications, <!--also known as name is mentioned here because Stan Lee says "National Comics" in quote directly below this paragraph--> who bragged about DC's success with the Justice League (which had debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 [Feb. 1960] before going on to its own title).
However, film producer and comics historian [[Michael Uslan]] partly debunked the story in a letter published in ''Alter Ego'' #43 (Dec. 2004), pp. 43-44:{{cquote|Irwin said he never played golf with Goodman, so the story is untrue. I heard this story more than a couple of times while sitting in the lunchroom at DC's 909 Third Avenue and 75 Rockefeller Plaza office as [[Sol Harrison]] and [production chief] [[Jack Adler]] were schmoozing with some of us ... who worked for DC during our college summers.... [T]he way I heard the story from Sol was that Goodman was playing with one of the heads of Independent News, not DC Comics (though DC ''owned'' Independent News). ... As the distributor of DC Comics, this man certainly knew all the sales figures and was in the best position to tell this tidbit to Goodman. ... Of course, Goodman would want to be playing golf with this fellow and be in his good graces. ... Sol worked closely with Independent News' top management over the decades and would have gotten this story straight from the horse's mouth.}} Goodman, a publishing trend-follower aware of the JLA's strong sales, confirmably directed his comics editor, [[Stan Lee]], to create a comic-book series about a team of superheroes. According to Lee in ''Origins of Marvel Comics'' ([[Simon and Schuster]]/Fireside Books, 1974), p. 16:
{{cquote|Martin mentioned that he had noticed one of the titles published by National Comics seemed to be selling better than most. It was a book called ''The'' [sic] ''Justice League of America'' and it was composed of a team of superheroes. ... ' If the Justice League is selling ', spoke he, ' why don't we put out a comic book that features a team of superheroes?'}}</ref>
Editor/writer Stan Lee and freelance artist Jack Kirby created the [[Fantastic Four]], reminiscent of the non-superpowered adventuring quartet the [[Challengers of the Unknown]] that Kirby had created for DC in 1957. Living in a Cold War culture, the Marvel creators sought to deconstruct the superhero conventions of previous eras to better reflect the psychological spirit of their age.<ref>Genter, Robert. "'With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility': Cold War Culture and the Birth of Marvel Comics," ''The Journal of Popular Culture'' 40:6, 2007</ref> Eschewing such comic-book tropes as secret identities and even costumes at first, having a monster as one of the heroes, and having its characters bicker and complain in what was later called a "superheroes in the real world" approach, the series represented a change that proved to be a great success.<ref>It has been suggested, not least by comics historian Greg Theakston, that the decision to include monsters and initially distance the new breed of superheroes from costumes was a conscious one, and borne of necessity. Since DC was distributing Marvel's output at the time, Theakston theorises that "Goodman and Lee decided to keep their superhero line looking as much like their horror line as they possibly could" downplaying "the fact that [Marvel] was now creating heroes" with the knock-on effect that they ventured "into deeper waters, where DC had never considered going". See: Ro, Ronin. ''Tales to Astonish: Jack Kirby, Stan Lee and the American Comic Book Revolution'', pp. 86-88 (Bloomsbury, 2004)</ref> Marvel began publishing further superhero titles featuring such heroes and antiheroes as the [[Hulk]], [[Spider-Man]], [[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]], [[Ant-Man]], [[Iron Man]], the [[X-Men]] and Daredevil, and such memorable antagonists as [[Doctor Doom]], [[Magneto (comics)|Magneto]], [[Galactus]], the [[Green Goblin]], and [[Doctor Octopus]]. The most successful new series was ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man]]'', by Lee and Ditko. Marvel even lampooned itself and other comics companies in a [[parody]] comic, ''[[Not Brand Echh]]'' (a play on Marvel's dubbing of other companies as "Brand Echh", a la the then-common phrase "Brand X").<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,938716,00.html ''Time'' (Oct. 31, 1960): "The Real Brand X"]</ref>
Marvel's comics were noted for focusing on characterization to a greater extent than most superhero comics before them. This was true of ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', in particular. Its young hero suffered from self-doubt and mundane problems like any other teenager. Marvel superheroes are often flawed, freaks, and misfits, unlike the perfect, handsome, athletic heroes found in previous traditional comic books. Some Marvel heroes looked like villains and monsters. In time, this non-traditional approach would revolutionize comic books.
Comics historian Peter Sanderson wrote that in the 1960s,
{{cquote|DC was the equivalent of the big [[Hollywood]] studios: After the brilliance of DC's reinvention of the superhero ... in the late 1950s and early 1960s, it had run into a creative drought by the decade's end. There was a new audience for comics now, and it wasn't just the little kids that traditionally had read the books. The Marvel of the 1960s was in its own way the counterpart of the [[French New Wave]].... Marvel was pioneering new methods of comics storytelling and characterization, addressing more serious themes, and in the process keeping and attracting readers in their teens and beyond. Moreover, among this new generation of readers were people who wanted to write or draw comics themselves, within the new style that Marvel had pioneered, and push the creative envelope still further.<ref>Sanderson, Peter. IGN.com (Oct. 10, 2003): [http://comics.ign.com/articles/595/595576p1.html Comics in Context #14: "Continuity/Discontinuity"]</ref>}}
Lee became one of the best-known names in comics, with his charming personality and relentless salesmanship of the company. His sense of humor and generally lighthearted manner became the "voice" that permeated the stories, the letters and news pages, and the hyperbolic house ads of that era's Marvel Comics, and fostered a clubby fan-following with Lee's exaggerated depiction of the Bullpen (Lee's name for the staff) as one big, happy family. This included printed kudos to the artists, who eventually co-plotted the stories based on the busy Lee's rough synopses or even simple spoken concepts, in what became known as the [[Marvel Method]], and contributed greatly to Marvel's product and success. Kirby in particular is generally credited for many of the cosmic ideas and characters of ''Fantastic Four'' and ''The Mighty Thor'', such as the [[Watcher (comics)|Watcher]], the [[Silver Surfer]] and [[Ego the Living Planet]], while Steve Ditko is recognized as the driving artistic force behind the moody atmosphere and street-level [[Naturalism (literature)|naturalism]] of ''Spider-Man'' and the surreal atmosphere of ''[[Dr. Strange]]''. Lee, however, continues to receive credit for his well-honed skills at dialogue and story sense, for his keen hand at choosing and motivating artists and assembling creative teams, and for his uncanny ability to connect with the readers — not least through the nickname endearments he bestowed in the credits and the monthly "Bullpen Bulletins" and letters pages, giving readers humanizing hype about the likes of "Jolly Jack Kirby", "[[Roy Thomas|Rascally Roy Thomas]]", "[[John Romita Sr.|Jazzy Johnny Romita]]" and others, right down to letterers "[[Sam Rosen (comics)|Swingin' Sammy Rosen]]" and "[[Artie Simek|Adorable Artie Simek]]".<!--re citation request: These appear publicly in the 1960s comics themselves-->
[[Image:Avengers4.jpg|thumb|205px|''[[Avengers (comics)|The Avengers]]'' #4 (Mar. 1964), with (l-r), the [[Wasp (comics)|Wasp]], [[Henry Pym|Giant-Man]], [[Captain America]], [[Iron Man]], [[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]] and (inset) the [[Sub-Mariner]]. Cover art by [[Jack Kirby]] & [[George Roussos]].]]
Lesser-known staffers during the company's industry-changing growth in the 1960s (some of whom worked primarily for Marvel publisher [[Martin Goodman (publisher)|Martin Goodman]]'s umbrella magazine corporation) included circulation manager Johnny Hayes, subscriptions person Nancy Murphy, bookkeeper Doris Siegler, merchandising person Chip Goodman (son of publisher Martin) and Arthur Jeffrey, described in the December 1966 "Bullpen Bulletin" as "keeper of our MMMS <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Merry Marvel Marching Society]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> files, guardian of our club coupons and defender of the faith".
In the fall of 1968, company founder Goodman sold Marvel Comics and his other publishing businesses to the '''Perfect Film and Chemical Corporation'''. It grouped these businesses in a subsidiary called '''Magazine Management Co.''' Goodman remained as publisher.<ref>[[Les Daniels|Daniels, Les]], ''Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics'' (Harry N. Abrams, New York, 1991), p. 139. ISBN 0-8109-3821-9.</ref>
===1970s===
In 1971, Marvel Comics editor-in-chief [[Stan Lee]] was approached by the [[United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare]] to do a comic book story about drug abuse. Lee agreed and wrote a three-part [[Spider-Man]] story portraying drug use as dangerous and unglamorous. However, the industry's self-censorship board, the [[Comics Code Authority]], refused to approve the story because of the presence of narcotics, deeming the context of the story irrelevant. Lee, with Goodman's approval, published the story regardless in ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man]]'' #96-98 (May-July 1971), without the Comics Code seal. The storyline was well-received and the Code was subsequently revised the same year.<ref>Nyberg, Amy Kiste. ''Seal of Approval: History of the Comics Code''. University Press of Mississippi, Jackson, Miss., 1998</ref>
[[Image:Howard The Duck -8.jpg|left|thumb|''[[Howard the Duck]]'' #8 (Jan. 1977). Cover art by [[Gene Colan]] and [[Steve Leialoha]].]]
Goodman retired as publisher in 1972 and was succeeded by Lee, who stepped aside from running day-to-day operations at Marvel. A series of new editors-in-chief oversaw the company during another slow time for the industry. Once again, Marvel attempted to diversify, and with the updating of the Comics Code achieved moderate success with titles themed to [[horror (genre)|horror]] (''[[Tomb of Dracula]]''), [[martial arts]], ''([[Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu]]''), [[sword-and-sorcery]] (''[[Conan the Barbarian]]'', ''[[Red Sonja]]''), [[satire]] (''[[Howard the Duck]]'') and [[science fiction]] ("[[Killraven]]" in ''[[Amazing Adventures]]''). Some of these were published in larger-sized black-and-white magazines, targeted for mature readers. Marvel was able to capitalize on its successful superhero comics of the previous decade by acquiring a new newsstand distributor and greatly expanding its comics line. Marvel pulled ahead of rival [[DC Comics]] in 1972, during a time when the price and format of the standard newsstand comic were in flux. Goodman increase the price and size of Marvel's November 1971 cover-dated comics from 15 cents for 36 pages total to 25 cents for 52 pages. DC followed suit, but Marvel the following month dropped its comics to 20 cents for 36 pages, offering a lower-priced product with a higher distributor discount.<ref>Daniels, ''Marvel'', pp.154-155</ref>
In 1973, Perfect Film and Chemical Corporation changed its name to '''Cadence Industries''', which in turn renamed Magazine Management Co. as '''Marvel Comics Group'''. Goodman, now completely disconnected from Marvel, created a new company called [[Atlas/Seaboard Comics]] in 1974, reviving Marvel's old Atlas name, but this project lasted only a year-and-a-half.<ref>[http://www.atlasarchives.com/index.html Atlas Archives]</ref>
In the mid-1970s, Marvel was affected by a decline of the newsstand distribution network. Cult hits such as ''Howard the Duck'' were the victims of the distribution problems, with some titles reporting low sales when in fact they were being resold at a later date in the first specialty comic-book stores.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} But by the end of the decade, Marvel's fortunes were reviving, thanks to the rise of [[direct market]] distribution — selling through those same comics-specialty stores instead of newsstands.
In October 1976, Marvel, which already licensed reprints in different countries, including the [[UK]], created a superhero specifically for the [[United Kingdom|British]] market. [[Captain Britain]] debuted exclusively in the UK, and later appeared in American comics.<!--Specific series and issue dates in article are collectively per GCD and other databases given under References, which is more practical than dozens of Ibids.-->
===1980s===
[[Image:Secretwars1.png|thumb|''[[Secret Wars|Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars]]'' #1 (May 1984), cover art by [[Mike Zeck]]]]
By the 1980s, one-time DC wunderkind [[Jim Shooter]] was Marvel's editor-in-chief. Although a controversial personality, Shooter cured many of the procedural ills at Marvel (including repeatedly missed deadlines) and oversaw a creative renaissance at the company. This renaissance included institutionalizing creator royalties, starting the [[Epic Comics|Epic]] imprint for [[creator ownership|creator-owned]] material in 1982, and launching a brand-new (albeit ultimately unsuccessful) line named [[New Universe]], to commemorate Marvel's 25th anniversary, in 1986. However, Shooter was responsible for the introduction of the company-wide crossover (''[[Contest of Champions]]'', ''[[Secret Wars]]'') and was accused by many creators, especially near the end of his tenure, of exercising his job in a draconian manner and interfering with the writers' creative process.{{Fact|date=March 2007}}
.
In 1981 Marvel purchased the [[DePatie-Freleng Enterprises]] animation studio from famed Looney Tunes director [[Friz Freleng]] and his business partner [[David H. DePatie]]. The company was renamed [[Marvel Productions]] and it produced well-known animated TV series and movies featuring such characters as [[G.I. Joe (comics)|G.I. Joe]], [[Transformers (fiction)|The Transformers]], [[Muppet Babies|Jim Henson's Muppet Babies]], and such TV series as ''[[Dungeons & Dragons (TV series)|Dungeons & Dragons]]'', as well as cartoons based on Marvel characters, including ''[[Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends]]''.
In 1986, Marvel was sold to [[New World Communications|New World Entertainment]], which within three years sold it to [[MacAndrews and Forbes]], owned by [[Revlon]] executive [[Ronald Perelman]]. Perelman took the company public on the [[New York Stock Exchange]] and oversaw a great increase in the number of titles Marvel published. As part of the process, Marvel Productions sold its back catalog to [[Saban Entertainment]] (acquired in 2001 by [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]]), and Marvel management closed the animation studio, opting to outsource.{{Fact|date=March 2007}}
===1990s===
[[Image:Spiderman1cover.jpg|left|thumb|''[[Spider-Man]]'' #1, later renamed "Peter Parker: Spider-Man" (Aug. 1990; Second printing black & gold edition). Cover art by [[Todd McFarlane]].]]
Marvel earned a great deal of money and recognition during the early decade's comic-book boom, launching the highly successful [[Marvel 2099|2099]] line of comics set in the future (''[[Spider-Man 2099]]'', etc.) and the creatively daring though commercially unsuccessful [[Razorline]] imprint of [[superhero]] comics created by novelist and filmmaker [[Clive Barker]]. Yet by the middle of the decade, the industry had slumped and Marvel filed for [[bankruptcy]] amidst investigations of Perelman's financial activities regarding the company.{{Fact|date=March 2007}}
In 1990, Marvel began selling [[Marvel Universe Cards]] with [[trading card]] maker Impel. These were collectible trading cards that featured the characters and events of the Marvel Universe.
Marvel in 1992 acquired [[Fleer|Fleer Corporation]], known primarily for its [[trading cards]], and shortly thereafter created [[Marvel Studios]], devoted to film and TV projects. [[Avi Arad]] became director of that division in 1993, with production accelerating in 1998 following the success of the film ''[[Blade (film)|Blade]]''. {{Fact|date=March 2007}}
In 1994, Marvel acquired the comic book distributor Heroes World to use as its own exclusive distributor. As the industry's other major publishers made exclusive distribution deals with other companies, the ripple effect resulted in the survival of only one other major distributor in [[North America]], [[Diamond Comic Distributors Inc.]]<ref>[http://www.milehighcomics.com/tales/cbg131.html Rozanski, Chuck, "Diamond Ended Up With 50% of the Comics Market". MileHighComics.com (n.d.)]</ref>
Creatively and commercially, the '90s were dominated by the use of gimmickry to boost sales, such as [[variant cover]]s, cover enhancements, regular company-wide crossovers that threw the universe's continuity into disarray, and even [[Marvel Illustrated Swimsuit|special swimsuit issues]]. In 1996, Marvel had almost all its titles participate in the [[Onslaught Saga]], a crossover that allowed Marvel to relaunch some of its flagship characters, such as the [[Avengers (comics)|Avengers]] and the [[Fantastic Four]], in the [[Heroes Reborn]] universe, in which Marvel defectors [[Jim Lee]] and [[Rob Liefeld]] were given permission to revamp the properties from scratch. After an initial sales bump, sales quickly declined below expected levels, and Marvel discontinued the experiment after a one-year run; the characters returned to the [[Marvel Universe]] proper. In 1998, the company launched the imprint [[Marvel Knights]], taking place within Marvel continuity; helmed by soon-to-become editor-in-chief [[Joe Quesada]], and featuring tough, gritty stories showcasing such characters as the [[Inhumans]], [[Black Panther (comics)|Black Panther]] and [[Daredevil (Marvel Comics)|Daredevil]], it achieved substantial success.{{Fact|date=March 2007}}
====Marvel goes public====
[[Image:Marvlogo.jpeg|thumb|right|Marvel's logo, circa 1990s.]]
In 1991, Pereleman took Marvel public in a [[stock market|stock offering]] underwritten by [[Merrill Lynch]] and [[First Boston Corporation]]. Following the rapid rise of this immediately popular stock, Perleman issued a series of [[junk bond]]s that he used to acquire other children's entertainment companies. Many of these [[Bond (finance)|bond]] offerings were purchased by [[Carl Icahn]] Partners, which later wielded much control during Marvel's court-ordered reorganization after Marvel went [[bankruptcy|bankrupt]] in 1996. In 1997, after protracted legal battles, control landed in the hands of [[Isaac Perlmutter]], owner of the Marvel subsidiary [[Toy Biz]]. With his business partner [[Avi Arad]], publisher [[Bill Jemas]], and editor-in-chief [[Bob Harras]], Perlmutter helped revitalize the comics line.{{Fact|date=March 2007}}
===2000s===
With the new millennium, Marvel Comics escaped from bankruptcy and again began diversifying its offerings. In 2001, Marvel withdrew from the [[Comics Code Authority]] and established its own [[Marvel Rating System]] for comics. The first title from the era to not have the code was ''[[X-Force]]'' #119 (Oct. 2001). It also created new [[imprint]]s, such as [[MAX (comics)|MAX]], a line intended for mature readers, and [[Marvel Age]], developed for younger audiences. In addition to this is the highly successful [[Ultimate Marvel]] imprint, which allowed Marvel to [[Reboot (continuity)|reboot]] their major titles by deconstructing and updating its major superhero and villain characters to introduce to a new generation. This imprint exists in a universe parallel to mainstream Marvel continuity, allowing writers and artists freedom from the characters' convoluted history and the ability to redesign them, and to maintain their other ongoing series without replacing the established continuity. This also allowed Marvel to capitalize on an influx of new readers unfamiliar with comics but familiar with the characters through the film and TV franchises. The company has also revamped its [[graphic novel]] division, establishing a bigger presence in the bookstore market. As of 2007, Marvel remains a key comics publisher, even as the industry has dwindled to a fraction of its peak size decades earlier.{{Fact|date=March 2007}}
Stan Lee, no longer officially connected to the company save for the title of "Chairman [[Emeritus]]", remains a visible face in the industry. In 2002, he sued successfully for a share of income related to movies and merchandising of Marvel characters, based on a contract between Lee and Marvel from the late 1990s; according to court documents, Marvel had used "[[Hollywood accounting]]" to claim that those projects' "earnings" were not profits. Marvel Comics' parent company Marvel Entertainment continues to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange as MVL. Some of its characters have been turned into successful film franchises, the highest-grossing being the ''[[X-Men (film)|X-Men]]'' film series, starting in 2000, and the ''[[Spider-Man (film)|Spider-Man]]'' series, beginning in 2002<ref>[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=marvelcomics.htm Box Office Mojo: "Franchises: Marvel Comics"]</ref>
In 2006, Marvel's [[fictional crossover]] event "[[Civil War (comics)|Civil War]]" established federal [[Registration Acts (comics)|superhero registration]] in the Marvel universe, creating a political and ethical schism throughout it. Also that year, Marvel created its own [[wiki]].<ref>[http://www.marvel.com/universe/Main_Page Marvel Universe wiki]</ref>
The company launched a major online initiative late in 2007, announcing [[Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited]], a digital archive of 2,500 back issues available for viewing, for a monthly or annual subscription fee.<ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2007-11-12-comics-online-main_N.htm Colton, David. "Marvel Comics Shows Its Marvelous Colors in Online Archive"], ''[[USA Today]]'', Nov. 12, 2007</ref>
In November of 2007, Marvel contacted the popular comic book bittorrent site, Z-Cult FM, and gave it three days to remove illegal scans of Marvel comic books before Marvel pressed charges. Z-Cult contacted Marvel and negotiated that it would remove all Marvel comics from its site within seven days.<ref>[http://weblogs.variety.com/bags_and_boards/2007/11/marvel-dc-bite.html McLean, Tom, "Marvel, DC Bite into BitTorrent"], Variety.com, Bags and Boards (column), November 26, 2007]</ref>
==Editors-in-chief==
The Marvel editor-in-chief oversees the largest-scale creative decisions taken within the company. While the fabled Stan Lee held great authority during the decades when publisher [[Martin Goodman (publisher)|Martin Goodman]] privately held his company, of which the comics division was a relatively small part, his successors have been to greater and lesser extents subject to corporate management.
The position evolved sporadically. In the earliest years, the company had a single editor overseeing the entire line. As the company grew, it became increasingly common for individual titles to be overseen separately. The concept of the "writer-editor" evolved, stemming from when Lee wrote and managed most of the line's output. Overseeing the line in the 1970s was a series of chief editors, though the titles were used intermittently. Confusing matters further, some appear to have been appointed merely by extending their existing editorial duties. By the time [[Jim Shooter]] took the post in 1978, the position of editor-in-chief was clearly defined.
In 1994, Marvel briefly abolished the position, replacing [[Tom DeFalco]] with five "group editors", though each held the title "editor-in-chief" and had some editors underneath them. It reinstated the overall editor-in-chief position in 1995, installing [[Bob Harras]]. [[Joe Quesada]] became editor-in-chief in 2000.
* [[Joe Simon]] (1940-1941)
* [[Stan Lee]] (1941-1942)
*[[Vincent Fago]] (acting editor during Lee's military service) (1942-1945)
* [[Stan Lee]] (1945-1972)
* [[Roy Thomas]] (1972-1974)
* [[Len Wein]] (1974-1975)
* [[Marv Wolfman]] ([[black-and-white]] magazines 1974-1975, entire line 1975-1976)
* [[Gerry Conway]] (1976)
* [[Archie Goodwin (comics)|Archie Goodwin]] (1976-1978)
* [[Jim Shooter]] (1978-1987)
* [[Tom DeFalco]] (1987-1994)
* ''No overall editor-in-chief'' (1994-1995)
* [[Bob Harras]] (1995-2000)
* [[Joe Quesada]] (2000-present)
==Offices==
Located in [[New York City]], Marvel has been successively headquartered in the [[330 West 42nd Street|McGraw-Hill Building]] (where it originated as [[Timely Comics]] in 1939); in suite 1401 of the [[Empire State Building]]; at 635 [[Madison Avenue (Manhattan)|Madison Avenue]] (the actual location, though the comic books' indicia listed the parent publishing-company's address of 625 Madison Ave.); 575 Madison Avenue; 387 Park Avenue South; [[10 East 40th Street]]; and 417 [[Fifth Avenue (Manhattan)|Fifth Avenue]].
==Marvel characters in other media==
Marvel characters and stories have been adapted to many other media. Some of these adaptations were produced by Marvel, while others were produced by companies licensing Marvel material.
===Television programs===
{{main|List of television series based on Marvel Comics}}
Many television series, both live action and animated, have been based on Marvel Comics characters. These include multiple series for popular characters such as Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four. Of particular note were the animated series from the mid to late 90's, which were all part of the same [[Marvel animated universe]].
Additionally, a handful of television movies based on Marvel Comics characters have been made.
===Films===
{{main|List of films based on Marvel Comics}}
Marvel characters have been adapted into films including the ''[[Spider-Man (film)|Spider-Man]]'', ''[[Blade (film)|Blade]]'' and ''[[X-Men (film)|X-Men]]'' trilogies; the ''[[Fantastic Four (film)|Fantastic Four]]'', duology; ''[[Daredevil (film)|Daredevil]]'', ''[[Elektra (2005 film)|Elektra]]'', ''[[Ghost Rider (film)|Ghost Rider]]'', ''[[Iron Man (film)|Iron Man]]'', ''[[The Incredible Hulk (2008 film)|The Incredible Hulk]]'', and ''[[The Punisher: War Zone]]''.
Additionally, a series of direct-to-DVD animated films began in 2006 with ''[[Ultimate Avengers]]''.
===Theme Parks===
Marvel has licensed its characters for theme parks and attractions, including at the [[Universal Orlando Resort]]'s [[Islands of Adventure]], in [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]], [[Florida]], which includes rides based on the [[Hulk]], [[Spider-man]], and [[Doctor Doom]], and performers costumed as [[Captain America]], the [[X-Men]], and [[Spider-Man]].<ref>[http://www.universalorlando.com/amusement-parks/islands-of-adventure/map.html Universal's Islands of Adventures: Marvel Super Hero Island] official site</ref> There are Marvel rides as well as Universal theme parks in [[California]] and [[Japan]].<ref name=reuters>
[http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL2171124120070322 Reuters newswire, "Marvel Theme Park to Open in Dubai by 2011"], March 22, 2007</ref> In early 2007 Marvel and developer the Al Ahli Group announced plans to build Marvel's first full theme park, in [[Dubai]], [[United Arab Emirates]], by 2011.<ref name=reuters />
===Video games===
{{main|List of video games based on Marvel comics}}
==Imprints==
[[Image:AllSurprise12 detail.jpg|thumb|280px|The [[funny animal]] title ''All Surprise Comics'' #12 (Winter 1946-47) was labeled "A Marvel Magazine" nearly 15 years before the publisher formally adopted the name. Cover artist unknown.]]
* [[Icon Comics]]
* [[Marvel Adventures]]
* [[Marvel Knights]]
* [[Marvel Illustrated]]
* [[MC2]]
* [[MAX (comics)|MAX]]
* [[Ultimate Marvel]]
===Defunct===
* [[Amalgam Comics]]
* [[Curtis Magazines]]
* [[Epic Comics]]
* [[Marvel 2099]]
* [[Marvel Absurd]]
* [[Marvel Age]]
* [[Malibu Comics]]
* [[Marvel Edge]]
* [[Marvel Music]]
* [[Marvel Next]]
* [[Marvel UK]]
* [[New Universe]]
* [[Paramount Comics]]
* [[Razorline]]
* [[Star Comics]]
* [[Tsunami (comics)|Tsunami]]
==See also==
{{portalpar|Marvel}}
*[[Multiverse (Marvel Comics)|Marvel Multiverse]]
*[[Major Events of the Marvel Universe]]
*[[List of Marvel Comics alien races]]
*[[List of Marvel Comics characters]]
*[[List of Marvel Comics cosmic entities]]
*[[List of Marvel Comics movies]]
*[[List of Marvel Comics people]]
*[[List of Marvel Comics publications]]
*[[List of Marvel Comics teams and organizations]]
*[[Marvel Golden Age characters]]
* ''[[Toy Biz v. United States]]''
== Footnotes ==
{{reflist|2}}
==References==
* [http://www.marvel.com Marvel Entertainment official site]
* [http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/ The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe]
* [http://www.comicboards.com/marvelguide Marvel Guide: An Unofficial Handbook of the Marvel Universe]
* ''All in Color for a Dime'' by Dick Lupoff & Don Thompson ISBN 0-87341-498-5
* ''The Comic Book Makers'' by [[Joe Simon]] with Jim Simon ISBN 1-887591-35-4
* ''Excelsior! The Amazing Life of Stan Lee'' by Stan Lee and George Mair ISBN 0-684-87305-2
*''Jack Kirby: The TCJ Interviews'', Milo George, ed. (Fantagraphics Books, Inc., 2001). ISBN 1-56097-434-6
* ''Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics'', by Les Daniels (Harry N. Abrams, New York, 1991) ISBN 0-8109-3821-9
*''Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book'' by Gerard Jones (Basic Books, 2004) trade paperback ISBN 0-465-03657-0
* Stephen Korek- Marvel comics and the future
* ''Origins of Marvel Comics'' by Stan Lee ISBN 0-7851-0579-4
* ''The Steranko History of Comics'', Vol. 1 by [[Jim Steranko|James Steranko]] ISBN 0-517-50188-0
*''Tales to Astonish: Jack Kirby, Stan Lee and the American Comic Book Revolution'' by Ronin Ro (Bloomsbury, 2004) ISBN 1-58234-345-4
* [http://www.comicartville.com/bellmanpg2.htm A Timely Talk with Allen Bellman]
* [http://www.atlastales.com/ Atlas Tales]
* [http://columns.stlcomics.com/ironslab/III/ The Marvel/Atlas Super-Hero Revival of the Mid-1950s]
* [http://www.twomorrows.com/kirby/articles/25simon.html ''Jack Kirby Collector'' #25: "More Than Your Average Joe"]
* [http://www.clivebarker.com/html/visions/bib/comics/ Clive Barker official site: Comics]
* [http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/r/razorlin.htm Independent Heroes from the USA: Clive Barker's Razorline]
* [http://www.buzzscope.com/features.php?id=1016 ''Buzzscope'' (June 23, 2005): "Addicted to Comics" #10 (column) by Jim Salicrup]
*[http://www.manwithoutfear.com/interviews/ddINTWolfman.shtml Daredevil: The Man Without Fear fan site: Marv Wolfman interview]
==External links==
* [http://www.comics-db.com/comics/page.cgi?g=Marvel_Comics%2F Big Comic Book DataBase: Marvel Comics]
* [http://www.projectfanboy.com/index.php?pageid=marvel Marvel News]
* [http://www.marveldirectory.com/ Marvel Directory]
* [http://www.ultimatecentral.com Ultimate Central]
* [http://kirbymuseum.org The Jack Kirby Museum & Research Center]
* [http://en.marveldatabase.com/Main_Page Marvel Database]
{{Marvel Comics}}
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[[Category:Companies based in New York City]]
[[Category:Companies established in 1939]]
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