It's time for another nomination in our quest to find The Lyingest Cover In Marvel Comics History (LCIMCH), and this one is a blast from my past...specifically Fantastic Four #180 (1977):
Now, the cover is true to what had been happening in the FF around that time. Thundra, Tigra and the Impossible Man had been hanging around; they had fought a big-ass robot the prior issue; and (eventually) the Army would get involved and try to claim the robot for itself.
So what's the lie? Let's look at the splash page...
What?? Lee & Kirby?!? What the...?
Ahhhh...the Dreaded Deadline Doom Reprint.
This was a far too common problem at Marvel in the mid-to-late 70s: someone would fall behind on deadline, and rather than miss a shipping schedule date, Marvel would plug in any old reprint they had laying around. Which, of course, is really annoying when you're expecting a brand new story. Jim Shooter, when he took over as EIC, would put an end to the practice, by building up a file of "inventory stories" (a.k.a. "fill-ins") for most titles, to run when necessary.
(Of course, in the 21st century, no one at Marvel gives a damn about shipping schedules or getting a book out when promised, so there's no need for reprints or fill-ins...they'll just put out the book whenever it's ready, readers be damned).
I understand that they occasionally had to do reprints...and I fully sympathize that they couldn't just throw a big old caption saying "REPRINT" on the cover. But would it have hurt them to whip up another, more accurate (or at least more generic) cover? Couldn't they have re-purposed the original cover from FF #101? But no, they give us a cover promising an original story, a continuation of last month's story, that has absolutely nothing to do with the reprint...and that's a big fat lie. And hence this nomination of FF #180 as the LCIMCH.
Similarly, Marvel had a bit of a quandary when it came to marketing all the reprint comics they were publishing at the time. Hey, it was great to see old stories in an affordable format...but I guess the suits didn't feel they could come right out and admit that it was a reprint mag. So you'd get stuff like this:
Commentor and comrade Mark submits this issue, and explains why it qualifies as a big stinkin' lie:
Points well taken. Consider Human Torch #1 officially nominated, Mark!!
Keep those lying Marvel covers coming in, folks...
Now, the cover is true to what had been happening in the FF around that time. Thundra, Tigra and the Impossible Man had been hanging around; they had fought a big-ass robot the prior issue; and (eventually) the Army would get involved and try to claim the robot for itself.So what's the lie? Let's look at the splash page...
What?? Lee & Kirby?!? What the...?
Ahhhh...the Dreaded Deadline Doom Reprint.This was a far too common problem at Marvel in the mid-to-late 70s: someone would fall behind on deadline, and rather than miss a shipping schedule date, Marvel would plug in any old reprint they had laying around. Which, of course, is really annoying when you're expecting a brand new story. Jim Shooter, when he took over as EIC, would put an end to the practice, by building up a file of "inventory stories" (a.k.a. "fill-ins") for most titles, to run when necessary.
(Of course, in the 21st century, no one at Marvel gives a damn about shipping schedules or getting a book out when promised, so there's no need for reprints or fill-ins...they'll just put out the book whenever it's ready, readers be damned).
I understand that they occasionally had to do reprints...and I fully sympathize that they couldn't just throw a big old caption saying "REPRINT" on the cover. But would it have hurt them to whip up another, more accurate (or at least more generic) cover? Couldn't they have re-purposed the original cover from FF #101? But no, they give us a cover promising an original story, a continuation of last month's story, that has absolutely nothing to do with the reprint...and that's a big fat lie. And hence this nomination of FF #180 as the LCIMCH.
Similarly, Marvel had a bit of a quandary when it came to marketing all the reprint comics they were publishing at the time. Hey, it was great to see old stories in an affordable format...but I guess the suits didn't feel they could come right out and admit that it was a reprint mag. So you'd get stuff like this:
Commentor and comrade Mark submits this issue, and explains why it qualifies as a big stinkin' lie:My nomination for LCIMCH would be The Human Torch #1, Marvel's 1974 series reprinting the solo adventures of both the Jim Hammond (Golden Age) Torch and Johnny Storm (from Strange Tales).
The cover of the first issue shows both Torches pitched in a furious, fiery battle, instantly causing me (as a long-time sucker for old version vs. new version clashes) to buy it.
As it turns out, NOTHING CLOSE TO THIS HAPPENS INSIDE OF THE COMIC BOOK! All of the reprinted stories focus on either Jim Hammond or Johnny Storm...but do not...I repeat DO NOT have them battle (much less meet) in any way, shape, or form.
Points well taken. Consider Human Torch #1 officially nominated, Mark!!
Keep those lying Marvel covers coming in, folks...
3 comments:
I absolutely agree about the FF ish. The weirder part is taking into account that there's a suggestion of a "new" Fantastic Four on that cover. Impy, Thundra, Tigra and The Thing as the FF. I would still freak out if somebody wrote that FF book. In fact, I'd write it if I was living in Joe Q's underwear (prerequisite), and kiss him for it!
Another massive lying-a** cover is GHOST RIDER ish 10 (1975) with a beautiful Ron Wilson/Joe Sinnott cover showing the Rider vs the HULK! Unzip those pants! No, wait! Inside is a reprint of "The Origin of Ghost Rider" from MARVEL SPOTLIGHT in 1973! No Hulk whatsoever (until ish 11, and a titanically stupid tale that turns out to be!)
It is indeed a pretty sad state of affairs, Chad, when a bi-monthly title comes up against the Dreaded Deadline Doom...not to mention a series only 10 issues old!!
you know if it's torch v torch your man wants, he only needs to check out FF annual #4 - all the TonT action a man could want, baby!
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