The opening up of the Direct Sales marketplace, comprised of a string of independently-operated comic book specialty shops across the Nation and eventually the globe--offered up new promise in terms of the way in which comic books were sold. Up to this point, Comics were sold like any other periodical publication: a print run was … Continue reading Brand Echh: JCP Features the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1
Archie Comics' attempt to get back into the super hero marketplace in 1983 under their Red Circle imprint was, by all accounts, a bit of a mess. It was an experiment that played itself out over around two years, and which produced some interesting experiments as well as a bunch of just out-and-out junk. The … Continue reading Brand Echh: The Comet #1
As we've spoken about in the past, Charlton Comics never really had a motivated interest in getting into the super hero field. They were quite happy most of the time to produce their line of largely-interchangeable war, romance, mystery, hot rod and western comics. But every once in a while, somebody at the organization would … Continue reading Brand Echh: Son of Vulcan #50
It's time once again for another dive into MIGHTY COMICS, Archie's attempt to reverse-engineer the appeal of the Marvel books of the era without understanding them a whit. As before, we're going to be focusing on my favorite of the Mighty creations, the Web. The Web wasn't cast as a Spider-Man knock-off as you might … Continue reading Brand Echh: Mighty Comics #45
Charlton was pretty much the bottom rung of the comic book business. Yes, they published a lot of material, but it was always on the crappiest paper, and always had the worst distribution. What's more, it only rarely seemed as though anybody cared about what the content of these magazines was. One notable exception was … Continue reading Brand Echh: Thunderbolt #54
As we've discussed multiple times in the past, Atlas Comics was Martin Goodman's short-lived publishing endeavor in which he attempted to prove that he, not editor Stan Lee, was responsible for the success of Marvel Comics after the ouster of his son Chip Goodman from the firm. Goodman wasn't so much interested in selling comic … Continue reading Brand Echh: The Scorpion #1
The overwhelming success of the 1966 BATMAN television program didn't just set off an explosive wave of popularity for comic book super heroes, it also had an impact on the television field. Because when any show is successful, rival networks often moved to create something similar, so as to draft off of the national interest. … Continue reading Brand Echh: Captain Nice #1
Steve Ditko was one of the most popular and distinctive artists of the Silver Age of Comics, one who is well-regarded for his many contributions to the field. He was also, at least past a certain point, a devotee of and believer in the tenets of Objectivism, the belief systems pioneered by author Ayn Rand … Continue reading Brand Echh: Mr. A
The rise of underground comix publishers in the 1960s provided an object lesson to many would-be comics creators of the period. They showed that it was possible to create and distribute comics of your own through alternative means without the need of being allied with a big company like Marvel and DC. While the undergrounds … Continue reading Brand Echh: Cobalt Blue #1
You've waited long enough for another dose of my favorite Silver Age camp super hero strip, Archie's The Web. As we've gone over before, in an attempt to hop onto the super hero fad of the mid-60s, archie resurrected a number of their 1940s characters and presented them in what was almost a parody of … Continue reading Brand Ecch: Mighty Comics #43
The Tom Brevoort Experience 