Weirdest Comic Book Gimmicks

Real-world athletes sometimes appear in comic books. They usually show up as homages or guest stars. Sometimes, athletes even fight comic book characters. "The Greatest"ESPN published a Marvel Comics insert showing unclothed superheroes.The insert featured the Last Son of Krypton in DC's classic.Superman fought Muhammad Ali.a graphic novel from 1978, while "Sir Charles"He famously shot hoops.He fought the King of the Monsters in Dark Horse's bizarre.Godzilla fought Barkley.This was a one-shot from 1993. Comic book characters leaping from their fictional worlds into real-world athletic magazines is much rarer.

ESPN likely counted on the pairing's oddity and the worldwide popularity of Marvel Studios movies to boost sales of its annualThe Body Issue.ESPN included a comic-style insert with superheroes in its 2015 edition. Daredevil, Captain Marvel, Luke Cage, She-Hulk, and others appeared.The issue showed figures in buff, flexing, or striking poses.The insert included basic stats and quotes from Marvel artists about athletic inspirations and drawing dynamic anatomy. Russell Dauterman mentioned Bruce Lee's physique when drawing Iron Fist. Leinil Francis Yu said he drew superheroes like Luke Cage based on the "functional" builds of MMA fighters.

Artist Sara Pichelli said about Captain Marvel, "I combine correct proportions and powerful muscle shapes with a commonly accepted idea of beauty."

ESPN has not yet published a sequel.The Body Issue: Marvel Super Heroes Edition.Drawings of exaggerated comic book physiques in a publication showing real athletes failed to gain much reader attention.

Superhero comic books and daytime soap operas share little, except for "evil twins" and characters who never leave the ground. Mid-2000s talk shows and reality programs took over daytime TV, causing even long-running soaps to lose viewers. CBS tried to attract new viewers and stop the cancellation of itsGuiding Light.In 2006, CBS tried to mix soaps and supers with a strange cross-promotion between the show and the Marvel Universe.

CBS promoted its soap opera superhero with a Marvel Comics tie-in in the November 1 episode.Guiding Light.The episode was titled "She's a Marvel," featuring Harley Cooper (Beth Aitoro).developed super powers after a strange eventinvolving spilled soda and electricity. Harley gained super speed, electrical powers, and adisturbing lack of irises.Harley used her new powers for good. She wore a superhero costume and called herself "Guiding Light." Harley tried to clean up the mean streets of fictional Springfield one overly dramatic event at a time.

The episode featured an eight-page Marvel Comics backup story. This story brought Guiding Light together with Wolverine, Spider-Man, and the Avengers for a fight against the Sinister Six. Harley's powers vanished after the comic book battle; an off-screen explanation covered why she stopped using them in the series.

Ranked as one of the greatest metal bands.One of the greatest metal bands.Of all time and still rocking the pants off of fans.Still rocking the pants off of fans.After nearly 50 years, KISS has become a pop-culture institution. KISS is also a merchandising powerhouse.Star Wars.Licensing in the music industry relies on KISS's patented likenesses and the "KISS" logo, which appear on countless products, including coffins.Including coffins.in 2020, the band joined forces with Marvel.Joined forces with Marvel.Released new, co-branded retail items.

KISS and comic books match well because they feature fantasy alter-egos like "The Space Ace" and "The Demon," and stage performances use smoke, fire, and blood. The band's relationship with comics lasts nearly as long as the band itself. KISS first appeared in comics with Howard the Duck.Howard the Duck.#12 (April 1977). KISS appeared in countless comics from various publishers over the next 40 years.

Some of.KISS's comics have been good; some have been terrible.but none compare in sheerKISS.Their debut solo appearance in.Marvel Comics Super Special.#1 (September 1977). The issue contained a 40-page monster filled with never-before-seen photos of the band and their own four-color adventure. To promote the book, KISS made a "contract" with fans using blood. A nurse drew their blood during a tour stop, and it went to Marvel's printing plant where it was mixed into the red ink used to print the comic.Mixed into the red ink used to print the comic.. A notary was present to verify the process.

Comic book publishers earned money during the speculator boom of the early 1990s.Speculator boom of the early 1990s.but Marvel Comics executives saw the trend would not continue. To protect themselves against the coming bubble burst, Marvel tried to expand its output past superheroes.Previous pairings with musicians like KISS.In their.Marvel Comics Super Specials.Marvel saw the popularity of Revolutionary Comics' Revolutionary Comics' comics.Rock 'N' Roll Comics.Marvel had a line of unauthorized biographies and thought there was enough market to publish musician books.

To avoid.Legal hassles., and aiming to produceWork "elevated slightly above" that of Revolutionary., Marvel partnered with the musicians, giving them full creative control. Musicians like Onyx, Sticky Fingaz, Alice Cooper, and the Rolling Stones dictated how they were shown and tailored their graphic novels for existing or upcoming releases. Marvel made a post-apocalyptic story for Onyx: Fight!Onyx: Fight!That.Tied into the artist's second album., All We Got Is Us, while KRS-One's.Break the Chain. The imprint came with an audio cassette.Readers listen to the cassette while reading the book.

Marvel Music shut down after just one year, publishing only eight titles. Poor sales caused this, and Marvel President Terry Stewart called it "doomed"."doomed""from the beginning." Many reasons caused the brand's failure. Marvel creatives lacked support, editors like Mort Todd spent too much money on trips to meet artists, but most agree Marvel failed to market the books to music fans at stores and venues.

As comic book readers aged during the late 1980s and early '90s, publishers changed. They offered more mature content, including new characters and titles aimed at high school teens. Marvel had already found success.Marvel tapped into the "extreme" area.For years, they catered to the audience's strong desires by stripping comics of stories and clothing, turning superheroes into sex objects.

This was later admitted to be aThis is a desperate cash grab.Marvel gambled readers would care about pin-ups of scantily clad comic characters just as much as they cared about grim armored terminators with pouches and blood. FiveSports Illustrated.-styleSwimsuit.Swimsuit issues appeared from 1991 to 1995. Each issue featured a different theme or reason the characters were shown with minimal clothing.

The series.Other publishers inspired it.Other publishers tried to follow suit over the years, but Marvel never revived the concept. Marvel canceled the "sun-splashed" Swimsuit homage in 2019.Swimsuit.A Swimsuit homage was requested in 2019, but Marvel canceled the title without explanation.Marvel canceled the title.They gave no explanation.

Serious collectors keep their comics in near-mint condition. They bag and board every issue. They sleeve the rarest ones in Mylar. They have investment issues.They slabbed and certified it.. These comics drive the industry, but shop employees often dislike them. They won't even consider buying books from their pull lists that have minor creases or wrinkles.

Adhesive Comics targeted the obsession with perfection. They filled 3,000 copies of Jab #3 with holes to spark interest in their indie brand in 1992.Jab.#3 full of holes. Artists designing the issue's artwork knew about the holes beforehand and built their art around them so they would not disrupt the stories. Shannon Wheeler, creator of Too Much Coffee Man, stated thatMultiple implements were used.to create the effect over three days (though his last comment was probably a joke):

The standard issue used a .22. They released special editions with 9mm, .45, and shotgun versions. Higher caliber books cost more. The shotgun issue came in a bag for $20 and was guaranteed unreadable.

Malibu Comics copied the idea that same year and publishedProtectors.#5 featured a die-cut bullet hole going through the comic. Malibu failed to tell the artist about the idea—or the advertisers who got upset.Malibu never acknowledged the idea's origin..

With professional hockey surging in popularity,during the 2010-11 season, it attracted record viewers to televised games.During the 2010-11 season, it attracted attention.The NHL could have kept things as they were and enjoyed success.The NHL decision-makers needed a lure to hook their target "tween boys" demo.They thought they found it in Stan Lee, the comic book master who created many characters that were selling huge in theaters., and people thought they found it in Stan Lee, the legendary comic book maestro who created many characters that fueled the global box office.

The NHL partnered with Guardian Media Entertainment.Stan Lee created 30 new superheroes.Each character got a code name and tied to an NHL hockey team. After the characters appeared, the NHL pitted them against each other in the "Guardian 30 Match-Up," a Facebook app thatThis graphic novel showed the hockey heroes' comic book exploits, but it did not sell.Even with art by Neal Adams, comic book fans would not spend money on hockey-themed knockoff superheroes or go to NHL games.was a 192-page graphic novel.DC and Marvel Comics teamed up before. They published in joint works a few times between 1976 and 1982.

Even with art by Neal Adams, comic book fans still did not want to spend money or go to NHL games.After years of falling comic sales, both companies canceled long-running titles. Marvel even faced bankruptcy.The Guardian Project ended suddenly at the season's close.

They gave fans something to get excited about. In two issues of "DC versus Marvel Comics" and two issues of "Marvel Comics versus DC" (April to May 1996), the Big Two pitted their strongest heroes against each other.Fans decided the outcomes. In a story about sleeping celestial "Brothers" and colliding universes, the Flash smoked Quicksilver in a race, Superman smashed the Hulk, and Wolverine diced up Lobo, setting up a bigger, crazier event.Between the third and fourth issues of the series, DC and Marvel.DC and Marvel.Between 1976 and 1982, DC and Marvel Comics fought bitterly for about 30 years.The speculator bubble finally burst.In 1993, after years of sales drops, both companies canceled long-running titles. Marvel, once mighty, faced bankruptcy.

In a unique move, DC and Marvel set aside their differences to give fans—and struggling retailers—something to get excited about.In two issues of "DC versus Marvel Comics"and two issues of "Marvel Comics versus DC" (April to May 1996), the Big Two pitted their strongest heroes against each other.They let fans decide the results. In a story about sleeping celestial "Brothers" and colliding universes, the Flash smoked Quicksilver in a race, Superman smashed the Hulk, and Wolverine diced up Lobo, setting up a bigger, crazier event.Between the third and fourth issues of the series, DC and MarvelMarvel Comics versus DC (April to May 1996), the Big Two pitted their mightiest heroes against one another and let the fans decide on the outcomes. In a convoluted story about slumbering celestial "Brothers" and colliding universes, the Flash smoked Quicksilver in a race, Superman smashed the Hulk, and Wolverine diced up Lobo, setting the stage for an even bigger, crazier, event.

Between the third and fourth issues of the series, DC and MarvelDC and Marvel merged characters into the Amalgam Universe, publishing 12 comic books. DC's Spectre and Marvel's Living Tribunal created these. They combined characters like Batman and Wolverine into Dark Claw, Superman and Captain America into Super-Soldier, and the Flash and Ghost Rider became Speed Demon. Each issue made characters seem like they always belonged in this shared universe. The comics even included letter columns with letters from Amalgam Comics fans.

Twelve more Amalgam Comics issues followed a year later, set in the same time as the first 12. The Big Two's cooperation ended when the financial crisis that caused the merger stopped. Lobo the Duck or Iron Lantern never appeared again.

Today's comic book fans accept that favorite characters end at some point. The issue is not that they expire and will be resurrected, but how that happens.That attracts readers.Back in the 1980s, ending a major character was almost unheard of, especially at DC Comics. They considered absolving responsibility, making extra money from toll calls, or just creating hype for the 1988 "A Death in the Family" storyline in Batman.DC put the outcome of that story into the hands of fans using a gruesome comic book gimmick.This event attracts readers. Back in the 1980s, ending a major character was rare, especially for DC Comics. DC faced a choice: take responsibility, make money from toll calls, or boost hype for the 1988 "A Death in the Family" storyline.By a slim margin of 72 votes, Robin would not survive.In Batman #428, DC honored the votes by having Todd die in an explosion rigged by the Joker.

Jim Starlin wrote and Jim Aparo illustrated the four-issue story. It follows unpopular Robin, Jason Todd, seeking his birth mother after Batman "fired" him. The Joker captured him and inflicted terrible pain. Batman could stop the Joker and save Robin, but only if fans voted for it. DC set up two 900-numbers ($0.50 per call) for fans to vote on Robin's survival. Over 10,000 votes counted in 36 hours, and the result was determined.Exactly 72 votes decided the outcome.Robin did not survive.Batman #428DC honored the votes by letting Todd die in an explosion rigged by the Joker.

News of Robin's death and the poll shocked the fan community and drew criticism from mainstream media.Defending DCthen-BatmanEditor Denny O'Neil replied, "We did not kill the Boy Wonder. The readers did."

In the early 1970s, superheroes had not conquered the world. Finding them outside comics and cartoons felt new. Turntables became cheap enough for kids. Peter Pan Records and its Power Records branch sold books and vinyl featuring musical stories. Power Records aimed for superheroes next, and Marvel and DC wanted to join in.

Early "Book and Record" releases included audio dramas on 7" vinyls based on Marvel and DC comic books reprinted for the sets.Original stories later got made.Marvel adapted them with art from established comic book pros like Neal Adams and his Continuity Associates studio. Comic-and-record sets featuring Spider-Man, Superman, Batman, and the Fantastic Four sold tens of thousands.These sets sold tens of thousands.Fans stopped buying these sets by the late 1970s. Peter Pan Industries closed Power Records in 1981.

Other publishers used the "Book and Record" idea to push their comics. Power Records stopped making superhero sets that same year. Capital Comics launched something instead.Mike Baron and Steve Rude made excellent vinyl records for comics in the 1970s.Nexu.s.comic book.This came with flexi disc vinyl records.

The 15-volume Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.The series showed Marvel fans would pay for unique comics. It offered encyclopedic info on every character, creature, weapon, and planet in the Marvel Universe, lacking story and pin-up art.These Handbooks became key reference material for devoted fans.The Handbooks served as essential reference material for diehard fans.

As readers aged slightly older in the late 1980s and early '90s, and characters grew darker and more extreme, the Punisher's popularity shot up. Marvel met the demand for bullets and blood. Marvel gave the anti-hero multiple monthly titles and a series of limited runs, but fans still wanted more.

Marvel borrowed from their Handbook concept.Handbook.Marvel published the concept.Punisher Armory #1.Marvel released Punisher Armory #1 in July 1990. Fans hyped it as "The Must-Have Book By The Ultimate Payback Warrior." The issue had no story but showed 32 ad-free pages of guns, gear, and gadgets with tips and stories from the Punisher, like:

Precision shooting is a high art. It involves many variables and a lot of personal skill, plus sport. Sniping is the dark side of the art. Human values and politics cover the simple flight of a bullet.

The issue proved popular enough that a second volume followed in June 1991. All together, ten volumes were published from 1990 to 1994.Marvel published ten volumes of 'Armory' and tactics focused only on the Punisher.These volumes from 1990-94 gave eager readers plans for building their own vigilante arsenals.

Before New Fun #1 (February 1935) started, DC tried to bring back newspaper-style strips with Wednesday Comics.New Fun #1 (February 1935) became the first periodical to feature original sequential art stories.New Fun #1 (February 1935) became the first periodical to feature original sequential art stories.New Fun #1 (February 1935) became the first periodical to feature original sequential art stories.Comic books mostly existed as collections of reprinted black-and-white newspaper strips. The art form shifted over decades to use four-color art, new 'superheroes,' glossy paper, die-cut foil covers, and digital coloring. Comic books themselves stayed about the same size: 6-5/8" by 10-1/4" saddle-stitched mini-magazines.

That sparked DC's 2009 launch of theThis is a 12-issue weekly anthology series. The series is Wednesday Comics.DC published the series as large, fold-out comics, similar to classic Sunday newspaper comic sections. Stories used stacked strips on one broadsheet, featuring some of the day's best creators.

Unfortunately, Wednesday Comics.Wednesday Comics failed to sell. DC shelved the concept and joined rivals embracing computers and e-comics as the future of the art form.

Almost immediately after her debut inEvil Ernie.Lady Death became the main character in Chaos! Comics' horror-tinged books, #1 in December 1991. Lady Death started as a mere inspiration for a psychotic young boy with superpowers. She grew into a violent anti-hero, then a goddess, and the governess of Hell.

Chaos! took the lead inThe "Bad Girl Art" explosion happened.Chaos! used the popularity of its scantily clad heroine during the 1990s. Chaos! released nearly every issue of her adventures with different covers. Chaos! also showed pin-up books of Lady Death inThe comics featured swimwear.It featured swimwear and.It featured lingerie.Ultimate Lady Death fans wanted a more intense experience. Chaos! released issues with felt, velvet, and leather covers. Readers could feel like they held the vixen's bikini with their bare hands, not just a comic.

Comic books gained popularity after Superman appeared inAction Comics.Superman hit #1 in June 1938. Three years later, when the United States entered WWII, dozens of new superhero titles and combat books appeared. Comic books, light, shareable, and disposable, offered much-needed entertainment and escape for soldiers overseas.for weary soldiers overseas.As America entered the Korean conflict in 1950, the Army sought new ways to train and direct young soldiers. The Army looked to comic books and Will Eisner for ideas. Eisner created

As America entered the Korean conflict in 1950, the Army sought new ways to teach and guide young soldiers. The Army looked to comic books and Will Eisner for ideas. Eisner created.Eisner created The Spirit.He continued making comic stories after serving in WWII. After returning home, he formed American Visuals Corporation. He believed comics could teach and entertain, making him a good choice for the Army.He worked for PS Magazine.Preventive Maintenance Monthly..

Eisner directed PS Magazine from 1951 to 1972. The magazine featured Eisner's full-color "Joe's Dope Sheet" comic stories, which taught soldiers about preventive maintenance.The stories taught soldiers the importance of preventive maintenance.Eisner traveled to military bases globally. He learned about equipment and situations in his stories. Eisner used the art of other creators like Murphy Anderson and Mike Ploog.

Comic book sizes changed little from 1943 to 1973. They shrank only three-quarters of an inch in width and an eighth of an inch in height over 30 years. Marvel and DC agreed to stop fighting and publish together.MGM published "Marvelous Wizard of Oz".They marked this milestone by publishing the book in a huge new 10" x 14" tabloid format. This format made the comics much bigger than the standard 6-5/8" x 10-1/4" books on the racks.

Marvel kept the format for some "Special Edition" and "Treasury Edition" one-shots. Square-bound books made collecting them a hassle. Most content was reprinted material. Marvel and DC used this format for movie adaptations too, using it for "Special Series" and "Collector's Edition" books. The format yielded under 100 issues between the two publishers. It might have been ignored if it hadn't produced some amazing team-up issues. DC brought real people Muhammad Ali and President Jimmy Carter to Metropolis.Superman vs. Muhammad Ali.N/ASpider-Man, the Hulk, Superman, and Batman fought in a trio of intercompany crossover issues.These were intercompany crossover issues.This was the first type for Marvel and DC, bringing the characters together.This brought the characters together for the very first time.Marvel and DC comic book team-ups were huge.

Marvel brought back the format in 2016 for Spidey: All-New Marvel Treasury Edition.Spidey: All-New Marvel Treasury Edition. Marvel also revived the format for a couple other titles, but it seems to have stopped using it again.