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From: boyajian@akov68.DEC
Newsgroups: net.comics
Subject: Ketchup Comments
Message-ID: <1389@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 29-Mar-85 02:59:56 EST
Article-I.D.: decwrl.1389
Posted: Fri Mar 29 02:59:56 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 31-Mar-85 03:16:53 EST
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> From: rayssd!m1b	(Joe Barone)

> 	Marvel is definitely canning 'The New Defenders' with #152 or
> #153 and 'The Thing', 'Dazzler', 'Rom', 'Power Man/Iron Fist',
> 'Micronauts', and 'Captain America' are rumored for cancellation.
> The article further states that any cancelled title will be "replaced
> with new series or new concepts of the existing characters."
>
>	From Marvel's recent track record, this can be seen as a scam.
> I suspect Marvel cancelled 'Marvel Team Up' and started 'Web of Spider-Man'
> for the sole purpose a creating a new first issue.  The proliferation of
> 'Limited Series' and 'Mini' and 'Maxi Series' (and 'Mega Series') can be
> attributed to the fact that first issues are usually hot items.  Marvel,
> in particular, seems to rely on speculation to make an even larger profit.

In the case of THE DEFENDERS, it's not a scam. It's been known for a while
that Marvel was planning a new title for this summer called THE X-FACTOR,
which will re-team the old X-Men. Since three of the five original members
(and one of the other two is dead --- maybe) are Defenders, it's not all
that surprising that Marvel will cancel that book rather than try out a
new line-up. One never knows, though, they may well start THE DEFENDERS
over again with #1 with a new team. We shall see.
	As for DAZZLER, it would seem that they put Archie Goodwin on it in
order to try and salvage the comic. If he can't save it, it'll probably be
gone for good. If Marvel had it in mind to start this one over again with
#1, I would've thought they'd do it now, and have Goodwin write the first
few issues of the new series. Who knows?


> From: rochester!ciaraldi	(Mike Ciaraldi)

> If you have been wanting to read MAGE from Comico
> (which I recommend you do), but can't find the
> back issues, you are in luck.
> Comico has just released Magebook, Volume I, which
> reprints the first 4 issues, including the original
> letter columns and ads.

Funny thing, that. Do you know why the original letter columns and ads are
there? Notice the difference in the paper and printing from the early part
of the book to the later? Apparently, Comico has just taken all their excess
copies of MAGE, stripped off the covers, and bound them into a square-bound
volume. Not that this is illegal, immoral, or fattening, but what it does is:
(1) reduces the number of copies of the original comics that exist, and (2)
limits the number of copies of MAGEBOOK that they can issue. Collectors note.
Fortunately, I managed to find all of the original comics before MAGEBOOK
came out.


> From: ihlpg!ealee	(Liz Scheller)

> "MYTH ADVENTURES"	Pencilled by Phil Toglio	Inked by Tim Sale

I realize that it's probably a typo, but that's "Foglio", not "Toglio".

> "COYOTE"	Issues 1-5	Artist is Steve Leialoha
>				Colorist is Steve Leialoha and Steve Oliff
>
>		Issues 5-11	Inker is Frank Springer
>				Penciler is Chas Truog
>				Colorist is Petra Scotese
>

Not quite. The credits for #1-5 that you have are only for #1-2. Penciller/
Inker/Colorist for #3 was Butch Guice/Bob Wiacek/Christie Scheele. Charles
Truog pencilled #4 on, with the inkers being Bob Wiacek (#4-8), Richard
Howell (#9-10), and Frank Springer (#11). Colorists on those issues were
Bob Sharen (#4), Steve Oliff (#5-6), and Petra Scotese (#7-11). Sorry to be
picky, but I believe that if you're going to include this information, you
should get it right.

> This comic started out really good. Nice art work, coloring good, and
> not a half bad story. Then they (Epic) changed everyone dealing with
> this comic and everything went to sh*t. The art work could be done by
> my little cousin (age 14 months) with crayons. The story is absolutly
> stupid. I'm going to hang on for about 2 more issues and then sell
> everything.

"They (Epic)" didn't change "everyone dealing with this comic". Steve
Englehart created the character with Marshall Rogers for Eclipse Magazine
(look for the graphic novel I AM COYOTE, which reprints this original series),
and he has been writing Epic's COYOTE since the beginning. As far as the art
goes, it wasn't Epic's decision at all. Steve Leialoha left of his own free
will, when he couldn't put in the time necessary to get it out on time. Put-
ting Truog on the art wasn't Epic's decision, it was Englehart's. He *likes*
Truog's art, so it's not likely that he'll find another artist.

As for the comic itself, I basicly have to agree. I really liked the first
three issues (though Guice's work on #3 was sub-standard for him), and even
#4 wasn't too bad, but things started to slowly slide. The last couple of
issues have been pretty bad. I don't know what has happened to Englehart. He
was one of *the* top comics writers of the 70's. Now, he isn't turning out
much that I consider at all worthwhile.


> From: aecom!yudelson	(Larry Yudelson)

>	At the beginning of COIE 4, there are only 4 earths left,
> including Earth 1 & Earth 2.  If we assume Earth Prime is still around,
> is that remaining Earth the future home of DC comics?

No, Earth-Prime is us. What will be happening, I gather, in future issues
of CRISIS is that a single Earth (Universe, actually) will be constructed
which will house all of the characters that are to survive the Crisis. So
it's not so much that only one Earth will be left undestroyed, but that
there will only be one Earth by the end of the series. As for Earth-Prime,
I would guess that that's considered as being outside the DC Multiverse,
and will be totally ignored (after all, it was only used a couple of times
for some rather silly Cary Bates stories).

> 	Also, has Earth 6 shown up before?  What was it?

No.


--- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Maynard, MA)

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