As I was flipping through the latest issue of Time Magazine, reading about the latest in the conflicts in the Middle East and American politics, imagine my surprise as I turned the page to find The Thing, Spider-Man, and The Human Torch staring at me.
It’s worth noting that in this entire article there is nary a mention of Joe Quesada, and the actual comic books are barely talked about, except in relation to how all the “new Hollywood talent” has caused Marvel comic book sales to “skyrocket.”
It’s clear that at this point, from a business stand point, Marvel exists mostly as a property licensing company and not as a comic book publisher.
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I read your comments after reading the article, and I thought exactly the same thing: no Quesada to be seen. I wonder if he considers that a bit of a snub. He’s the guy who keeps the engine room running. It’s a big job. Perhaps the bulk of the revenue doesn’t exist solely from comics, but at the end of the day, without the comics, there are no properties to be had. I can actually see a day when the publishing arm ends up splitting from the rest of the company, and then the licensing rights for the characters end up going to the highest bidder, like the Transformers or something. Scary, but it could totally happen.
The article posits that Marvel could be sold by the end of the year and suggests that Time Warner could be one of the buyers. Imagine how people would react if the Big Two basically became the Big One; I think that actually would split the internet in half.
On the one hand, it would be nice if Marvel were a subsidiary of a huge corporate entity, in the sense that their publishing efforts wouldn’t be so sink-or-swim and they could really spread their MAX wings with some more experimental, Vertigo-like titles. On the other hand, you do run the risk of being “AOL Comics.”