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View Full Version : Amazing Rolling Stone Article about Marvel Comics from 1971


Ashwin Pande
04-03-2008, 10:04 PM
"Face Front, Clap Hands, You're On The Winning Team!" (http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Chamber/8346/rs91.facefront.1.html)
Written by Robin Green on her experiences at Marvel.

I found this on Tom Brevoort's blog.

It's an absolutely amazing article on the people working at Marvel Comics in 1971. People interviewed include Flo Steinberg, Marie Severin, Herb Trimpe, Roy Thomas, Jim Steranko and of course Stan Lee.

It's a long article but I don't think any of us would have any problem reading it. It's very engrossing and if you're here you already care enough about Marvel Comics to enjoy something like this.
TheTravis!
04-03-2008, 10:22 PM
That's pretty fucking cool.
HOOKS
04-03-2008, 10:33 PM
"Gee," she said, "they're so uninteresting, that why they're fans. If they were interesting they wouldn't be fans. I mean, is a hospital ward interesting? The fans buy the books, but they don't support comics. Comics are supported by many other normal little children, but the fans are the ones who are hung up on it. I think fans are very lonely." She says the fans are arrogant now. They don't gasp and ooh and ahh anymore. The new breed of fans just want to lean over your shoulder and tell you what you're doing wrong.


Heh.
Sam Little
04-04-2008, 06:01 AM
That was extremely strange and interesting. That 1970's slangy writing style is hilarious. Marie Severin came across a a bit bitchy, but Stan The Man never fails to seem like the nicest guy in the world. He's nothing if not PR savvy.
Kefky
04-04-2008, 06:08 AM
I have a copy of that issue! Bought it as a kid, off the newsstand! :D
AndrewG
04-04-2008, 06:18 AM
That was a great article. Thought the stuff that the code wouldn't approve back then was hilarious.
JimmyF1982
04-04-2008, 06:19 AM
pinko commie bastards!
AndrewG
04-04-2008, 06:20 AM
"Gee," she said, "they're so uninteresting, that why they're fans. If they were interesting they wouldn't be fans. I mean, is a hospital ward interesting? The fans buy the books, but they don't support comics. Comics are supported by many other normal little children, but the fans are the ones who are hung up on it. I think fans are very lonely." She says the fans are arrogant now. They don't gasp and ooh and ahh anymore. The new breed of fans just want to lean over your shoulder and tell you what you're doing wrong.

She's absolutely right.
Ashwin Pande
04-04-2008, 06:45 AM
I was shocked that Flo Steinberg would get high... It just seems so... like something sacred was dragged down to the same level as you...
Ashwin Pande
04-04-2008, 07:07 AM
Will it encourage more people to read this if I mention that Steranko talks about his failed attempt at armed robbery as well as the time he busted out of jail in the article?
Kefky
04-04-2008, 07:10 AM
Flo Steinberg was one amazing woman.
Ashwin Pande
04-04-2008, 07:15 PM
bump
juampi
04-04-2008, 07:49 PM
The Steranko bit was great, I love that beatnik.
Ashwin Pande
04-05-2008, 11:23 AM
more people need to read this
Ashwin Pande
04-06-2008, 10:45 AM
Final bump to spread the awesome.
juampi
04-06-2008, 10:53 AM
they just don't care
Glixy
04-06-2008, 11:59 AM
This was great, really interesting.

The Steranko stuff was crazy! :)
Dylan
04-06-2008, 01:04 PM
Wow. Thanks for posting this.

This article had me googling eveyone in it for pictures of them at the time. Steranko really did look like Nick Fury-I wonder if he smelled like low tide in Havana.

The article painted a really interesting picture of Marvel in those days. It's strange to think of Marvel as being so accessible for it's fans. I also enjoyed the breakdown of the "types" of fans, especially the mom/child one, that was priceless.