Posted by Dan Greenfield on Aug 8, 2020
How MARVEL Built an Empire on DC’s Playbook
Savvy publisher Martin Goodman always had an eye on the Distinguished Competition… Lee. Kirby. Ditko. Kirby. Ditko. Lee. Ditko. Lee. Kirby. No matter the order, over and over, those are the three primary names equated with the rise of the Marvel Age in the early ’60s. But just as the Beatles needed Brian Epstein and George Martin, Marvel needed publisher Martin Goodman, whose creative impulses have often been overlooked or undersold. Well, Goodman’s longtime career atop the House of Ideas is the cover story in Roy Thomas’ Alter Ego #165 – out Aug. 12 from TwoMorrows: In this EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT, writer Will Murray explores how Goodman was a driving force behind Marvel’s success – in part because, as Stan Lee once put it – he “was really a great imitator.” That’s not exactly a knock. That’s savvy. So dig this piece about how DC’s Superman begat Thor, the Metal Men begat Iron Man and so forth. The excerpt scratches the surface not just of the lengthy article but of an issue packed with variety. Just check out the table of contents… … and check out how Marvel built a juggernaut on the back of DC and other publishers: — By WILL MURRAY Along with artists Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and a few others, Stan Lee is given the lion’s share of creative credit for the seed stories that blossomed into the modern Marvel Universe. And they deserve all credit that is due to them. But often overlooked is the savvy generalship of Martin Goodman. In military terms, Lee and the others were the officers and foot soldiers who executed the battle plans that commanding general Goodman ordered in broad terms. Just as Fantastic Four was an innovative attempt to compete with Justice League of America––but developed around the template of an earlier hit, Jack Kirby’s Challengers of the Unknown––many of the other formative Marvel superheroes were attempts to capitalize on the sales history of rival properties. The Incredible Hulk was calculated to cash in on the monster craze then captivating baby boomers. But it also harkened back to the old Hillman hit, “The Heap.” As originally conceived, Spider-Man was the story of a boy who rubs a magic ring and turns into an adult super-hero, which was essentially a takeoff on Captain Marvel. With his godlike powers, the Mighty...
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