MARVEL’s Classic Black Light Posters Are Making a Comeback

A SENSES-SHATTERING oversized calendar — with detachable prints — is headed your way… 

Did you have any of the Marvel black-light posters back in the ’70s? I sure did.

I bought that Spidey/Sub-Mariner beauty above at the very first comics shop I ever went to, in Highland Park, N.J.

That store is long gone — and so is the poster. But according to this Amazon listing, Marvel and Harry N. Abrams this summer will be publishing the Retro Marvel Black Light Posters 2021 Calendar, featuring 13(!) of the images originally produced by The Third Eye in the ’70s.

Check out the official description, along with placeholder art by Jack Kirby:

The Marvel Universe comes alive in this calendar with removable grids transforming the pages into collectible frameable prints.

Marvel fans will flip out for this over-sized 2021 calendar featuring 13 psychedelic, frameable, blacklight prints of iconic superheroes, including Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, Thor, and Iron Man. Based on a series of posters and greeting cards originally produced in 1971 by legendary publisher Third Eye Inc., these iconic fluorescent images will appeal to diehard Marvel fans and collectors as well as casual connoisseurs.

Once each month ends, remove the calendar grid at the bottom of each page to transform each illustration into a stunning 16 x 20-inch vertical art print ready for framing. Two hanging tabs attached at the top of the calendar allow for ease of hanging from a wall. 

A few thoughts:

— Wow. 16 x 20. That’s big. Not as big as the original posters, but dang. Pretty great.

— The list price is $29.99 and the calendar is due July 14.

— That’s subject to change, though. For one thing, the calendar hasn’t been solicited by Marvel — not that it necessarily will be. It might just be a booksellers’ item. But either way, Amazon dates this far out are notorious moving targets.

— I like how the description says they’re frameable. Sure, that’s fine. But really, these should be hung up with good ol’ push pins.

— I really hope that Spidey/Subby poster is included. For that matter, I wonder which 13 images will make the cut. This might help:

MORE

— THE MARVEL ART OF THE BROTHERS HILDEBRANDT Coming in 2020. Click here.

— INSIDE LOOK: IDW’s MARVEL MASTERWORK: PIN-UPS Hardcover. Click here.

Author: Dan Greenfield

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22 Comments

  1. I had the spidey for years. those were the days, the 6′ on the back of the door, the 3′ on a wall, the blacklight above the bed, and a black light bulb bringing it all to life.

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    • 6′ and 3′? Pretty sure all of the Third Eye Marvel posters are 21.5″x33″

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  2. Someone has to rerelease the actual posters, as well. They would fly. I know I’d buy a few of each!

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    • I’m with you, Joe. Hopefully, the calendar will do well enough that Marvel or one of its licensees would be willing to take the plunge.

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    • Definitely a few bear rereleasing! That Iron Man and that Medusa…and yeah, Surfer in Sub Atomica. I’m kind of glad they’ve brought the size down a bit for lack of wallspace on my part. I gave up on the Surfer poster; settled on the postcard. This calendar is same price as I paid for the card.

      I didn’t say it was an interesting reply, Joe. 🙁

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      • I can understand the space issue completely. This is certainly a more manageable size…

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  3. The packrat gene must be strong in this one. I discovered I still have the original Silver Surfer poster from 1971. It is as glorious now as ever.

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  4. As a collector who has all but three of the original series, I’m glad that these will be available to modern fans at a fraction of the cost. Dan, do you know of a list of the original issues where the art appeared? I’ve been able to attribute about a third of the images.

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  5. Here’s a partial list of the original issues where the art used for the Third Eye Marvel poster first appeared. The Third Eye poster number is followed by the Marvel title & issue with page, if known.

    4002 Captain Marvel 4 pg 14
    4004 Captain Marvel cover
    4005 Fantastic Four 76 pg 6
    4007 Dr Strange 180 pg 2
    4008 Dr Strange 171 pg 12-13
    4009 Fantastic Four Annual 5
    4010 Thor 190 pg 13
    4011 Fantastic Four 7 pg 15
    4012 Fantastic Four Annual 5
    4013 Fantastic Four Annual 5
    4014 Fantastic Four Annual 5
    4017 Tales of Suspense 86
    4018 Incredible Hulk 140 pg 17
    4019 Tales of Suspense 86
    4020 Incredible Hulk 140 pg 4
    4021 Sub-Mariner 39 pg 20
    4024 Conan 8 pg 1

    (number unk) Vanishing Daredevil is from
    Daredevil 40 pg 13

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  6. I would love to have that calender as I never had any of the original posters.
    But I would only want it if the posters that I like the most made the cut to the calendar. In case anyone at Marvel is reading this, here are my favorites from left to the right and the top to the bottom of the above collage of posters.

    Conan
    Spiderman
    Fantastic Four
    Silver Surfer
    Ironman
    Captain Marvel
    Dr. Strange
    Thor
    Captain America
    Black Bolt
    Captain American & Falcon

    Any of the others could round out the next two of the 13 calendar pages.

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  7. I have about a dozen of the original posters and I’ve already prepaid for the calendar on Amazon. I’m hoping it features one or two of the ones I still have on my want list!

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  8. The only one I bought in the wild (during its initial release) was the Captain Marvel, one of the sillier ones (although the image is also used with different lettering and coloring in one of Jodorowsky’s films) but later on bought a couple through the mail, probably through CBG, the Spider-Man one and the Dr. Strange/Eternity one. I had a standard size black light bulb for years but who has space to dedicate to just posters or can illuminate them it sufficiently? Not me.

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  9. I preordered this calendar from Amazon, and now the item has been pulled from their website. I’d like to know why.

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  10. Looks like it was cancelled, at least on Amazon. Is it cancelled everywhere?

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  11. Westfield Comics has the preorder, I got one.

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    • I can’t find it on the Westfield Comics website.

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