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Comics, cartoons, animation

5 Comics, cartoons and animation 118

MARVEL COMICS

Marvel comics

Marvel superheroesMarvel superheroes often show certain characteristics:

• some kind of tragedy in their past for which they want revenge, for example, The Hulk

• double identity, for example, Superman

• some kind or change to their genetic make-up that gave them their superpowers, for example, Spiderman.

Iron ManA very helpful research activity could be to choose one of your favourite superhero characters and fi nd out about their history and development. Iron Man, for example, was fi rst introduced in 1963 by Marvel’s designer, Stan Lee: he wanted to make a hero out of a business man, Tony Stark, who would be ‘a rich, glamorous ladies’ man but one with a secret that would plague and torment him as well’. Iron Man was a comic character who was fi rst used to explore the fears behind the Cold War, but later to raise awareness of heart problems and alcoholism.

Iron Man was adapted for fi lm in 2008 with Robert Downey Jr playing Tony Stark.

By 1966 Marvel characters had their own animated series on television, showing fi ve different stories featuring Captain America, Ironman, Hulk, Thor and Submariner. In the 1970s not only did Marvel heroes feature in full-length fi lms, but Marvel were asked to create comics based on popular fi lms such as Star Wars.

Marvel Enterprises today owns the rights to over 4000 characters, used in comic books, fi lms, television programmes and video games. The success of several blockbuster superhero fi lms in recent years has led to spin-offs such as a Marvel Superhero Top Trumps game.

Your favourite fi lm superheroes will probably come from the gallery created by Marvel comics. Marvel is well known for its colourful and dramatic superheroes, which include Spiderman, The Hulk, the Fantastic Four and The Silver Surfer.

The fi rst Marvel comic was published in the US in 1939, introducing the Submariner. Many of the best known Marvel characters were created in the 1960s, starting with the Fantastic Four in 1961. The Incredible Hulk (1962) – infl uenced by characters from the books Frankenstein and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde – and Spiderman (1963) soon followed. Already Marvel were using intertextuality to create the Marvel universe – characters would guest star in each other’s comic strips.

The Fantastic Four exist in comic and fi lm form

guest star in each other’s comic strips.

Key termsIntertextual When one media text refers to another media text in a way that many consumers will recognise.

1 Make factfiles on your favourite Marvel heroes and villains. Include descriptions of: • their powers• their personal history• their greatest adventures.

Use books, comics and a search engine on the Internet. You could also talk to comic fans, or visit a comic supplier such as Forbidden Planet.

2 Now compare the comic and film versions of some well-known superheroes, such as Superman, X-Men and The Incredible Hulk. List and discuss the main similarities and differences between the two treatments. You may find it helpful to read through the information on analysing openings below before you complete this activity.

ACTIVITY 13

TIPYou could use your factfi le as part of research for production work or as part of a textual investigation based on genre, narrative or representation. See the back of this book for further help.