A Bit of History

[Silver Surfer]

Just flipping through a few of my old readers, FF#25, 26. In issue #25 under the special annoucements section Stan indicates that the Fantastic Four was "honored by the Academy of Comic Books Arts and Sciences as being the best comic in a nationwide referendum". Hard to argue with that. Is there still such an organization today? Make mine Marvel.

[Aces]

An Academy of Comic Books Arts and Sciences...

 

That would be us now here at the message boards wouldn't it!?

[rob_react]

Hard to argue with that. Is there still such an organization today?

 

The better question is... was there ever such an organization?

[Zonker]

Hard to argue with that. Is there still such an organization today?

 

The better question is... was there ever such an organization?

 

Good ol' Stan! That would be pretty typical hypester-ism: invent an organization and bestow that organization's honors upon himself!

 

But I seem to recall some of the more-pretentious fans of the day dubbed themselves the "Academy of Comic Book Arts & Sciences" when handing out the Alley Awards (basically a fanzine poll in the 1960s). Fantastic Four won the Alleys for each year 1962-1965. web page

 

But later there was a real Academy of Comic Book Arts (ACBA), founded in large part by Neal Adams, that handed out the industry-voted "Shazam" awards in the early 1970s.

 

Old Shazam Awards Thread

[Silver Surfer]

Does Stan read these boards? Really, has anyone asked him in an interview before? Maybe CGC can extend the olive branch and ask him to make a monthly apperance as a special guest to share his stories. That would be brilliant.

[shadroch]

Did I miss something?

Why would CGC need to extend an olive branch?

[Silver Surfer]

Promotion, good PR, bring it to Stan's attention? Who knows maybe he would bite?

[Red Hook]

I'd be more interested in starting an Ayn Rand thread and trying to lure Ditko into it......

[rob_react]

I'd be more interested in starting an Ayn Rand thread and trying to lure Ditko into it......

 

Since we can't have Jack Kirby, I'd sure as heck take Ditko. Stan has had five million soapboxes from which to spread his gospel. He doesn't need another one...

[burntboy]

Hard to argue with that. Is there still such an organization today?

 

The better question is... was there ever such an organization?

 

Good ol' Stan! That would be pretty typical hypester-ism: invent an organization and bestow that organization's honors upon himself!

 

But I seem to recall some of the more-pretentious fans of the day dubbed themselves the "Academy of Comic Book Arts & Sciences" when handing out the Alley Awards (basically a fanzine poll in the 1960s). Fantastic Four won the Alleys for each year 1962-1965. web page

 

But later there was a real Academy of Comic Book Arts (ACBA), founded in large part by Neal Adams, that handed out the industry-voted "Shazam" awards in the early 1970s.

 

Old Shazam Awards Thread

 

totally excellent post

 

i spent the last 15 minutes going over both the total Alley and Shazam awards. VERY interesting stuff. i have the issue of Alter Ego where the first Alley's were handed out. i found it somewhat strange to see that Jack Kirby only took first place as best artist/penciller, once in 9 years.........of course the winners weren't slouches

 

thanks for the links to the alley awards and the shazam awards thread

[Zonker]

Thanks Burntboy!

 

It was fun tracking down those award-nominee stories.

 

I've always been interested in finding out what old movies won the Oscar in a given year, if nothing else than to be amused at what has aged well and what has not:

 

Kramer vs. Kramer beat Apocalypse Now ?

Dances with Wolves beat Goodfellas ?

Ordinary People beat Raging Bull ?

How Green was my Valley beat Citizen Kane ?

 

And when it comes to comics, I've always thought one of the defining characteristics of the early Bronze Age is that the writers and artists began self-consciously trying to one-up each other artistically as well as through sales figures, and I believe peer-recognition in the form of the ACBA Awards played a part in that.

[burntboy]

Thanks Burntboy!

 

It was fun tracking down those award-nominee stories.

 

I've always been interested in finding out what old movies won the Oscar in a given year, if nothing else than to be amused at what has aged well and what has not:

 

Kramer vs. Kramer beat Apocalypse Now ?

Dances with Wolves beat Goodfellas ?

Ordinary People beat Raging Bull ?

How Green was my Valley beat Citizen Kane ?

 

And when it comes to comics, I've always thought one of the defining characteristics of the early Bronze Age is that the writers and artists began self-consciously trying to one-up each other artistically as well as through sales figures, and I believe peer-recognition in the form of the ACBA Awards played a part in that.

 

those are 4 interesting movie comparisons.