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another never noticed this...
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23 posts in this topic

Yup. I've seen people discuss it here before.

What else is interesting is that the left bottom corner of the X in X-men is missing in the logo of X-men #3.

Whoever was clipping those logos for the next cover may have been hitting the bottle while doing their chores in 1963!

Maybe they were partying with Wally Wood? lol

 

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I also just noticed the art in the indicia box in the top left was different between those two issues.

I wonder why Marvel decided to even GO with an indicia box on it's comics. They didn't have them before and other companies didn't use them.

I'd love to know what was in Stan's head at the time when he decided to go that route....ironically, those early to mid 1960's indicia boxes give me goosebumps and chills because I associate them with my childhood love of Marvels.

Anybody else?

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On 10/29/2021 at 1:41 AM, VintageComics said:

Yup. I've seen people discuss it here before.

What else is interesting is that the left bottom corner of the X in X-men is missing in the logo of X-men #3.

Whoever was clipping those logos for the next cover may have been hitting the bottle while doing their chores in 1963!

Maybe they were partying with Wally Wood? lol

 

I think Stan or whoever wanted the characters to appear at the top because that’s all a kid could see of the comics stacked on the racks. (When looking past the outward facing copy. ). Showing the characters might help sales by identifying which title it was, beyond a logo. It was a nice touch. Especially as they updated them. 

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On 10/29/2021 at 1:58 PM, Aman619 said:

I think Stan or whoever wanted the characters to appear at the top because that’s all a kid could see of the comics stacked on the racks. (When looking past the outward facing copy. ). Showing the characters might help sales by identifying which title it was, beyond a logo. It was a nice touch. Especially as they updated them. 

Genius!

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On 10/29/2021 at 4:45 PM, KirbyJack said:

The original indicia box was designed by Steve Ditko.

Tell me more! Is there any more to the backstory?

Was he commissioned by Stan?

Fascinating stuff!

 

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I remember seeing a letter that was sent to Steve Ditko that asked if he could elaborate on the indicia box design. He had a simple one word answer, "NO." I googled "Steve Ditko Letters," but I can't find it. Have I ever posted the response I get from Steve Ditko after I sent him a request for an autograph? If not, I will do so tomorrow.

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On 10/29/2021 at 4:46 PM, VintageComics said:

....those early to mid 1960's indicia boxes give me goosebumps and chills because I associate them with my childhood love of Marvels.

Anybody else?

Oh yes! They epitomise the moment you spotted the Marvels in the newsagent. All the more exciting when it was a newsagent you'd never been to before. 

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On 10/30/2021 at 6:14 AM, Math Teacher said:

As you can see, he didn't actually sign his response. I wish he would have signed his response, but I'm happy that I actually got a letter from Steve Ditko.

 

Ditko.thumb.jpg.d2a37ae09bae63761cd2c3c26e4d7437.jpg

I was generalizing a bit.  You’re right of course He didn’t literally sign everything he wrote. To me just one more Ditko quirk.  A guy who did what ever he wanted to. 

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On 10/30/2021 at 9:34 AM, LowGradeBronze said:

Oh yes! They epitomise the moment you spotted the Marvels in the newsagent. All the more exciting when it was a newsagent you'd never been to before. 

News agent? lol

I'm only 51, I first spotted them in local comic stores in the 80s.

But yeah, it would be even cooler to see them on the newsstand and comb over them.

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Weren't many (if any,) dedicated comic shops in the UK back in the early 1970s. Certainly not where I lived. I remember spinner racks though & the low shelf with all the children's comics in the newspaper & sweet shop. So when those colours caught your eye you knew you'd struck gold! Very few UK comics had glossy covers so those Marvel's (and DCs,) really stood out. 

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On 10/30/2021 at 11:14 AM, Math Teacher said:

As you can see, he didn't actually sign his response. I wish he would have signed his response, but I'm happy that I actually got a letter from Steve Ditko.

 

Ditko.thumb.jpg.d2a37ae09bae63761cd2c3c26e4d7437.jpg

Certainly would have cost Steve Ditko less ink and time just to put something like Dear Joe, thanks for your letter, very best wishes Steve Ditko. Very strange! Hadn't realised we owe him for the indicia though. Quite literally iconic. Thanks for sharing your note from SD.

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On 10/29/2021 at 4:03 PM, VintageComics said:

Tell me more! Is there any more to the backstory?

Was he commissioned by Stan?

Fascinating stuff!

 

Yup, Ditko did the sidebars on Marvels which started on all Marvels dated May, 1963 (Feb, 1963 newsstand time). I always find it interesting to see the first Romita Spidey covers (#39-#45) with the Ditko Spidey Faced sidebar - I think ASM 46 was the first Romita revised Spidey sidebar. 

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And no doubt, the X-Men 3 OA cover/Title art was used to create the X-Men 7 cover so that's how the tip of Angel's wing got stuck on there. I remember noticing that back in the 1980s. I had no idea what it was then. Lot's of cut and paste activity. 

Edited by Primetime
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