Post Your Marvel Bronze Age In-House Ads!

[joe_collector]

One part of the Marvel Bronze Age that I've always loved are the internal advertisements, usually on the Letter's Pages, but sometimes warranting a full-page spread. Some of the most important books of the era were featured in these promotions, and many of these images still have a lot of power today.

 

Along with the feeling of nostalgia, it also helps paint a picture of what books and characters were being promoted at that point in time, and how these were being portrayed.

 

To start us off, here's the most important first appearance of the Bronze Age:

 

[joe_collector]

Here's another one heralding the first appearance of Master of Kung Fu, although the cover colors are a bit off.

 

[joe_collector]

You also had to love when Marvel promoted the truly bizarre, such as this ad touting that Spidey was getting a new Uncle!

 

[the blob]

cool, now all the other marvel issues featuring the wolverine ad ought to sky rocket!

[Timulty]

The best part of those Marvel comics were the ads. That's all that I will rip on Marvel, in this thread.

[joe_collector]

One of best ad techniques was to use the old "Hero vs. Hero" battle format that Marvel is so famous for, and this one in particular really worked wonders on me. I saw the ad as a back issue, and although I'm not a horror fan, I immediately nabbed these issues at the first opportunity.

 

Vampire vs. Werewolf? Talk about a no-brainer buy!

 

[joe_collector]

Here's the same strategy, only with the usual Thor vs. Hercules bout:

 

[joe_collector]

This is one of my overall faves, and I think the ad design makes use of the cover very well. Then again, it's one of the biggest scam issues ever, as I don't believe Namor and Spidey ever actually fight... no more than any other issue anyway.

 

[joe_collector]

After his celebrated Captain Marvel-Thanos arc, Jim Starlin was a hot commodity and it's no surprise that his forthcoming Warlock opus was hyped quite a bit in the Marvel mags. But ironically, Marvel stuck to their guns and did not use Starlin's name in the ads, while featuring it prominently in all text blurbs and promos.

 

[joe_collector]

Warlock may have been the character that wouldn't stay dead, but Dr Strange is the book that no one can seem to kill. Here's an ad for his 1974 incarnation, and while this too failed, he'd be back a few more times...

 

[joe_collector]

This one is definitely one of the strangest advertisements I've seen - picture a kid reading his latest issue of Amazing Spider-man, he turns the page and finds... KILLDOZER!!

 

[joe_collector]

The following ad plays far better, as it works off an established concept, and transfers Spidey's arch-for and JJ's son, The Man-Wolf, to a "startling series all his own!!".

 

[joe_collector]

Potentially the most bizarre ad of the era, for a title that never even saw print:

 

[joe_collector]

This one's almost too horrible to post, and with an outfit that would make a KISS fanboy cringe, poor Killraven is a definite nominee for "Worst Costume Ever!".

 

[bronze johnny]

I brought back the Favorite Bronze Age Advertisements thread to show some interesting ads. Enjoy!

 

 

bronzejohnny

[joe_collector]

I brought back the Favorite Bronze Age Advertisements thread to show some interesting ads. Enjoy!

 

I know and I participated in that other thread, but I wanted to start an IN-HOUSE Marvel Ad Thread in this one, covering internal promotions for upcoming books or new characters.

 

I'm not much of an "ad fan", but seeing an in-house promotion telling you to buy Hulk 181, ASM 121-122 or X-Men 121 brings back some fond memories, and I thought maybe a few other people would find it interesting.

 

P.S. I edited the Thread Title, so maybe that'll help.

[joe_collector]

During the mid-70's, Marvel was really pimping their horror magazine line, and for a while there, those were basically the only in-house ads running.

 

The following one hypes up Vampire Tales, and most interesting of all, gives us a sense that Blade was popular enough for headline status, and an early preview of the start of the comic book movie fad.

 

[joe_collector]

Another Vampire Tales ad, again starring Blade and Morbius.

 

[joe_collector]

Yet another Vampire Tales ad, but with two very notable changes.. can you see them? Yep, it's Lilith providing some T&A action, Marvel-Style!

 

[joe_collector]

Speaking of T&A, here we have Satana showing off some serious cleavage, and Gabriel protecting some helpless bimbo. What more can a fanboy ask?