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Here's another blast from the past. Hands up if you entered this contest from The TITANS #2 back in 1975. I did, and out of 100 runners up, I was one of ten who were specially commended for their efforts. My prize of a Treasury Edition never reached me though, so I'm still a bit miffed over it. When MARVEL published some of the entries, I noticed that someone had copied my GOGGLE-EYED GOON Of GLOUCESTER which had appeared on the back page of SHIVER & SHAKE a couple of years earlier. I bet they got their prize, the thieving 'bar stewards'. Why not print out a copy of this page and, just for fun, have a go at it? Go on - you know you want to!
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Looking at the contest results issue, I note that it says that Treasury Editions have been despatched to 90, not 100, runners-up, none of whom are listed. The 10 'specially commended' entrants are listed though (including me), suggesting that those 10 are the 'top 10' of 100 runners-up. So what happened? Did my prize go missing in the mail, did Marvel forget to send it, did they only receive 90 prizes from the U.S. to send out, or did they simply change their mind afterwards? Whatever the reason, I wuz robbed!
Another thing: I fear I must've mixed up this competition with another one in regard to published runners-up as I can find no trace of any in the comics. Therefore, it must've been another contest in another comic, but now I'm no longer sure whether it was even a Marvel title. (Probably was though.) In fact, it was a competition to design a baddie, and, as I said, someone submitted my Shiver & Shake character as a candidate. If anyone can identify the competition and the comic, please feel free to enlighten me.
As I mentioned before,I drew but did not enter.
ReplyDeleteI will be downloading the page Kid and may find time to do it again.
Great idea by the way.
I remember this issue and competition well: it was my first issue of The Titans as I missed #1. I did scrawl a doodle on the back page but didn't send it off. I was only 8 at the time and the artwork wasn't the best. I'll have to see if I can dig it out; I'm sure I've still got it.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I AM the Goggle-Eyed Goon of Gloucester :-)
Sadly, I never had that issue of the Titans, so never got to enter it.
ReplyDeleteThe only Marvel contest I ever entered was the one where you had to invent a super-hero. Bafflingly, my creation The Masked Manhunter failed to win, even though he had what looked like a Fray Bentos pie tin strapped to his leg. which is surely a useful thing for any super-hero to have.
I haven't got a printer, Kid. So what's this "goggle-eyed goon of Gloucester" all about ?
ReplyDeleteLet me see what you do, Baab, once you've done it.
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And I'd like to see that as well, Cer. I'd imagine you've improved a bit since you were 8.
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Even better is TWO Fray Bentos tins, Steve - one strapped to EACH leg.
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Say no more, CJ: http://kidr77.blogspot.com/2010/07/blog-post_6812.html
A great competition in a great comic. Did you know that they printed two issues together and then sliced them. It must have helped to keep the costs under control. I know this because my No.1 has the very top of No.2 at the bottom of the front cover. What I don't know is whether Super Spider-Man then went on to be printed joined to the Titans. It would make sense to avoid storage costs.
ReplyDeleteI had noticed that, Chris - perhaps not with #1, but it was noticeable on a few issues. It was supposed to be their flagship title (according to Stan's editorial in #3, I think). but I always regarded MWOM as that. Other Marvelites must've thought the same because The Titans lasted for only 58 issues.
ReplyDeleteKid, I've read that The Titans was cancelled because the format of double the amount of strips was getting through them too fast. I liked The Titans format but I never thought of it as Marvel UK's flagship title - that was always MWOM as you said. I loved drawing and I had The Titans No.2 but I don't remember this competition at all.
ReplyDeleteI've read that before, CJ, but I wonder if that was a retroactive rationalisation? When they caught up with current U.S. issues, they could simply have replaced the strips with others. I think it was mainly poor sales that killed it, because no one cancels a comic that's a best-seller. It was probably an 'after-the-fact' case of "Anyway, it was using up strips too fast!"
ReplyDeleteYes that's true and you have to wonder why they would create that format in the first place if they were concerned about it using too many strips. As you say, nobody would cancel a popular comic. I mainly liked it during the FF period and when they left to join the new Captain Britain comic I stopped getting The Titans.
ReplyDeleteCorrect, CJ - that's something I meant to say, but forgot - that they'd have reckoned on it using up strips faster than normal when they first thought of the comic. And besides, not all strips were complete; they did divide some stories in half throughout its run, and redrew single splash pages to make double spreads.
ReplyDeleteProbably as simple as maximise profit today and worry about the catch up tomorrow.
ReplyDeletePossibly, Chris, but there was usually a bit more thought put into launching a comic mag than that, as there was never any guarantee that there would be any profit. It cost a lot of money to launch a new magazine back then (as it does now) and, in rival IPC's case, took about two years to recoup the expense. Although a Marvel reprint mag might not have taken as long as that (but who knowa?), the fact that The Titans lasted just over a year means they didn't get rich from it. Had it been a success, Marvel would've found a way to keep it going, even turning it into a non-landscape format, if necessary.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that it took so long to get payback on a launch. Thanks Kid. Someone must have got into hot water over Jet or Thunder!
ReplyDeleteI think the outlook back then (at least in IPC's and DCT's case), Chris, was bad luck, now on to the next one. Companies are a little more cautious nowadays.
ReplyDeleteI ever entered that contest, couldn't draw for beans. Plus, I'd not have cut up the comic.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame you never got your prize. I sent off a cheque for Origins of Marvel Comics/Son of Origins from an offer in the comics. Nothing.
I sent off for a copy and got an empty padded bag that hadn't been sealed properly. I contacted Marvel U.K. and was sent some goodies to tide me over until new copies arrived from the States.
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