Savage Avengers Annual Solicit

[oldschoolfan]

The Savage Avengers Annual Solicit on Page 63 of the Marvels Previews August for October ends with this sentence, "Pre-order this or go to hell."

I recognize the intended irony of the statement, but it isn't funny to me, just offensive. Marvel is trying to sell the book, and this comes off to me as very unprofessional.

[MMM9922]

Unprofessional? It is very much in-line with their corporate mission statement methinks. If it offends, please don't buy. That is only concrete way to express your displeasure as a consumer. There are many titles on the shelf now that are fantastic to read. TBH, this title seemed a like a money-grab from the start with its forced Avengers tagline. Never even thought about buying it.

[Jabare]

uh........I don't get it

[Raye]

Because context is important here:

"A barbarian walks into a brothel and thus begins another adventure in the life of Conan of Cimmeria. Human traffickers finally meet an immovable human. Black Widow is drawn into the intrigue by following the trail of bodies left by Kulan Gath’s henchman, and a last prayer from one of the trafficked women summons an unexpected angel, the Son Of Satan himself, Daimon Hellstrom. It’s the Marvel team-up you didn’t know you needed until now. Pre-order Savage Avengers Annual # 1 or go to hell."

so like, I am assuming it was meant as a nod to Damion Hellstrom, and it wasn't just Marvel being assholes or something like that. I mean I wasn't actually planning on reading it, but don't find it offensive. If you do, I mean, the book probably isn't meant for you anyway, better to find that out with the solicit rather than after buying it. I follow Neil Gaiman, and he's said a few times now that in projects that are probably going to offend some section of the populace, whether it be due to religious themes, or foul language, or whatever else, he puts something really early in the text, or promo material if applicable, as a tip off of what to expect from the work as a whole, so they don't waste their time. Same principle at work here imo.

[Snoop Dogg]

I'd happily burn in Hades if it meant Marvel would put out more actual Avengers books for me to read down there.

[oldschoolfan]

Because context is important here:

"A barbarian walks into a brothel and thus begins another adventure in the life of Conan of Cimmeria. Human traffickers finally meet an immovable human. Black Widow is drawn into the intrigue by following the trail of bodies left by Kulan Gath’s henchman, and a last prayer from one of the trafficked women summons an unexpected angel, the Son Of Satan himself, Daimon Hellstrom. It’s the Marvel team-up you didn’t know you needed until now. Pre-order Savage Avengers Annual # 1 or go to hell."

so like, I am assuming it was meant as a nod to Damion Hellstrom, and it wasn't just Marvel being assholes or something like that. I mean I wasn't actually planning on reading it, but don't find it offensive. If you do, I mean, the book probably isn't meant for you anyway, better to find that out with the solicit rather than after buying it. I follow Neil Gaiman, and he's said a few times now that in projects that are probably going to offend some section of the populace, whether it be due to religious themes, or foul language, or whatever else, he puts something really early in the text, or promo material if applicable, as a tip off of what to expect from the work as a whole, so they don't waste their time. Same principle at work here imo.

I get the context thing. It's supposed to be ironically funny. But it's not funny to me, and this goes beyond personal taste.

There is another way to take it, even with the given context: "Buy this book or step off!" I think there's enough ambiguity there to read the statement that way.

I think its unprofessional because of the medium. The author's medium prevents him from controlling the audience. They don't know who is going to read that. In the example that you give, there is some control over the audience....its the reason cardboard gets put over the covers of some books.....any body walking by could see it and they know if its something they would be interested in buying the book or not. This is just out there....

The other aspect that I think is unprofessional is salesmanship, who would buy something from some one that is telling you to "Go to Hell" in any context. Is Disney, owner of Marvel, telling me that if I don't purchase their product I will go to hell? Or should "I go to hell" because I don't buy their product. The whole thing is a little incongruous.

Finally, can we, as posters, tell each other "to go to hell" on this website? If we can't (and I suspect that's the case), then there must exist some standard for how public discourse should be carried out.

[Raye]

If you remove the context, i mean i guess, sort of. I'd still find it more funny than offensive, personally. But the context IS there, so the point is kind of moot. It's only offensive if it's taken as an actual threat, rather than as a joke and/or reference to Hellstrom, and the context gives clues that it isn't actually meant seriously, and even with that removed, i think it would still be a safe bet that it wasn't meant seriously. I mean is it really so different than this?



As for the audience... this is a SOLICIT, not the cover. Chances of some impressionable child or whatever seeing it is slim to none. Solicits are read by a section of an already small audience, and the people who do read them will generally be older and in the know about the books already.

[Cowtools]

The Savage Avengers Annual Solicit on Page 63 of the Marvels Previews August for October ends with this sentence, "Pre-order this or go to hell.”

Seems to me like a Simpsons reference. “Buy me Bonestorm or go to Hell!”

[ARkadelphia]

Unprofessional: no
Unsuitable for certain readers: yes

[Snoop Dogg]

[Tycon]

[The Negative Zone]

This is.. a real thread?

Comics haven't been really professional tbh. They're more about fun. We just wanna read stories.