Should Marvel establish a separate imprint for their licensed comics?

[Ying Ko]

Seeing how they produce a lot of licensed stuff again... With what Conan, Star Wars, Warhammer 40K, Ultraman, Alien, Predator etc. In order to separate these titles from their main superhero books. What y'all think?

Also, what other properties would you like Marvel to licence? I wouldn't mind seeing Rom and Star Trek back for example. Maybe G.I. Joe and Micronauts too.

[williamtheday]

Not everyone has to be in the Marvel Universe.

[K7P5V]

Also, what other properties would you like Marvel to licence? I wouldn't mind seeing Rom and Star Trek back for example. Maybe G.I. Joe and Micronauts too.

These would be My Top (3) Three choices:

Robocop VS. Terminator




M.A.S.K.





IDW Transformers

[Digifiend]

There's no chance of them getting Hasbro properties unless IDW goes bust (IDW are Marvel's ally, as they publish Star Wars Adventures, Marvel Action, and some Disney comics, they serve as their all-ages department, so they're not going to steal their other stuff from them). So that means no MASK, ROM, Transformers, My Little Pony, or Power Rangers (which is only at Boom Studios because that deal predates Hasbro owning them - if they left Boom they'd probably go to IDW too).

They gained Alien and Predator because of Disney taking over 20th Century Fox, and Star Wars because Disney bought Lucasarts. So based on that, I do have a couple of franchises in mind. The Simpsons, whose previous publisher Bongo now only exists as a digital reprint seller, and Indiana Jones.

[Hypestyle]

so much stuff out there now "thrives" on the independent imprints, I would have no idea what is interesting to Marvel where they'd want to publish something beyond the mini series level. Ideally, stuff would get ongoing treatment, but Marvel cancels so much stuff constantly after the first arc, that could mean a lot of months of non-product for certain licensed properties.

I guess video games might be an obvious answer. But as far as which ones, I don't know. and my guess is that current games would have more attraction than "vintage" 80s 90s video game concepts. Maybe it would be trippy to see Pitfall! turned into a high adventure Indiana Jones style adventure, but beyond hardcore Atari 2600 cultists, who would be into it?

Marvel should have bought the Conan brand decades ago, instead of just licensing. I haven't read Savage Avengers yet. I'm still iffy on what the long-term possibilities are with Conan spending lengths of time here. On the other hand, have fun. So much fun crossover stuff could have been done decades ago, but it seems like the editorial mandate was "why bother"?

Ironically, Marvel staffers figured greatly into creating the identity of the GI Joe and Transformers toys leading into the comics, then blip! they lost the licenses.

At a certain point, it seems like Marvel corporate just flatly lost interest in licensed properties. this led to some prosperity for indie publishers and professionals, of course.

Plus it seems like crossovers between unlikely properties has been enabled by indie companies having the licenses. Such as Planet of the Apes/Star Trek. (apparently, the attorneys for Fox and Paramount/Viacom did not kill one another). IDW made it happen.

This probably won't happen, but I'm old enough to remember the Marvel Super Specials where they had tabloid sized one-shots (and, at the regular-sized level, 2 or 3 issue mini series) of various action, sci-fi and (non R-rated) horror/fantasy films. I would like to see that come back in the form of glossy, larger size graphic novels.

What, if anything in the "comic con multiverse" currently is not tied to a company for comics? I don't closely follow the indie world, so I'm not familiar.
for example, With the general success that has been had with the Buffy/Angel comics from Dark Horse and IDW, I don't see that changing any time soon.

Off the top of my head, I guess my suggestion would be for Marvel Licensing to start conversations with 20th Century Fox Licensing to see about what vintage TV shows and films can possibly make for interesting IP to make things like one-shots and mini-series. Depending on how much effort is put into it, folks may have to look into the "deep cuts" world of shows and films and not just the super-obvious stuff.

I seem to recall that the old Lost in Space TV show was produced via Fox. But obviously they had a recent Netflix series produced by another studio, yes? I don't know if that's an option or not.

for the "kiddie comics" genre, then various toys and kids' cartoons could be licensed, but I don't pay attention to that, so I don't know what are the popular options.

[Digifiend]

You're right about Lost in Space, the original was made by 20th Century Fox Television, and the new one is by Legendary Television. There was also a 90s movie made by New Line Cinema - part of Warner Bros!

[Mike_Murdock]

I think Marvel's average consumer can tell that Alien or Star Wars isn't in their main continuity when they buy those comics so I don't think a separate label is strictly necessary.

[Digifiend]

Besides, books can end up with the wrong label. In 2019 and 2020, DC Comics had DC Universe on the corner box. Unless it was something like Scooby Doo or Looney Tunes, which instead said DC Comics. You'd think anything not set in Earth-0 / Prime Earth would have the Comics label, due to not being in the mainstream DC Universe. Didn't always work out that way. Injustice 2 did rightly have DC Comics in the corner box. But Batman: The Adventures Continue, which is based on an animated series, had DC Universe in the corner box, when that series should've had DC Comics there instead.

[Ying Ko]

Indiana Jones

Good call. I seem to remeber enjoying The Further Adventures Of... greatly back in the day. Had some great John Byrne and Kerry Gammill art during the run.

What about John Carter of Mars? That was another favorite. I believe the Burroughs stuff is now public domain. I could be wrong though

[Hypestyle]

vaguely related, but if Marvel were to go back into their Timely/Atlas vaults for their various, well, "knock off" characters that were loosely based on the Warner/Disney/Lantz studios characters, maybe they could get some interesting one-shots and short mini-series, and also try to license those characters for toys.