Advertising Genius

I just wanted to share this image with you, since I think it is a piece of advertising genius, all the way from 1987. I found it in an issue of Marvel's X-Men (Issue #213) that I was reading this morning. I am currently working my way through the entire back catalogue of the original run of X-Men just because I can. This advertisement actually appears as a half page ad on one of the advertising pages right next to a real ad. It alludes to a sub plot that has working its way through the series for at least 25 issues at this point, but has yet to come to a head. This is the first example of this kind of subliminal advertising that I have come across in this series, and I am really impressed with the concept. By having this piece masquerade as a real public service announcement in the pages of its own magazine, Marvel draws attention to what is obviously about to become a huge plot point in the series. I imagine at the time of initial publication this ad generated a lot of buzz and hype about the upcoming events. And that in turn would have sold more comic books. Genius, pure and simple.

Stan Lee On Comic Book Men!

As promised, Stan Lee, the creator of the Marvel universe himself, did make an appearance on Kevin Smith's AMC show Comic Book Men last night.  Stan was being photographed for a charity event, and the producers decided to use Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash as the backdrop for the shoot. The store basically shut down for the day, and the staff had a private audience with Stan.  Which was obviously a dream come true for Walt. The whole event was remarkably reminiscent of Stan's appearance in Kevin Smith's movie, Mall rats, as in both instances Mr. Lee was bombarded with esoteric questions that only true super hero fans could ever appreciate.  This time around though, it was interesting to hear Stan's unscripted answers.  It was actually very endearing to watch Walt, Mike, Ming, and Brian sit down cross legged on the floor on the comic book store to listen to Stan tell stories and answer their questions.
Stan was incredibly poised, funny, and had a great sense of humour about the entire affair.  Stan dodged a variant of the age old question of "who would win in a fight, The Hulk, or Thor" by stating that whenever two super heroes fight in a comic book it is important to have the fight end in a draw so that the fans of both heroes are never disappointed. This way the fans will argue the fine points of the match up for years to come, generating further discussion, and interest.". Well played Stan, as this continued interest also sells more comic books!  During one of the round table cut away scenes, Kevin Smith described Stan as a living legend, a true ambassador for the world of comic books, and I know that I am inclined to agree with this assessment.  Excelsior!