Marvel Comics is a household name, even amongst those that don’t count themselves comic book fans. Once, solely a publisher of comic books, the company has since evolved. Today, not only does the company produce comic books, but cartoons, movies and games featuring Marvel comic book characters.
Marvel, also known as, Marvel Comics, Marvel Comics Group and Marvel Publishing Inc, was originally founded as Timely Publications and later, Atlas Comics, in the late 1930s. One of its earliest and biggest successes was the comic book that introduced the world to the Fantastic Four. It was released 30 years after the company was founded, in the 1960s. The Fantastic Four would become one of the company’s most beloved of comic book hero groups. The foursome’s success solidified Timely Publications as a major player in the growing comic book industry.
Marvel would be responsible for some of the biggest and brightest characters in comic book history. So successful has the company been in this regard that Marvel has become synonymous with comic book heroes. The company’s comic book authors and illustrators brought the world, Spider-Man, X-Men, the Avengers, Wolverine, Captain America, Iron-Man, Hulk and Thor. Lest we forget their roster of famous villains, Marvel also created the Green Goblin, Doctor Doom, Red Skull and Galactus, to name a view. Many of these characters would go to rival their “good guy” counterparts in popularity and notoriety. On the big screen, some would receive nearly equal billing.
Timely Publications would go on to become Marvel Worldwide Inc., and one of the biggest names in comic books and media. Just a few short years ago (2009), their parent company was sold to The Walt Disney Company for just over $4 billion, a substantial amount of money.
Human Torch was the one of the first characters created by Timely Publications. He appeared in the company’s first publication. It was so well received that it was printed a second time. In two months, just shy of 1 million copies of the publication was sold. Timely Publications had just placed itself placed itself firmly, at least symbolically, on the comic book publication map.
Joe Simon, Timely Publication’s first editor worked with the well-known, Jack Kirby, to develop Captain America, a patriotic super hero. Captain America Comics #1 also sold nearly 1 million copies. Although Timely Publications experienced a great deal of success in their early years it would be The Fantastic Four, which would help to firmly establish the company’s reputation.
One of the things that differentiated Timely Publication from other comic book companies was the characterization of the characters. While others publishers were content to make each of their characters larger than life, Timely Publication, which would later become Marvel, took a different approach. They created and developed their characters with real flaws. Self-doubt and low self-esteem were issues that one of the company’s most popular characters, Spiderman, would suffer from. These issues made the characters more relatable and likely contributed to how well received they were and still are.
Marvel Comics is one of the most respected and revered names in the comic industry. Their writers and illustrators have introduced some of the most beloved comic book characters ever, to the world and continue to do so via film and games.