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I don't get why Marvel comics would come up with a superhero called Captain Marvel. That's like Touchstone pictures coming out with a movie with a character named Touchstone in.
It's a long and convoluted story of the comics era stretching back 75 or so years.
The character of the current movie Shazam! was originally named "Captain Marvel," who was created as a counterfeit of Superman by the company that would eventually become Marvel. "Shazam" was the secret word Billy Batson used to transform into "Captain Marvel." That iteration actually became quite popular back in the 50s. There was an entire Captain Marvel family.
Over the course of time and lawsuits, the title crossed back and then forth between the two comics companies, finally ending a divided property with DC owning the character itself but not the "Captain Marvel" name, and Marvel owning the name but not the character.
So "Shazam" became the name of the DC character and Marvel developed a new character for the "Captain Marvel" name.
(Interesting coincidence--maybe--that both will be in theaters at the same time.)
Marvel first produced the new character as "Captain Mar-Vell"--a soldier of the alien Kree race. But even that went through a bunch of permutations--including as Monica Rambeau, a black woman (who was part of my comic-reading heritage)--until finally becoming Carol Danvers.
It appears that the movie is actually going to touch each of the Marvel iterations of Captain Marvel in some way, as Judd Law appears to be playing "Mar-Vell" and "Monica Rambeau" will appear as a fighter pilot.
I watch little TV beyond sports. The most interesting question here is not why I, as an adult man, am not excited by superhero movies. The real question is why other guys my age still get into these things. It used to be the overwhelming norm that grown men would give up comic books and superhero movies, along with video games, as they became men. Perhaps most of you are young and haven't been around long enough to perceive this as a weird situation, but if you are closer to my age, do you ever take notes of these changes? I have also seen "coloring" become a thing for adults. I can't imagine as a grown man sitting down to "color," except it's with my child.
I was reading comics in the early 60s--I remember when they cost only ten cents, and was outraged when they went up to a quarter.
I watch little TV beyond sports. The most interesting question here is not why I, as an adult man, am not excited by superhero movies. The real question is why other guys my age still get into these things. It used to be the overwhelming norm that grown men would give up comic books and superhero movies, along with video games, as they became men. Perhaps most of you are young and haven't been around long enough to perceive this as a weird situation, but if you are closer to my age, do you ever take notes of these changes? I have also seen "coloring" become a thing for adults. I can't imagine as a grown man sitting down to "color," except it's with my child.
Oh, how I love posts like these. And attitudes like yours, i.e. the "grow up and be an adult" shtick that some of you ultrasquares pander to. No, we're not young kids in here. A bunch of us who discuss his genre are fortysomethings and fiftysomethings (or older, perhaps). Age is a number.
If everyone thought as you did, we would probably have no writers, artists, actors, filmmakers, and musicians.
Tell me, you watch "little TV beyond sports"? (As in the same bunch of oversized oafs playing stop-start over an inflatable nothing as if it's The Greatest Thing Ever?) Hey, great. If you sold off all your albums at the swap meet and listen to elevator music and talk radio, that's your call. If you think reading anything beyond the local newspaper ("Luncheon Burglar at Bingo Hall Apprehended"), then wonderful.
In other words, if you want to be a fogey, be a fogey. I still watch tons of movies, collect comics AND music (rock, metal and film score are on regular rotation), and generally do whatever the hell I want.
I was reading comics in the early 60s--I remember when they cost only ten cents, and was outraged when they went up to a quarter.
But you said you watched sports.
Tell me...are you a professional athlete?
If not, why do you watch sports?
Yeah, it looks like the same old thing to me, over and over. Two teams, one ball. Goes in the basket/goal. I'd rather watch poker and billiards. And women's volleyball.
Yeah, it looks like the same old thing to me, over and over. Two teams, one ball. Goes in the basket/goal. I'd rather watch poker and billiards. And women's volleyball.
Wait, don't knock women's (indoor) volleyball. That's some of the best examples of team play you're ever going to see.
The most interesting question here is not why I, as an adult man, am not excited by superhero movies. The real question is why other guys my age still get into these things. It used to be the overwhelming norm that grown men would give up comic books and superhero movies, along with video games, as they became men.
That was only "the norm" for a few decades in the mid-twentieth century, because back then, yes, nearly all comic books catered toward kids. That has not been the case for almost 40 years. Quite the reverse actually. Very few comic books are aimed at kids anymore. In fact, there are some very good comic books that I would not let my younger kids read.
Don't be a snob about the medium. A good story is a good story whether it is told in a novel, a comic book, an opera, a movie, a TV show, a song, or on the side of a cave. One medium is no more or less "adult" than another.
Why do modern adults enjoy super hero stories? The same reason ancient Greeks enjoyed stories about Hercules and Odysseus. The same reason ancient Babylonians enjoyed stories about Gilgamesh. The same reason the medieval Brits loved stories about King Arthur. Super heroes function as the exact same thing: They are modern mythology about "super" heroes. Not all of them are good, any more than all romantic comedies are good or all murder mysteries are good. But some are quite good.
That was only "the norm" for a few decades in the mid-twentieth century, because back then, yes, nearly all comic books catered toward kids. That has not been the case for almost 40 years. Quite the reverse actually. Very few comic books are aimed at kids anymore. In fact, there are some very good comic books that I would not let my younger kids read.
Don't be a snob about the medium. A good story is a good story whether it is told in a novel, a comic book, an opera, a movie, a TV show, a song, or on the side of a cave. One medium is no more or less "adult" than another.
Why do modern adults enjoy super hero stories? The same reason ancient Greeks enjoyed stories about Hercules and Odysseus. The same reason ancient Babylonians enjoyed stories about Gilgamesh. The same reason the medieval Brits loved stories about King Arthur. Super heroes function as the exact same thing: They are modern mythology about "super" heroes. Not all of them are good, any more than all romantic comedies are good or all murder mysteries are good. But some are quite good.
What amazes me is he's probably around our age. If he were 85, then I'd completely understand why he holds such a view.
It's a long and convoluted story of the comics era stretching back 75 or so years.
The character of the current movie Shazam! was originally named "Captain Marvel," who was created as a counterfeit of Superman by the company that would eventually become Marvel. "Shazam" was the secret word Billy Batson used to transform into "Captain Marvel." That iteration actually became quite popular back in the 50s. There was an entire Captain Marvel family.
Over the course of time and lawsuits, the title crossed back and then forth between the two comics companies, finally ending a divided property with DC owning the character itself but not the "Captain Marvel" name, and Marvel owning the name but not the character.
So "Shazam" became the name of the DC character and Marvel developed a new character for the "Captain Marvel" name.
(Interesting coincidence--maybe--that both will be in theaters at the same time.)
Marvel first produced the new character as "Captain Mar-Vell"--a soldier of the alien Kree race. But even that went through a bunch of permutations--including as Monica Rambeau, a black woman (who was part of my comic-reading heritage)--until finally becoming Carol Danvers.
It appears that the movie is actually going to touch each of the Marvel iterations of Captain Marvel in some way, as Judd Law appears to be playing "Mar-Vell" and "Monica Rambeau" will appear as a fighter pilot.
Oh okay. But the way you explain it, it doesn't sound like a coincidence to me. It sounds like one company intentionally tried to compete with the other to have their movie released at the same time, with the competing character.
What amazes me is he's probably around our age. If he were 85, then I'd completely understand why he holds such a view.
I understand how. My comics buying era was roughly the same as the disco era to age me. There were the comics nerd, the Trekkies, the sports fanatics etc. But with fewer screens TV and movies the audiences crossed over to a greater extent. Now someone can watch Kardashian's 24/7 and wonder how anyone can waste time on scripted fiction.
When the post credits scene on Iron-Man 10 years ago came on I was amazed. I saw something coming in the MCU, that I had dreamed about as a youth and it still brings me pleasure weekly in the form of related TV shows. And even though American football has increased its opportunities to be seen I am not watching more but basically the same or a lower level since they made individual games a less special experience.
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