Prior to the recently concluded (five minutes ago) Marvel Cup O Joe panel at SDCC, it was being hyped by all and sundry (well, Rich J anyway) as being the panel to bring the Internet to a halt.  The one which will be the talking point of SDCC this year.

Your internet still working?  Mine's fine.

And if this is the talking point of SDCC, then the talking point is "what a crock of shit" not anything special.

Ah yes, the announcement.  Marvel will be republishing the original Marvelman stuff created by Mick Anglo for L. Miller in the 1950s and 1960s, and they'll own the rights.

A company who refuse to reply to emails, emotiv, did a deal with Mick Anglo to represent his interests, and they'll sold the whole lot on, lock stock and barrel to Marvel.

Several problems exist with this.

Firstly, Anglo did his work as work-for-hire, therefore he doesn't actually own any character rights anyway.

Secondly, Marvelman was such a blatant knock-off of DC's Captain Marvel that legal trouble reared from them in the 1960s about this...this was never resolved.

Thirdly.  Marvelman in the 50s and 60s was total and utter crap.

You'd have to be insane to want to spend any significant money on a collection of this craptitude, so clearly the only reason Marvel have done this is step one towards grabbing Miracleman work done by Alans Moore and Davis, Garry Leach, Neil G and Bucky, which is where the big bucks lie.

The carrot they'll wield is - look, we've given Mick Anglo a load of money for a load of shit, aren't we lovely.

Don't sell your rare first editions yet.

Craig Johnson