I'd imagine most comic book fans of any era not only have burned into their memories the artwork and stories of their golden era but the ads of that time as well. I know that for me comics were such treasures, discovered and acquired at great cost of money, time and energy that these glorious four-color pamphlets were sucked dry of their entertainment content almost completely, and that included the wonky ads they might contain.
One of the weirdest in my time was the ad above for inflatable plastic pillows starring some of Marvel's mightiest. What struck me at the time and still does is the absolute randomness of the images used in this merchandising effort. I'd imagine when the Stan and the others at Marvel realized the success they'd tapped into with their new comics, they were eager to cash in. Certainly riding trends until they bust, had long been the working model for Martin Goodman. Now Marvel seemed to be ladling out merchandising rights all around and some of it was profoundly strange.
These pillows for instance.
We have a dynamic Thor portrait by Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta. I don't recognize the exact source for this one but I'm sure someone can tell me.
Likewise this Ditko image for Spider-Man, which is a bit more subtle in how it integrates the artwork onto the total pillow for a clever effect.
Here's a look at another version of this ad, this time with newcomer Captain Marvel thrown in for no discernible reason save to jazz up the image.
Weirdly I found this product starring Sub-Mariner as rendered by Gene Colan and Vince Colletta. It looks like it ought to be part of the same merchandising push, it certainly has that random art quality.
These are two handsome plastic pillows with proper Jack Kirby imagery and seem a bit more classically composed. I doubt they are part of the same push, but are delightful in their own way.
I think I've seen the Thor pillow in real life somewhere, but I forget now where that would've been. I don't remember ever really wanting these items, but I sure remember seeing that delicious ad.
Rip Off
Thor image xefinitely Colleta
ReplyDeleteI concur. I don't know why I gave Sinnott the credit. It's obvious. I'll correct it. Thanks.
DeleteI had forgotten all about those ads but it's good to see some pictures of the actual items after all this time. Of course now Marvel pillows, duvets etc are available in every town and city worldwide .
ReplyDeleteThe actual items are often disappointing compared the romance of the ads, but then that's point of ad isn't it.
DeleteIt makes sense to use a landscape image, as these would presumably be placed horizontally on a couch. I guess the images of Cap and the Hulk would work if placed upright in the corners.
ReplyDeleteThat makes sense. That's likely why they never showcased the Cap and Hulk ones.
DeleteAs a kid, the pillow was the last thing I would spend my hard earned allowance on. I'm curious as how many of those were sold. The t-shirts looked good, but what I did buy was the Spider-Man medallion (which I still have). It is pretty nice for something from that era.
ReplyDeleteThose medallions rocked. I was older, but I still wanted that Conan one.
Delete