| Marvel Fanfare | |
|---|---|
 Cover forMarvel Fanfare #1 (March 1982). Art byMichael Golden | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| Schedule | (Vol. 1) bimonthly (Vol. 2) monthly |
| Format | Series |
| Publication date | (Vol. 1) March 1982–December 1991 (Vol. 2) September 1996–February 1997 |
| No. of issues | (Vol. 1): 60 (Vol. 2): 6 |
| Editor | List
|
Marvel Fanfare was ananthologycomic book series published by American companyMarvel Comics. It was ashowcase title featuring a variety of characters from the Marvel universe.
Marvel Fanfare featured characters and settings from throughout theMarvel Universe, and it included stories of varying lengths by an array of creators.[1] The title was published every two months and ran for 60 issues,cover dated from March 1982 to December 1991. It was edited throughout its run byAl Milgrom, who also wrote and drew an illustrated column, entitled "Editori-Al", in most issues.Marvel Fanfare's original working title wasMarvel Universe, which was later appropriated by Marvel editor-in-chiefJim Shooter for the encyclopedia seriesThe Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.[2]
The series began with aSpider-Man/Angel team-up story byChris Claremont andMichael Golden.[3][4] Other Spider-Man appearances in the title included team-ups with theScarlet Witch in issue #6 (Jan. 1983)[5] and theHulk in issue #47 (Nov. 1989).[6] Several characters appeared in multiple issues includingDoctor Strange,[7]Weirdworld,[8] theWarriors Three,[9] theBlack Knight,[10] andShanna the She-Devil.[11] WriterRoger McKenzie wrote several stories forMarvel Fanfare[12] including a two-partIron Man vs.Doctor Octopus tale drawn byKen Steacy.[13] ACaptain America backup story in issue #29 (Nov. 1986) featured early work by artistNorm Breyfogle.[14]
Marvel Fanfare was envisioned as a showcase of the comics industry's best talent. Each issue featured 36 pages of material with no advertisements and it was printed on magazine-style slick paper. It was more than twice as expensive as standard comic books ($1.25 in 1982 when most titles were 60 cents and $2.25 in 1991 when most were $1).
Editor Milgrom wrote of his experience with the series:
It was intended that [Marvel Fanfare] would appeal especially to the fans. [I] tried to get the best possible stuff ( . . . by either established pros or talented newcomers). At least part of the purpose was to use better paper, more elaborate, detailed coloring and, by charging a higher cover price, to eliminate all those unsightly ads. The creators were paid a bonus 50% rate, too. I was sometimes 'accused' of just using up inventory material — as if that was necessarily a bad thing. I did use some inventory stuff — if I thought it was of high enough quality. As with any grand vision, the results sometimes fell short of the goal. . . . What finally killed it was the advent of incentive payments to freelancers — top creators could make far more than the rate-and-a-halfFanfare paid if they worked on many of the better-selling regular titles. That and my workload and family obligations made it tough to keep the book going. And sales had begun to drop as well.[15]
Examples of inventory stories which saw publication inMarvel Fanfare include a comics adaptation ofThe Jungle Book in issues #8–11,[16] theBlack Widow serial in #10–13,[17] the Hulk story in #29,[18] and theSilver Surfer story bySteve Englehart andJohn Buscema in #51.[19][20]
| Issue # | A Story | B Story | C Story/Pinups |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | X-Men and Spider-Man "In the Savage Land" | Daredevil "Snow" | No C Story |
| 2 | Fantastic Four "Annihilation" Collected inMarvel Fanfare: Strange Tales andMarvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Vol 22 | ||
| 3 | Hawkeye "Swashbucklers" | ||
| 4 | Deathlok "Mindgame" | Iron Man "Ordeal!" | |
| 5 | Dr. Strange "To Steal the Sorcerer's Soul" | Captain America "Shall Freedom Endure" | No C Story |
| 6 | Spider-Man and Scarlet Witch "Switch Witch" | Dr. Strange "The Showdown" | |
| 7 | Hulk, Blob and Unus "With Friends Like These" | Daredevil "Bless the Beasts and Children" | |
| 8 | Dr. Strange "The Light That Never Was" Collected inMarvel Masterworks: Dr. Strange Vol 11 | The Jungle Book (Adaptation) Gil Kane, Mary Jo Duffy, P. Craig Russell | "The Bill Sienkiewicz Portfolio" Features Thor and Hulk |
| 9 | Man-Thing "Rock and Soul" | "The Butch Guice Portfolio" Features Wolverine, Kitty Pryde, Power Man & Iron Fist, Gorgon, Howard the Duck | |
| 10 | Black Widow "Widow" | No C Story | |
| 11 | |||
| 12 | No B story | ||
| 13 | Warriors Three "Ballad of the Warriors Three" | ||
| 14 | Vision and Fantastic Four "Dangerous Vision" Collected inMarvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four Vol 24 andMarvel Masterworks: Vision and the Scarlet Witch Vol 1 | Quicksilver and the Inhumans "Against Attilan" Collected inMarvel Masterworks: Inhumans Vol. 2 | |
| 15 | The Thing "that night..." | Daredevil "Crimson Ash" | |
| 16 | Sky-Wolves "Sky-Wolf!" | Sub-Mariner "A Fable" | |
| 17 | Hulk "A Day in the Life" | ||
| 18 | Captain America "Home Fires" | "Kevin Nowlan Portfolio" Featuring Nova, Black Widow, Phoenix, Red Sonja, Dagger, She-Hulk | "The Terry Austin Portfolio" Featuring Dr. Doom |
| 19 | Cloak & Dagger "Such Sweet Sorrow" | Cloak & Dagger "Dancin' the Night Away" | Cloak & Dagger "Dagger's Light" |
| 20 | Thing and Dr. Strange "The Clash" | No B Story | No C Story |
| 21 | |||
| 22 | Iron Man "Night of the Octopus" | Pinups Featuring Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Thor, Hulk, Captain America, Conan | |
| 23 | No C Story | ||
| 24 | Weirdworld "Weirdworld" | Ms. Marvel/Binary "Elegy" | |
| 25 | Captain Universe "School's Out" | ||
| 26 | Captain America "Death and the Queen" Collected inCaptain America by Mark Gruenwald Omnibus Vol 1 | ||
| 27 | Daredevil "Cars" | Spider-Man "Spidey Gets Antsy" Collected inMarvel Masterworks: Amazing Spider-Man Vol 26 | |
| 28 | Alpha Flight "Murder by Number, 1, 2, 3..." Collected inAlpha Flight by Bill Mantlo and Jim Lee Omnibus | No B Story | |
| 29 | Hulk "A Terrible Thing to Waste" | Captain America "Story" | |
| 30 | Moon Knight "Real-to-Reel" | No B Story | |
| 31 | Captain America "A Plague of Frogs" Collected inCaptain America Epic: Justice Is Served, Captain America by Mark Gruenwald Omnibus Vol 1 | Dr. Strange "Dr. Owl" Collected inMarvel Masterworks: Dr. Strange Vol 11 | Daredevil "The Call" |
| 32 | Vision and Scarlet Witch "Rosie" Collected inMarvel Masterworks: Vision and the Scarlet Witch Vol 1 | No C Story | |
| 33 | X-Men "Shadows on the Soul" | No B Story | |
| 34 | Warriors Three "Warriors Three" | Pinups Featuring Warriors Three, Baron Zemo, Red Skull, Kraven, Dormammu, Kang, Loki, Nightmare, Attuma | |
| 35 | Pinups Featuring Phoenix, Scarlet Witch & Vision, Cloak & Dagger, Colossus, Shadowcat, Dr. Strange, Frankenstein, Loki, Man-Thing | ||
| 36 | No C Story | ||
| 37 | Fantastic Four "Synchronicity" Collected inMarvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four Vol 27 | ||
| 38 | Moon Knight "Whatever Happened to the Podunk Slam?" | Rogue and Dazzler (X-Men) "Duet" | |
| 39 | Hawkeye "The Cat's Tale" Collected inHawkeye Epic Collection: The Avenging Archer | Moon Knight "#*@%&¢!" | |
| 40 | Angel (X-Factor) "Chiaroscuro" Collected inX-Factor: The Original X-Men Omnibus Vol 1 | Storm and Mystique (X-Men) "Deal with the Devil" | |
| 41 | Dr. Strange "...Perchance to Dream" | No B Story | |
| 42 | Spider-Man "Windfall" | Captain Marvel (Photon) "Once More in the City of Light" | |
| 43 | Sub-Mariner "Time After Time" | Fantastic Four "Death in a Vacuum" | |
| 44 | Iron Man "Doom Bug" | No B Story | |
| 45 | All-Pinup Issue | ||
| 46 | Fantastic Four "Inside Job" | Thing "The Day After" | |
| 47 | Spider-Man and Hulk "Renovation" | No B Story | |
| 48 | She-Hulk "World's Hero, Father's Shame" | She-Hulk "California (State) Dreaming" | Vision "Run Through the Jungle" Collected inMarvel Masterworks: Vision and the Scarlet Witch Vol 1 |
| 49 | Dr. Strange, Nick Fury "Strange on the Range" | Two-Gun Kid "Two Guns Against the Gang!" | No C Story |
| 50 | X-Factor "If I Had the Wings of an Angel" | No B-story | |
| 51 | Silver Surfer "The Great Terror" | Nightmare "The Believer" | |
| 52 | Black Knight "The Legend of the Black Knight" | Dr. Strange "Mirror, Mirror" | Pinups by Paul Ryan Featuring Nova, Silver Surfer, Galactus |
| 53 | Iron Man "Never Say 83!" | No C Story | |
| 54 | Wolverine "One Life to Die" | ||
| 55 | Power Pack and New Mutants "The Battle of P.S.87!" | ||
| 56 | Shanna the She-Devil "Crimes of Pride!" Collected inMarvel Masterworks: Ka-Zar Vol 4 | A Reader "Toys Night Out!" | |
| 57 | Captain Marvel (Photon) "Power and Duty" | ||
| 58 | Vision and Scarlet Witch "Hometown" Collected inMarvel Masterworks: Vision and the Scarlet Witch Vol 1 | Pinups Featuring Wonder Man, Nick Fury, Punisher | |
| 59 | Hellcat "The Town and Patsy Walker" | No C Story | |
| 60 | Black Panther "Big Applesauce" | Rogue (X-Men) "The Mission" | Daredevil "The Monkey Never Dies" |
Marvel Fanfare volume two was published monthly for six issues, dated September 1996 to February 1997.[21] This version of the title was edited by James Felder.
Like the first volume, the title featured different creative teams in each issue and starred different characters from around the Marvel universe. However, the talent were mostly newcomers, the paper was cheap and it cost half the price of most other comics (99 cents when most comics cost $1.95).
The title features the early work of writerJoe Kelly and pencillerScott Kolins.
| Issue # | A Story |
|---|---|
| 1 | Captain America and Falcon |
| 2 | Wolverine and Hulk Collected inSpider-Man byJoe Kelly Omnibus |
| 3 | Spider-Man and Ghost Rider Collected inSpider-Man byJoe Kelly Omnibus |
| 4 | Longshot and Dazzler Collected inX-Men: Trial of Gambit Omnibus |
| 5 | |
| 6 | Luke Cage, Iron Fist, X-Factor Collected inX-Factor Epic Collection Vol 10: Wreaking Havok |
In 2024, Marvel Comics announced it would be collecting the entire series of Marvel Fanfare in three omnibus volumes.
| Volume | Years Collected | Material Collected | Pages | Release date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1982-1984 | Marvel Fanfare (1982) #1-19 | 736 | May 13, 2025 | 978-1302962272 |
| 2 | 1985-1988 | Marvel Fanfare (1982) #20-40 | February 2026 | ||
| 3 | TBA | TBA |
It was an anthology that featured work by talented newcomers as well as work by the company's most popular creators.
{{cite book}}:|first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)The debut issue featured the inspired pairing of writer Chris Claremont and artist Michael Golden as they teamed up two other fan-favorites, the X-Men's Angel and Spider-Man.
{{cite book}}:|first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)A Black Widow story arc originally planned forMarvel Premiere.
This story was not meant to be published inMarvel Fanfare. It was meant to beThe Incredible Hulk #320.
That first issue [of theSilver Surfer] was shelved and I started over with a new #1. That "earthbound" first issue later appeared as an "imaginary story" inMarvel Fanfare.
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