By Jim Beard
Imagine firing up the ol' plasma screen, settling down with your refreshment of choice and tuning into your favorite channel—the Marvels Channel! In fact, your favorite show's on: "Monsters, Myths and Marvels"…
Imagine no more, for as of February 11 these dreams comes true at your local comic shop. Once accessible exclusively through
Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited at
Marvel.com, MARVEL TV: GALACTUS – THE REAL STORY heads to hard copy and writer Frank Tieri can't wait for you to join the conspiracy!
"MARVEL TV actually originated from a pitch I did called '
Galactus: The Real Story,'" explains Tieri. "The pitch was basically the same as what we ended up doing for
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Preview art by
Juan Santacruz |
Marvel.com—an 'In Search Of' type show that attempted to debunk the existence of Galactus—but at the time, it was just going to be a one-shot comic.
"But the thing was, while everybody liked the pitch, it was tough to figure out where to position it. In the end, we figured Marvel Digital really was the best place for it, especially since it would give us the opportunity to not only do more 'Monsters, Myths and Marvels' shows down the road but also other MARVEL TV programming as well."
MARVEL TV: GALACTUS – THE REAL STORY purports to delve deep into the Galactus phenomenon—in other words, did the Earth really witness the arrival of an almost omnipotent being or did the
Fantastic Four pull one heck of a ream of wool over our eyes?
Positive reaction from Marvel Digital subscribers translated into wider exposure for the story, a situation which Tieri finds more than agreeable.
"People really got a kick out of it, which I was happy to see since we all had such a blast working on it," he says. "The Marvel Universe can be so serious at times, but there's also an equal opportunity to poke a little fun.
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Preview art by
Juan Santacruz |
"For me personally, I think the most fun I had was coming up with the 'commercials'—especially the 'Horn Club for Men.' I can't help but patting myself on the back with that one."
As Tieri notes, MARVEL TV: GALACTUS – THE REAL STORY lays out as if it's a real show, complete with everything that we love about our flatscreen fascination. A major component of the surrealism answers to the name of Juan Santacruz, known for his art on CABLE, SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN, and more than a few Marvel Adventures stories.
"I told Juan this while we were working on MARVEL TV he has the markings of a great humor artist," notes Tieri of his creative partner. "Not only does his style fit humor well, but he just 'gets it.' A lot of times I'd ask for something and he'd add a little visual joke here and there and it really would enhance what I was going for. I could definitely see the guy on something like
Deadpool or Howard the Duck."
And as to the future of MARVEL TV? Let's just say that its creator's enthusiasm for expanding the scope of its access with new "shows" could be contagious.
"We have a bunch of ideas in mind, and yeah, that even includes more 'Monsters, Myths and Marvels,'" he states. "
The Captain America assassination? The existence of Asgard? If you look at the
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Preview art by
Juan Santacruz |
landscape of the Marvel U, the possibilities for subject matter are really endless. Plus, I know for sure [Marvel Digital Editor] John Cerilli is dying to revisit the fake
Illuminati we did, so we always have that waiting for us.
"I mean, we've talked about doing takes on talk shows, reality shows, variety shows, all sorts of stuff. In fact, I'd say the only thing that's really stopped us from doing more MARVEL TV is I've been real busy with other stuff, but we'll get to some new stuff eventually."
Keep it where ya got it for all the news on the future and fate of MARVEL TV, and be sure to pick up the print version of MARVEL TV: GALACTUS – THE REAL STORY on February 11 wherever fine television shows, err, comic books are sold! Or if you can't wait, read it right now on Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited!
Check out the official Marvel Shop for the best mighty Marvel merchandise!
