QUESADA ON 60 MINUTES II

[MattBrady]

<img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/general/60_2.jpg" width="170" height="131" align="right">Marvel and Joe Quesada will add another notch to their media bedpost tomorrow night when, along with Marvel President Bill Jemas and others, the Editor in Chief is interviewed on the CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes II. Newsarama.com caught up with Quesada for a few minutes on Tuesday afternoon for a preview of the segment.

“I think they’ve discovered that the name ‘Mark Millar’ is actually a code for a factory of Malaysian children we have that write all of our books every month, and wanted to bust us on it.” Quesada laughed. “Seriously, it’s one of these things that came to us with our revitalization of Marvel, and our push into the mainstream – they took notice of this, and came to us. Of course, the heat with the Spider-Man movie didn’t hurt either.”

Quesada said that as far as he knew, the segment is very Marvel-centric, but may include other characters and companies, as the portion of the show, according to ad copy, is entitled, ‘Superheroes.’ 60 Minutes II correspondent Bob Simon conducted the interviews with Quesada.

“They interviewed me for hours, and I did a lot of talking about comics in general,” Quesada said. “One of the things I told that producer that I really wanted to get across was that this is a boom time for comics – this is a boom time for Marvel, but there’s some great stuff happening here. It’s the same speech I give whenever I’m on one of these shows – comics are not just a kids medium. A lot of that was put on film. How much of it they’ll use, I don’t know – you never know what the edited piece is going to look like at the end of the day until you see the show.

“Basically, we talked about how comics are constructed, as well as the construction of the characters and heroes themselves. We also talked about the history of Marvel, the history of comics, and why its been perceived like a child’s medium for so long, despite many works made for an adult, or more mature audience that don’t have a stitch of spandex in them. We also talked about the popularity of Spider-Man, and why this character hits so many chords in so many people. It was really an all-encompassing interview. I can only speak from my part of it – I know they spoke to Bill, they spoke to Avi Arad, and a bunch of people here at Marvel.”

According to Quesada, Simon was probably the perfect interviewer for the piece, because he knew very little about comics, and therefore left any preconceived notions at the door. “He’d read comics as a kid, but certainly hadn’t kept up with them over the last 30 or 40 years,” Quesada said. “There was not a single negative question. He asked a lot of stuff, and a lot of fun questions, but a lot of the questions really came across as being asked by someone who was a neophyte He had very little knowledge of what we were doing here, and had no idea that comics had grown to be what they are. All in all, Bob was a perfect person to talk to about that, because he didn’t have any preconceived notions about them. He was able to look at them and really be just amazed at how they had changed, which is probably one of the best messages that we can get out there for the industry in general.”

Having grown pretty media savvy himself during his tenure as E-I-C, Quesada said he didn’t doubt that the DVD release of Spider-Man on Friday had something to do with the reason CBS decided to run the segment Wednesday evening. That said, Quesada said that Simon and the crew that visited the Marvel offices wanted to talk about comic books.

“They focused on the publishing end of it while they were here,” Quesada said. “They filmed over my shoulder as I sketched Spider-Man for them, so they got that on camera, and they talked to others here about the phenomenon of comics and of Spider-Man. From my point of view, I did speak a lot about Marvel, but I did speak a lot about comics as well. I’m sure, to entice the general public; they’re going to hook it into the Spider-Man movie, which makes perfect sense from a current topic point of view. We’re really looking forward to this.”

Finally, Quesada admitted that despite movie set visits, appearances on other television news shows and MTV, this particular interview affected him like nothing before. “While they were here, I just kept saying to myself, ‘This is 60 Minutes’ – jeez. When they came to visit the office, my first thought was to tell them that we don’t hire migrant workers - okay, maybe Frank Quietly, but aside from that we haven’t done anything wrong. It’s just a really exciting thing to have been a part of.”

60 Minutes II airs Wednesday evening at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 7:00 p.m. Central. Traditionally, the newsmagazine covers three topics, and each segment lasts roughly 15 to 20 minutes.

Check back with Newsarama Thursday morning for screen captures and a recap of the segment.

Got something to say about this? <a href=http://classic.newsarama.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=agree>CLICK HERE</a> to register and join one of comics' most active online communities. Registration is fast and easy.

[Black Jesus]

I have arrived.

And welcome back Mitchell Doran and Mark Brady!

Seriously, good to have the site back up Mike and Matt.

Black Jesus

[Rob Staeger]

Good to hear -- I'm looking forward to seeing it. And since it airs before West Wing, I can even tape it and watch it later!

Life's good,

Rob

[Hank Wirtz]

Bob Simon hasn't read comics in 30-40 years?

Well, now we know how he DIDN'T spend his time as an Iraqi POW back in '90.

[John Osen]

test

[dgmagill]

Great article Matt!

I might have to record it, I won't know until tomorrow. Please have a follow-up with the details for all of us, though.

Thanks
DGM

[Flapjack]

I like hearing about positive interviews done by the press about the comic book field. It would not only be healthy to get more people reading comics, but it would also keep the art form from slipping into history.

Good job, Marvel!

[Mike Steele]

Yet more good publicity for comics, I really appreciate the work Joe does to "get the word out". :)

[Jake Ivers]

Oh I gotta watch this.

So long as he doesn't show any of those Marville covers...the general public may take us comic fans seriously.

[ZOD]

Excellent news.

ZOD

[xdemon]

Cool! And it's on before Junkyard Wars!

[American Caesar]

Maybe they were thinking "Al Qaeda," but drummed up "Quesada," instead, looking for news.

[Velvet Glove]

Darn, I thought 60 Minutes was going to investigate who blew up the web site ;)

[rtvu2]

What other creators do you think they could have interviwed?

[Combat Chuck]

Heck, what about the comic fans?

I know that I would have gone as far as taking a shower before the interview...that's how much I care about sending the positive image of comics to the world.

Heh.

[DanLTaylor]

60 Minutes, huh? That's pretty solid press for comics. Here's to hoping that something positive comes of it.

[D.J. Coffman is your daddy]

I have to give Kudos to Marvel for getting on the news all the time. It's really bringing alot of eyeballs back to comics.

[RDuarte]

great to hear

[Marcus Ferrell]

It'll be great to get the word out - too bad we couldn't have gotten more advance notice, such as more ads, etc.

[OM]

[quote]Originally blathered by Joe the Q:
<strong>“I think they’ve discovered that the name ‘Mark Millar’ is actually a code for a factory of Malaysian children we have that write all of our books every month, and wanted to bust us on it.” </strong><hr></blockquote>

...This actually makes sense, and explains a lot. Millar's a collective gestalt of adolescent hacks. Wonder if "he" can get me Kathie Lee's autograph?

[John Osen]

It's great to have the best website back! :)

[Pariah]

I can just see Quesada in charge of MTV or Disney after he steps down from (or gets dragged out of) Marvel. He's grooming himself for a media job. But could you imagine his version of MAX Mickey and Minnie?

[pyroticstructure]

please let there be no BIFF!! or POWS!

[j.hues]

Groovy!

The Bill & Joe Show is going on the road! Next they could hit The Daily Show and Weekend Update! Now that would be fine exposure!

[Minute Man]

Hi,
no such thing as bad publicity and if Joey Q can spread the faith I'm willing to ignore Jemass for the length of the piece.
Best

[shakey]

"I can just see Quesada in charge of MTV or Disney after he steps down from (or gets dragged out of) Marvel. He's grooming himself for a media job. But could you imagine his version of MAX Mickey and Minnie?"

While I think Jemas won't stay longer than he needs to, I think Quesada likes the comics biz, and it's just smart seeing the only way to grow an audience is to hit the other media outlets to promote the product.

Congrats to Joe and Bill for getting the publicity that DC can't seem to get, despite being part of Time-Warner.

[I'm a nerd]

Don't only old fogeys watch 60 minutes? That's what I learned in my marketing class.
Hope more people jump into comics anyways!!

[Brian Jacks]

Very cool news. In my opinion, 60 Minutes II has surpassed its parent program, which is why a lot of breaking news has been saved for II instead of the original.

-Brian

[CylverSaber]

[quote]Originally posted by Matt Brady:
<strong>Finally, Quesada admitted that despite movie set visits, appearances on other television news shows and MTV, this particular interview affected him like nothing before. “While they were here, I just kept saying to myself, ‘This is 60 Minutes’ – jeez. </strong><hr></blockquote>

Yet 60 Minutes, after 30 years still the highest-rated network magazine show, has managed to remain largely above this fray. It steers away (most of the time) from the tabloid subjects and celebrity interviews that its rivals use to goose ratings; it actually pays attention to foreign news once in a while; and it is still, quaintly, on the air only once a week.

That is about to change. Most likely in January, the show that was too good to clone will, at long last, produce an offspring. The second edition of 60 Minutes, expected to air on Tuesday or Wednesday night, has been created despite the very public opposition of Hewitt (who called it "a terrible idea") and most of his veteran 60 Minutes colleagues. He has now grudgingly acceded to what was probably an inevitability all along, agreeing to serve as a consultant on the new show, but only, he says, "when it doesn't take me away from the one and only, true and honest 60 Minutes."

<a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/1998/dom/981019/press.60_minutes_more17a.html" target="_blank">http://www.time.com/etc...</a>

[Dan20]

Here's hoping they don't edit the hell out of Quesada's comments to make them seem like comics are the devil's work or that type of thing you hear TV shows do from time to time.
And here's hoping that Jemas didn't say anything ridiculous.

Aside from those bits of nervousness, this definitely sounds like a very cool thing. Always good to see someone like Quesada 'spread the word', and it sounds like some good publicity.

[gOgIver]

I wish Charlie Rose was doing the interview. Triva question: Which Comic Book was Charlie Rose last mentioned in?

[paulski]

[quote]Originally posted by Dan20:
<strong>And here's hoping that Jemas didn't say anything ridiculous.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Amen to that.

Joe I can see doing a straight, intelligent, thoughtful interview. But it's a case of waiting to see which Jemas shows up - president of Marvel Jemas or datebook-plugging, Marville-writing, badcop Jemas.

[spaz45]

this sounds great.

[mazinger]

Man, I go on vacation for a few days and my favorite site gets hacked. Oh well, glad it's back. This sounds great. I finally have a reason to watch 60 Minutes.

[wolverines nuts]

they couldn't have interviewed anyone from another company?

[wolverines nuts]

they couldn't have interviewed anyone from another company?

[KingStalin]

60 minutes 2? no idea when it's on but good for joe, marvel, and comics!

[MindTricked]

[quote]Originally posted by wolverines nuts:
<strong>they couldn't have interviewed anyone from another company?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Well, according to the article, Joe said that they might have. And, let's face it - 60 Minutes went where the heat was. The publicity Marvel's gotten in the mainstream press over the last year and some change is the reason why Marvel's the focus.

Wow - this'll be the first time I actually watch 60 Minutes Deux. Hopefully, the Lakers game will be over by the time the story runs.

[Sock Puppet #9.5]

I do believe putting Quesada on the air will draw howls of protest from certain folks claiming that CBS is MARVELCENTRIC!

[Grey]

If done right this could help improve improve Marvels image if nothing else, it depends on how well spoken Quesada and co answered or replied and how 60 Minutes II staff edits the interviews and footage.

For the first time in awhile shall watch to see how everything comes off.

[OMAR]

Quesada talked to them for hours?! I don't like the sound of that - it reminds me of when a newspaper reporter spent the day with him, and Quesada was shocked that the reporter reported on his use of foul language. Let's hope he learned a lesson and stayed professional for however long the camera crews were in the building.

[Steack]

Salut (it's Hi in french),

Will it be possible for the people like me, i'm not talking of the bald white men with a little dick, but for the people who are not living in the US, to see a streaming video of this upcomming tv show?
Please say yes and give an adress if you know one

[TemporalFlux]

[quote]Originally posted by j.hues:
<strong>The Bill & Joe Show is going on the road! Next they could hit The Daily Show and Weekend Update! Now that would be fine exposure!</strong><hr></blockquote>

Actually, that would probably be more appropriate exposure. :D

[PopCultureKid]

It is always interesting to find out how the major news programs handle this sort of thing. Remember the "Death of Superman" feeding frenzy?

[pmpknface]

This kicks ASS! Go Marvel!

[Franklin Harris]

[quote]Originally posted by Dan20:
<strong>And here's hoping that Jemas didn't say anything ridiculous.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Why am I reminded of that slimy character Martin Short used to do on SNL?:

Jemas on "60 Minutes II":

Did I say that? I didn't say that. It's so funny that you'd think I'd say that. Of course I didn't say that.

[Simon DelMonte]

Gotta say that if the piece is mainly about Marvel, then once again DC is asleep at the PR switch. It still boggles my mind that DC is n't trying to keep up with Marvel's PR efforts. The only conclusion I cna reach is that Paul Levitz is afraid to get any publicity, lest the suits above him remember that they own DC and decide to interfere with DC's relative freedom.

[Barry]

Oh geeze. This could be really, really bad if most of the dreck he normally spouts in interviews is used. I really, really hope that they don't use any segments where he goes on about how kids don't read comics.

Plus, I think it's hilarious that he's considering the present marketplace to be a boom time for comics. It must be nice living in a corporate built fantasyland.

[austin_spare]

Why dont they talk to someone who would possibly be a better front for comicdom today? Alan Moore? Bendis? Chris Staros? Interviewing Mr. Marvel sends out ALL the wrong signals about the industry. But hey, what do you expect?

[hourman80]

Who wants to take bets on how long it takes Jemas to totally screw up a potentaially good thing for the comics industry?

[Grendel Prime]

[quote]Originally posted by austin_spare:
<strong>Interviewing Mr. Marvel sends out ALL the wrong signals about the industry.</strong><hr></blockquote>

I don't see how. Q has risen from amongst the poor, huddled masses of freelance artists, to independent artist/writer/publisher, to avant-garde group editor, to creative head of the largest company in the industry. All by doing what he loves to do. It is the ultimate American success story.

[Chris Hunter]

[quote]Originally posted by Grendel Prime:
<strong>

I don't see how. Q has risen from amongst the poor, huddled masses of freelance artists, to independent artist/writer/publisher, to avant-garde group editor, to creative head of the largest company in the industry. All by doing what he loves to do. It is the ultimate American success story.</strong><hr></blockquote>

I agree. This is a good thing.

[Scout99]

Joe's a good guy. I saw him on the PBS show "Speaking Freely" hosted by Ken Paulson, with Elfquest co-creator Wendy Pini and Silver Age Flash co-creator Carmine Infantino. The topic was on how censorship affected the comic book industry (Carmine was great! He should have been the co-host!)

If you want to know more about "Speaking Freely", go to <a href="http://www.fac.org/first" target="_blank">www.fac.org/first</a>

[TheAuthority]

Looking forward to seeing this. Gotta tell TiVo to get it!

[Barry]

[quote]Originally posted by Grendel Prime:
<strong>

I don't see how. Q has risen from amongst the poor, huddled masses of freelance artists, to independent artist/writer/publisher, to avant-garde group editor, to creative head of the largest company in the industry. All by doing what he loves to do. It is the ultimate American success story.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Just because he got the job doesn't necessarily mean he's qualified to do it.

[kossori]

What about Levitz? Why wasn't he interviewed?

[Barry]

[quote]Originally posted by kossori:
<strong>What about Levitz? Why wasn't he interviewed?</strong><hr></blockquote>

If the piece was specifically about Spider-Man or Marvel, why would he be?

[Rawle Austin]

This is cool. What are the chances of an edited text version of the interview for all us overseas fans, Matt?

It would be greatly appreciated.

[Pariah]

Quesada doesn't seem to rate. Just got my daily e-mail of stories from CBS. It says:

"SUPERHEROES: There was a time in America, about half-a-century ago, when comic books were the rage, when kids made cultural icons out of Superheroes like Spider-Man and Batman, Superman and Captain Marvel. Superheroes were instantly recognizable-they were a bunch of muscular guys who wore capes and hoods... and their underwear on the outside. And now they're back. Hollywood is engaging in 'Superhero Worship'-- big time. Just take the Spider-Man movie: not only did it get great reviews, it was the most profitable movie of the year, breaking the billion dollar mark. Correspondent Bob Simon begins this story with Stan Lee, the man who forty years ago invented Spider-Man for Marvel Comics, and created the modern superhero." :D

[Slangword]

[quote]Originally posted by Simon DelMonte:
<strong>Gotta say that if the piece is mainly about Marvel, then once again DC is asleep at the PR switch. It still boggles my mind that DC is n't trying to keep up with Marvel's PR efforts. The only conclusion I cna reach is that Paul Levitz is afraid to get any publicity, lest the suits above him remember that they own DC and decide to interfere with DC's relative freedom.</strong><hr></blockquote>

I don't quite understand why people seem to have that view. AOL Time Warner owns lots of companies, and gee, they are not all making the news very often. Is every single subsidiary that isn't in the news headed up by an executive who is "afraid" to get publicity?

I'm not saying that the scenario is impossible, just that by no means is it the only scenario. Maybe DC is on the phone every day pushing for a bigger publicity budget and they are being denied. Maybe the large company has decided that it's budget is better spent promoting movies and its online service than comic books. Maybe they've decided that they are better served by having numerous TV shows about the characters than advertising a monthly periodical.

Occam's razor would indicate that any of those scenarios is more likely than the idea that DC is afraid of publicity. This is like a comment that one professional made that DC wants all their books to remain below royalty levels to avoid attention. Again, it might be true, but there are other possibilities, too.

--Scott (No connection with Paul Levitz other than I like a number of comics he publishes, a number that he wrote many years ago, and the fact that he does not indulge in childish behavior in public.)

[arthur pendragon]

If the "creator" of Spider-Man, Stan Lee, got screwed, then Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko got gang raped. Nuff said.

[WebHobbit]

I can't help but feel sorry for Stan (and Jack & Ditko) after seeing the interview.

I should think Stan should get at least .5% of the Spider-Man film profits.

[arthur pendragon]

Don't weep too much for Stan. He profited mightily from his association with Marvel while the artists who worked with him got a big goose egg.

[mauer]

I agree...I also feel a little sorry for the creators. I mean I realize they were just employees of a company...but still. I also kind of felt like the reporter was TRYING to get him to say he was pissed off, digging into him in a way he probably shouldn't have. I thought Quesada handled himself well and Jemas wasn't even in the piece (at least I don't believe he was). Anyway, seemed to be a pretty positive look upon comics as a whole.

[Sock Puppet #9.5]

If there weren't a billion dollars worth of comic book based movies in the pipeline would this still be a story? No.

Nobody was worried about Stan making money off of Spider-Man before the movie came out.

As to poor JoeyDaQ: Dude, sucks to put out so much press on yourself, only to have so much of your interview be left on the cutting room floor. But hey, being an editor, you'd relate to that, right?

Bwhahahahaha!!

[WebHobbit]

[quote]Originally posted by arthur pendragon:
<strong>Don't weep too much for Stan. He profited mightily from his association with Marvel while the artists who worked with him got a big goose egg.</strong><hr></blockquote>


...well I KNOW Jack got screwed by Marvel (and Stan). According to Jack he co-created & co-plotted just about all of the books they did together. Which I suppose covers almost all of the big Marvel icons with the exception of Spider-Man.

[Taylor Porter]

I thought the report was pretty good. I'm always disappointed with at least some aspect of the mass media's coverage on comics, and this was no exception to that. But overall, it was certainly better than most.

I'm glad they talked to Spiegelman and Ware. Too many people still equate comics with superheroes, and it was nice to see CBS attempt to try to make it clear that they can do other types of stories.

It was also nice to see Quesada stress the story-telling aspect. I like good stories, and I like it when comics tell good stories. To me, there's not much more to it than that.

And, yeah, if Spider-Man is making billions, then Stan (and Steve) should be getting some of that. But it's not exactly as if Stan's poor. I remember reading that when Toy Biz took over Marvel and started checking the books, they realized that Marvel was giving Stan a seven-figure salary, just for being Stan.(Of course, since they were trying to get Marvel out of bankruptcy, Toy Biz cut this out. That's why Stan got out of his exclusive contract. Or so I read.)

[Jerry Smith]

Just saw the story on 60 MINUTES II. The parts with Stan Lee are the most revealing things I've ever seen from him. Stan stopped just short of commenting on the lack of funds he has(n't) received from Marvel for the Spider-Man movie. Marvel is under no legal obligation to give him anything, but sharing a slice of those millions with Lee and Ditko would be a nice thing to do.

[arthur pendragon]

[quote]Originally posted by Jerry Smith:
<strong>Marvel is under no legal obligation to give him anything, but sharing a slice of those millions with Lee and Ditko would be a nice thing to do.</strong><hr></blockquote>
That must be the reason they're not going to do it. ;)

[Brian Jacks]

I thought the segment was good overall, and that Stan did an admirable job of handling the reporter, even though the guy was seemingly trying his best to push Stan to say something against Marvel. It would have been nice for Ditko or Kirby to be mentioned at least once though, although for all we know Stan could have mentioned them and it got cut out of the piece. The shots of Quesada sketching Spider-Man were pretty cool as well. I also enjoyed hearing from Spiegelman and Ware. That was an excellent bonus to what could have otherwise been a straight superhero report.

I only had a few minor quibbles with it. Firstly, when they panned the Bullpen the reporter said it was where the artists who create the books work. That's obviously not the case. Secondly, they never said exactly who Avi Arad is, they kept referring to him as a producer. His job title as CEO of Marvel Studios is a pretty important thing to leave off, and would have let viewers know that he's part of the company. Lastly, when they included scenes from the San Diego Con they only showed people in costumes or people with a heavy amount of tattoos. I've grown to expect it, but it is possible to include normal looking people for once?

Overall though, good job on 60 Minutes' part.

-Brian

[arthur pendragon]

[quote]Originally posted by Brian Jacks:
<strong>

Overall though, good job on 60 Minutes' part.

-Brian</strong><hr></blockquote>
Except for 60 Minutes failing to mention that the creation of Spider-Man wasn't a solo effort. I guess you should never let the facts get in the way of a puff piece.

[Michael Eidson]

PROS:

No Bill Jemas

Lots of good old charming Stan Lee

Stan’s Mario Puzo story

Interviews with Art Spiegelman and Chris Ware, along with coverage of Maus and Jimmy Corrigan

Behind the scenes of the Daredevil movie

Showing the Marvel offices

Quesada talking about storytelling

CONS:

Mentioning Road to Perdition, but not Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner

Trying to turn Avi Arad into some money-grubbing idea-stealing slimy producer asshole

Trying to get Stan pissed off. Pre-established work-for-hire conditions = no controversy

Calling Stan the “creator” of Spider-Man and the rest of the ‘60s Marvel heroes, leaving out Kirby and Ditko

Calling the piece “The Superheroes,” but no interviews with DC creators

Referring to comic books as a “genre,” not a medium

And this statement, referring to Spider-Man: “Who in his right mind would be interested in a nerdy loser who has no success with girls and is even ambivalent about his own superpowers? The answer: all those ambivalent nerdy losers in America who have no success with girls.” Damn perpetuating stereotypes!


Not the best coverage of comics, but at least there was something there....

[Bobby]

[quote]Originally posted by Brian Jacks:
<strong>Lastly, when they included scenes from the San Diego Con they only showed people in costumes or people with a heavy amount of tattoos. I've grown to expect it, but it is possible to include normal looking people for once?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Hey I was one of the random people they showed at the con and I would say I am pritty normal looking I dont even have any tattoos and I was not in a costume eather! :) .
I thought the segment was good, I really wish they mentioned Jack Kirby and Steave Ditko instead of saying Stan Lee was the sole creator of Spiderman and the ohter major Marvel characters. I also wish they showed less movie footage to make more room for footage with the creators. I also have to give it to Stan for keeping things positive it would have been real easy for him to slander Marvel but he didnt. All and all I thought it was a good positive story on comics.

[WebHobbit]

Yeah, that's a good point about Stan Lee coming off pretty good. He resisted blasting on Marvel & he kept it together really well considering the reporter trying to goad him into bitching.

As is usually the case with Stan Lee interviews I came away with even more respect for the man. And yes I know he isn't perfect either.

[Sock Puppet #9.5]

[quote]Originally posted by Brian Jacks:
<strong>Lastly, when they included scenes from the San Diego Con they only showed people in costumes or people with a heavy amount of tattoos. I've grown to expect it, but it is possible to include normal looking people for once?</strong><hr></blockquote>A picture of 15,000 versions of the Comic Book Guy they don't need.

[Academic]

[quote]Originally posted by Slangword:
<strong>

Maybe they've decided that they are better served by having numerous TV shows about the characters than advertising a monthly periodical.</strong><hr></blockquote>

That would actually go against Time Warner's corporate philosophy, which is mutual promotion.

The technical term is "synergy." By owning companies in related fields, Warners reduces advertising expenses while making profit off the same project in more than one division.

Take Smallville, for example. One of the companies behind its production is Warner Television. It's distributed by Warner Distribution. In the US, it's shown on the WB television network. The pilot episode is produced and distributed Warner Home Video. The US broadcast includes advertisement for WB CDs whose music was used in that episode.

The one division of AOL-Time-Warner that doesn't seem to profit from this is DC Comics. The Smallville comic was not advertised anywhere, nor were the action figures produced exclusively by DC. Even when another AOL division looks at Smallville -- like, say, Entertainment Weekly -- it doesn't include a single mention that the character of Superman comes from DC Comics. (Comics, yes, DC, no.)

Maybe that's why so much attention has been put on DC's lack of promotion these days: with greater awareness of entertainment conglomerates and the way they operate, DC's lack of presence in the largest of them all -- especially when it's one of the comparatively small handful of companies in AOL with a recognizable label -- is an anomaly.

[arthur pendragon]

[quote]Originally posted by WebHobbit:
<strong>Yeah, that's a good point about Stan Lee coming off pretty good. He resisted blasting on Marvel & he kept it together really well considering the reporter trying to goad him into bitching.

As is usually the case with Stan Lee interviews I came away with even more respect for the man. And yes I know he isn't perfect either.</strong><hr></blockquote>

What would you expect him to say?!? He's still a salaried employee and if he wishes to remain so, he's got to tow the line.