Taking comics online: the Marvel effect

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Besides being very creative, Stan Lee is certainly a very lucky man. The creator of Marvel Comics has seen his wealth grow year on year ever since he first put pen to paper to create some of our favorite super heroes in the 1960s.

Today, Hollywood has taken hold of some of these memorable characters, from the Fantastic Four to The Incredible Hulk, to make some of the most high-budget, high-octane and high-thrills movies we’ve ever seen. Stan Lee has certainly been reaping the benefits too – in 2012, it was reported that he had earned $6 billion in a year from Marvel merchandise alone.

Of course, later on, in early 2014 Lee was involved in a high profile suing case with Disney over alleged breach of copyright. Clearly, the Marvel franchise is an idea worth holding onto if it’s getting the company who have recently bought the rights to Star Wars involved. But what is it that makes the Marvel franchise so popular? Here’s a look at how Marvel has made its way from comics onto the internet.

Social media

The transition from comic books to movies has inevitably had effects on the internet too, in particular, the world of social media. The recent remakes of classic comic books into movies have become games in the social networking world as well. For example, in line with the new Marvel movie, Avengers: Age of Ultron, set to hit our screens in 2015, the company has created the Avengers Alliance Facebook game.

Based on our favourite Marvel characters, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow, the game gives social media players the chance to battle it out and play as super heroes or even villains. While technology has advanced since these characters were first drawn onto comic books in the swinging 60s, the fundamental design elements stay the same, and promise an even more exciting, visually stunning and interactive Marvel experience for today’s comic fans.

Gaming

Marvel’s iconic super hero designs have made it onto almost every form of merchandise out there, from clothing to lunch box designs. While some may deem Marvel’s designs appropriate for children only, the real Marvel fans out there have proven that anybody can love super heroes, whatever their age.

This has become particularly evident in the world of online gaming – while players have to be an average of 21 years old to play, this hasn’t stopped marketers from targeting Marvel-themed games at them. For example, the Titan Casino Fantastic Four game features some of Marvel’s most beautifully designed super hero characters, keeping up the super hero spirit while maintaining the high thrills of winning money.

Whether recent blockbusters or classic comic book heroes have been the influence, the world of Marvel is impacting the internet at an impressive rate, and with such Interest from die-hard fans, is not showing any sign of stopping.

header image courtesy of boostudio

This post Taking comics online: the Marvel effect was written by Catalin Zorzini and first appearedon Inspired Magazine.