Marvel Preview
Encyclopedia
Marvel Preview was a magazine
-sized black-and-white
showcase comic book
published by Curtis Magazines
, an imprint of Marvel
. (The final issue was published by the Marvel Magazines Group, another Marvel imprint.)
Marvel Preview is notable for containing the first and early appearances of many Marvel characters like Blade
(issue #3), Star-Lord
(#4), Dominic Fortune
(#2), Satana
(#7), and many more. It also contained premiere
artwork by Keith Giffen
(in the back up story of issue #4 and #7, "The Sword in the Star"), and the first teaming of the celebrated X-Men creative trio of writer Chris Claremont
, penciller John Byrne, and inker Terry Austin
(in issue #11, featuring Star-Lord
.)
Despite a quarterly frequency, the magazine had a history of scheduling problems, with one "Next Issue" ad after another proving inaccurate. For example, #2 promised Thor the Mighty
for #3, but a Blade story originally promoted as a serial for the recently cancelled Vampire Tales
appeared, while the Thor material was not seen until #10. As of #25, the title was changed to Bizarre Adventures, which published an additional ten issues before folding in Feb. 1983. The final issue, #34, was a color comic book, a "Hate the Holidays" issue fronted with a story featuring Howard the Duck
.
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
-sized black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
showcase comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
published by Curtis Magazines
Curtis Magazines
Curtis Magazines was an imprint of Marvel Comics that existed from 1971 to 1980. The imprint published black-and-white magazines that did not carry the Comics Code Authority seal. Initially, page counts varied between 68,76, and 84 pages....
, an imprint of Marvel
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. (The final issue was published by the Marvel Magazines Group, another Marvel imprint.)
Marvel Preview is notable for containing the first and early appearances of many Marvel characters like Blade
Blade (comics)
Blade is a fictional character, a superhero/vampire hunter in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and penciller Gene Colan, his first appearance was in the comic book The Tomb of Dracula #10 as a supporting character.The character went on to alternatively star and co-star...
(issue #3), Star-Lord
Star-Lord
Star-Lord is the name of three fictional characters that appear in publications from by Marvel Comics.The first Star-Lord was Peter Quill, who first appeared in Marvel Preview #4 , and was created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan...
(#4), Dominic Fortune
Dominic Fortune
Dominic Fortune is a fictional comic book character, owned by Marvel Comics.Created by Howard Chaykin and based on the Scorpion, Chaykin's character for the failed Atlas/Seaboard Comics company, Dominic Fortune was originally a 1930s costumed, fortune-seeking adventurer.-Publication history:Dominic...
(#2), Satana
Satana (Marvel Comics)
Satana is a fictional character, a comic book half-demon appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. She is the sister of Daimon Hellstrom, also known as the Son of Satan.Satana first appeared in Vampire Tales #2 in October, 1973...
(#7), and many more. It also contained premiere
Premiere
A premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...
artwork by Keith Giffen
Keith Giffen
Keith Ian Giffen is an American comic book illustrator and writer.-Biography:Giffen was born in Queens, New York City....
(in the back up story of issue #4 and #7, "The Sword in the Star"), and the first teaming of the celebrated X-Men creative trio of writer Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
, penciller John Byrne, and inker Terry Austin
Terry Austin (comics)
Terry Austin is an American comic book artist, working primarily as an inker. He is best known for his work embellishing John Byrne's pencils on The Uncanny X-Men from 1977–1981.-Early life and career:...
(in issue #11, featuring Star-Lord
Star-Lord
Star-Lord is the name of three fictional characters that appear in publications from by Marvel Comics.The first Star-Lord was Peter Quill, who first appeared in Marvel Preview #4 , and was created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan...
.)
Despite a quarterly frequency, the magazine had a history of scheduling problems, with one "Next Issue" ad after another proving inaccurate. For example, #2 promised Thor the Mighty
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
for #3, but a Blade story originally promoted as a serial for the recently cancelled Vampire Tales
Vampire Tales
Vampire Tales was a black-and-white horror-comics magazine series published by Curtis Magazines in the 1970s, featuring vampires as both protagonists and antagonists....
appeared, while the Thor material was not seen until #10. As of #25, the title was changed to Bizarre Adventures, which published an additional ten issues before folding in Feb. 1983. The final issue, #34, was a color comic book, a "Hate the Holidays" issue fronted with a story featuring Howard the Duck
Howard the Duck
Howard the Duck is a comic book character in the Marvel Comics universe created by writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik. The character first appeared in Adventure into Fear #19 and several subsequent series have chronicled the misadventures of the ill-tempered, anthropomorphic, "funny...
.
Issues
- The Man-Gods From Beyond the Stars (1975) (Erich von DänikenErich von DänikenErich Anton Paul von Däniken is a Swiss author best known for his controversial claims about extraterrestrial influences on early human culture, in books such as Chariots of the Gods?, published in 1968...
tribute) - The PunisherPunisherThe Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
(1st solo story); back-up: Dominic FortuneDominic FortuneDominic Fortune is a fictional comic book character, owned by Marvel Comics.Created by Howard Chaykin and based on the Scorpion, Chaykin's character for the failed Atlas/Seaboard Comics company, Dominic Fortune was originally a 1930s costumed, fortune-seeking adventurer.-Publication history:Dominic...
(1st appearance) (1975) - Blade the Vampire-SlayerBlade (comics)Blade is a fictional character, a superhero/vampire hunter in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and penciller Gene Colan, his first appearance was in the comic book The Tomb of Dracula #10 as a supporting character.The character went on to alternatively star and co-star...
(1975) - Star-LordStar-LordStar-Lord is the name of three fictional characters that appear in publications from by Marvel Comics.The first Star-Lord was Peter Quill, who first appeared in Marvel Preview #4 , and was created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan...
(1st appearance); back-up: The Sword in the Star with Prince Wayfinder (1975) - Sherlock Holmes (adaptation of the novel The Hound of the BaskervillesThe Hound of the BaskervillesThe Hound of the Baskervilles is the third of four crime novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in The Strand Magazine from August 1901 to April 1902, it is set largely on Dartmoor in Devon in England's West Country and tells the story of an...
part 1) (1976) - Sherlock Holmes (The Hound of the Baskervilles part 2 (1976)
- SatanaSatana (Marvel Comics)Satana is a fictional character, a comic book half-demon appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. She is the sister of Daimon Hellstrom, also known as the Son of Satan.Satana first appeared in Vampire Tales #2 in October, 1973...
; back-up: The Sword in the Star with Prince Wayfinder (also debut of Rocket RaccoonRocket RaccoonRocket Raccoon is a fictional character, a superhero in the . He first appeared in Marvel Preview #7 . Rocket Raccoon is an intelligent, anthropomorphic raccoon.-Publication history:...
) (1976) - The Legion of Monsters (Morbius, the Living VampireMorbius, the Living VampireMorbius, the Living Vampire, is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and penciler Gil Kane, the character, a living human suffering from vampiric abilities resulting from scientific rather than supernatural means, first appeared as...
, Blade, Anubis) (1976) - Man-God (Hugo DannerHugo DannerHugo Danner is a fictional character, the protagonist of the 1930 American novel Gladiator, by Philip Gordon Wylie. Born in the late 19th century with superhuman abilities via prenatal chemical experimentation, Danner tries to use his powers for good, making him a precursor of the superhero...
[1st part of never-completed adaptation of the novel GladiatorGladiator (novel)Gladiator is an American science fiction novel first published in 1930 and written by Philip Wylie. The story concerns a scientist who invents an "alkaline free-radical" serum to "improve" humankind by granting the proportionate strength of an ant and the leaping ability of the grasshopper...
by Philip Wylie]) (1977) - ThorThor (Marvel Comics)Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
; back-up: HerculesHercules (Marvel Comics)Hercules is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery Annual #1 and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
(1977) - Star-Lord (1977)
- The Haunt of Horror (including LilithLilith (Marvel Comics)Lilith is the name of two fictional American comic book characters owned by Marvel Comics. Both characters exist in the Marvel Universe.The first of these two to appear was Lilith, the daughter of Dracula. Like her father, she is also a vampire, although her powers and weaknesses differ from most...
and DraculaDracula (Marvel Comics)Dracula is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. He is based on the vampire Count Dracula from the novel of the same name by author Bram Stoker, and is also influenced by Universal Studios' version of the character.-Publication history:A...
) (1977) - The UFO Connection (1978)
- Star-Lord (1978)
- Star-Lord (1978)
- Masters of Terror (1978) (with Lilith)
- BlackmarkBlackmarkBlackmark is a Bantam Books paperback , published January 1971, that is one of the first American graphic novels, predating such seminal works as Richard Corben's Bloodstar , Jim Steranko's Chandler: Red Tide , Don McGregor & Paul Gulacy's Sabre , and Will Eisner's A Contract with God...
(1979) - Star-Lord (1979)
- Kull the Destroyer; back-up: Solomon KaneSolomon Kane (comics)Solomon Kane featured in several comics published by Marvel Comics in the 1970s and 1980s. Dark Horse Comics began publishing a new series of Kane stories in 2008, and will publish a new collection of the 1970's Marvel stories in 2009.-Marvel Comics:...
(1979) - Bizarre Adventures (reprints, including Dominic Fortune) (1979)
- Moon KnightMoon KnightMoon Knight is a fictional character, a mercenary-turned-superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character exists in the Marvel Universe and was created by Doug Moench and Don Perlin...
; back-up: The ShroudShroud (comics)Shroud is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Super-Villain Team-Up #5, , and was created by Steve Englehart and Herb Trimpe.-Conception:...
(1980) - MerlinMerlin (Marvel Comics)Merlin is the name of multiple fictional characters in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:The first Merlin of the Marvel Universe is apparently the figure of Arthurian legend, hailing from 6th century A.D. Britain. He was born in Carmarthen, Wales. He was a powerful sorcerer who...
(1980) - Bizarre Adventures 2 (1980)
- features Paradox (1980)
Links and references
- Marvel Preview at Grand Comics Database
- Unofficial guide to Marvel Preview