Monday, August 31, 2009

The Mouse Of Ideas?!


Everyone is atwitter with the news, especially on Twitter, that Disney is buying Marvel Entertainment.

I think this is a good thing for Disney, Marvel, and for comics in general. It hasn't exactly hurt DC to be owned by Time/Warner. In fact, having coporate powerhouses heavily invested in the success of both Big 2 comic companies should provide a stabilizing force to a shaky comics industry and an even bigger push toward new audiences and new media. It's not like Marvel wasn't already run with "the bottom line" in mind and with the marketing and licensing suits having as much say as the creatives, right? And now, in addition to that big mouse-eared safety net, Marvel may get to exploit (in the good way) relationships with other Disney properties, like Pixar (The Incredibles already out fantastic the Fantastic Four!), Jim Henson Studios (Is Gonzo a mutant? Does Animal have a healing factor?), and ABC (Oceanic Flight 815 now departing for the Savage Land!).

I've been having fun contributing some amusing thoughts on this deal on Twitter all day. (Feel free to join in on the fun in the comments section):

>>Foggy Nelson replaced with talking/singing squirrel

>>Ultimate Jonas Brothers!

>>RT @BrianLynch: First Disney/Marvel collab. Hannah Montana refuses to reveal secret identity, goes to war w/ Iron Man.

>>Namor battles Ursula the Sea Witch for dominion over the seven seas

>>High School Musical 4: Die Mutie Scum!

>>The Shaggy D.A. to be reimagined starring Wolfsbane

>>New hero to fight crime with Flubber-based powers

>>Mary Poppins to nanny for the Richards fam

>>Mickey Mouse Club to introduce new Black+White King+Queen hierarchy

>>Scrooge McDuck becomes the new financier of the Avengers, adds Darkwing Duck and Gizmoduck to the roster

>>Maleficent look to become the new Black Queen of the Hellfire Club

>>Puck named 8th dwarf

>>Marvel Divas to add Ariel the Mermaid, Princess Jasmine, and Mulan to the line-up

>>Coming soon: The Sorcerer Supreme's Apprentice

>>RT @joshuwain: "Finding Namor"

>>RT @BRIANMBENDIS bravo to @BrianReed for: "Face it Tigger, you just hit the jackpot!" now everyone can stop

>>RT @BRIANMBENDISno, i did not kill the wasp to make way for tinkerbell. but she would be a kick ass avenger

>>Sorry, Donald, but Howard the Duck is totally going to nail Daisy



If you're not already following me @D18Matt, this is the sort of comedy gold you've been missing. :)

7 comments:

Unknown said...

my question is, will Disney allow things like deals with the devil to happen in the future? I'd be pretty torn about it...on the one hand, corporate censorship is bad, but on the other hand, so are really lame, out of character, porrly written plot lines.

Peat said...

I'm not torn about it at all. I think it's a terrible idea. Marvel was doing fine without Disney. In fact, they were doing better than ever thanks to their new movie studio. This purchase will reduce competition in the marketplace of animated icons, and lead to an increased blunting of the already dull-edged Marvel properties.

Your Puck & the Seven Dwarfs pic was funny, though.

Tench Ringgold said...

Is Wolverine going to show up a Disneyland now? That'd be worth the admission.

Matt Bergin said...

I don't see anyone complaining about Marvel's existing attempts to target kids on their own (which is what "Disneyfication means to me)--Super Hero Squad, anyone? Awesome and adorable!--nor do they gripe about the forced Disneyfication that MUST HAVE happened to all those Marvel cartoons that have been filling huge chunks of the DisneyXD line-up for nearly a year. Oh right--there's been none. In fact, Spectacular Spider-Man is the best Spidey around right now, and Wolverine and the X-Men is definitely a DARKER take on the mutants than we've seen before (I don't watch that one, though). And did I miss the scene in Reservoir Dogs where Mr/ White blotted out the blood on Mr. Orange's shirt with his Mouseketeers membership card and a New Testament excerpt? You know, when Disney-owned Miramax released that movie?

I think Disney stands to gain more from allowing Marvel to just keep on keeping on--and while their at it, add some cool rides and attractions to their theme parks, greenlight some more of those popular movies (more than MARVEL probably would on it's own), maybe allow for some superhero walk-ons over on Sesame Street, and fill a section of every Disney Store with adorable toys and novelties for me to buy.

For my kid, I promise. :)

(I just hope the Heralds don't get confused and send Galactus after Pluto.)

Matt Bergin said...

Anyway, knowing how long it has already taken my boys Christian and Ahmet to get things rolling with Disney's Kingdom Comics, it will be a while before Mouse gets into Latveria.

They bought the the power to make money off of a great collection of properties, not devalue those properties by screwing with the formula.

Peat said...

Wait.. since when does Disney own Sesame Street?

Matt Bergin said...

They've got the Henson Workshop...the muppets. However all that works out businesswise, I don't know, but they've a piece at least.

Anyway, Marvel decided to have Wolverine quit smoking to set a better example, and that didn't stop them from having him decapitate Sabertooth. In fact, he probably did it during a nic-fit.