The Great Comic Book Cover Homage Streak
April 6, 2020 12:39 PM Subscribe
In September 2012, Brian Cronin of CBR.com noticed that the cover of the just-released Amazing Spider-Man #694 referenced the first superhero crossover between DC and Marvel in Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man from 1976. Cronin realized that so many comic book covers are homages (to other comic book covers, albums, paintings, etc.) that you can find one every week among the pile of comics that come out in the US. Some 392 weeks later, the Great Comic Book Homage Streak has come to an end with the publication of the Robin 80th Anniversary Special, which unsurprisingly references the original cover introducing the Boy Wonder.
The Streak isn't ending because the industry rose up and decided to be wholly original, though -- no new comics are being published in the U.S. as of April 1st due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As we wait for the shops to reopen and new books to make their way to the racks, peruse the archives of the Streak to see just how deep some of the cuts can get (or how much the American comic book industry eats its own tail).
The Streak isn't ending because the industry rose up and decided to be wholly original, though -- no new comics are being published in the U.S. as of April 1st due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As we wait for the shops to reopen and new books to make their way to the racks, peruse the archives of the Streak to see just how deep some of the cuts can get (or how much the American comic book industry eats its own tail).
I don't disagree that is an issue (heh), NoxAeternum, but this seems like at worst a very benign version of it. I don't see how any of these covers exclude people who don't get the reference. That seems like the best version of historical reference, one that's invisible to anyone who doesn't get it and a bonus to those who do.
posted by straight at 1:40 PM on April 6, 2020 [11 favorites]
posted by straight at 1:40 PM on April 6, 2020 [11 favorites]
Covers are a way to grab a potential reader's attention. It could be that the source image has enough cultural currency that it would stick out to someone at the shop and make them take a second look. It could also be that the source image was just well composed and so the artists decided to use it. Like the Power Rangers comic with the cover referring to the album cover for Bjork's album Post.
Also there are a lot of comic books that come out each week, especially if you're counting variant covers, which are probably more likely to feature an homage to something else anyway. Look at this list of what came out on March 25. Marvel and DC alone are like 140 titles, including variants and collected editions. So I don't think its a big deal if a couple of them are referencing something else or indicative of comics being particularly self-referential, even if I agree that yes they are fairly self-referential.
Oda is similarly up his own ass with One Piece
I can't imagine how someone would get into One Piece except from the beginning which is a big ask, but it isn't as if its hurting for readers so Oda can do what he wants at this pint. Also you get moments like this week's issue where something that's been hanging in the air for 8+ years finally gets resolved. I must say that it definitely helps that my kids have been watching the anime over the last year and a half to refresh my memory about stuff - my daughter especially has a great memory when characters get reintroduced years later.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:42 PM on April 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
Also there are a lot of comic books that come out each week, especially if you're counting variant covers, which are probably more likely to feature an homage to something else anyway. Look at this list of what came out on March 25. Marvel and DC alone are like 140 titles, including variants and collected editions. So I don't think its a big deal if a couple of them are referencing something else or indicative of comics being particularly self-referential, even if I agree that yes they are fairly self-referential.
Oda is similarly up his own ass with One Piece
I can't imagine how someone would get into One Piece except from the beginning which is a big ask, but it isn't as if its hurting for readers so Oda can do what he wants at this pint. Also you get moments like this week's issue where something that's been hanging in the air for 8+ years finally gets resolved. I must say that it definitely helps that my kids have been watching the anime over the last year and a half to refresh my memory about stuff - my daughter especially has a great memory when characters get reintroduced years later.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:42 PM on April 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
I wonder how much of this is “I am going to make a deliberate reference that adds an extra layer of meaning for people who are in the know” and how much is “I have ten covers to draw this week and I am just going to trace some basic poses from somewhere else that are already in a clear, proven composition so I can crank this out”. Because as an artist with deadlines I have done both of these sorts of things.
posted by egypturnash at 1:48 PM on April 6, 2020
posted by egypturnash at 1:48 PM on April 6, 2020
This demonstrates one of the biggest problems with the American comic book industry - the amount of self reference and history one needs to get through in order to get into a title is massive, and discourages casual fans. Though that's not to say it's an exclusively American problem - Oda is similarly up his own ass with One Piece, for a noteworthy example elsewhere.
NoxAeternum
This comment is silly to the point of pettiness. It doesn't even make sense as written.
This demonstrates nothing other than that one or a few covers out of the dozens/hundreds of comics that come out each week decide to do homages. Which, as you note, is not at all a tendency unique to American comics. It also absolutely does not require any knowledge of comic history or references since these are just covers: either you get the reference or you don't, it has nothing to do with the content of the story except in the incredibly rare instances of Grant Morrison-esque meta-fuckery.
In fact, you've got it exactly backwards: you'd have to have that kind of knowledge of the medium to even know you're looking at a reference and missing out. The casual reader would just see a cover image.
You seem to have confused generalize griping about continuity in American comics with the longstanding, almost universal artistic tradition of the homage.
posted by star gentle uterus at 2:20 PM on April 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
NoxAeternum
This comment is silly to the point of pettiness. It doesn't even make sense as written.
This demonstrates nothing other than that one or a few covers out of the dozens/hundreds of comics that come out each week decide to do homages. Which, as you note, is not at all a tendency unique to American comics. It also absolutely does not require any knowledge of comic history or references since these are just covers: either you get the reference or you don't, it has nothing to do with the content of the story except in the incredibly rare instances of Grant Morrison-esque meta-fuckery.
In fact, you've got it exactly backwards: you'd have to have that kind of knowledge of the medium to even know you're looking at a reference and missing out. The casual reader would just see a cover image.
You seem to have confused generalize griping about continuity in American comics with the longstanding, almost universal artistic tradition of the homage.
posted by star gentle uterus at 2:20 PM on April 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
This is absurdly up my street and I had no idea it existed. Thanks Etrigan!
posted by jameaterblues at 4:21 PM on April 6, 2020
posted by jameaterblues at 4:21 PM on April 6, 2020
Is Amelia Vidal's cover for Go Go Power Rangers #29 also referencing Sammy's Super T-Shirt ? Maybe? Just me then?
posted by Ashwagandha at 5:20 PM on April 6, 2020
posted by Ashwagandha at 5:20 PM on April 6, 2020
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posted by NoxAeternum at 1:12 PM on April 6, 2020 [5 favorites]