British Marvel is Not American Enough for Disney

For about forty years now, Marvel have had a close relationship with Britain and its comics industry, dating back originally to Odhams Press and their groundbreaking weekly comic Smash! (which published the first ever UK originated strip to star a Marvel character, the ever incredible Hulk) and then, better known to most, to the sterling efforts of Marvel UK themselves, who in the 70’s, 80’s and early 90’s produced a huge amount of material-including Alan Moore and Alan Davis’s Captain Britain, arguably one of the most incredible pieces of sequential storytelling anyone has ever published. In short, British originated Marvel comics are a long standing tradition which has in the past given us some of the best comics ever produced and brought some hugely talented creators into the Marvel fold.

Well, not anymore.  Since Marvel UK was sold off in 1996, Panini UK (who now hold the license to publish Marvel material in Britain) have continued to publish some UK originated material featuring the Marvel characters, including old Marvel UK stalwarts such as Captain Britain and Death’s Head. Mostly, these stories have seen print in titles aimed at younger readers, including the currently ongoing series’ Marvel Heroes and Spectacular Spider-Man. But now, Marvel’s new owners Disney have issued an edict to the effect that from now on, all material featuring Marvel characters must originate in the US. Why they’re saying this is unclear, but the effect as far as Panini are concerned is obvious; no more UK originated material will likely mean no more Marvel Heroes or Spectacular Spider-Man, a sad loss as those magazines currently act as a gateway into Marvel for younger readers who then move on to Panini’s reprint titles and possibly to the US originals, and consequently no work for the talented British based freelancers who currently produce those strips.

On the face of it, Disney’s decision makes little sense. It will deprive creators of work and Panini of revenue, which admittedly isn’t their problem, but more to the point it will deprive a section of their fan base of that way in to Marvel I mentioned, which can’t be good for business. And the only justification for it seems to be creating a uniform brand under Disney’s total control. I guess compared to that typically Disney desire for homogenisation, the UK market is small potatoes and largely irrelevant to them. But it’s a sad day all the same, and an ill wind that ultimately blows nobody any good.

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