Pop Knowledge - Without The Fantastic Four There Is No Marvel Universe

 The Fantastic Four have always been my favorite superhero team and TJ Dietsch has composed a wonderful article about their vast history over at the Marvel Comics website:

Class is now in session and the topic is Fantastic Four 101! In this introductory Marvel Comics guide, we explore the earliest history of Marvel’s First Family of heroes, and how their first appearances way back in the swingin’ 60s—guided by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby—laid the groundwork for the entire Marvel Universe! It’s true!

Best of the Fantastic Four, Vol. 1 Hardcover Book - $13.99 @ Amazon.com

Even before the famous quartet headed for space, two of the greatest creators in comics joined forces to change the industry forever. Back in the late 50s and early 60s, the comic book landscape looked much different than it does today. Super heroes had had their day and while some were still kicking around, comic stands were filled with Western, Sci-Fi, Crime, Horror, and Romance books, most of which were aimed at a younger audience.

As Stan Lee related in 1974’s ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS, he had grown a bit bored by the simplistic nature of the stories he had been churning out for two decades. According to Lee, two moments occurred around the same time. First, his wife Joan challenged him to focus more fully on making comics he would be proud of. Second, Marvel publisher Martin Goodman inferred that a super heroic team book could be a surefire hit, and that Marvel should get back into the spandex game.

FANTASTIC FOUR #1 was a revelation for readers when it hit shelves in 1961. Unlike so many other books on the market, the title emphasized the personal lives and personalities of the team’s individual members. Readers responded fantastically, and the title breathed new life into the publisher’s flagging line-up while also ushering in Marvel’s Silver Age. - READ MORE

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My Favorite Comics - Fantastic Four #91 October 1969 "The Thing Enslaved"

The Fantastic Four have always been my favorite super heroes and one of favorite issues from the silver age is issue 91 published in October of 1969. I love the cover with The Thing being harassed by what appears to be prohibition era gangsters. I guess it kinda reminds me of the classic Star Trek episode 'A Piece of the Action'. - READ MORE

Acclaimed Novelist Walter Mosely Takes On The Thing This November

Written by Mosley and with art by Tom Reilly (X-MEN: MARVELS SNAPSHOTS), the story will range from the urban sprawl of the alleys of Manhattan to the furthest reaches of the cosmos itself. In THE THING, a lonely evening and a chance encounter (or is it?) sends Ben Grimm embarking on a sojourn that will have him confronting—and battling—figures both old and new. - READ MORE

Retro Saturday Morning - The New Fantastic Four (1978)(NBC)

Growing up I was always a huge fan of  Marvel's Fantastic Four comic book series so I was thrilled when it was announced that NBC was going to air a cartoon series based on them. As it were the series featured many of the popular aspects of the comics including the characters Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic who could stretch every part of his body), Sue Storm (The Invisible Girl)... - READ MORE

The Complete Fantastic Four #6 November 1977 Marvel UK

The Complete Fantastic Four was a weekly title launched by Marvel UK on 28th September 1977, and ran for 37 issues until 8th June 1978. The first 36 page issue gave away a free gift of a plastic snap together model of a Boeing 747, while the second gave away a free Boeing Clipper boat plane model. Early issues contained just two reprint strips; early '70s Fantastic Four reprints continuing from their run in Super Spider-Man and 'classic' '60s reprints beginning with Fantastic Four #1 in the backup slot. - READ MORE