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When did Wolverine really become popular??
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356 posts in this topic

It seems the goalposts of the "Wolverine wasn't the most popular/significant X-man until the late 80's" have changed. Now he has to be recognized by the mainstream non-comics audience or be "white hot"?

 

This.

 

When the discussion was going on, I didn't think it was in relation to what the "real world" thought. I thought we were discussing within the fanboy realm.

 

Oh well, not the first or last time I'll miss a point.

 

+1

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Mainstream appeal shouldn't matter anyways...Iron Man really wasn't known to the masses until the first movie.

 

Hmm that's a better topic: Who is currently more popular Iron Man or Wolverine??

 

In the mainstream, I think it's definitely Iron Man. In the comics world, I think it will always be Wolverine.

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I think its pretty clear that Wolverine was "white hot" in 1983, but I think this is exclusive to the comic book world. Outside of that world, people who didn't collect comics could tell you who Spidey was, but probably not Wolverine. So If this is the point that Chuck and RMA are trying to make,

 

Come on, who would be stupid enough to try and "make that point"? :facepalm:

 

Superman and Batman have been around since 1930's-40's and Spider-man has been in the public eye since 1962, and each have had multiple TV shows/movie serials. That's some serious longevity, and several generations of media exposure for the DC capes.

 

By 1983, Wolverine had only been around 9 short years, with zero TV shows, so obviously the far more established heroes with decades of history and media exposure behind them would be more popular and well-known with the general populace. That's just basic logic, not any "point that needs to be made".

 

Jesus guys. doh!

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Because generally when people talk about a band or a song or a comic character or a TV show that's 'white hot' they usually are meaning it in a breakthrough mainstream way.

 

Then no comic heroes have ever been "white hot" in that limited context, as back then, comics were for kids and no comic ever went "mainstream".

 

It was the movie serials, animated series, live action TV, movies, etc. that drove "mainstream popularity", not how popular the comics were with readers.

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I think its pretty clear that Wolverine was "white hot" in 1983, but I think this is exclusive to the comic book world. Outside of that world, people who didn't collect comics could tell you who Spidey was, but probably not Wolverine. So If this is the point that Chuck and RMA are trying to make,

 

Come on, who would be stupid enough to try and "make that point"? :facepalm:

 

 

"Because generally when people talk about a band or a song or a comic character or a TV show that's 'white hot' they usually are meaning it in a breakthrough mainstream way."

-Chuck Gower (shrug)

 

I really don't know If Chuck was arguing that though.

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Aside from Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends in 82 I doubt many non comic collectors knew who Wolverine was.

 

 

Wolverine intro:

 

 

Gotta love the music :cloud9:

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I think its pretty clear that Wolverine was "white hot" in 1983, but I think this is exclusive to the comic book world. Outside of that world, people who didn't collect comics could tell you who Spidey was, but probably not Wolverine. So If this is the point that Chuck and RMA are trying to make,

 

Come on, who would be stupid enough to try and "make that point"? :facepalm:

 

Superman and Batman have been around since 1930's-40's and Spider-man has been in the public eye since 1962, and each have had multiple TV shows/movie serials. That's some serious longevity, and several generations of media exposure for the DC capes.

 

By 1983, Wolverine had only been around 9 short years, with zero TV shows, so obviously the far more established heroes with decades of history and media exposure behind them would be more popular and well-known with the general populace. That's just basic logic, not any "point that needs to be made".

 

Jesus guys. doh!

 

That's where the goal posts were shifting

 

1slj61.gif

Biggest X-Men, Very Hot Comic Character, Hot Outside of Comic Collectors

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I think its pretty clear that Wolverine was "white hot" in 1983, but I think this is exclusive to the comic book world. Outside of that world, people who didn't collect comics could tell you who Spidey was, but probably not Wolverine. So If this is the point that Chuck and RMA are trying to make,

 

Come on, who would be stupid enough to try and "make that point"? :facepalm:

 

Superman and Batman have been around since 1930's-40's and Spider-man has been in the public eye since 1962, and each have had multiple TV shows/movie serials. That's some serious longevity, and several generations of media exposure for the DC capes.

 

By 1983, Wolverine had only been around 9 short years, with zero TV shows, so obviously the far more established heroes with decades of history and media exposure behind them would be more popular and well-known with the general populace. That's just basic logic, not any "point that needs to be made".

 

Jesus guys. doh!

 

That's where the goal posts were shifting

 

1slj61.gif

Biggest X-Men, Very Hot Comic Character, Hot Outside of Comic Collectors

 

lol

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Gotta love the music :cloud9:

 

"Now it's MY turn!....I-I'm stuck!" :roflmao:

 

I didn't even have to see the YouTube video to remember those lines from ~30 years ago...burned into my memory as a kid.

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Gotta love the music :cloud9:

 

"Now it's MY turn!....I-I'm stuck!" :roflmao:

 

I didn't even have to see the YouTube video to remember those lines from ~30 years ago...burned into my memory as a kid.

 

I always thought it was weird how he talked like the Dreadnoks on GI Joe. Same exact voice as one of them.

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UXM #133 was EPIC.

What a great issue.

 

The final panel in #132 was great as well.

 

x-men-132-final-panel.jpg

 

 

That panel right there and the cover to LS #1 made me a Wolverine fan in the mid '80s. Of course, him being on every cover in the early '90s unmade me a Wolverine fan.

 

 

edit - heh, now that I've finished the thread, seems I'm not alone :)

Edited by Rommin
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Mainstream appeal shouldn't matter anyways...Iron Man really wasn't known to the masses until the first movie.

 

Hmm that's a better topic: Who is currently more popular Iron Man or Wolverine??

 

In the comic-book world, in the movie-world, or in the mainstream world?

 

(:

 

 

 

-slym

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Mainstream appeal shouldn't matter anyways...Iron Man really wasn't known to the masses until the first movie.

 

Hmm that's a better topic: Who is currently more popular Iron Man or Wolverine??

 

In the comic-book world, in the movie-world, or in the mainstream world?

 

(:

 

 

 

-slym

 

Yeah, really. This has gotten out of hand.

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UXM #133 was EPIC.

What a great issue.

 

The final panel in #132 was great as well.

 

x-men-132-final-panel.jpg

 

 

That panel right there and the cover to LS #1 made me a Wolverine fan in the mid '80s. Of course, him being on every cover in the early '90s unmade me a Wolverine fan.

 

 

edit - heh, now that I've finished the thread, seems I'm not alone :)

 

Such an iconic piece! I'm guessing the OA would go for a pretty penny.

Anyone here have it? :popcorn:

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It seems the goalposts of the "Wolverine wasn't the most popular/significant X-man until the late 80's" have changed. Now he has to be recognized by the mainstream non-comics audience or be "white hot"?

 

Yup, whether intentionally or unintentionally (I think it was just a misunderstanding).

 

Wolverine was definitely a star by the early 1980's and not just an ambiguous relatively new character like Human Fly but he was not a household name until the late 1980's / early 1990's.

 

I don't think anyone was arguing that.

 

Wolverine was neither an ambiguous relatively new character, nor was he a star in the early 80's.

 

He was very popular, no doubt. But he was not a star. He was not *the* X-Man. He still had peers. He had a lot of ground to cover before he became a bonafide star (which happened by about #201-up.)

 

So, my goalposts haven't changed, though I've certainly watched others change them.

 

 

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The Wolverine/Hulk reprint was either late 80's or very early 90's. I remember picking that one up and reading it when I had a babysitting assignment for my uncles neighbor. I would've been early HS at that time (before I got my first "real" job).

 

 

It actually had an October 1986 cover date.

 

 

Hmm...that's not the one I had. I searched and found this one....this is one I was talking about:

 

796213.jpg

 

That's essentially a prestige format reprint of...a reprint. ;) First one came out in 1986, this one came out later, as you point out.

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Those who cannot make their arguments without "spiking the ball" (whether earned or not) in their opponent's faces are fascinating.

 

This has been, at its core, an argument of OPINION. Opinion, by its very nature, is nearly impossible to prove...and damn little proof has been offered. And yet, there are people constantly throwing out "that's the fact, JACK!" statements as if they've proven their OPINION beyond any doubt.

 

It's absolutely fascinating.

 

:popcorn:

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That's essentially a prestige format reprint of...a reprint. ;)

 

Correct! It was the first time I had read the story.

 

I vaguely remember seeing the 1986 reprint at somepoint. But, it didn't really stick out. I was mostly all about Spidey at that point, and not into mutnats at all. I never even bought the Wolverine reg series. Once I had bought the Mini-Series, I was basically done (except buying the reprint-reprint :D. More out of curiosity than fanfare. And the Weapon X stuff, and the Sam Keith stuff :whistle:)

Edited by chrisco37
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I think its pretty clear that Wolverine was "white hot" in 1983, but I think this is exclusive to the comic book world. Outside of that world, people who didn't collect comics could tell you who Spidey was, but probably not Wolverine. So If this is the point that Chuck and RMA are trying to make,

 

Come on, who would be stupid enough to try and "make that point"? :facepalm:

 

Superman and Batman have been around since 1930's-40's and Spider-man has been in the public eye since 1962, and each have had multiple TV shows/movie serials. That's some serious longevity, and several generations of media exposure for the DC capes.

 

By 1983, Wolverine had only been around 9 short years, with zero TV shows, so obviously the far more established heroes with decades of history and media exposure behind them would be more popular and well-known with the general populace. That's just basic logic, not any "point that needs to be made".

 

Jesus guys. doh!

 

So, since Wolverine had only been around for "9 short years" and had "zero TV shows", you're conceding that other characters were far more popular? After all, a "superstar" doesn't need "several generations of media exposure" to be a superstar...superstars come along with relative frequency. The pop world is littered with them.

 

After all....you just made the point...right up there...that "Spiderman has been in the public eye since 1962."

 

The only books featuring Spiderman that came out in 1962 were Amazing Fantasy #15 and Amazing Spiderman #1. I'm perfectly willing to concede that Spidey became a superstar within a very few short years after his first appearance. 5 at most, before Stan Lee was giving lectures on college campuses, and Spidey was appearing on Saturday morning cartoons.

 

If Spidey didn't need "9 short years" to become a household name...why did Wolvie...? Could it be because Spidey, from his very outset, was a better character, who clicked with comic audiences in a way that Wolverine did not...at least for a while?

 

I'll simply ignore the very real fact that "several generations of media exposure" doesn't mean squat in terms of popularity. Popularity is all about NOW, what are you doing NOW, what's happening NOW. Not "what happened in 1943" (mostly because the people who would remember such events are nearly all dead.) Here's the dirty little secret to popularity: exposure must be kept at a consistent level, or interest wanes. It doesn't matter that Superman had several serials in the 40's (which most people have never seen) and it doesn't even matter that he had a hit film in 1978. It matters very much that he had a hit film in 2013. "Decades of history" and "long term exposure" doesn't mean squat if there's not something current.

 

After all....Captain Marvel was arguably the single most popular superhero of the 40's.

 

Where is he now, in terms of popularity....?

 

(PS. But no, that still wasn't the point I was trying to make.)

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