NERRRRRRRRRD!!!!!!!!! vol. 14

UPDATED: SDCC 09: MARVELMAN Belongs to Marvel

By Lucas Siegel
posted: 24 July 2009 05:53 pm ET

It started with a pair of Tweets:

"I'm going to say this repeatedly over the next few days, Go to the Cup o' Joe panel on Friday at 2:00

"Why? Because somewhere midway through the panel, we'll be showing a piece of art and making an announcement that will be the talk of the con."

That was the word from Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada ahead of today's Cup o' Joe at Comic-Con International: San Diego. Now, the announcement has been made.

Marvelman belongs to Marvel Comics. The character's status has been in limbo, caught in a crazy custody battle with multiple parties fighting over the rights. Marvel has reportedly purchased all publishing rights to the character.

Marvel Publisher Dan Buckley had this to say about the character's future, "We are talking to all the people involved in the '80s/'90s material. Alan (Moore), Neil (Gaiman), Mark Buckingham."

Look for more details on Newsarama when they are available.

Press Release Follows:

The biggest news of Comic Con International in San Diego was revealed moments ago and jaws are still on the floor-the world-renowned super hero MARVELMAN is now part of the Marvel Comics family! Marvel Comics has purchased the rights to MARVELMAN from creator Mick Anglo and his representatives, finding a home for one of the most sought after heroes in graphic fiction!

"It is an honor to work with Mick Anglo to bring his creation to a larger audience than ever before," said Dan Buckley, CEO & Publisher, Print, Animation & Digital Media, Marvel Entertainment Inc. "Fans are in for something special as they discover just what makes Marvelman such an important character in comic book history."
Originally created in 1954 by Mick Anglo and appearing in some of the most celebrated comic stories of all time, MARVELMAN is Micky Moran, a young reporter gifted with the power to save the world by simply uttering the word "kimota!"

"I did not think it would ever happen," said Mick Anglo. "It's a wonderful thing to see my creation finally back."
MARVELMAN is back and he's found a new home at Marvel Comics! What's next for Mick Anglo's legendary creation? Stay tuned to Marvel.com for all the news on Marvelman and this exciting new addition to the Marvel family!
And to join in the celebration, visit the Marvel Shop to purchase limited edition MARVELMAN t-shirts! Plus, this September, don't miss the MARVELMAN BY QUESADA POSTER exclusively at comic shops everywhere!

MARVELMAN BY QUESADA POSTER (JUN098040)

24 x 36...$8.99

On-Sale 9/2/09

Marvelman, known for trademark reasons as Miracleman in his American reprints and story continuation, is a fictional comic book superhero created in 1954 by writer-artist Mick Anglo for publisher L. Miller & Son. Originally intended as a United Kingdom home-grown substitute for the American character Captain Marvel, the series ran until 1963. He was revived in 1982 in a dark, post-modern deconstructionist series by writer Alan Moore, with later contributions by Neil Gaiman.

The character is notorious for the long, complex and expensive legal battle over various creative rights attached to it. Unresolved for many years, the litigation had directly involved Gaiman, Todd McFarlane and several other people who also claimed at least partial ownership of the character and the works containing him. This rights conflict had prevented the reprint and distribution of any of the Miracleman stories, making the critically acclaimed work extremely difficult to find. However, at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con, Joe Quesada announced Marvel Comics had purchased the rights to Marvelman.