From November 1977: The paperback version of Marvel's STAR WARS movie adaptation.
The deal that secured Marvel's rights to the movie is legendary in the biz: the Lucas Crew were so desperate for the credibility that association with the House Of Ideas would bestow on the film that they cut Stan a killer deal which allowed Marvel to publish the first five issues without paying a cent.
What no one anticipated is that the adaptation was a sell out, went to a rare second printing and was reissued in a variety of formats (not to mention overseas editions and multiple reprints ever since)... including this black & white (huh?) paperback from Del Rey.
Whether Marvel's stellar deal allowed them to issue reprints without additional payments is a tadge more cloudy... and I suspect that, once the initial license came up for renewal (Marvel seemed to deal in twelve month blocks... which is why licensed titles seemed to expire in increments of twelve) Lucasfilm were able to extract a better deal.
Marvel, meanwhile, credit that deal with bringing in a much needed cash injection during a bleak period and allowing the company to move into the Eighties on a firmer financial footing.
Marvel's takes on the two sequels were also given the paperback treatment (now in colour!) in 1980 and 1983.
No comments:
Post a Comment