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The Marvel Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book with Rare Collectibles from the World of Marvel (Hardcover)
by Roy Thomas (Author), Peter Sanderson (Author)
Fantastic Source Book packed with information about the World's Greatest Superhero team!
HUGE HARDCOVER COFFEE TABLE BOOK!
Product Description
The Marvel Vault brings the Universe to you, sharing the insider's story of Marvel Comics from 1939 to the present. Chock-full of historic and never-before-seen memorabilia (think: early sketches of Sub-Mariner and the Human Torch, Bullpen birthday cards, and a membership certificate for the Merry Marvel Marching Society), this vibrant chronicle contains over 30 plastic-encased archival gems that you can hold in your hand while reading about the artists, writers, and heroes who make up the Marvel Universe.
Organized by decade, The Marvel Vault leads readers through every era by letting them hold such rare items as holiday cards, the welcome kit from the original Merry Marvel Marching Society, the program for the first comics convention, and even the first sketches for characters who went on to become beloved Marvel icons.
Whether you've been collecting Sub-Mariner dime-books since the 1940s, or have just started to crack the pages of current Spidey sagas, you'll want to gear up for Marvel-ous adventures with this dynamic collection!
* Hardcover: 192 pages
* Publisher: Running Press (October 8, 2007)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0762428449
* ISBN-13: 978-0762428441
* Product Dimensions: 13.1 x 10.6 x 1.8 inches
* Shipping Weight: 4.8 pounds
Review
"A gem of considerable luster...the sort of thing we always dreamed of...a must-buy for any Marvel fan." -- CBGExtra.com
"It's gorgeous...The Marvel Vault is the bomb... Expertly written and prepared." -- January Magazine
"This is a treasure trove of reproduced memorabilia. Brimming with sketches, members' cards and back stories of incredibly obscure characters, it's a history of Marvel so superbly entertaining you'll forget you don't want your kids to play with it." 5 stars.... -- Empire!, 10/2007
"What makes The Marvel Vault amazing fun is the surplus of bells-and-whistles...a wonderful gift, particularly to yourself." -- ComicMix.com
"I've seen a lot of impressive books in my time, but The Marvel Vault takes the cake! I shudder to think of any True Believer being without one." -- Stan Lee
The Vault opens up to show a lot of great photographs, artwork, and promotional items from these eras, much of it previously unpublished or rarely seen, including office birthday and Christmas cards and reproductions of some very cute postcards that Sub-Mariner artist Bill Everett sent to his daughter in 1956. The 1960s chapter includes a lot of photographs of the Bullpenners and freelancers, including a reprint of the little-known Bullpen photos pages from Marvel Tales Annual #1. And I could look all day at Marie Severin’s office cartoons and cover sketches.
The artifacts are the real stars of the show here, and some of the best include a reproduction of the 1976 Howard the Duck for President (“Get Down America” indeed!) button (now a sticker here), a replica of the first Marvel Comic Convention program, a whole page of Marvel Value Stamps (reproduced on actual deteriorating newsprint!), a Marvel Visitor badge (which gained you entry into the bullpen!), and the invitation to Peter and Mary Jane’s wedding. Of unique note is a facsimile of 20 shares of Marvel Entertainment Group stock (ascribed to Roy and Dann Thomas, no less), which I find amusing for a number of reasons, but mostly for the image of the busty babe in recline at the top of the stock. Yikes, how close to comics can you get?
Also of curiosity is the menu for the ill-fated Marvel Mania restaurant from 1998, where you can order Pulse-Poundin’ Pizza or Stanwiches or (my favorite) Howard the Duck chicken fingers. The curious thing about the menu is that it’s the only artifact in the book that doesn’t say “Reproduction” on the back. This, and the fact that my menu (which came in a shrink-wrapped book) is “well-thumbed” can only lead to one conclusion — is this a “real” menu?
About the Author
Roy Thomas lived every boy's dream when he went from being a high school teacher to being the legendary Stan Lee's assistant editor and a scriptwriter for Marvel Comics in 1965. He finished his 15-year career at Marvel as editor-in-chief. Since then, he's co-written two films, contributed to several books and co-authored one with Stan Lee.
Peter Sanderson is a comics guru who joined the staff of Marvel as an assistant editor and later became the company's first archivist. Sanderson is a prolific writer who also teaches at New York University and produces documentaries on comics.
COLLECTOR'S ITEM! Highly sought after.
RARE and OUT OF PRINT! Impossible to find!