| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| SirUrza |
Posted - 15 Jan 2005 : 01:31:56
Was that a standalone book or part of a boxset? |
| 19 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 18 Jan 2005 : 22:56:24
Uh... TSR was publishing those comics with DC, not Marvel... |
| Steven Schend |
Posted - 18 Jan 2005 : 15:55:14
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
What was this incident? I heard nothing of it at the time... All I knew is that the comics ended rather abruptly, and in at least one case, it was right when the story was starting to get interesting.
It was actually the first part of the "famous" Stan Lee Wars against Marvel. Late in 1991, Marvel moved to have the IP for some of the characters Stan Lee helped create, recognised as Marvel-only entities.
Well, I can't say much as professional and political ethics force me to keep my mouth shut, but I can tell you it had nothing to do with that. Let's just say it was poor politics on both sides of the licensing agreement that dissolved TSR's relationship with Marvel.
Too bad, as I really loved that game system and would have happily kept on doing stat books for MSH for ages; I was (at the time of the license dying) working to consolidate the Basic & Advanced rules plus all the supplements (especially what I could save from Ultimate Powers) to make a monster Rules book ala the Champions 3rd edition hardcover (with the Perez cover). That was to restart the MSH line and go off in new directions, but alas, it wasn't meant to be.
Sorry to stray so far off topic, y'all.
In terms of FR and comics, the FR comics account for some of Jeff's best contributions to the Realms since his wrangling of Ed's material for the Old Grey Box, IMO that is....
Steven |
| The Sage |
Posted - 18 Jan 2005 : 13:34:34
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
What was this incident? I heard nothing of it at the time... All I knew is that the comics ended rather abruptly, and in at least one case, it was right when the story was starting to get interesting.
It was actually the first part of the "famous" Stan Lee Wars against Marvel. Late in 1991, Marvel moved to have the IP for some of the characters Stan Lee helped create, recognised as Marvel-only entities. Stan Lee protested at the time, and things quickly got out of hand. Several titles whose characters where in the midst of the IP debate, were threatened with suspension... or even worse, cancellation. The incident was resolved (partly) at the end of 1993 when both Marvel and Stan Lee agreed to negotiate a better agreement with regard to what he "owned" and what Marvel "owned".
This really didn't have anything to do with the FR comic cancellation, but considering the loss of such a giant like Stan Lee from the company (he'd threatened to leave several times during the incident), Marvel's interests obviously weren't focused on the FR comic as such and it simply suffered as a result...  .
quote:
Are you like me and get irritated when people bother you at work while you're on Candlekeep?
Not often, since I'm a project manager and often have considerable time to myself. It's only when my team needs to co-ordinate with others that I suffer irritation from others...  .
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| Mystery_Man |
Posted - 18 Jan 2005 : 13:17:02
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Now if only she knew how much time I spent here while at work... 
Are you like me and get irritated when people bother you at work while you're on Candlekeep?  |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 18 Jan 2005 : 03:38:07
What was this incident? I heard nothing of it at the time... All I knew is that the comics ended rather abruptly, and in at least one case, it was right when the story was starting to get interesting. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 18 Jan 2005 : 01:29:23
quote:
Originally posted by Steven Schend
I joined TSR in February 1990 and was dubbed The Comics Guy due to all the action figures I soon had in my cube...
I used to, unfortunately the High-Up Man made me remove them because she felt they were a distraction. Now if only she knew how much time I spent here while at work...
What were some of the figures you had there?
quote:
By the by, that comic happened more than a few years AFTER the TSR/DC license went belly-up (which happened in 1992 along with the Marvel license coincidentally).
I remember that. As I recall, the FR comics weren't the only title affected by the Marvel licensing "incident" of 1992-1993.
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| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 18 Jan 2005 : 01:04:00
Ah, my bad on both counts...
Action figures in your cubicle? Another thing we have in commmon!  |
| Steven Schend |
Posted - 18 Jan 2005 : 00:12:22
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Jeff Grubb was the writer for Forgotten Realms. I think he did Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, as well, but I'd have to dig out the comics to check...
Jeff ONLY wrote Catspaw for the AD&D comic; while it was started by Mike Fleischer (I think), the bulk of the series was ably handled by Dan Mishkin writing and Jan Duursema drawing. And a fine job by all, methinks. If I wasn't separated by 2000 miles from my comics, I might be enthused to offer a raffle or something for a complete set of the AD&D comics. Alas, some other time.... |
| Steven Schend |
Posted - 18 Jan 2005 : 00:09:38
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Jeff Grubb was the writer for Forgotten Realms. I think he did Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, as well, but I'd have to dig out the comics to check... And I recall Steven Schend saying one of his first TSR jobs was something related to the comics, which is likely why he's made sure the characters from the AD&D title made it into sourcebooks.
I joined TSR in February 1990 and was dubbed The Comics Guy due to all the action figures I soon had in my cube (and having taken on the details on running the Marvel line along with my boss). By May of that year was one of the approval people for the DC comics licenses; I was in charge of reading the AD&D comic in draft form and pre-inked form and clearing it for continuity when possible. Had a great rapport with Kim Yale, our DC editor (whose passing happened far too early from breast cancer a few years back), and she's responsible for my first definitive appearance as a designer--The Rattelyr stats in FR #24. My actual first game design was Avengers Archives (the last MSH product) followed by my "edit"/development of City of Splendors.
quote:
Jeff Grubb has used a couple of the comics characters in fiction, as well. Tertius Wands, from the "Catspaw Quartet" story arc of AD&D (13-16, as I recall), appeared in the first two Realms of anthologies. Jasmine, who appeared first in the FR comic before jumping over to the Spelljammer title, was used by Jeff Grubb and Kate Novak as a major character in Finder's Bane and Tymora's Luck.
He's also the author of the Grand Tour comic, which suffers from being a marketing mandate and trying to be an all-inclusive intro to the Realms. By the by, that comic happened more than a few years AFTER the TSR/DC license went belly-up (which happened in 1992 along with the Marvel license coincidentally).
And he's a helluva nice guy. Not as nice as Ed, but so few can be (and I'm hardly among them).  |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 17 Jan 2005 : 05:24:58
Jeff Grubb was the writer for Forgotten Realms. I think he did Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, as well, but I'd have to dig out the comics to check... And I recall Steven Schend saying one of his first TSR jobs was something related to the comics, which is likely why he's made sure the characters from the AD&D title made it into sourcebooks.
Jeff Grubb has used a couple of the comics characters in fiction, as well. Tertius Wands, from the "Catspaw Quartet" story arc of AD&D (13-16, as I recall), appeared in the first two Realms of anthologies. Jasmine, who appeared first in the FR comic before jumping over to the Spelljammer title, was used by Jeff Grubb and Kate Novak as a major character in Finder's Bane and Tymora's Luck.
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| The Sage |
Posted - 17 Jan 2005 : 04:27:51
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
I don't have all of them unfortunately. But, from what I understand, I'm not really missing that much anyway...  .
It was lame, and I was disappointed once I got my hands on it and read it...
However, of the DC/TSR comics, both FR titles were pretty good...
Because I'm curious... who were the writers for most of those comics?
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| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 16 Jan 2005 : 16:12:51
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
I don't have all of them unfortunately. But, from what I understand, I'm not really missing that much anyway... .
It was lame, and I was disappointed once I got my hands on it and read it...
However, of the DC/TSR comics, both FR titles were pretty good... |
| The Sage |
Posted - 16 Jan 2005 : 08:52:23
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Melfius
Yeah, I have a few copies of that comic from GenCon. I just thought is was funny!
The only reason I have one is for the sake of completeness. As I said, I wasn't particularly impressed with it.
I don't have all of them unfortunately. But, from what I understand, I'm not really missing that much anyway... .
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| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 15 Jan 2005 : 13:44:09
quote:
Originally posted by Melfius
Yeah, I have a few copies of that comic from GenCon. I just thought is was funny!
The only reason I have one is for the sake of completeness. As I said, I wasn't particularly impressed with it. |
| Lady Kazandra |
Posted - 15 Jan 2005 : 07:38:02
quote:
Originally posted by SirUrza
Was that a standalone book or part of a boxset?
Along with the Running the Realms accessory and Shadowdale sourcebook, Grand Tour of the Realms formed part of the revised FR setting boxed set in 1994.
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| Melfius |
Posted - 15 Jan 2005 : 04:29:25
Yeah, I have a few copies of that comic from GenCon. I just thought is was funny! |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 15 Jan 2005 : 03:45:55
There was also a comic book by that name... 'Twas the first Forgotten Realms comic, before TSR paired up with DC to do ongoing comics.
It stars the kids from the D&D cartoon (a few years older, though). They traveled to Shadowdale so that Presto could study with Elminster, and El took him on his "daily rounds."
It was a lame plot, and the artwork wasn't all that... Plus, it contradicted the cartoon, since the episode with the girl who saw the future showed that they would get home, and not be noticably older... |
| SirUrza |
Posted - 15 Jan 2005 : 03:04:05
Alright, then I'm not going mad. Thanks. 
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| Melfius |
Posted - 15 Jan 2005 : 01:47:32
It was part of the 2nd Edition Boxed Set. |
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