A comic art collector recently reached out to downthetubes, prompted by our Marvel UK connections, after buying three pages drawn in the 1990s for an X-Men Mini Comic drawn by Jim Cheung.
Pete Marino was keen to track down a copy of the comic they appeared in – and wondered if we could help.
The actual titles published by Marvel UK from 1972 until its assets were subsumed into Panini UK are well documented, on various wikis, including Marvel Fandom, here on downthetubes (in our “Genesis 1992” series, for example) and sites such as Michael Carroll’s Rusty Staples, Richard Sheaf’s Boys Adventure Comics blog and John Carpenter’s Starlogged, to name but a few. But tracking down “custom comics”, often promotions commissioned by a third party, are not so frequently recorded.
This project followed by time with Marvel UK, but other former staffers, including Stuart Bartlett, Alan Cowsill and Tim Quinn kindly responded to a social media appeal about British artist Jim Cheung’s art, the only clues the artist himself, and the Marvel UK commissioned board they were drawn on.
Given that it’s now some 30 years since some involved left the company, it’s hardly surprising memories of the project are scant. As another former staffer noted, we were churning out a lot of stuff, and in such a situation, memories of exactly what was done, and when, can become quite sketchy! (Mine in particular, some days!)
The strip drawn by Jim was apparently commissioned to promote their X-Men title which, over on Rusty Staples, Michael Carroll notes ran for 34 issues, launched in October 1994, continuing until January 1996, then relaunching as The Amazing X-Men in February 1996, running for a further 17 issues.
At the time, MUK also published Essential X-Men, launched in November 1995, running until January 2010 for 186 issues, relaunched by Panini UK with the same title in February 2010.
Marvel UK had published X-Men stories before of course, initially back in 1975 as a strip in The Super-Heroes, and other titles such as Rampage and The Incredible Hulk. The launch of X-Men in 1994 was preceded by multiple guest star appearances in various “Genesis 1992” titles such as Dark Angel and Warheads, and two reprint Uncanny X-Men Easter Specials, published in 1992 and 1993.
Writer and former MUK editor Alan Cowsill, who wrote the strip, recalls the custom comic was commissioned by Tim Quinn, possibly at the direction of Stuart Bartlett, for Marvel UK’s marketing department. It was coloured by David Leach and lettered by Pat Prentice.
But was this custom comic widely circulated? Was it published by Marvel UK and circulated as a free promotion with other titles? Or was it commissioned by an external company, as some have suggested?
Information is welcomed about this mysterious Marvel UK publication, a copy of which has even eluded Jim Cheung.
Jim has previously published an example from the strip on his Tumblr, noting he was specifically asked to do his “best Jim Lee impression”, adding the hashtags #ItWasThe90s #EveryoneWasDrawingLikeJimLeeInThe90s #FirstPersonToBringThisBookToMeAtAConGetsAPrize
Jim, of course, is no stranger to anyone familiar with Marvel superheroes, creating astonishing visuals featuring the X-Men and more to this day.
He’s probably best known for his work on series such as Scion, New Avengers: Illuminati and Avengers: The Children’s Crusade. He co-created the Marvel superhero team the Young Avengers with writer Allan Heinberg, including its members, Kate Bishop, Hulkling, Iron Lad, Patriot, Speed, and Wiccan.
While we haven’t yet tracked down a copy of the comic, we can leave you with some final anecdotes, however, concerning the published The X-Men title, courtesy of Alan Cowsill.
“When The X-Men #1 came out, polybagged without a huge poster inside the polybag that the cover claimed was inside, only for editorial, design and production to entirely forget to create one for it, a few of the MUK team had to use sepping pens to cross out the words ‘free with a huge poster’ from all the house ads!” He recalls.
“Another interesting aside was Marvel UK also did the German version of this title, using a translator. She lasted one issue after the MUK team learned her translation for Sabretooth roughly meant Dribbleteeth in German…”
Head downthetubes for…
• Marvel Fandom: Marvel UK’s X-Men Issue Guide
• Jim Chung BigCartel | Instagram | Tumblr
• Alan Cowsill is online at alancowsill.co.uk
Mystery Solved?
A QUICK UPDATE: Author Rik Hoskin suggested the custom comic may have been part of a massive Pizza Hut promotion that saw a huge number of Marvel artists involved in, documented here on Sketchd, (“Pizza With All the X-Tras”: The Story Behind the X-Men x Pizza Hut Promotion, 30 Years Later”), coordinated by Marvel’s Custom Comic Department in the US. Fellow British artist Phil Winslade was just one artist involved as Marvel battled to cope with the talent demands of the project. Jim’s involvement isn’t mentioned, but it does seem a good fit!
”Can’t verify this but there was a set of different plastic cups (like the size of a large milkshake from McDonalds) at the time that had X-Men comic stories on the side and an action feature–like, twist the lid and Wolverine’s claws pop out,” Rik recalls. “This looks like it might have been for those, but I’m going by a very fuzzy memory.”
Clarks Mega Mag
Another, stronger possibility – and one Stuart Bartlett himself suggested in correspondence – is that this Jim’s work was a commission for Clarks Shoes, a company that has form for utilising comics to promote its footwear going back to the 1970s.
(Older readers will surely remember Clark’s Commandos, and Tom Kerr’s distinctive art on the promotional strips for those, in the spotlight here on Bear Alley).
In the 1990s, Clarks were back on the same ground with their “Mega Mag”, and the second issue features an X-Men tie-in, a copy sold by comic creator Kev F. Sutherland on eBay earlier this year, spotted by Richard Sheaf. Could this be where Jim’s art featured?
This Custom Comic, a mix of strips, puzzles and competitions, starred “MG and Archibald”, a robot and his football-loving friend, and also featured a text and picture strip, “Stomposaurus”.
No creators appear to have been identified, but artists who have also provided Stomposaurus art promoting Clarks dinosaur-inspired shoe range, include Simon Clare Illustration.
An X-Men strip is promoted on the cover of the second issue, published in 1994 but, as yet, we haven’t tracked down a copy of Issue One.
Clarks published at least four issues of Mega Mag, the fourth, published in 1995, devoted to Sonic the Hedgehog.
Were you involved in this publication? Let us know, below (comments are moderated)
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: British Comics, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News
Comic Creator Spotlight: Pat Williams, EAGLE and TV Comic artist 
Superman’s British Comic Connections 
Crowdfunding Spotlight: Findlay Macbeth – Graphic Novel 
Don’t Miss out on this weekend’s Showmasters London Film & Comic Con
Can’t verify this but there was a set of different plastic cups (like the size of a large milkshake from McDonalds) at the time that had X-Men comic stories on the side and an action feature–like, twist the lid and Wolverine’s claws pop out. This looks like it might have been for those, but I’m going by a very fuzzy memory.
Here are a couple on eBay, apparently from Pizza Hut UK (and these links will obviously expire for people reading this comment in six months time, so maybe you can do a screen grab, John?) …
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/326506493244
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/277195628703
Could be?
Thanks, Rik! The whole Pizza Hut promotion, which seems to have put a lot of demand on Marvel’s Custom Comic department in the US, is a fascinating story in itself, but it does seem that Jim’s X-men strip was commissioned for Clarks Shoes being behind ”Mega Mag”… hence the added “Mystery Solved?” footnote to the item above. But if that rings memories for anyone reading this far, do let us know!
Definitely not in either X-Men or Amazing X-Men either. I never saw the Pizza Hut one though.
Thanks. We’re reasonably confident the “Mystery Strip” is one featured in Clarks “Mega Mag” #2, based on information from those involved and visuals we’ve found. We’ve reached out to Clarks for information… fingers crossed!