Merry Marvel Marching Society Explained

Merry Marvel Marching Society
Type:Fanclub
Founded Date:1964
Founder:Stan Lee, Martin Goodman
Location:New York City
Key People:Flo Steinberg
Area Served:Marvel Comics readers
Focus:To promote the appreciation of Marvel Comics
Owner:Marvel Comics
Dissolved:1969; absorbed in Marvelmania International

Merry Marvel Marching Society (often referred to by the abbreviation "M.M.M.S.") was a fan club for Marvel Comics started by Marvel editor Stan Lee and/or Marvel publisher Martin Goodman in 1964.

History

Following teaser promotion in Marvel comic books cover-dated November 1964, Marvel Comics introduced the company's in-house fan club, the Merry Marvel Marching Society, in its comics cover-dated January 1965, released in the fall 1964. Generally abbreviated as the "M.M.M.S", the club offered readers a $1 membership kit that initially included a:

The company offered permutations of this kit, plus additional promotional merchandise such as posters and sweatshirts, through comics cover-dated October 1969.[2] As author Marc Flores, who writes under the pen name Ronin Ro,[3] described,

The club proved successful, with Marvel secretary and club coordinator Flo Steinberg remarking that they "were working seven days a week just opening these envelopes" containing the subscription fee. In a 2002 interview, Steinberg said,

By the end of 1965, Marvel reported that 40,000 members had joined the club.[4] This estimate increased to 50,000 in 1966,[5] and 70,000 by 1967.[6]

Soon, the club offered a range of other money-spinning products, including:

The M.M.M.S. membership had ranks indicated by three-letter abbreviations (such as Q.N.S. for "Quite 'Nuff Sayer" to F.F.F. for "Fearless Front-Facer"), based on a proposal by young comics fan Mark Evanier.[8]

The M.M.M.S. was absorbed into the subsequent Marvel fan club, Marvelmania International, in 1969. This second club lasted until 1971. A third official Marvel Comics fan club, FOOM (Friends of Ol' Marvel) followed from 1973 to 1976.

References

Sources

External links

Notes and References

  1. House ad, Marvel Comics issues cover-dated February 1965
  2. Ballman, J. The Full-Color Guide to Marvel Silver Age Collectibles from M.M.M.S. to Marvelmania, p. 80. (Totalmojo Productions, 2007)
  3. Web site: MediaTalk; Who Deserves The Credit (and Cash) For Dreaming Up Those Superheroes? . Nat . Ives . January 31, 2005 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20111123024853/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30B12FB3E5F0C728FDDA80894DD404482&fta=y&archive:article_related . November 23, 2011 . live .
  4. Book: Howe . Sean . Marvel Comics: The Untold Story . 2012 . HarperCollins . 63 . 22 February 2024.
  5. News: Superheroes Set on Saturday Show . 22 February 2024 . Delaware County Daily Times . October 15, 1966 . 26.
  6. News: Zimmerman . Dick . Marvel Heroes Create Fresh "Human" Interest . 22 February 2024 . Scrantonian Tribune . October 1, 1967 . 75.
  7. Web site: 2021-04-12 . Spidey-Stash # 2: Mail Away Items - Spider Man Crawlspace . 2024-05-05 . en-US.
  8. Web site: Evanier. Mark. Mark Evanier. How I Became a Young, Zingy, With-It Guy. NewsFromME.com . January 6, 2016. Evanier. January 7, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160107213441/http://www.newsfromme.com/2003/10/31/how-i-became-a-young-zingy-with-it-guy-2/ . live.