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[bchat]

I was just wondering if anyone knew how I could verify the status of General Foods' "Volto from Mars" super-tasting Grape Nuts Flakes ads that ran in comic books from 1944 to 1946.  I've already checked http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/ and, as I suspected, didn't find any renewals.  Since they're not comics but only ads, is there somewhere else I can look aside from visiting the Library of Congress?  My assumption would be that General Foods wouldn't bother renewing the Copyrights on outdated advertising, but I want to make sure before I post a page on my blog or reprinting it in an over-sized holofoil hardcover deluxe edition, bagged with limited edition chromium trading cards and embossed pogs (cover-price of $334.73 for over 10 pages, mostly blank so you can write on them, and limited to however many copies I could sell).

[JonTheScanner]

This doesn't answer your question, but you might be interested in Arthur Lortie's site:
http://voltoarchives.pbwiki.com/

[Yoc]

Hey B,
Do you perhaps work for Marvel's Masterworks and Omnibus division?

[John C]

I've never figured out (not that I put in a LOT of effort to learning it) how to track copyright for an advertisement.  I know that comic strips, counterintuitively, seem to rate as "books" rather than "periodicals."  But I don't know if a commercial or print ad qualifies the same way, or how best to search for it.

It occurs to me that the best people to talk to might be librarians at the Prelinger Archives in California.  Having supplied the Internet Archive with a fair amount of "ephemera" (such as old television commercials), I have to assume that they're as well-versed in this sort of thing as anybody would be.

[bchat]

This doesn't answer your question, but you might be interested in Arthur Lortie's site:
http://voltoarchives.pbwiki.com/

Thanks for the link as it's THE best source of information on Volto, and anyone reading this thread who has no clue what we're talking should check it out.  I came across that site a while ago, and in fact, it's where I learned the most about Volto.  I wish I could remember when I first discovered the character ... it was probably a blog somewhere or maybe it was in one of the downloads from this site.

I've never figured out (not that I put in a LOT of effort to learning it) how to track copyright for an advertisement.  I know that comic strips, counterintuitively, seem to rate as "books" rather than "periodicals."  But I don't know if a commercial or print ad qualifies the same way, or how best to search for it.

It occurs to me that the best people to talk to might be librarians at the Prelinger Archives in California.  Having supplied the Internet Archive with a fair amount of "ephemera" (such as old television commercials), I have to assume that they're as well-versed in this sort of thing as anybody would be.

Thanks for the info, jcolag.  It at least gives me a place to start ... whenever I have time.

Hey B,
Do you perhaps work for Marvel's Masterworks and Omnibus division?

I WISH!!!  Marvel really needs someone with a solid vision to help them properly price all these reprint books out of the reach of the casual reader and ensure that children will never be able to afford to read comics in their lifetime, and I think I'ld be perfect for that job.  See, instead of the affordable B&W Essential books with 500-600 pages, they could be releasing "Marvel Metal" for $325 (wholesale price).  Each of the 50 pages of art would be etched onto a thin aluminum sheet, making it nearly impossible to read the book without causing some sort of damage, so everyone would need to buy at least two copies, in case they wanted to read it again in the future.  If a particular story isn't 50 pages long (and how many are?), then the book would be filled-out with random letters pages from the Star Comics line.  The covers would be stainless steel, and the dimensions would be 24x30.  At that size, the S&H would be incredibly expensive and discourage "casual readers" from making a purchase online.

[Yoc]

Holy Crap BC!  Don't you know this is a public forum?!?
Some Marvel executive might accidentally read your post and DO IT!
It's so fiendishly evil Lex Luthor would shake your hand!
 

[bchat]

Holy Crap BC!  Don't you know this is a public forum?!?
Some Marvel executive might accidentally read your post and DO IT!
It's so fiendishly evil Lex Luthor would shake your hand!

Oh geez!  It didn't even occur to me that someone from Marvel would visit this site.  Well then, I better not let slip my other idea of releasing super-mega company-wide crossovers in an all-new reprint format that would, without question, bleed every last cent out of the readers' pockets:  Limited-Edition Collectors Plates!  Imagine every page of "Marvel House of Super-Secret Civil Invasion" painstakingly reproduced on its own seperate 3-D hologram plate, signed and numbered by the very people who remove staples from business documents.  Released once a month, everyone should be able to complete their sets in a little over 11 years and at a cost of about $6000 (plus S&H).

[Yoc]

You've got a bright future in banking or government someday BC.

[JVJ]

You've got a bright future in banking or government someday BC.

I think you've just been insulted, BC!
(|:{>

[Powder Solvang]

I like the way you think, BC.
In the "what if" department I've considered the possibility of characters like Volto and Captain Tootsie being brought back to star in new comic book adventures.

[bchat]

"Insulted"?  I'm just doing my best to think like a Marvel employee.

Volto's an interesting hero as far as his powers and costume go.  There's not much of a "character" there, which makes him perfect for developing into whatever you want him to be.

[JVJ]

"Insulted"?  I'm just doing my best to think like a Marvel employee.

Volto's an interesting hero as far as his powers and costume go.  There's not much of a "character" there, which makes him perfect for developing into whatever you want him to be.

All Yoc had to add was "Lawyer" and he would be qualifying you for the three lowest rungs on the current public trust occupation list. Yep, that's about it, Lawyer, Banker, Politician - how low can you go? I wouldn't balk at adding "Marvel Employee"...

(|:{>

[Yoc]

Well, I tend to picture Marvel Corporate Execs. as the 'dark ones' more than the lackeys working for them.

Hey Powder - that's a great idea - and toss in Sam Spade and Red Rider guest shots - all in a life and death struggle against sentient Comicscope and Kooba Kola products.

[bchat]

Jim - Change it to "Marvel Executive" and I'll agree with you.  I don't think it's fair to lump all the employees of Marvel into one group because I'm sure there's plenty of honest, hard-working people there.  Still, it's hard to argue that Marvel, as a whole, has led the entire industry down an increasingly narrowing path.

Lawyers?  Met one once that was proud to have worked a case where he represented a burglar who got injured breaking into someone's home and was able to get the crook a good amount of money.  In an excellent example of "what goes around comes around", that lawyer is in prison now.

Bankers?  Overheard a teller once say to a co-worker, after dealing with an older gentleman who was complaining about something or other, that the only worthwhile customers the bank had were the ones that had lots of money.  I closed my account soon afterwards, then was delighted a few years later when that bank went out-of-business.

Politicians?  Never met one personally, so I have nothing to say about them one way or another.

[JVJ]

Jim - Change it to "Marvel Executive" and I'll agree with you.  I don't think it's fair to lump all the employees of Marvel into one group because I'm sure there's plenty of honest, hard-working people there.  Still, it's hard to argue that Marvel, as a whole, has led the entire industry down an increasingly narrowing path.

Lawyers?  Met one once that was proud to have worked a case where he represented a burglar who got injured breaking into someone's home and was able to get the crook a good amount of money.  In an excellent example of "what goes around comes around", that lawyer is in prison now.

Bankers?  Overheard a teller once say to a co-worker, after dealing with an older gentleman who was complaining about something or other, that the only worthwhile customers the bank had were the ones that had lots of money.  I closed my account soon afterwards, then was delighted a few years later when that bank went out-of-business.

Politicians?  Never met one personally, so I have nothing to say about them one way or another.

Actually, bchat,
I was parroting something I heard on Car Talk about the Public's Perception of various careers. Truth be told, Car Mechanics were down near the bottom, too, though Bankers were my own personal modern addition to the list. I thought it funny that the two, bankers and politicians, were Yoc's prediction for your possible futures.

I concur with "Marvel Executives" being the bad guys.

Two days til Paris and I leave all these people behind and go deal with a new crop of radical socialists in France. At least the populace there is willing to go out and protest. Against what, I'm not so sure, but they certainly participate more than we.

Au revoir.

Peace, Jim (|:{>

[bchat]

I can see Car Mechanics having a bad reputation in the Public Eye, but for every bad mechanic I (or my wife) have dealt with, there's at least one who goes beyond the call of duty to help people out and not over-charge for the simplest things.  To be fair, I have found from experience that mechanics that work for a car dealership are usually worse, both in terms of what they charge and their general level of competence, than the smaller "mom & pop" garages who don't have the sales of new cars to supplement their income.

And to get this somewhat back on topic (although I don't mind discussing other non-comic related items): Arthur Lortie's site,
http://voltoarchives.pbwiki.com/, lists what he's knows to be Volto appearances.  I never gave it much thought when I first saw the list, but going over it again before starting this topic, something occurred to me.  The list includes books from Fawcett, National, Eastern Color, Nedor, Quality, United Features and Street & Smith.  Add-in the appearance I've found in 4 Most volume 5 number 1, published by Novelty Press, and that seems to be almost all the major publishers of the time, with one glaring exception: Timely.  Is this a coincidence, are there appearances of the Volto ads that Mr Lortie missed, was Timely very strict on what ads they were willing to run in their books, or did General Foods simply not consider Timely books to be able to reach the intended audience?

[narfstar]

No mention of MLJ ?

[bchat]

No mention of MLJ ?

Oops, forgot about them.  No, I didn't see them listed by Mr Lortie either.