Don't know if this one belongs here, but here goes.
When I got into Marvel Comics circa 1963, one of the things that struck me about them was the corner picture of the heroes on the trademark. Whether it was Thor, Spider-Man, Ant-Man, Iron Man, or the FF, that was something DC didn't have. I thought it was very, very neat.
And if the hero's face was revealed (as opposed to Spidey's or Iron Man's), most likely they'd be smiling.
That was a neat bit of salesmanship, I thought. It welcomed the reader into the comic, somehow. Thor would be giving you a big, warm grin. Giant-Man smiled at you, holding the Wasp in one big palm. Reed Richards smiled, greeting you as the leader of the Fantastic Four. The Hulk? Well, he wasn't exactly smiling, but at least he tried for a neutral expression.
"Hello there, friend. Welcome to my comic book! Hope you enjoy the adventures." That's what they seemed to be saying, and I appreciated that.
In MAGNUS ROBOT FIGHTER #1, after Magnus knocked the hell out of a robot that tried to censor some kids' reading material (and this wasn't a 4000 A.D. version of PLAYBOY, it was a history of World War II), he smiled at them and said, "I am Magnus! Do not be afraid!" As if to reassure us that, even though he could knock a robot's head off, he was on our side.
Thanks, Magnus.
But now, it's kind of hard to imagine such a thing. Circa 1965, Marvel made Thor's corner-pic expression more fearsome, more "Have at thee, forces of evil!" I suppose this was supposed to make him look stronger. Well, okay. I knew he was strong. But didn't he know how to smile anymore?
Guses it's impossible to go back there, and I can't imagine ANY of the current bunch of heroes smiling on the cover, unless it's supposed to be a suprrise. But I do remember the smiles from way back when, and I sure do miss them.
