Marvel's Declassified Marvel

Today we associate Marvel almost exclusively with Super Heroes and Super Villains, but there was a time when Marvel Comics came in a wide range of genres: comedy, romance, western, sci-fi, horror, and more. In this premiere episode, Lorraine Cink and Evan Narcisse take a deep look into the way heroes like Captain America helped forge a new medium--until they were run out of their own comics by deep societal changes that eventually triggered the return of heroes, an eruption of talent... and the birth of the Marvel Age!

Today we associate Marvel almost exclusively with Super Heroes and Super Villains, but there was a time when Marvel Comics came in a wide range of genres: comedy, romance, western, sci-fi, horror, and more. In this premiere episode, Lorraine Cink and Evan Narcisse take a deep look into the way heroes like Captain America helped forge a new medium--until they were run out of their own comics by deep societal changes that eventually triggered the return of heroes, an eruption of talent... and the birth of the Marvel Age!

Lorraine and Evan explore the unique, sprawling neighborhoods of the Big Apple to uncover how the Five Boroughs and their inhabitants helped illustrate the fundamental idea that the Marvel Universe reflects the world outside your window.

While other heroes were saving fictional metropolises, Marvel’s always thrived by putting our characters squarely in the real world. In this episode, Lorraine and Evan explore the unique, sprawling neighborhoods of the Big Apple to uncover how the Five Boroughs and their inhabitants helped illustrate the fundamental idea that the Marvel Universe reflects the world outside your window. The stakes may be impossibly high for characters like Spider-Man, Black Widow or the Fantastic Four, but their adventures unfold in a living, breathing New York City that was not only the birthplace of the Marvel Universe but is also our most important supporting character!

With World War II and the Vietnam War as benchmarks, Lorraine and Evan look at how Marvel has responded to military conflict on its pages. Along the way, they explore the relationship between art and propaganda, and how a good idea can be used for both good and evil.

Marvel’s predecessor Timely Comics was founded in 1939, the same year World War II began. From the earliest days, our creators were thinking about battles overseas and close to home. With artists, writers, and editors experiencing the war, sometimes on the frontlines, the pages flooded with patriotism, heroes, and horrors. With World War II and the Vietnam War as benchmarks, Lorraine and Evan look at how Marvel has responded to military conflict on its pages. Along the way, they explore the relationship between art and propaganda, and how a good idea can be used for both good and evil.

Archival clip of the 1939 Nazi rally courtesy New York Public Radio.

Archival clip of “This Is Our Enemy” courtesy Municipal Archives, City of New York.

Paul S. Hirsch’s upcoming book, Pulp Empire: The Secret History of Comic Book Imperialism, will be available in February 2021 from the University of Chicago Press. The book is available for preorder on Amazon here, and more information is available via his website.