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Maybe he hated One More Day.

@Michael - HA!

Perhaps it's Marvel blowing an opportunity to advertise their product (even if they're buying just a five-second blurb before the credits saying "Pick up Spider-Man XXX, guest-starring Stephen Colbert, in stores now!) on a show that reaches millions? You have to spend money to make money. I hate to say it, but they can't just assume he's going to plug it if he's not making any money off of it (which he likely isn't, but I don't know for sure).

I wonder if he has any financial stake in their success. I doubt he has any real involvement in Spider-Man beyond giving his consent, and Tek Janssen could just be a licensing deal - ie. Oni paid some money up front, and that's that.

I don't think there's much doubt that Oni & Marvel benefit from these deals far more than Colbert does.

The Comedy Central Indescision web site has a link to the Marvel site...that doesn't happen without someone paying someone else money.

I think there's some election on... or something. So, maybe that's a distraction.

I'd much rather that comics ignored Colbert rather than the other way around. Hopefully the Colbert backup story will be eliminated in the trade paperback of the Spider-man storyline.

i'm pretty sure he said he had no involvement with the Tek Jansen comic - that it was simply licensed.

It's my understanding that Colbert and his people have a great deal of input into the Tek Jansen comic. The first issue was slated for release March 2007, but it was delayed by a few months, reportedly due to the approval process.

>>I think there’s some election on… or something. So, maybe that’s a distraction.

Nah -- that ended a few weeks ago. TWILIGHT GUARDIAN & some other title won.

As for how involved Stephen is in the Tek Jansen comic, I refer you to Tom Peyer:

"Alas, the Report writers were too busy with their own jokes to write ours for us. Bastards. But Stephen Colbert and Ben Karlin gave us a surprising amount of feedback, encouragement and time, given their other commitments. They particularly wanted us to understand how the Tek character differs from the Colbert character."

Well, reading that Spider-Man appearance was like going to a party with a friend, who then proceeds to drink too much and decides to unveil his terrible Colbert impression as loudly as possible while standing on a coffee table, making sure to frequently address and refer to you so there's no pretending you didn't bring him.
At least, that's how it made me feel.

I was surprised that they wasn't a single word on Tek Jansen #1 getting nominated for a Harvey Award. The writers couldn't have Stephen kill a few minutes heading into the Baltimore Comic Con? Or trash-talking Grant Morrison afterwards? That was a "Who's NOT Honoring Me" segment waiting to happen, and it didn't

Well, reading that Spider-Man appearance was like going to a party with a friend, who then proceeds to drink too much and decides to unveil his terrible Colbert impression as loudly as possible while standing on a coffee table, making sure to frequently address and refer to you so there’s no pretending you didn’t bring him.
At least, that’s how it made me feel.

I tried watching the actual Colbert Show and it gave me that exact same feeling.

Perhaps it's like with the Jay Leno Spidey appearances, where they just assumed he'd plug them.
If you don't work out that they definitely will before hand, then why expect it?

The Comedy Central Indescision web site has a link to the Marvel site…that doesn’t happen without someone paying someone else money.

You'd be surprised - a lot of business and small advertising deals are along the lines of 'You link to us, we'll link to you' and little things like that.
If your're not in competition and fans of one might like the other, then what's the harm?

Any guy who would quit the Venture Brothers does not deserve my hard earned money anyways.

I tried watching the actual Colbert Show and it gave me that exact same feeling.

OH MY GOD!

We agree on something T!

On a related point, I tried like heck to find the Colbert variant cover of ASM 573, and no shop I visited or contacted in Athens or Atlanta (six total, I think) even got any in their shipments. Not much use in advertising something that can't be found.

Evidently, the desperate ass-kissing of Colbert by Quesada lately has been enough to sicken even a man who goes on TV and smilingly proclaims beliefs he knows to be ridiculous. Kudos!

I actually have to wonder- there was a GIANT gap between issue one and 2 of the Tek Janson comic...think there was some sort of Legal issues holding the series up? Was there some conflicting agreements between Colbert and Marvel and Colbert and Oni that led to him pimiping NEITHER of the products? I'd say the reason is a legal/rights issue rather than any disdain of either project from Colbert himself.

Tim wrote:
Was there some conflicting agreements between Colbert and Marvel and Colbert and Oni that led to him pimiping NEITHER of the products? I’d say the reason is a legal/rights issue rather than any disdain of either project from Colbert himself.

There's no evidence to support that notion.

Followup clarification re: Tim Doyle's concerns: Over in the comments thread of my original article, Oni Press managing editor Randal C. Jarrel explains that the big delay between the first and second issue stemmed from the WGA strike.

Well, Colbert just spent a good three minutes talking about ASM 573, his Marvel Universe presidential campaign and the results, as well as a small nod to DC. Still no mention of the Tek Jansen comics, but this was at least something.

It's only been a few weeks since that issue came out, hasn't it? Will this promo cause a bump in newsstand sales, and a bump in people looking for the issue at comic shops?