FOOM returns!

I was one of the original subscribers to FOOM back in 1973, and had every issue. For those of you who have never heard of it, FOOM was an acronym for Friends Of Ol' Marvel and the magazine was Marvel's own "fanzine". It provided news on upcoming comics and features, and was, for many of us, our first experience of a fanzine. (Although in actuality it was a professional mag, not a fanzine in the strictest sense.)

This week, Marvel brought FOOM back in a 40 page full colour glossy format. Free (if you're lucky) or a couple of quid if you're ordering it from UK sellers. I sent away for it, eagerly looking forward to the return of one of my favourite comics mags.

Except... it's sadly lacking in comparison to the original FOOM. Oh, the news aspect is there sure enough, heavily promoting Marvel Legacy, the company's latest gimmick, but that's mostly it. The old FOOM contained brand new artwork and covers specifically drawn for the mag (some even by Steranko, who superbly edited/designed the first four issues) but the new FOOM uses nothing but recycled art from comics of the past and upcoming Marvel Legacy issues. Quite a disappointment, giving it a throwaway feel. 

A few years ago, Marvel revived the Marvel Spotlight title as an occasional magazine to promote their latest stuff, and this version of FOOM is closer to that than it is to its original incarnation. 

Still, if you want to see what's coming up from Marvel, pick up a copy of FOOM from your local comic shop, but bear in mind that it's FOOM in name only. 

Tweet

Subscribe to receive free email updates: