Marvel Swimsuit Special

The Marvel Swimsuit Special (formerly Marvel Illustrated: The Swimsuit Issue) was an annual magazine-styled comic book published by Marvel Comics from 1991 to 1995. A parody of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, the series featured pin-ups of Marvel Comics characters in swimwear. The fan service-driven nature of the Marvel Swimsuit Special, and its overt sexual objectification of Marvel characters, has been the subject of both criticism and praise. Attempts have been made to revive the series, though none have been successful; most recently, a one-shot to be titled Marvel Summer Special was announced for release in 2019, but was subsequently cancelled.

Marvel Swimsuit Special
Cover to Marvel Swimsuit Special #1.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
ScheduleYearly
Genre
Publication date1991 – 1995
No. of issues5
Creative team
Written byVarious
Artist(s)Various
Editor(s)Bobbie Chase (1991-1992)
Evan Skolnick (1993)
Chris Cooper (1994-1995)

Overview

Development

The Marvel Swimsuit Special was developed in the early 1990s, when the "pervasiveness of bikini bodies in American culture was apparent to everyone"[1] through media such as Baywatch, MTV Beach House, and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, the lattermost of which would heavily influence the Marvel Swimsuit Special.[1] The series was additionally influenced by the Amazing Heroes Swimsuit Issue series, first published by Fantagraphics Books as Amazing Heroes #115 in April 1987.[2][3] That series, which featured unlicensed depictions of various mainstream comics characters, featured artwork by multiple artists who would later go on to work for Marvel Comics in an official capacity, including Stuart Immonen and Ty Templeton.[2]

Tom DeFalco, the editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics during the majority of the Marvel Swimsuit Special's publication run, has characterized the decision to produce the series as being largely financially motivated.[4] As Marvel's licensing, animation, and film divisions struggled in the 1990s (culminating in the company filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1996[5]), the company became increasingly sales-focused in its comic division. The concept of a comic series that imitated the successful Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue was proposed multiple times, and was ultimately published in 1991.[4] Similarly to many comics released in the era of comics speculation, the Marvel Swimsuit Special was marketed as a collector's item that would appreciate in value over time.[6]

Content

The Marvel Swimsuit Special primarily featured pin-up style illustrations of characters from Marvel's main franchises, including the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and others such as Alpha Flight. The tone of the series was broadly tongue-in-cheek and humorous, rather than explicitly erotic.[3][7] Both male and female characters were included in the Marvel Swimsuit Special; DeFalco stated that the series "[broke] a lot of walls in terms of sexualizing some of the male characters,"[4] though the inclusion of male characters was hypothesized by critics as preemptively deflecting criticism that the series sexually objectified women.[8] Early issues in the series featured mostly women and included men primarily in group images, though by the end of the series' run it had achieved a more equitable gender balance, with male characters featured in both group images and pin-up style illustrations.[1] According to writer Warren Ellis, male characters were included at the direction of Christian Cooper, who edited the final two issues of the Swimsuit Special.[9] Multiple artists were featured in each edition of the magazine, including Joyce Chin, Mike Deodato, Jan Duursema, Greg and Tim Hildebrandt, Adam Hughes, Joe Madureira, Joe Phillips, Dan Panosian, Joe Quesada, Brian Stelfreeze, and numerous others.[3] The first issue in the series, Marvel Illustrated: The Swimsuit Issue, featured multiple parody advertisements and fake interviews with various Marvel characters, though these sections were removed or scaled back in subsequent issues.[10][11]

Each issue had a theme, setting, and a briefly-outlined plot that served as a framing device for the issue's illustrations. Marvel Illustrated: The Swimsuit Issue is set during the "Super Olympics" organized by Stark Enterprises in the Savage Land, with the images presented as characters modelling swimwear designed by Janet Van Dyne.[12] Marvel Swimsuit Special #1 is set in the fictional nation of Wakanda, with the illustrations presented as photographs from Black Panther and Monica Lynne's engagement party.[3] Marvel Swimsuit Special #2 centers on Pip the Troll using the Infinity Gems to transport the heroes of the Marvel Universe to Monster Island for a beach party.[13] Marvel Swimsuit Special #3 follows the celebration of "The Water Festival of the Inhumans" on the Moon,[14] while Marvel Swimsuit Special #4 centers on the prince of Madripoor inviting heroes to the country to boost its tourism industry.[15]

List of issues
Issue Release date Cover character(s) & artist Centerfold character(s) & artist Setting Tagline(s)
Marvel Illustrated: The Swimsuit Issue[12][16] January 1991 She-Hulk by Brian Stelfreeze Mary Jane Watson by Joe Jusko The Savage Land
  • "A Sophisticated Parody for Everyone Who Loves Marvel Comics"
  • "The Boys (and Girls) of Summer"
  • "The Super Olympics Down Under"
Marvel Swimsuit Special #1[17] 1992 Storm by Marc Silvestri Psylocke by Jim Lee Wakanda
  • "Take A Wakanda Wild Side!"
Marvel Swimsuit Special #2[13] 1993 Rogue by Joe Jusko Black Widow by Adam Hughes Monster Island
  • "Join Marvel's Hottest Super Heroes for Big Fun on Monster Island!"
Marvel Swimsuit Special #3[14] 1994 Invisible Woman and Namor by Adam Hughes Rogue and Gambit by the Brothers Hildebrandt The Moon
  • "Come to the Moon and Explore Heavenly Bodies Guaranteed to Send You Into Orbit!"
Marvel Swimsuit Special #4[15] 1995 Rogue and Gambit by the Brothers Hildebrandt Jean Grey and Cyclops by the Brothers Hildebrandt Madripoor
  • "Mad for Madripoor"

Reception

Critical reception
Panels of Psylocke by Roger Cruz (left) and Northstar and Hector by Jan Duursema (right) from Marvel Swimsuit Special #4. By the end of the series' run, it had achieved approximate gender parity in its depicted characters.

The Marvel Swimsuit Special has received a mixed critical reaction. Comics writer Chris Claremont has called the series "problematic and plagued by the inherent disadvantage female characters face,"[4] and criticized its focus on titillation over storytelling.[4] Reappraising the series for The Comics Journal in 2011, comics critic Richard Cook dismissed the Swimsuit Special as "spank material for nerdy teenage boys" and criticized the quality of the series' artwork, noting that the ostensibly sexualized swimsuits of multiple female characters were ironically just as revealing as their standard superhero costumes.[8] Cook cites the inclusion of objectified male characters as serving an aspirational function for heterosexual male readers and a sexual function for heterosexual female and gay male readers,[18] concluding that the series is "puerile, but it’s a smart puerile that understood its target audience."[8]

Conversely, critic Megan Byrd has praised the Marvel Swimsuit Special in Women Write About Comics, arguing that the series "fulfill[s] fans' desires to see the characters sexualized, without that goal distracting or minimizing the content of in-continuity stories."[19] Byrd praised the series for its unadorned fan service, particularly its sexualization of both male and female characters.[19] In a separate review for Women Write About Comics, critic Wendy Browne argued that the sexualized artwork of the Swimsuit Special compares favorably to sexualized artwork in narrative-focused comic books, specifically citing Milo Manara's criticized variant cover for Spider-Woman #1, arguing that sexualization in the Marvel Swimsuit Special is "contextual rather than gratuitous."[3]

Legacy

The years subsequent to the release of the Marvel Swimsuit Special saw a proliferation of swimsuit issues from a variety of comic book publishers, including Homage Studios Swimsuit Special from Image Comics in 1993,[20] Lady Death: Swimsuit from Chaos Comics in 1994,[21] and Avengelyne Swimsuit Book from Maximum Press in 1995.[22] A variant cover for the 2016 Street Fighter Swimsuit Special published by Udon Entertainment directly tributes the cover artwork for Marvel Illustrated: The Swimsuit Issue, with Chun-Li in place of She-Hulk.[23]

In 2015, nude illustrations of Marvel characters appeared in that year's Body Issue of ESPN The Magazine,[24] which was contrasted by Comics Alliance to the Marvel Swimsuit Special.[25] In 2016, Marvel published "Mighty Men of Marvel", a series of variant covers featuring beefcake-themed art. Writing for Comics Alliance, writer Andrew Wheeler criticized the largely non-sexualized images as lacking the "confidence that Marvel showed twenty years ago with its famously tongue-in-cheek Swimsuit Specials."[26]

In 2018, the Marvel Swimsuit Special was referenced in Multiple Man #4 (2018), in which Jamie Madrox sends duplicates of himself to a variety of alternate timelines, including a timeline inspired by the Marvel Swimsuit Special.[27] That same year, a fan art tribute to the Marvel Swimsuit Special was organized by comics writer Leah Williams under the hashtag #MarvelSwimsuit2018.[28][29]

Attempted revivals

Anka/Wada revival

In January 2015, artists Kris Anka and Kevin Wada announced that they had ceased production on a new version of the Marvel Swimsuit Special after being unable to reach an agreement with Marvel over the book's publication.[30] Planned as a 52-page art book split evenly between male and female characters, the artists shared completed artwork of Gambit, Hellion, and Robbie Reyes that would have appeared in the book on Anka's Tumblr account.[31] Though outlets initially reported the book as a title that had been solicited and cancelled by Marvel,[30] Anka later clarified that the project was an artists' sketchbook that they had pitched to Marvel for their approval, and that he and Wada made the decision to not move forward with the project.[32]

Marvel Summer Special

On April 18, 2019, a revival of Marvel Swimsuit Special titled Marvel Summer Special was announced, with cover artwork by Adam Hughes and Ron Lim.[33] The series was slated for release in July of that year, to coincide with the 80th anniversary of Marvel Comics.[33] Three weeks later, the issue was pulled from Marvel's release schedule and Diamond Comics' Previews retail catalog, effectively cancelling the title.[34] Marvel gave no reason for the issue's cancellation, beyond a statement that the issue "will not be resolicited."[35]

See also

References
  1. White, Brett (27 Aug 2014). "Flipping Through The Weirdly Subversive "Marvel Swimsuit Specials"". Comics Alliance. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  2. Sims, Chris (3 June 2010). "The ComicsAlliance Summer Swimsuit Special!". Comics Alliance. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  3. Browne, Wendy (10 Oct 2014). "Remember Swimsuit Issues? I Miss Those". Women Write About Comics. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  4. Leftley, Nick (21 December 2019). "The Cursed Legacy of the Marvel Swimsuit Editions". MEL Magazine. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  5. "Marvel Reaches Agreement to Emerge from Bankruptcy". The New York Times. July 11, 1997. p. D3. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011.
  6. Sims, Chris (10 November 2009). "Swimsuit Issues: Marvel's Craziest Swimsuit Specials". Comics Alliance. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  7. "Now that's what we call objectification!". Comics Beat (via Archive). 13 January 2011. Archived from the original on 16 January 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  8. Cook, Richard (11 January 2011). "Superheroes in Speedos". The Comics Journal (archived). Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  9. Johnson, Rich (7 June 2020). "Warren Ellis Remembers When Marvel Illustrated Swimsuit Went Gay". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  10. Reyes, Eli (26 November 2009). "Marvel Swimsuit: Funny Fake Ads from the 90's specials". Geek Tyrant. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  11. Defalco, Tom; Frenz, Roz; Frenz, Randall (28 August 2019). Thor Epic Collection: The Black Galaxy. Marvel Comics. ISBN 978-1302918507.
  12. Chase, Bobbie, ed. (1991). Marvel Illustrated: The Swimsuit Issue Vol. 1, No. 1. New York, NY: Marvel Comics.
  13. Skolnick, Evan, ed. (1993). Marvel Swimsuit Special Vol. 1, No. 2. New York, NY: Marvel Comics.
  14. Cooper, Chris, ed. (1994). Marvel Swimsuit Special Vol. 1, No. 3. New York, NY: Marvel Comics.
  15. Cooper, Chris, ed. (1995). Marvel Swimsuit Special Vol. 1, No. 4. New York, NY: Marvel Comics.
  16. "Marvel's Swimsuit Special". New Sunday Times. November 11, 1990. p. 19. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
  17. Chase, Bobbie, ed. (1992). Marvel Swimsuit Special Vol. 1, No. 1. New York, NY: Marvel Comics.
  18. Lamar, Cyriaque (11 January 2011). "The non-stop erotic thrills of the 1990s Marvel Swimsuit Specials". IO9. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  19. Byrd, Megan (16 January 2011). "Why Marvel Needs a New Swimsuit Special". Women Write About Comics. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  20. "Homage Studios Swimsuit Special #1". Grand Comics Database. 1993. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  21. "Lady Death Swimsuit Special". Grand Comics Database. May 1994. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  22. "Avengelyne Swimsuit #1". Grand Comics Database. 1995. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  23. "Street Fighter 2016 Swimsuit Special - Cover C". Focus Attack. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  24. "The Body Issue: Super Heroes Edition". ESPN The Magazine. 9 July 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  25. "ESPN Magazine and Marvel Team Up For A Superhero 'Body Issue'". Comics Alliance. 9 July 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  26. Wheeler, Andrew (21 March 2016). "Marvel's 'Mighty Men' Variant Covers Are Lukewarm Beefcake At Best". Comics Alliance. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  27. Ferguson, James (25 September 2018). "Remember The Marvel Swimsuit Special? You Will After Reading Multiple Man #4". Comicon. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  28. Yehl, Joshua (6 June 2018). "Fan Artists Resurrect 'Marvel Swimsuit Specials' With Sun-kissed Sketches". IGN. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  29. Anderson, Jenna (5 June 2018). "Fans Pay Tribute to 'Marvel Swimsuit Specials' With Awesome Summer Sketches". Comicbook.com. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  30. Wheeler, Andrew (14 January 2015). "Anka and Wada Drop Plans for 'Marvel Swimsuit Special'". Comics Alliance. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  31. Arrant, Chris (14 January 2015). "Updated: Kris Anka Clarifies 'Marvel Swimsuit' Book Was Never A Marvel Project". Newsarama. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  32. Melrose, Kevin (14 January 2015). "Plans for a Marvel 'Swimsuit Special' have been (sadly) scrapped". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  33. Terror, Jude (18 April 2019). "Marvel Swimsuit Special Returns in July". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  34. Barnhardt, Adam (11 May 2019). "Marvel Summer Special Canceled Ahead of Release". Comicbook.com. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  35. Arrant, Chris (9 May 2019). "Marvel Summer Special #1 Canceled". Newsarama. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
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