Merry Marvel Marching Society
Encyclopedia
Merry Marvel Marching Society (often referred to by the abbreviation "M.M.M.S.") was a fan club
for Marvel Comics
started by Marvel editor Stan Lee
and/or Marvel publisher Martin Goodman
in 1964.
As author Marc Flores, who writes under the pen name
Ronin Ro, described,
The club proved successful, with Marvel secretary and club coordinator Flo Steinberg
remarking that they "were working seven days a week just opening these envelopes" containing the subscription fee. Soon, the club offered a range of other money-spinning products, including:
The ranks of M.M.M.S. membership, all identified by three-letter abbreviations (such as Q.N.S. for "Quite 'Nuff Sayer" to F.F.F. for "Fearless Front-Facer") were invented by young comics fan Mark Evanier
.
The M.M.M.S. was absorbed into the subsequent Marvel fan club, Marvelmania International
, in 1969. This second club lasted until 1971. A third official Marvel Comics fan club, FOOM
(Friends of 'Ol Marvel) followed from 1973 to 1976.
on Heroes
is reported to be an M.M.M.S. member in the episode "Don't Look Back", although at present in real life, it would be an anachronism
.
Fan club
A fan club is a group that is dedicated to a well-known person, group, idea or sometimes even an inanimate object . Most fan clubs are run by fans who devote considerable time and resources to supporting them. There are also "official" fan clubs that are run by someone associated with the person...
for Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
started by Marvel editor Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
and/or Marvel publisher Martin Goodman
Martin Goodman (publisher)
Martin Goodman born on was an American publisher of pulp magazines, paperback books, men's adventure magazines, and comic books, launching the company that would become Marvel Comics....
in 1964.
History
Following teaser promotion in Marvel comic books cover-dated November 1964, Marvel Comics introduced the company's in-house fan club, the Merry Marvel Marching Society, in its comics cover-dated February 1965, released in the fall 1964. Generally abbreviated as the "M.M.M.S", the club offered readers a $1 membership kit that initially included a- welcoming letter
- membership card
- one-sided, 33 1/3 rpmLP albumThe LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
record, "The Voices of Marvel" - scratch pad
- sticker
- pinback button and
- certificate. The company offered permutations of this kit, plus additional promotional merchandise such as posters and sweatshirts, through comics cover-dated October 1969.
As author Marc Flores, who writes under the pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
Ronin Ro, described,
The club proved successful, with Marvel secretary and club coordinator Flo Steinberg
Flo Steinberg
Florence "Flo" Steinberg is an American publisher of one of the first independent comic books, the underground/alternative comics hybrid Big Apple Comix, in 1975...
remarking that they "were working seven days a week just opening these envelopes" containing the subscription fee. Soon, the club offered a range of other money-spinning products, including:
- Six-foot "life-size, full-color Spidey pin-up" made from a Steve DitkoSteve DitkoStephen J. "Steve" Ditko is an American comic book artist and writer best known as the artist co-creator, with Stan Lee, of the Marvel Comics heroes Spider-Man and Doctor Strange....
drawing of Spider-ManSpider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15... - $1.50 T-shirt with a Ditko-drawn Dr. StrangeDoctor StrangeDoctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
- ThingThing (comics)The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
drawing by Jack KirbyJack KirbyJack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
on "Official Swinging' Stationary" - Fantastic FourFantastic FourThe Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
family portrait T-shirt by Kirby.
The ranks of M.M.M.S. membership, all identified by three-letter abbreviations (such as Q.N.S. for "Quite 'Nuff Sayer" to F.F.F. for "Fearless Front-Facer") were invented by young comics fan Mark Evanier
Mark Evanier
Mark Stephen Evanier is an American comic book and television writer, particularly known for his humor work. He is also known for his columns and blogs, and for his work as a historian and biographer of the comics industry, in particular his award-winning Jack Kirby biography, Kirby: King of...
.
The M.M.M.S. was absorbed into the subsequent Marvel fan club, Marvelmania International
Marvelmania International
Marvelmania International was comic-book publisher Marvel Comics' in-house fan club from 1969 to 1971, which absorbed the Merry Marvel Marching Society begun in 1964...
, in 1969. This second club lasted until 1971. A third official Marvel Comics fan club, FOOM
FOOM
FOOM was Marvel Comics' self-produced fan magazine of the mid-1970s, following the canceled Marvelmania and preceding Marvel Age. Running 22 quarterly issues FOOM (also written as F.O.O.M.) was Marvel Comics' self-produced fan magazine of the mid-1970s, following the canceled Marvelmania and...
(Friends of 'Ol Marvel) followed from 1973 to 1976.
In popular culture
The character of Hiro NakamuraHiro Nakamura
is a fictional character on the NBC fantasy drama Heroes who possesses the ability of space-time manipulation. This means that Hiro is able to alter the flow of time. Previously, his ability allowed him to teleport, stop time, or travel through time, but recent events in the series have prevented...
on Heroes
Heroes (TV series)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
is reported to be an M.M.M.S. member in the episode "Don't Look Back", although at present in real life, it would be an anachronism
Anachronism
An anachronism—from the Greek ανά and χρόνος — is an inconsistency in some chronological arrangement, especially a chronological misplacing of persons, events, objects, or customs in regard to each other...
.
Audio
- Pratt, Doug. "The MMMS Records Remastered", DogRat.com, September 23, 2007. The Voices of Marvel and Scream Along with Marvel. Archive.org archive, WebCitation archive.