Overstreet essay interviews creators, explores pop cultural significance
Comics and Marketing Expert Ed Catto will explore the historical pop cultural significance of the 70s All-Star Comics revival of the Justice Society of America in this year’s Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide.
The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide provides prices for comics, but more importantly, since 1970 has become a detailed, annual celebration of comic history, with articles, industry trend reports and price listings.
“The Justice Society of America’s reboot in the seventies was an enormously important event in so many ways,” said Catto. “It crystalized the ability of fan-favorite heroes, despite a confusing backstory, to headline an ongoing title. The series both re-introduced old favorite characters as well as introduced new characters to fans.”
“And creatively, this reboot allowed a legendary artist to enjoy a last hurrah in mainstream comics and helped launch the careers of long-lived industry favorites,” said Catto.
For this article, Catto enjoyed in-depth conversations with some of the creators involved with the relaunch, including writer Paul Levitz and artist Joe Staton. J. David Spurlock, publisher of Vanguard Productions, provided historical insights representing the estate of Wallace Wood. And long-time Justice Society enthusiast Roy Thomas, although not directly involved with this effort originally, offered anecdotes and “secret origins” for the series.
The 46th edition of Overstreet comes out this summer with two covers, a diptych piece by Amanda Conner spread across two covers. The Justice Society’s Power Girl is on the left-hand side, and the popular Harley Quinn is on the right. The book will be available in both hardcover and softcover editions. As is the standard practice, fans are encouraged to order the hardcover edition from their local comic shop because it will be printed in limited quantities.
Additionally, The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #46 pays tribute to legendary artist Russ Heath. The master artist turns his attention to Sgt. Rock and the spirit of DC’s classic war comics with a new cover. This special edition features all the same contents as the standard edition.
The Justice Society article’s author, Ed Catto, is a founding partner of Bonfire Agency, a full-service marketing agency dedicated to helping brands navigate within Geek Culture. He is also a co-founder of Captain Action Enterprises, focused on re-establishing nostalgic characters for today’s audiences. Catto, an advertising expert, frequently speaks about and writes on the intersection of Geek Culture and marketing.
The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide will debut at Comic-Con International in San Diego, and will arrive in stores on Wednesday, July 20, 2016. Retail for the hardcover is $35 and retail price for the softcover is $29.95.
This Russ Heath variant cover is limited to 1,000 hardcover copies and 1,000 softcover copies.