VERY odd Eclipse item...

Knightt · Post by **Knightt** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:55 pm

wouldn't you say ?

I wonder what gives ?

Eclipse huh ?

Chiclo, Bro J, Draco, Prelate1, doorman or any of my other experts

(Knightt doesn't know everything but surrounds himself with knowledgeable people)

Chiclo · Post by **Chiclo** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 10:22 pm

Solicited under Eclipse in the same issue of Previews that included the Deathmate Orange Preview and Plasm 0 (June 93?).

Also bound into that volume was a card featuring some art for the Spogz.

My wife seems to have hidden my copy of that month's previews. I am about 90% sure a binder was solicited as well.

Chiclo · Post by **Chiclo** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 10:44 pm

HA! Found it.

There's a full-page, B&W ad on page 95 for the Spogz. It says, among other things:

54 Spog set, 6 Spogs per pack

Sub-set of 6 PrizmPogz

Prizmpogboard in every box

Every spog has a high gloss UV coating

Platinumpogz (Solid nickel metal pogz)

The hottest collectible of 1993.

According to the description on page 96, the PlatinumPogz had to be redeemed directly from Eclipse.

Brother J · Post by **Brother J** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 4:38 am

In case anyone is wondering (like I was at first), Pogs were a 90's thing that were popular for a time. Here's the wikipedia article on them:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pogs

I remember these things when they first came out, but had no idea what people did with them.

Draco · Post by **Draco** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 5:00 am

Also i recall Wildstorm having a go too.
Skycaps i think they were called.

Fricking genius this stuff.

I have some pogz in a box somewhere.
I dont think ill bother to look.

Knightt · Post by **Knightt** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 5:21 am

Chiclo wrote:Solicited under Eclipse in the same issue of Previews that included the Deathmate Orange Preview and Plasm 0 (June 93?).

Also bound into that volume was a card featuring some art for the Spogz.

My wife seems to have hidden my copy of that month's previews. I am about 90% sure a binder was solicited as well.

How is it that there is a Eclipse/Spawn connection here ?

Draco · Post by **Draco** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 9:06 am

Knightt wrote:
Chiclo wrote:Solicited under Eclipse in the same issue of Previews that included the Deathmate Orange Preview and Plasm 0 (June 93?).

Also bound into that volume was a card featuring some art for the Spogz.

My wife seems to have hidden my copy of that month's previews. I am about 90% sure a binder was solicited as well.
How is it that there is a Eclipse/Spawn connection here ?

Im not too sure about the card connection, but Eclipse were a decent sized publisher and the longest standing of the indy guys with many smaller companies publishing through them.

I guess there must have been similar items in the early nineties also done by Eclipse that we just dont notice through lack of Known properties like Spawn.

If they already had something in this sector i guess Mcfarlane or his marketing people saw an easy ticket.

Chiclo · Post by **Chiclo** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 9:31 am

Knightt wrote:
Chiclo wrote:Solicited under Eclipse in the same issue of Previews that included the Deathmate Orange Preview and Plasm 0 (June 93?).

Also bound into that volume was a card featuring some art for the Spogz.

My wife seems to have hidden my copy of that month's previews. I am about 90% sure a binder was solicited as well.
How is it that there is a Eclipse/Spawn connection here ?

Most of what I know about McFarlane's efforts to buy/absorb/steal the Eclipse properties I heard from you. I presume this is yet another link in that particular chain.

I have seen mentions (and I'll never in a million years be able to remember where I read this) where early in the Image thing, the Image people regarded Eclipse as the "Image before there was an Image", but I always felt Comico better fit their publishing philosophy (except for the emphasis on the art and the lateness). That might have just been McFarlane laying the groundwork for his evil plot, though.

Cyberstrike · Post by **Cyberstrike** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 11:48 am

Knightt wrote:
Chiclo wrote:Solicited under Eclipse in the same issue of Previews that included the Deathmate Orange Preview and Plasm 0 (June 93?).

Also bound into that volume was a card featuring some art for the Spogz.

My wife seems to have hidden my copy of that month's previews. I am about 90% sure a binder was solicited as well.
How is it that there is a Eclipse/Spawn connection here ?

Eclipse published more than comics they pubished trading cards, pogs and a lot more and that McFarlane didn't want to lose any of the rights to Spawn and that is the main reason why he bought Eclipse.

Or something like that.

That's what I remember from Beau Smith's interview in Kimota! The Miracleman Companion.

turborip · Post by **turborip** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 12:47 pm

As mentioned, Eclipse was probably just in a better position at the time to do some licensing, while McFarlane and Image were just getting publishing down.

Eclipse also did some publishing for Studio Proteus. I recall some really nice Dirty Pair and Appleseed books coming through Eclipse. Studio Proteus would end up at Dark Horse later.

Pogs though...man, talk about a flash in the pan fad. I've never seen something come and go so quick!

Draco · Post by **Draco** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 1:32 pm

I thought Viz published their entire line with Eclipse before going solo.

turborip · Post by **turborip** » Sun Jun 21, 2009 2:32 pm

Draco wrote:I thought Viz published their entire line with Eclipse before going solo.

I think you are right. Was Area 88 a Viz production or Studio Proteus joint?

Knightt · Post by **Knightt** » Sun Jun 21, 2009 3:11 pm

Chiclo wrote:Most of what I know about McFarlane's efforts to buy/absorb/steal the Eclipse properties I heard from you. I presume this is yet another link in that particular chain.

That might have just been McFarlane laying the groundwork for his evil plot, though.

I have often thought that but didn't think McFarlane could think that far out especially with a fledgling company to deal with. But I guess people have 'agendas' and are that devious.

That is something very foreign to me... an 'agenda' or an overarching evil scheme to take over the world. I think in the here and now, not two months down the road or four years down the road as in lay ground work so that I can acquire the intellectual properties to Betty Boop or some crap like that, ya know ? I am surprised at all scheming and plotting that goes on in the world, the comic world and hell even the building in which I work in... people are actually trying to build their own empires where I work... and to what end ? I just want to go to work, be successful, do my job, read comic books, complete some collections, make people happy along the way and make sure I have a roof over my loved ones heads and food on the table. But I see it much too often in the world... I think why I like comics so much is that I remember as a kid, dying to get hold of the next issue of Captain America or the Avengers. Nothing more than that... well maybe, making sure that my bicycle was in working order and getting that flat fixed. That is the 'magical' draw of comics. Even during the 90s, I was unaware of what was happening behind the scenes, my first indicator was when Jim shooter all of a sudden disappeared from the back pages of Valiant and I was shocked. COMICS as it ends up is a backhanded, two faced business and I have read too many times where Marvel was so backhanded that it seemed almost criminal.

But the McFarland connection way back when... that photo of the pogs with the Eclipse symbol on it, really got me to wondering. Could there have been seeds of (for lack of better word) evil been planted even way back then ? I just find it odd.... Spawn... pogs... Eclipse symbol on the advertising... fast forward years later... McFarland going after Eclipse... even prints up that retailer incentive book (hell now "I" am even trying to hunt one down)... and it seems it comes back to that initial connection.

Was McFarland thinking that far ahead or did he realize it later that there was something to be done with Eclipse characters. I didn't even know about them when they were in print, but I sure like them now. Hmmm to see those old characters given an even more modern look and story lines.

Would that work today ?

ian_house · Post by **ian_house** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:13 pm

I had MILLIONS of Pogs!

ha ha

vikingspawn · Post by **vikingspawn** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:25 pm

ian_house wrote:I had MILLIONS of Pogs!

ha ha

I had a ton of Star Wars Pizza Hut Pogs.

(from the "Episode I" fever days)