Mythic Messenger #2 - The dopest comics collection, ESPN doubles down on esports, and other stories
Ah, it’s you again, reader. I feel like you and I are destined to do this forever…
Welcome to the second Mythic Messenger! We were stoked with how much you enjoyed our first collection of news and previews from the world of fandom, so now we’re gonna do more! Consider us at Mythic Markets your buffer against the information overload of this isolation period - the loyal Alfred to your Dark Knight.
Once-in-a-lifetime auction puts a century of pristine comics on the block
We have to start this issue with massive news from the world of comics, which is going through a hell of a time right now. The historic decision was made to temporarily halt the distribution of new comics - not by publishers Marvel or DC, but by monopolistic middleman Diamond Comic Distributors. This raised all sorts of discussion over where power should lie in the industry, and even whether printed comic books will have a future!
Then in the midst of all this uncertainty, Sotheby’s suddenly announced the most significant comics auction in recent history. The Levine Collection - an unfathomable 40,000+ book collection featuring the complete catalogue of DC Comics - has been made available for private purchase in its entirety.
Taking decades to originally assemble, the massive collection features all of DC’s greatest hits, including the most valuable individual issues in comics history. Action Comics #1, the debut of Superman, is there. So is Detective Comics #27, featuring the debut of Batman. With both of these comics having sold for millions of dollars alone, and others like the debut of Wonder Woman not far behind, it’s inevitable that this sale will break all records for the medium.
Part of the collection, as it was kept by curator and UK music producer Ian Levine.
For the ultra-rich comics fan, this is a literal once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The rest of us can at least appreciate the collection’s significance through this lavish brochure put out for the auction. And if you want to learn about how comics became such a sought-after investment, check out our recent blog post on the topic.
ESPN inks deal with Major League (of Legends)
Even if the world has slowed down for many of us at the minute, the broadcast entertainment industry is scrambling to try and meet the increased demand from millions of bored Americans stuck at home. Normally ESPN, which is in some 84 million of those homes, would be crushing it with round-the-clock sports features - but there’s no sports right now to show. So esports has risen to fill the void, with ESPN now announcing unprecedented live coverage of the League of Legends Championship Series.
We reported last Mythic Messenger that the network’s first tentative steps to replace pro sports with pro gaming were a success - simulated NASCAR broke records and had everyone from drivers to fans floored with how close it felt to the real thing. But what about esports which don’t simulate familiar ESPN programming? Can mainstream audiences accept LoL in lieu of NBA and MLB?
League of Legends is by far the most popular game on Twitch, the leading esports broadcaster, racking up 123 million hours watched over the last month alone. But the strategic, visually intense battles between pirates, ninjas and floating alien eyeballs will definitely be a culture shock for your average sports fan. This deal shows ESPN has doubled down on this esports experiment, and if it succeeds we may see an impact on its programming even after the sporting world returns from hibernation.
Fast fandom!
As always, there is a ton going on in the interconnected world of pop culture and fan media. Here are a few of the stories that caught our eye:
Disneyland closure hits different for one fan
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to touch all our lives in personal and hard-to-predict ways. VICE this week interviewed Disney cult figure Jeff Reitz, who has been on an unbroken streak of visiting Disneyland every day since 2012. Initially something Reitz and a friend did to stay positive while out of work, Reitz kept the streak up for years afterwards because it felt “comfortable and good”. But with Disneyland closed indefinitely due to coronavirus, Jeff had no choice but to end his streak, just short of 3000 days. He says he’s happy to leave the record there: “I’d like to do a little more touring around.”
Godzilla-sized foot in mouth for MTG
Magic: The Gathering kicked off their promotional efforts this week for a new card set, Ikoria: Lair of Monsters. Themed around giant mutated monsters battling, Ikoria was the perfect opportunity for Magic’s first ever in-game cross-promotion: Godzilla!
Unfortunately, not even the joy of official cards depicting famous kaiju monsters was safe from the pandemic. In a truly unfortunate coincidence, Magic designers working months before the pandemic news broke had given one new card a name which, in the current climate, was a PR disaster waiting to happen. Hasbro was forced to recall the first run of Godzilla cards, promising to reprint them under a better-omened name.
“Surreal, insane”: Wrestlemania held in empty building
Even when the rest of the world makes sense, the professional wrestling world of Vince McMahon’s WWE is a unique and absurd place. So it makes sense that the current cultural climate would give birth to one of the most weirdly watchable pieces of trainwreck TV wrestling has ever produced.
The WWE’s refusal to cancel its annual gala show under any circumstances led to Wrestlemania being broadcast not from a packed stadium full of fireworks and screaming fans, but an empty warehouse where wrestlers grappled in brightly-lit, uncomfortable silence. The internet reacted to this cavalcade of grunts and groans with the appropriate laughter and memes; although John Cena’s abstract, cinematic “match” against Freddy-Krueger-like monster Bray Wyatt drew praise for how it embraced the show’s weirdness.
Brace yourselves! New drop coming soon
As you can see, the news cycle of geek-dom has barely slowed down, even as we collectively shelter in our homes. Mythic Markets is proud to be able to share some of the most interesting and exciting developments with you - especially when they come from our own site!
Our next unique asset will be open to investors soon, with shares available for purchase in our “MTG-94BOX” collection of sealed, mint booster boxes from Magic: The Gathering’s debut year. If you want to learn more about the history and value of these rare boxes, there’s tons of background information and behind-the-scenes details on our site. We hope those whet your appetite while you wait for the official launch announcement in the coming days.
Pleasant reading! (and remember to watch your emails!)
- The Mythic Markets Team