Marvel Comics is gearing up to kick off its official birthday festivities. The publisher has announced even more 80th anniversary celebrations with limited-time content with your favourite Marvel games; limited-time merchandise; and retailer events in honour of Marvel’s legacy!
Marvel announced plans to celebrate its birthday on August 31: the day Marvel Comics #1 gave the world its first look at the Marvel Universe. To celebrate the worldwide impact that followed, there will be activations and retailer events around the globe. Events include:
- D23 Expo (August 23-25) – Taking place at the Anaheim Convention Center, attendees can shop, snap Marvel-themed photos with friends, and discover hidden surprises around every corner in the Marvel section of the “Uptown Disney” booth on the show floor. Don’t miss Marvel’s exciting lineup of film, television, animation, and comic book guest appearances, panels, stage events, and more!
- Marvel Comics #1000 Releases (August 28) – Soon to be available at your local comic shop, don’t miss the historic debut of this massive, oversized special-edition book featuring luminaries from both classic and current comic books (and beyond!), revealing a long-kept secret of the Marvel Universe and some startling discoveries along the way.
- Marvel Birthday Celebration at Dragon Con (August 31) – Dragon Con and Marvel will be celebrating Marvel’s 80th anniversary this year on August 31, Marvel’s official birthday! Attendees can join the party during the annual Dragon Con Parade, on Dragon Con’s social media channels, and a cosplay meet-up complete with birthday cake provided by DecoPac and Kroger, candles, and photo opportunities!
- Commemorative Merchandise (August – December) – Fans will be able to get their hands on limited-time Marvel 80th anniversary apparel, accessories, collectibles, books and more from Hasbro, Funko, LootCrate, Diamond Select, Mattel, DecoPac, Mad Engine, Bioworld, C-Life, Citizen, Disney store|shopDisney and many more!
- Retail Activations for Marvel’s Birthday (August – December) – Visit retailers around the country including Amazon, Walmart, Target, Party City, Box Lunch, Hot Topic, Uniqlo, GameStop, FYE and more for in-store activations, new merchandise, special offers, and celebratory fanfare. On August 31, be sure to stop by your local participating FYE for an in-store Marvel birthday party celebration; Amazon for special items celebrating Marvel’s anniversary; participating comic shops for exclusive Marvel birthday party events and a free Marvel Universe Magazine (while supplies last); and Disney stores for in-store activities throughout the day. Disney stores will also launch a new product line this fall in stores and online at shopDisney.com.
- Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes! (ongoing) – Take a tour of the Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes! The exhibition, currently extending its run through September 11 at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA, showcases more than 300 artifacts from Marvel’s past and present. The exhibition will reopen on October 19 at the Telus World of Science Edmonton in Canada.
- Global Experiences (ongoing) – Look for Marvel 80th anniversary merchandise at pop-up shops throughout China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia. Also, keep an eye out for special events at Disney Parks & Resorts, Marvel’s Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. locations and exciting displays and exhibits in Australia, Mexico and Brazil. And don’t miss the exhilarating Marvel Universe Live! show with Feld Entertainment, now touring internationally!
Throughout the month of August, Marvel fans will also be able to celebrate Marvel’s 80th anniversary through their favorite Marvel Games! Marvel will be collaborating with its partners to bring limited-time in-game activations to celebrate key characters, stories, costumes, and other extras from Marvel history in MARVEL Strike Force, MARVEL Future Fight, MARVEL Puzzle Quest, and MARVEL Contest of Champions.
Commemorative art – drawn exclusively by legendary comic book artist Adam Kubert to celebrate Marvel’s birthday – will be available as featured on select merchandise and t-shirts through the Marvel Design Vault on Amazon, shopDisney, and other retailers. Symbolizing decades of the Marvel Universe, Kubert’s art is the perfect way to celebrate the expansive roster of classic and iconic Marvel Super Heroes such as Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, Thor, Shuri, Wolverine, and many more.
For fans of Marvel’s animated series and family content, visit Marvel HQ to dive into decades of Marvel content! Find your favorite episodes of Marvel Mash-Ups including redubbed moments from Marvel Super Heroes, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, and more, along with more recent series like The Super Hero Squad Show, Ultimate Spider-Man, Marvel’s Avengers Assemble, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Marvel Rising, and Marvel Super Hero Adventures.
To learn more about Marvel’s Super Heroes and keep up with the ever-expanding Marvel Universe, pick up the new edition of DK’s best-selling Marvel Encyclopedia! And be sure to scoop up three brand new flavors from Ample Hills Creamery inspired by Black Panther, Captain America and Spider-Man – the perfect treat to celebrate this Marvel milestone and cool off this summer.
For 80 years, Marvel has reflected the world outside your window – inspiring millions of fans with iconic characters and timeless stories that brought the Marvel Universe to the forefront of pop culture today. Celebrate Marvel’s historic 80th Anniversary all year long with your favorite Marvel comics, games, shows, collectibles, fashion, and more!
Visit marvel.com/marvel80 or follow #Marvel80 for more information.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @GetYourComicOn, or on Instagram at GetYourComicOn. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected].
