mrhan

We all know the answer to that question but check out this article, it gives a little more info on which issue had it first and little tidbits on the various ways they used the little box in the corner.

http://www.cbr.com/why-was-spider-ma...-in-the-1980s/

jjcool

Interesting read. Thanks for posting it. I had known the basics behind the practice, but there was a little more info there than I had known before.

PhantomStranger

Marvel switched to using Captain America in the box for a couple of years. They went with some others as well in the 90s.

I never understood why Marvel and DC didn't place the UPC code on the back cover. The cover is what sold the comic in newsstand sales. They wasted precious real estate on an ugly UPC code.

MBoyd

I seem to recall a letter in the back of some comic about that very thing. It had to do with keeping the advertiser happy.

TheBang

That's interesting. I didn't realize that the distinction was because of return fraud.

I didn't realize that editorial gave the titles free reign over the box after Shooter left, but I remember one particular series of boxes at the end of the Transformers run that were a bit whimsical. The box illustration would relate to the rest of the cover or the storyline, for example, Transformers #76 is about Grimlock locking up (due to Nucleon fuel usage) and being unable to move (as shown on the cover), so the corner box has an oil can.



And the next issue, #77, has the Autobot/Decepticon truce logos crossed out, and the corner box has the paint can ostensibly used to do that:



Here are the remainder of the covers:

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/ist...1143584.78.GIF
http://image2.milehighcomics.com/ist...1143584.79.GIF
http://image2.milehighcomics.com/ist...1143584.80.GIF

The Valeyard

Venom #1 had my favorite corner box:

Dr. DVD

I loved these! They were a way to separate the casual comic buyers from the hardcore!

mrhan

I have multiple copies of that book but I can't recall that box art. I feel like I'm actually seeing that for the first time!