In not only his first press conference as PEOTUS, but the first presidential press conference that refuted rumors of urine play, president-elect Donald Trump confirmed that he is considering Marvel CEO Isaac “Ike” Perlmutter for a role in his administration, probably consulting on the Veteran’s Affairs dept. “Ike Perlmutter has been very very involved,” he told the assembled. “One of the great men of business. We’re gonna straighten out the VA for our veterans.”
Perlmutter and his wife Laura have been big Trump supporters with an especially keen interest in veterans, as shown by a $1 million donation a year ago to Trump’s veteran’s tel-a-thon.
In addition Perlmutter is himself a veteran – although of the Israeli army where he served in the 6 Day War in the 60s.
Perlmutter'[s role in the government (never thought I would type that) might reunite him with former rival Carl Icahn, who has been signed on to help with regulations, which is awesome because he hates ’em.
Perlmutter and Icahn were both rivals for the distressed Marvel in the 90s, as recounted in Dan Raviv’s classic book Comics Wars. As recalled, Icahn’s real enemy was then Marvel owner Ron Perelmann, so maybe he and Ike are buddies:
Mr. Perelman bought Marvel in the late 1980s for $82.5 million, putting in $10.5 million of his own funds and borrowing the rest. The company’s profits soared and it later went public and took a large stake in Toy Biz as part of a licensing agreement.
But in the latter half of the 1990s, the speculative boom that had been helping the comic book business — in which collectors would commonly by 20 copies of a single issue — faded away, and Marvel’s financial picture soured. After Mr. Perelman attempted a rescue deal involving Toy Biz, Mr. Icahn stepped in with a group of bondholders to challenge him. Mr. Perelman put Marvel into bankruptcy protection in 1996.
After several twists and turns, Mr. Icahn succeeded in taking control of Mr. Perelman’s Marvel stock, which served as collateral for Marvel’s bonds.
At any rate we may soon have actual photos of Ike, and not the Hannibal-type surveillance photos from his meeting with Trump in Florida.
Heidi,
I really love the Beat, but your continuing digs at Trump and his administration are really getting old. I come to the beat to read about the comic industry, not your political views. There are plenty of places where I can go to read anti-Trump rhetoric and pro trump propaganda, but not that many places where I can go to get news and quality insight into the industry I love. The Beat is at the top of that list, but I feel the Beat is becoming too political. I would urge you to tone it down before you turn the Beat into yet another political propaganda site and chase away many of your readers. This is just a suggestion. It is your site and you are entitled to run it as you see fit. You do know that many comic fans, creators and industry professionals are conservative right. Why on earth would you choose to offend them and make them not feel welcome at your website. I thought the comic industry was supposed to be inclusive and welcoming to all……
I think if the CEO of the company publishing a good chunk of comics sold and producing a great many of its properties for a billion-plus movie franchise is edging in on political machinations himself, it absolutely merits discussion. And while Heidi doesn’t keep quiet about her views (her right and yours and mine), they’re generally kept off of the Beat, and this little piece in particular is about as “just the facts, please” as you can get.
What’s the propaganda? Are you referring to the Carl Icahn dig?
It is not just this article. It seems that little anti-trump digs are popping up in all kinds of articles on the Beat. Reading an enjoyable article on the Beat and coming across a political dig is like finding a pubic hair in you meal at a good restaurant. It ruins the meal and makes me not want to come back…..
Ed, I actually agree with you that this is not a political website. I don’t keep my politics secret but I try not the make it the story.
That said I’ve been writing about Ike Perlmutter and Carl Icahn for over a decade, so this particular story does play into my expertise. This was the only dig in the story:
>>>>Perlmutter'[s role in the government (never thought I would type that) might reunite him with former rival Carl Icahn, who has been signed on to help with regulations, which is awesome because he hates ’em.
There isn’t anything that isn’t a fact in that paragraph. The new Trump administration has made a point of bringing in people who are generally skeptical of the purpose of the areas they’re overseeing, including Icahn. Is that good or bad? Well, we’ll see, won’t we. And I certainly never expected Ike to be part of my government, I can guarantee you that. Was it snarky? Sure. But that’s what you came here for. Given Ike’s OCD past, one wonders if doctors will be given a limited number of syringes and tongue depressors to treat vets. Is that snark? Nope it’s based on his record.
Anyway if this mild commentary was offensive, I apologize, but I reserve the right to continue to give informed commentary on these matters as they relate to the comics industry.
That said I have a FB page, twitter and tumblr where I will sounds off on full blast.
I didn’t agree when The Beat wrote a post about the awful performance by Mariah Carey at new years Eve. But now, I’m totally agree with this post. For me is obscene that the CEO of Marvel supports Trump, that means that we could see all the marvel heroes supporting Trump in a subliminal, or completely obvious way in a near future, And of course that it is a subject for The Beat, Totally..
I hope we can see Trump being forced to resign or being fired before he destroys America. And I hope the marvel characters don’t lose their dignity in the meantime. .
Heidi,
I was not offended. Just sometimes annoyed. As an former submarine sailor nothing could ever offend me. Thank you for your response. In my shop I am also guilty sometimes of not keeping my political views secret, much to my wife’s chagrin. These days I really try hard to keep my mouth shut concerning politics in my comic shop. I realize that my customers really don’t care to hear my political views. They just want to enjoy comics.
I love the Beat and find it to be the best comic blog around. I want you to know that I really appreciate and enjoy the work you and your staff produce. Drinking a cup of coffee and reading the Beat first thing in the morning is the most enjoyable part of my day. Thanks again!
Edwin, thank you for the kind words, for your service, and for being…a grown up adult. If only everyone could be the same.
Thanks for reading and I will definitely make sure I don’t get carried away here. as you say, it’s not appropriate at all times.
Heidi:
The problem with taking a political stance in a business that doesn’t involve politics (well, office politics exists anywhere there’s an office) is that, with a stance, you’re automatically turning off half your audience. This is mainly why performing comedians, for the most part, avoid political humor. It’s fine and well to report on news in the comic book industry that involves politics, such as this one. However, when you put personal opinions (whether pro or anti Trump), it morphs from a news story to an opinion piece.
I’d advise people to read a bunch of Marvel comics from the late ’60s and early ’70s — not just the stories, but the letters pages as well. There was constant debate about the political and social issues of the day (Vietnam, civil rights, Watergate, campus protests, CIA and FBI abuses, LBJ, Nixon, etc.) The times they were a changin’, and not even comics could ignore real-life controversies.
My observation is that after the ’70s, fans became much more conservative or apolitical. They increasingly regarded comics as their comfort food, their escape from the scariness of the real world. When most fans read comics today, they want a total fantasy world.
‘This is mainly why performing comedians, for the most part, avoid political humor.’
Rob e, I advise you to read up on Mort Sahl, the Smothers Brothers, Lenny Bruce, and the early seasons of “SNL.” Or the current season, with Alec Baldwin’s great lampoon of Trump.
Rob E. would be advised to read Steve Englehart, Steve Gerber and just about every Marvel writer of the Bronze Age. AIM, Roxxon…this was not a time when corporations were popular and to say most Marvel comics had a liberal slant would not be an over statement.
That said, as I mentioned above, I’ll try to keep my political zingers to places where they are most appropriate. I run a LOT of opinion pieces here.
IT’s a good reminder for everyone on all sides to remain civil and adult.
Heidi said: “Rob E. would be advised to read Steve Englehart, Steve Gerber and just about every Marvel writer of the Bronze Age. ”
I remember Englehart’s take, in Captain America, on the GOP’s Committee to Reelect the President (CREEP). It was called the Committee to Regain America’s Principles (CRAP). He also had Nixon commit suicide in the Oval Office, although of course his face wasn’t shown.
Also see Daredevil Nos. 70-71 (1970), which allude to the riots during the 1968 Democratic national convention, the Chicago Seven trial (“I’m just a legal conscientious object who doesn’t dig Vietnam,” says one character), and the Weather Underground’s “political” bombings. All this and guest shots by Spiro Agnew and Walter Cronkite, and a villain based on John Wayne!
That should be “conscientious objector,” not “object,” in the above post. Must be getting spaced out from all these memories of the hippie era!
Think you’re all missing my point here. I never said political views were non-existent in the books themselves–writers are known to throw them in–the business I’m talking about is comic book industry REPORTING, and if I may, reporting in general. Which is: Once the writer of the news story puts their opinions in, it ceases to be a news story—it becomes an opinion piece, loses objectivity and all that. I don’t give a hoot who any of you voted for.
And an aside to George. I said MOST—not ALL. Personally I loved the Smothers Brothers, and I highly recommend a book called “Dangerously Funny” which tells a lot about the state of comedy and television in the 60s. As for SNL, I’ve always considered that show utter garbage—even through the “Golden Age” of Belushi, Chase, Murray, ect.
Rob E: I’ve also read “Dangerously Funny” and I, too, highly recommend it.
I loved the first five seasons of SNL (1975-80) but lost interest at some point in the ’80s, around the time Eddie Murphy left, and never went back to being a regular viewer.
George:
Another great read you’ll like is the book “Live From New York”. Done in interview style, it covers the history of SNL—from writers, ,actors, and tons more people involved with the show.
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