To all things an ending - a Marvel 2015 eulogy
In September 1999, Chris Partin floated the idea of a new fanfic group called Avengers 2015, and after a quick discussion with Barry Reese who was launching his new group Avengers 2000, the new group became Marvel 2015. Soon came the overview of the years between 1999 and 2015, and it was quickly followed by Avengers 2015 #0. Over the next few months writers such as Alex Maggi (Coven) and John Koutris (Wolverine) joined the team and the site started to grow. In early 2000 the staff added Trevor Carrington (Spider-Man)and Mike Franzoni to the roster (Fantastic Four, ShadowWalker, Nocturnes), closely followed a few months later by Jack Morman (NightRaven) and myself writing Network and later taking on Wolverine. Mark Walsh followed with X-Factor, and then came Taylor Knock with Morbius.
Sadly, by 2002, there were definite cracks starting to show within the group. Writers had started dropping off, series had been dropped, and replacements had proven unreliable and very little was being released and Gary Dreslinski, the then EiC at Avengers 2000 adopted the group as an imprint of Av2K. Interesting how things work out. M2015 was saved and though it kept the site going for a few more years, the core of writers were down to Mike, Taylor and me, with the odd addition by other writers but nothing substantial. The last issue of Network came out in October 2004, and I don't quite know when Mike's last issues were, leaving Taylor to carry the can and me with good intentions and the first issue of a new Network mini series which never got past #1, which I always meant to carry on but never found the time and eventually I had pulled from Avengers 2000, the only issue I've written that I've ever done that on.
Taylor continued onwards with Morbius, continued even though 2015 was consigned to the Legacy area of Avengers 2000, where the ancient treasures of fanfics of the past were kept. Morbius releases came out from the Other Worlds imprint, but it was the sole survivor of the Marvel 2015 group. Jump to 2007 and Taylor has just had put out the last issue of Morbius, the series and the 2015 imprint ending with Morbius #25, seven years and eight months after the founding of the site, and another site consigned to the history of group fanfic. It was even released under the Marvel 2015 banner, which was a nice touch and Marvel 2015 was over.
Except it's not quite the end. Taylor had plans for the future and new Av2K impressario Derrick Ferguson was overhauling the Av2K imprints. Together they pulled in myself and Mike Franzoni as well as some other significant figures in fanfic, and ideas were batted about before we came up with something special, something to finish Marvel 2015 off with a flourish and start something new. What we have in mind is not just a relaunch, not just rehasing old idea, what we're going to do is take futurescape fanfic and shake it up like it's not been shaken up before.
Marvel: 2079 is coming and Mike, Taylor and myself are filling in the gaps between 2015 and 2079 with three series, three epochs. The First is by Taylor and chronicles the end of 2015. Mike is handling the second and is focusing on 2057 and then there's the third epoch, which is all mine and focuses on 2068, but in fine Network tradition is going to be jumping back and forth in time before Marvel: 2079 begins proper.
Re-live the remaining treasures of Marvel: 2015 at http://www.ironrodstudio.com/av2000/titles.asp?imprint=15 and watch the evolution of some young writers in to the seasoned pros they've become and get ready because you ain't seen nothing yet....
Sadly, by 2002, there were definite cracks starting to show within the group. Writers had started dropping off, series had been dropped, and replacements had proven unreliable and very little was being released and Gary Dreslinski, the then EiC at Avengers 2000 adopted the group as an imprint of Av2K. Interesting how things work out. M2015 was saved and though it kept the site going for a few more years, the core of writers were down to Mike, Taylor and me, with the odd addition by other writers but nothing substantial. The last issue of Network came out in October 2004, and I don't quite know when Mike's last issues were, leaving Taylor to carry the can and me with good intentions and the first issue of a new Network mini series which never got past #1, which I always meant to carry on but never found the time and eventually I had pulled from Avengers 2000, the only issue I've written that I've ever done that on.
Taylor continued onwards with Morbius, continued even though 2015 was consigned to the Legacy area of Avengers 2000, where the ancient treasures of fanfics of the past were kept. Morbius releases came out from the Other Worlds imprint, but it was the sole survivor of the Marvel 2015 group. Jump to 2007 and Taylor has just had put out the last issue of Morbius, the series and the 2015 imprint ending with Morbius #25, seven years and eight months after the founding of the site, and another site consigned to the history of group fanfic. It was even released under the Marvel 2015 banner, which was a nice touch and Marvel 2015 was over.
Except it's not quite the end. Taylor had plans for the future and new Av2K impressario Derrick Ferguson was overhauling the Av2K imprints. Together they pulled in myself and Mike Franzoni as well as some other significant figures in fanfic, and ideas were batted about before we came up with something special, something to finish Marvel 2015 off with a flourish and start something new. What we have in mind is not just a relaunch, not just rehasing old idea, what we're going to do is take futurescape fanfic and shake it up like it's not been shaken up before.
Marvel: 2079 is coming and Mike, Taylor and myself are filling in the gaps between 2015 and 2079 with three series, three epochs. The First is by Taylor and chronicles the end of 2015. Mike is handling the second and is focusing on 2057 and then there's the third epoch, which is all mine and focuses on 2068, but in fine Network tradition is going to be jumping back and forth in time before Marvel: 2079 begins proper.
Re-live the remaining treasures of Marvel: 2015 at http://www.ironrodstudio.com/av2000/titles.asp?imprint=15 and watch the evolution of some young writers in to the seasoned pros they've become and get ready because you ain't seen nothing yet....