TEAM PRESENTATION 1
Stephanie Homer, Raymond Kristjan Poteet,
Harris Reibach, Ashley Reyna, and John Zummach
Team Presentation
BA – 515 – 102
Week 6
Dr. Sharyl L. Carpenter
August 4, 2018
TEAM PRESENTATION 2
Executive Summary
The goal of any company is to succeed in their chosen endeavor. While corporate success is
measured in many ways, the financial bottom line ultimately determines whether a company
succeeds or fails in their efforts. When declining sales and decreasing revenues are persistent
with no relief in sight, companies need to decide whether to abandon their business operations
altogether or to radically change operational strategies and find alternative sources of income to
return the company to a profitable state. Such was the case with Marvel Comics. Over the
course of several decades, Marvel Comics transitioned from a successful venture to a company
facing bankruptcy and has ultimately been transformed into a successful multifaceted
organization, and a profitable division in a strong brand portfolio.
TEAM PRESENTATION 3
Team Presentation
Act I: In the Beginning
In 1939, Martin Goodman established the magazine publishing business, Timely
Publications. October 1, 1939, Marvel Comics #1 hit the stands, immediately selling out the
80,000 print run. Timely followed with an 800,000 reprint November 1, 1939, which swiftly
sold out (Marvel Mystery Comics, n.d.). Following the blockbuster success Captain America#1
in 1941, Goodman changed the name to Timely Comics. In the mid-1950s comic books sales
took a dip due to the popularity of the television. In 1960, DC Comics introduced the Justice
League, and comics were back in vogue. Not to be outdone Timely, led by writers Stan Lee and
Jack Kirby published Fantastic Four #1 and shortly after the company was renamed Marvel
Comics (Lacter, 2009). Lee & Kirby influenced a fundamental change in comic book characters,
