Following teaser promotion in Marvel comic books cover-dated November 1964, Marvel Comics introduced the company's in-house fan club, the Merry Marvel Marching Society, in its comics cover-dated February 1965, released in the fall 1964. Generally abbreviated as the "M.M.M.S", the club offered readers a $1 membership kit that initially included a
certificate. The company offered permutations of this kit, plus additional promotional merchandise such as posters and sweatshirts, through comics cover-dated October 1969.
As author Marc Flores, who writes under the pen nameRonin Ro, described, The club proved successful, with Marvel secretary and club coordinator Flo Steinberg remarking that they "were working seven days a week just opening these envelopes" containing the subscription fee. In a 2002 interview, Steinberg said, Soon, the club offered a range of other money-spinning products, including:
Six-foot "life-size, full-color Spidey pin-up" made from a Steve Ditko drawing of Spider-Man
$1.50 T-shirt with a Ditko-drawn Dr. Strange
Thing drawing by Jack Kirby on "Official Swingin' Stationery"
The M.M.M.S. membership had ranks indicated by three-letter abbreviations, based on a proposal by young comics fan Mark Evanier. The M.M.M.S. was absorbed into the subsequent Marvel fan club, Marvelmania International, in 1969. This second club lasted until 1971. A third official Marvel Comics fan club, FOOM followed from 1973 to 1976.
The character of Hiro Nakamura on Heroes is reported to be an M.M.M.S. member in the episode "Don't Look Back". The M.M.M.S. is mentioned in the end-theme of the syndicated 1966 TV showThe Marvel Super Heroes, which featured the lyric "You belong to the Merry Marvel Marching Society". The "Merry Marvel Marching Society" song also played during the end credits of the video gameLego MarvelSuper Heroes, as well having Stan Lee humming the tune in some of his perils throughout the game.
