Batman Incorporated: DC Comics Heroes Service Corporate Clients (in 1979)

With 80% of 36 leading companies agree that "comics are extremely effective public relations and marketing tools" and 90% of "our children" being regular comic book readers, can it be any wonder that the American comic book business is booming like never before?

Obviously, none of that is true, although it may have been, once upon a time. Those statistics and more come from some curious DC Comics promotional images from 1979 in which the DC heroes are offered as advertising tools for clients like Hostess Cupcakes and General Electric.Unearthed by The Dork Review, the literature offered to prospective clients the use of DC characters and talent in creating unique and indeed effective advertising material. According to statistics that cannot be (read: we do not feel like) verifying, "few premiums [could] rival the wide acceptance enjoye by comics among our kids - or the variety available to the advertiser who uses them to promote his products."

The DC Comics of the ancient world's focus on younger readers seems quaint today, with the publisher's New 52 initiative targeted specifically at teens and older readers. Which is not to say DC's strategy hasn't been successful. Just this week, Advertising Age credited the New 52 with making DC Comics one of "America's Hottest Brands."

With DC's star shining so brightly, the time is right for the company to produce an updated series of marketing material in the style of the vintage images you can say below. and bring new meaning to the words "Batman Incorporated."