Andy E. Nystrom wrote:

Okay, I'll think about this some more in terms of listing Fact Files. Unfortunately now we're moving into the territory of "deeper meaning of the word official"; it's still a bit of a grey area since Marvel isn't the actual publisher. This is conceivably a case where the editorial side of Marvel would say they're official but the corporate side would say they're not.

Editorial is the only one that matters because they control the comics. There are comics that are recognized as official by corporate but not by editorial (hence the word retcon) and vice versa.

If Tom Breevort really wanted to, he could say that Amazing Fantasy #15 isn't canon anymore, and nobody could do anything about it.

The only official handbooks are any of the OHOTMU run (past or current) and anything officially associated with that, Official Index, Fact Files, and Marvel.com pages that don't have the editorial label.

zuckyd1 wrote:

Andy E. Nystrom wrote:

Spider-Giddeon wrote:

Also, aren't Fact Files official handbooks?

Despite some of the profiles being written by Handbook writers, the Fact Files aren't official because they're not published by Marvel. That doesn't meant they're necessarily inaccurate, just that they may not have been as fully vetted by Marvel's editorial. 

That had always been my understanding as well. But Loki recently said otherwise in the MCP forum: https://www.chronologyproject.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?p=69690#p69690

There has been a handbook-style entry on the One-Above-All, which was published in the Marvel Fact Files, and that is considered official since (unlike the DK books) the Fact Files were checked over and approved by the same senior Marvel US editorial team that check over and approve the handbooks.

Can you check your email. I'll send you some stuff my friend sent with his conversation with loju.

Is loki still active on here? Also, aren't Fact Files official handbooks?

I'm just typing in here because I haven't hit my ten post limit yet, but how many do you have?

Oh, so are they amalgams of the existing Fact Files? That explains why I couldn't find any purchases of the,.