Intriguing. I didn't think about the movie as I was writing this. I was just thinking about what the comic might look like, and their effect. But yes, the movie could incorporate elements of the more complex comics (as opposed to the lackluster animated series), and subsequently, become more critically and financially successful as a result, leading to sequels, and maybe a franchise.
Since Valiant used to publish Mario comics, I thought of this rough take on the timeline (with January 1991 as its POD date)...
April 1990 - Valiant Comics begins releasing Nintendo Comics System trade paperback that features Super Mario Bros, Captain N, Zelda and others. At that time, they also begin publication of Super Mario Bros series.
May 1990 - Valiant Comics begins publication of both Captain N: The Game Master and The Legend of Zelda series.
June 1990 - Valiant Comics begins publication of Game Boy.
July 1990 - Valiant releases the second volume of Nintendo Comics System trade paperback.
January 1991 - Archie Comics brought comic rights to Nintendo which leads to cancellation of the upcoming Nintendo Comics System ongoing series as well as The Legend of Zelda series.
November 1991 - Archie Comics begins publication of Super Mario Bros magazine mini-series which reprints the original Valiant stories.
May 1992 - After the success of Super Mario Bros magazine, Archie begins publication of ongoing Super Mario Adventures series.
April 1993 - Cinergi Pictures has delayed its May 1993 release of Super Mario Bros movie for over a year due to reshoots and script changes.
November 1993 - Atari Jaguar hits stores and was a commercial failure.
April 1993 - Super Mario Bros is released in cinemas and became a critical success, leading to two back-to-back sequels to begin its production a couple of months later.
November 1994 - Sega Saturn is released in Japan and became a mild success but led to the system not released worldwide for a couple of years.
April 1995 - Archie begins its publication on four-issue SMB/TMNT: Adventures In Time mini-series which pits Mario and Luigi teaming up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles against Shredder and Bowser.
July 1995 - Nintendo began releasing Virtual Boy system to PAL markets and became a commercial success.
Summer 1995 - Despite its previous failure, Atari Jaguar II system is released in stores and became a surprise success.
Fall 1995 - Super Mario Bros II: Brothers In Arms is released in cinemas.
Summer 1996 - Super Mario Bros III: The Final Levels is released in cinemas.
It's not much but hey, it's all I can think of.
Thank you, eternalkhaos. That is a very interesting timeline. I would like to tweak it a little, if you don't mind
April 1990 - Valiant Comics begins releasing
Nintendo Comics System trade paperback that features Super Mario Bros, Captain N, Zelda and others. At that time, they also begin publication of
Super Mario Bros series.
May 1990 - Valiant Comics begins publication of both
Captain N: The Game Master and
The Legend of Zelda series.
June 1990 - Valiant Comics begins publication of
Game Boy.
July 1990 - Valiant releases the second volume of
Nintendo Comics System trade paperback.
January 1991 - Archie Comics brought comic rights to Nintendo which leads to cancellation of the upcoming
Nintendo Comics System ongoing series as well as
The Legend of Zelda series.
November 1991 - Archie Comics begins publication of
Super Mario Bros magazine mini-series which reprints the original Valiant stories.
May 1992 - After the success of
Super Mario Bros magazine, Archie begins publication of ongoing
Super Mario Adventures series.
April 1993 - Cinergi Pictures has delayed its May 1993 release of
Super Mario Bros movie for over a year due to reshoots and script changes.
November 1993 - Atari Jaguar hits stores and was a commercial failure.
April 1993 -
Super Mario Bros is released in cinemas and became a critical success, leading to two back-to-back sequels to begin its production a couple of months later.
Fall 1994- To promote the upcoming game
Donkey Kong Country, Archie produces a
Donkey Kong Country miniseries, which adapts part of the game. It is very successful, leading to talks of turning the series into a spinoff series.
November 1994 - Sega Saturn is released in Japan and became a mild success but led to the system not released worldwide for a couple of years. Also, Archie begins publication of the
Donkey Kong Country spinoff series, which will gather a cult following in later years.
April 1995 - Archie begins its publication on four-issue
SMB/TMNT: Adventures In Time mini-series which pits Mario and Luigi teaming up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles against Shredder and Bowser.
July 1995 - Nintendo began releasing Virtual Boy system to PAL markets and became a commercial success.
Summer 1995 - Despite its previous failure, Atari Jaguar II system is released in stores, but fails to become a smash success due to the faulty system, but does respectfully. Also, Archie begin publication of the
Yoshi's Island miniseries to promote the upcoming game
Super Mario World II: Yoshi's Island. The success of that leads to rumors amongst fans, that Archie might create a Yoshi spinoff comic, much like the ongoing
Donkey Kong Country series.
Fall 1995 -
Super Mario Bros II: Brothers In Arms is released in
cinemas.
September 1995- The Season 3 premiere of the popular animated series
Sonic the Hedgehog airs on ABC, much to the excitement of fans.
Summer 1996 -
Super Mario Bros III: The Final Levels is released in cinemas.
June 1997- The 50th issue of
Super Mario Adventures is released, containing 48 pages, and a plot where Bowser tries an ultimate assault on the Mushroom Kingdom in a last-ditch effort to capture Princess Toadstool. When he does capture her, Mario follows atop his fleet of airships, and confronts him. This culminates in a battle between the two, and finally, with Bowser getting ejected off the fleet and presumed dead. The heroes celebrate, but near the end, it is revealed that Bowser survived the fall. This begins a tradition in the comics where very important events in the comics occur in issues with multiples of 50, making them "Milestone issues".
That's all I needed to edit. I was thinking that the "Donkey Kong Country" and "Yoshi's Island" comics mentioned are ATL counterparts to OTL Archie "Knuckles the Echidna" comic series that ran alongside the Sonic Comic. The milestone issue-important event correlation is also from the Sonic comic (except every 25th issue, rather than every 50th). So, what do think of the slightly edited timeline.