Saturday, Feb. 11, and Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012
Noted
• After a ruling against writer Gary Friedrich’s suit last year seeking revenues from movies and merchandise based on Ghost Rider, a character Friedrich co-created for Marvel, now Marvel Entertainment/Disney has filed a counter-claim against Friedrich seeking $17,000 in revenue from the writer for selling Ghost Rider prints and merchandise at conventions. In addition, Marvel is also seekng to make Friedrich stop selling any Ghost Rider products of his own creation and promoting himself as the co-creator of the character for financial gain. Following this news, a number of fans and creators have come out in various online forums in support of Friedrich, who wrote on Facebook about how moved he was by the support. He added that he plans to appeal the court’s decision.
• In other legal news, Michael Anthony “Tony” Moore, who collaborated with Robert Kirkman on The Walking Dead comics, now says that Kirkman tricked him into signing away his rights to the property. He’s suing Kirkman for breach of contract, promissory fraud, and breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
Yesterday’s Panel Quiz Answer
The Composite Superman’s first lines in comics were, “Batman and Superman! My telepathic powers reveal you’re secretly Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent! Let me join you as a third partner, or I’ll expose you both!” He said them on the cover of World’s Finest Comics #142 (Jun 64).
This Weekend’s Panel Quiz
Whose first line in comics was “Even a thunder god cannot match my great power … as you are now about to learn!!”? (Answer Monday)
Born February 11
Rich DuFour, comics writer
Jim Bradrick (1946), comics artist
Shon Howell (1962), comics editor and colorist
Born February 12
Lincoln’s Birthday
Joe Albelo, comics artist
Ken Meyer Jr. (1957), comics artist
Lou Bank (1966), comics marketer
Born 2 weeks from Saturday (Feb. 25)
Arnold Roth (1929), cartoonist
Rick Geary (1946), comics writer and artist
Phil Lasorda (1960), comics artist
Born 2 weeks from Sunday (Feb. 26)
Ric Estrada (1928), comics artist
David Boswell (1953), comics writer and artist
Karen Berger (1958), comics editor
Jeffrey Butler (1958), comics artist
This Weekend’s Flashbacks
100 yrs Feb 11, 1912 Mexican writer-artist of Los Supersabios German Butze is born.
95 yrs Feb 12, 1917 The Gumps begins, created by Sidney Smith.
55 yrs Feb 12, 1957 Writer-artist Ken Meyer Jr. is born.
50 yrs Feb 11, 1962 “Furry” artist Shon Howell is born.
Every Wed. and Sat. California: City Of Industry. Comic Book & Collectible Show.
Feb 11 Kansas: Overland Park-Kansas City. Comic Book Show.
Feb 12 Delaware: Newark. Sports Card, Comic Book & Collectible Show.
Feb 12 Nebraska: Omaha. Show.
Feb 17-19 Florida: Orlando. MegaCon.
Feb 18 Indiana: Elkhart. Wonder Woman Day & Comicon.
Feb 19 Illinois: Springfield. ComicCon.
Feb 19 Michigan: Livonia. X-trava Con.
Question of the Week
What comics movie are you most anticipating?
Comics-Related Media
• A pair of animated Valentine’s specials – Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Valentine — air on ABC Saturday night beginning at 8 p.m. E.T.
• ABC has “Skin Deep,” a new episode of Once Upon a Time Sunday night at 8 p.m. E.T.
• Fox returns to its animation block in full force starting at 8 p.m. E.T. Sunday night with “The Daughter Also Rises” a new episode of The Simpsons with guest voices from Mythbusters Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage. At 8:30, Napoleon Dynamite has “Pedro vs. Deb,” while at 9, Family Guy airs “Tom Tucker: The Man and His Dream,” and American Dad! ends the evening with “Wheels & the Legman and the Case of Grandpa’s Key” at 9:30.
• It’s a big night on AMC Sunday with the return of The Walking Dead at 9 p.m E.T., followed by the premiere of Comic Book Men at 10.
The Magazine
Steve Niles has set up a donation page for Gary Friedrich:
http://www.facebook.com/SupportGaryFriedrich
I donated this morning. It’d be great if everyone else who ever got paid for writing or drawing a Ghost Rider comic book donated as well.
According to the Comics Buyers Guide, Spider Man is fifty this month. I wonder how the original Spider-Man artist, Steve Ditko, feels about the big celebration around the character? From what I understand Steve embraces the belief system expressed created by Ayn Rand. I’m not about to give a history lesson here. Rand wrote the influential novel, “Atlas Shrugged”. I don’t understand the intricacies of Rand’s philosophy. However, I do think that Steve wanted to express his point of view through the character Spider-Man.
From all accounts he wanted the secret identity of the Green Goblin to be an anonymous figure. Stan had other ideas of where he wanted to take the character. With the proliferation of alternate universes in the world of comics, I have to wonder. Couldn’t Stan have just offered Steve a chance to express his point of view in a comic that takes place in an alternate universe? For whatever reasons I’m not privy to; Steve left Marvel to work for Charlton Comics. There he drew the Blue Beetle ( A Spidey-like character) and assorted monster and mystery titles.
He refuses to be interviewed or talk about his contributions on camera. I am going out on a limb here, but I have to wonder. Did Stan treat him so poorly that he doesn’t want to express what really happened? Does he think no one would believe him?
Jack Kirby, one of Marvel’s top artists, left under similar circumstances in 1969. From what I read in the “Jack Kirby Collector”, Marvel wanted to cut his page rate in half. That would make him unable to pay for his bills or take care of his family. He was forced to go to DC comics, where he could make a decent income. Yet the “Marvel Style” required all of the artists to draw like Jack Kirby.
Another issue forced Kirby to leave. The creation of the character called the Silver Surfer. Jack added him to a story in the Fantastic Four. Stan created a story around him without Kirby’s input. The Surfer got his own comic, only Kirby had no creative control whatsoever. For all intents an purposes; if Marvel cut his pay in half and doesn’t allow him any creative input, who in their right mind would want to stay?
All this brings me to Spidey and his anniversary. The character has endured four movies, a tv show in 1978, and many other multi-media creations. He’s become another Mickey Mouse in the world of entertainment. I’ll probably attend the movie to see yet again Peter Parker suffer the death of Gwen Stacy. If the movie follows the comics in any way, it will be a downer. It’s going to be a clever balancing act if the producers want a good return on their investment. However, I’ll always wonder how different and richer the character might have been if Steve Ditko was allowed a little creative freedom.