Gerry Conway Is Requesting Help For All Creators

[shadroch]

So tell me, those of you who care so much, how many of these forms have you actually filled out? The time you spent here proclaiming how much you care about these guys could have been better spent searching out things to help make Mr Conway money.

 

So, what does this statement mean exactly, Shadroch, since it seems you deem time lost the appreciation of meaningful elements in comic book storytelling?

 

Say what? I fully appreciate English is not your first language but something got very lost in this translation. " I deem time lost the appreciation of meaningful elements....." Try this again, please.

[Prince Namor]

So tell me, those of you who care so much, how many of these forms have you actually filled out? The time you spent here proclaiming how much you care about these guys could have been better spent searching out things to help make Mr Conway money.

 

It's not about filling out forms. Really it's just about sending an e-mail to one of your favorite creators.

'Hey Gerry, noticed Firestorm in last nights episode of 'Arrow'! Pretty cool, man!

The Teardrop Explodes! Peace!'

What's the big deal?

 

 

[nmtg9]

Lost my keys at work today so asked others to help me find them. People did look out for them but there was one guy followed me around and those helping me look saying it was my fault, he doesn't need to help me, he has work to do, others shouldn't help as there are people out there who have no keys to lose etc.

 

The guy was so lucky to have never needed help to find anything, except maybe a bit of consideration for others...

[shadroch]

Gerry Conway has been easing back toward comics collecting circles over the last year or so and has come forward with a request for fans everywhere. I don't know that I will scour my collection, but when I see characters that I recognize pop up in other media, I will certainly remember this article and try to help out.

 

Here is the original LINK

 

 

 

I need your help.

 

DC Comics is a great company.

 

It was the first major publisher to offer creator contracts on a regular basis, allowing the men and women who create characters for DC books to share in the profits those characters generate in other media. You may say, that’s only fair, but until the mid-1970s it was standard policy for comic book publishers to buy all rights in perpetuity upon payment for a single story. Writers and artists received no further payment for their work after that first check — no money for reprints, no money for toys based on characters they’d created, no money for movies or TV shows or games or trading cards.

 

Nada, zip, zilch.

 

DC Comics changed that.

 

Starting in the mid-70s DC offered creators an opportunity for what they called “equity participation.” With the appropriate paperwork submitted and signed, DC creators would receive a share of the profits generated by their creations. Like I said, you may think this is only fair, but in the ’70s it hit the business like a revelation. And for more than thirty years it’s given quite a few creators an extra bit of income — in some cases, for some older creators, the only real income they receive from comics.

 

So, to repeat, DC Comics is a great company.

 

But, like all companies, it’s a business, and its first priority is to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and maximize profits. So tracking which character was created by which writer and artist team thirty or forty years ago isn’t part of their business plan. It’s just too much work, and it requires a dedication and devotion to detail that only one group in the world has in abundant quantities:

 

You, the fans.

 

A personal note. I started this site because some of my fans alerted me to the use in the TV series “Arrow” of characters I co-created in the late 1970s, early 1980s. Without those fans I wouldn’t have known those characters were appearing. I wouldn’t have filed equity participation paperwork with DC. And neither I nor the artists I worked with would be eligible to receive money for the use of those characters. DC does not make payments retroactive. If a creator wants to claim equity participation in a character he or she co-created, they need to do so proactively.

 

Which is where you come in.

 

If you’re a fan of DC comics published since 1975, you can help your favorite pros — not just me, but any writer or artist who worked on DC’s titles. Go through your collection. Look for the first appearances of any character, major or minor, hero/villain/sidekick/bystander from the years 1975 on. Download and fill out the DC Comics Character Equity Request form (you’ll find the link below) and email it to the creators involved. Most creators have an active presence on the web, either on Facebook, or Twitter, or through their own web sites or fan pages. Reach out to them. Encourage them to file the paperwork you prepared with DC.

 

Help them get their fair share.

 

Obviously, I include myself (Gerry Conway) in this list. I can use your help, too.

 

Between 1975 and the mid-80s I wrote literally hundreds of comics for DC and created dozens of characters. FIRESTORM, JUSTICE LEAGUE, LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES, BATMAN, SUPERMAN, WONDER WOMAN, on and on and on. There’s no way I can single-handedly track down each and every character who made their first appearance in a story I wrote. But all of you working together, each doing one or two characters — you can crowd-source it.

 

Download the form, fill it out, attach a piece of art identifying the character, and send it to the email link below with the subject line EQUITY. To prevent duplication of effort by fellow fans (and to claim credit for your help!) post a comment to this blog identifying the character you’ve discovered.

 

On behalf of all the DC creators who would otherwise never know, literally, what they’re missing, thank you!

 

Here’s the link to the Character Equity Request Form:

 

And here’s the email where the filled-out forms for characters co-created by Gerry Conway, with the subject line EQUITY: comicsequityproject@gmail.com

 

Here’s a look at that form…

 

REQUEST FOR CHARACTER EQUITY

 

 

 

To:VP – Business Affairs, TalentDate:

 

 

 

Creators: Requested by:

 

Writer

 

 

 

cc:

 

ArtistGroup Editor

 

 

 

Eligibility: Character equity must be requested by a freelancer through his or her editor. The determination of whether equity will be granted rests in DC’s sole discretion, and is based primarily on the “newness” or originality of a character’s name, powers, appearance/costume, and origin, and function of the property. The creation should not be derivative of preexisting DC characters.

 

Character name and any aliases:

 

This character’s first appearance was/will be in which publication? (If character’s first appearance has not yet been scheduled, please provide proposed date):

 

 

 

Title:Issue: Cover/Publication Date:

 

Please provide a brief description of the character, including its powers, origin and, if applicable, its derivation from any existing DC character or property:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An illustration of the character must accompany this request.

 

This is the form he requested us to fill out and send to DC on his behalf. A far cry from asking us to drop him a friendly email.

[Prince Namor]

And there are some people that will, because they like the idea and want to help.

Me, I'd just send an e-mail to the creator.

Nobody got hurt.

[seanfingh]

Gerry Conway has been easing back toward comics collecting circles over the last year or so and has come forward with a request for fans everywhere. I don't know that I will scour my collection, but when I see characters that I recognize pop up in other media, I will certainly remember this article and try to help out.

 

Here is the original LINK

 

 

 

I need your help.

 

DC Comics is a great company.

 

It was the first major publisher to offer creator contracts on a regular basis, allowing the men and women who create characters for DC books to share in the profits those characters generate in other media. You may say, that’s only fair, but until the mid-1970s it was standard policy for comic book publishers to buy all rights in perpetuity upon payment for a single story. Writers and artists received no further payment for their work after that first check — no money for reprints, no money for toys based on characters they’d created, no money for movies or TV shows or games or trading cards.

 

Nada, zip, zilch.

 

DC Comics changed that.

 

Starting in the mid-70s DC offered creators an opportunity for what they called “equity participation.” With the appropriate paperwork submitted and signed, DC creators would receive a share of the profits generated by their creations. Like I said, you may think this is only fair, but in the ’70s it hit the business like a revelation. And for more than thirty years it’s given quite a few creators an extra bit of income — in some cases, for some older creators, the only real income they receive from comics.

 

So, to repeat, DC Comics is a great company.

 

But, like all companies, it’s a business, and its first priority is to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and maximize profits. So tracking which character was created by which writer and artist team thirty or forty years ago isn’t part of their business plan. It’s just too much work, and it requires a dedication and devotion to detail that only one group in the world has in abundant quantities:

 

You, the fans.

 

A personal note. I started this site because some of my fans alerted me to the use in the TV series “Arrow” of characters I co-created in the late 1970s, early 1980s. Without those fans I wouldn’t have known those characters were appearing. I wouldn’t have filed equity participation paperwork with DC. And neither I nor the artists I worked with would be eligible to receive money for the use of those characters. DC does not make payments retroactive. If a creator wants to claim equity participation in a character he or she co-created, they need to do so proactively.

 

Which is where you come in.

 

If you’re a fan of DC comics published since 1975, you can help your favorite pros — not just me, but any writer or artist who worked on DC’s titles. Go through your collection. Look for the first appearances of any character, major or minor, hero/villain/sidekick/bystander from the years 1975 on. Download and fill out the DC Comics Character Equity Request form (you’ll find the link below) and email it to the creators involved. Most creators have an active presence on the web, either on Facebook, or Twitter, or through their own web sites or fan pages. Reach out to them. Encourage them to file the paperwork you prepared with DC.

 

Help them get their fair share.

 

Obviously, I include myself (Gerry Conway) in this list. I can use your help, too.

 

Between 1975 and the mid-80s I wrote literally hundreds of comics for DC and created dozens of characters. FIRESTORM, JUSTICE LEAGUE, LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES, BATMAN, SUPERMAN, WONDER WOMAN, on and on and on. There’s no way I can single-handedly track down each and every character who made their first appearance in a story I wrote. But all of you working together, each doing one or two characters — you can crowd-source it.

 

Download the form, fill it out, attach a piece of art identifying the character, and send it to the email link below with the subject line EQUITY. To prevent duplication of effort by fellow fans (and to claim credit for your help!) post a comment to this blog identifying the character you’ve discovered.

 

On behalf of all the DC creators who would otherwise never know, literally, what they’re missing, thank you!

 

Here’s the link to the Character Equity Request Form:

 

And here’s the email where the filled-out forms for characters co-created by Gerry Conway, with the subject line EQUITY: comicsequityproject@gmail.com

 

Here’s a look at that form…

 

REQUEST FOR CHARACTER EQUITY

 

 

 

To:VP – Business Affairs, TalentDate:

 

 

 

Creators: Requested by:

 

Writer

 

 

 

cc:

 

ArtistGroup Editor

 

 

 

Eligibility: Character equity must be requested by a freelancer through his or her editor. The determination of whether equity will be granted rests in DC’s sole discretion, and is based primarily on the “newness” or originality of a character’s name, powers, appearance/costume, and origin, and function of the property. The creation should not be derivative of preexisting DC characters.

 

Character name and any aliases:

 

This character’s first appearance was/will be in which publication? (If character’s first appearance has not yet been scheduled, please provide proposed date):

 

 

 

Title:Issue: Cover/Publication Date:

 

Please provide a brief description of the character, including its powers, origin and, if applicable, its derivation from any existing DC character or property:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An illustration of the character must accompany this request.

 

This is the form he requested us to fill out and send to DC on his behalf. A far cry from asking us to drop him a friendly email.

 

You weren't going to do anything anyway, so what do you care?

[aggr1103]

Wow. I read the OP thinking this was a good thing, and then it bled into the most venom I've ever seen spit at comic creators.

 

 

I think it's a great thing for creators to get their just due.

 

I also think it's a great idea to utilize the tools that are in our hands to do so.

There's no reason to have other people physically go through individual original comics looking for characters, credits, and 1st appearances, when it's already been done, collated, organized, and posted online by the GCD.

 

Creators can go there, punch in their name or the name of the character or story they created and, in a blink, all the information is in front of them.

 

I get that. I think for me it would be one of those situations where if I didn't really have anything nice to say I wouldn't say it. I mean I'm all for creators getting paid, but I can't say that I know every creator for every character, so I doubt I'll be able to participate. More power to those that do contribute though. (thumbs u

 

And does GCD provide information of what characters appeared where outside of their comic appearances? I think that's what Conway has in mind.

[MedicAR]

I'm sorry, but if I was going to make money off of my creations by filling out those forms, I'd be all over them in a heartbeat.

I'd have it done in less than a week using the web.

By the way- Freedom Fighters 1 isn't the first appearence, they guest starred in a JLA/JSA crossover starting in JLA 107.

 

I forgot about those JLAs! I checked GCD, 107 was written by Len Wein.

 

 

 

 

If only there was some sort of database, a comics database, online where creators could go and search by character, creator, or story name, almost any comic published in the last 80 years.

 

The comics database would have to be large enough to hold all that information, GRAND in fact.

 

If only was some kind of Grand Comics Database to help in this monumental task.

 

Alas, I guess the only way to find the information is by abacus in analog.

 

I think you and many others are missing the point. It's not that they don't know what they created, it's that they need to know that it has been used in other media. Fill out the paperwork or don't fill out the paperwork, just drop the creator a note and maybe throw them the link.

 

Entertainment media has grown into so many forms that it is impossible to keep up with every little thing. I remember thinking it was cool to see Deathstroke on Arrow and while I can't remember any right now, I know there were Easter Eggs in several of the recent films that I didn't catch initially but other fans did. Is it really that big of a deal to let the creator whose idea was referenced know about it?

[MedicAR]

You think, in the 70s, that if Gerry Conway and let's say John Romita Sr, had gone off to create their own company it would have been that difficult? I can't imagine it would have been impossible.

 

How about a group like Rich Buckler, Gary Friedrich, Frank Thorne, John Severin, Steve Ditko, Wally Wood, Archie Goodwin, Larry Lieber, Giordano, Larry Hama, Klaus Janson, Doug Wildey, Jack Abel, Al Milgrom, Jeff Jones, Ernie Colón, Boris Vallejo, Howard Chaykin, Russ Heath, Neal Adams, Walt Simonson, Alex Toth, Bernie Wrightson, and Mike Ploog? And we will back that creative team with the publisher savvy of say....Martin Goodman? Sounds like a comics publisher's dream team from the 70s, doesn't it? Somehow, though, Atlas/Seaboard failed, but not before changing the industry. Better page rates and more flexibility on royalties were brought about during Atlas/Seaboard's short life. Oddly, Atlas/Seaboard came about in 1975 and looking at Mr. Conway's piece, it mentions that the contract he is referring to also came about in 1975. Did DC suddenly grow a conscience or, as with any business, did they respond to market and industry demands in an effort to keep up with what was perceived to be a huge new player in the game?

 

Things were different back then. You either played ball with the big two or you didn't play much at all.

 

Chip Goodman ran Atlas, not his father. The father got mad that Marvel let his dim-witted son go and bought him a new playpen. Although Atlas had a slew of other problems, its biggest was Chip Goodman.

 

All bankrolled by Martin. I seriously doubt anyone would put up that kind of cash without some kind of control. Take this little bit from Jeff Rovin as an example:

 

"Martin became more and more disgruntled as he read more and more of my comics. And what he decided, without having received a single sales report, was that they didn't look and read enough like Marvel Comics.

 

"'That's right,' I remember telling him with a mixture of disbelief and disappointment. 'Why should they look like Marvels?'

 

"'Because Marvels sell.'"

 

Chip may have held the title, but Martin was still pulling the strings.

[rjrjr]

Wow. I read the OP thinking this was a good thing, and then it bled into the most venom I've ever seen spit at comic creators.

 

 

I think it's a great thing for creators to get their just due.

 

I also think it's a great idea to utilize the tools that are in our hands to do so.

There's no reason to have other people physically go through individual original comics looking for characters, credits, and 1st appearances, when it's already been done, collated, organized, and posted online by the GCD.

 

Creators can go there, punch in their name or the name of the character or story they created and, in a blink, all the information is in front of them.

 

And that helps the creator know their creation appeared on such and such TV program or is used in such and such toy line how?

 

I also think the request is reasonable. Never seen so much negativity generated from a simple request.

[comix4fun]

Wow. I read the OP thinking this was a good thing, and then it bled into the most venom I've ever seen spit at comic creators.

 

 

I think it's a great thing for creators to get their just due.

 

I also think it's a great idea to utilize the tools that are in our hands to do so.

There's no reason to have other people physically go through individual original comics looking for characters, credits, and 1st appearances, when it's already been done, collated, organized, and posted online by the GCD.

 

Creators can go there, punch in their name or the name of the character or story they created and, in a blink, all the information is in front of them.

 

And that helps the creator know their creation appeared on such and such TV program or is used in such and such toy line how?

 

I also think the request is reasonable. Never seen so much negativity generated from a simple request.

 

 

That is a reasonable request, if that's what he had asked for, but the way he wrote it...that's not exactly what he said.

 

 

Which is where you come in.

 

If you’re a fan of DC comics published since 1975, you can help your favorite pros — not just me, but any writer or artist who worked on DC’s titles. Go through your collection. Look for the first appearances of any character, major or minor, hero/villain/sidekick/bystander from the years 1975 on. Download and fill out the DC Comics Character Equity Request form (you’ll find the link below) and email it to the creators involved. Most creators have an active presence on the web, either on Facebook, or Twitter, or through their own web sites or fan pages. Reach out to them. Encourage them to file the paperwork you prepared with DC.

 

Help them get their fair share.

 

Obviously, I include myself (Gerry Conway) in this list. I can use your help, too.

 

Between 1975 and the mid-80s I wrote literally hundreds of comics for DC and created dozens of characters. FIRESTORM, JUSTICE LEAGUE, LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES, BATMAN, SUPERMAN, WONDER WOMAN, on and on and on. There’s no way I can single-handedly track down each and every character who made their first appearance in a story I wrote. But all of you working together, each doing one or two characters — you can crowd-source it.

 

 

The bold parts don't mention not finding out they appeared on a show, or in a movie, but in cataloging the actual comic 1st appearances by creator.

 

What you mention is a reasonable request, what I read and copied above seems like something entirely different and something that's already collated and ready to be searched and documented.

 

Why would sending thousands of comic collectors into their collections to search for 1st appearances be more reasonable than pointing comic creators to an already established database that can answer the question without redundancy, duplication, or needless busy work reinvented the already established wheel?

 

It's awesome to help creators out, and it's great for them to get their due, it was just requested in the least efficient way possible.

[comix4fun]

I'm sorry, but if I was going to make money off of my creations by filling out those forms, I'd be all over them in a heartbeat.

I'd have it done in less than a week using the web.

By the way- Freedom Fighters 1 isn't the first appearence, they guest starred in a JLA/JSA crossover starting in JLA 107.

 

I forgot about those JLAs! I checked GCD, 107 was written by Len Wein.

 

 

 

 

If only there was some sort of database, a comics database, online where creators could go and search by character, creator, or story name, almost any comic published in the last 80 years.

 

The comics database would have to be large enough to hold all that information, GRAND in fact.

 

If only was some kind of Grand Comics Database to help in this monumental task.

 

Alas, I guess the only way to find the information is by abacus in analog.

 

I think you and many others are missing the point. It's not that they don't know what they created, it's that they need to know that it has been used in other media. Fill out the paperwork or don't fill out the paperwork, just drop the creator a note and maybe throw them the link.

 

Entertainment media has grown into so many forms that it is impossible to keep up with every little thing. I remember thinking it was cool to see Deathstroke on Arrow and while I can't remember any right now, I know there were Easter Eggs in several of the recent films that I didn't catch initially but other fans did. Is it really that big of a deal to let the creator whose idea was referenced know about it?

 

 

As I mentioned, I read what he wrote, it doesn't sound like that's what he's asking for.

[ChrisInBaltimore]

Wow. I read the OP thinking this was a good thing, and then it bled into the most venom I've ever seen spit at comic creators.

 

 

I think it's a great thing for creators to get their just due.

 

I also think it's a great idea to utilize the tools that are in our hands to do so.

There's no reason to have other people physically go through individual original comics looking for characters, credits, and 1st appearances, when it's already been done, collated, organized, and posted online by the GCD.

 

Creators can go there, punch in their name or the name of the character or story they created and, in a blink, all the information is in front of them.

 

And that helps the creator know their creation appeared on such and such TV program or is used in such and such toy line how?

 

I also think the request is reasonable. Never seen so much negativity generated from a simple request.

 

 

That is a reasonable request, if that's what he had asked for, but the way he wrote it...that's not exactly what he said.

 

 

Which is where you come in.

 

If you’re a fan of DC comics published since 1975, you can help your favorite pros — not just me, but any writer or artist who worked on DC’s titles. Go through your collection. Look for the first appearances of any character, major or minor, hero/villain/sidekick/bystander from the years 1975 on. Download and fill out the DC Comics Character Equity Request form (you’ll find the link below) and email it to the creators involved. Most creators have an active presence on the web, either on Facebook, or Twitter, or through their own web sites or fan pages. Reach out to them. Encourage them to file the paperwork you prepared with DC.

 

Help them get their fair share.

 

Obviously, I include myself (Gerry Conway) in this list. I can use your help, too.

 

Between 1975 and the mid-80s I wrote literally hundreds of comics for DC and created dozens of characters. FIRESTORM, JUSTICE LEAGUE, LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES, BATMAN, SUPERMAN, WONDER WOMAN, on and on and on. There’s no way I can single-handedly track down each and every character who made their first appearance in a story I wrote. But all of you working together, each doing one or two characters — you can crowd-source it.

 

 

The bold parts don't mention not finding out they appeared on a show, or in a movie, but in cataloging the actual comic 1st appearances by creator.

 

What you mention is a reasonable request, what I read and copied above seems like something entirely different and something that's already collated and ready to be searched and documented.

 

Why would sending thousands of comic collectors into their collections to search for 1st appearances be more reasonable than pointing comic creators to an already established database that can answer the question without redundancy, duplication, or needless busy work reinvented the already established wheel.

 

It's awesome to help creators out, and it's great for them to get their due, it was just requested in the least efficient way possible.

 

 

This is what all the people claiming people are being "Negative" are missing. This was not a simple request. It also seems like work he should be doing, and that he could do with a little bit of research. And it is for his money.

 

Look I understand that the creators are hard up and a lot of them don't feel they got treated fairly. I'll pay $50 bucks for them to sign my book to help them out. But something like this is taking it to the next level.

[Aman619]

Wow. I read the OP thinking this was a good thing, and then it bled into the most venom I've ever seen spit at comic creators.

 

 

I think it's a great thing for creators to get their just due.

 

I also think it's a great idea to utilize the tools that are in our hands to do so.

There's no reason to have other people physically go through individual original comics looking for characters, credits, and 1st appearances, when it's already been done, collated, organized, and posted online by the GCD.

 

Creators can go there, punch in their name or the name of the character or story they created and, in a blink, all the information is in front of them.

 

And that helps the creator know their creation appeared on such and such TV program or is used in such and such toy line how?

 

I also think the request is reasonable. Never seen so much negativity generated from a simple request.

 

 

That is a reasonable request, if that's what he had asked for, but the way he wrote it...that's not exactly what he said.

 

 

Which is where you come in.

 

If you’re a fan of DC comics published since 1975, you can help your favorite pros — not just me, but any writer or artist who worked on DC’s titles. Go through your collection. Look for the first appearances of any character, major or minor, hero/villain/sidekick/bystander from the years 1975 on. Download and fill out the DC Comics Character Equity Request form (you’ll find the link below) and email it to the creators involved. Most creators have an active presence on the web, either on Facebook, or Twitter, or through their own web sites or fan pages. Reach out to them. Encourage them to file the paperwork you prepared with DC.

 

Help them get their fair share.

 

Obviously, I include myself (Gerry Conway) in this list. I can use your help, too.

 

Between 1975 and the mid-80s I wrote literally hundreds of comics for DC and created dozens of characters. FIRESTORM, JUSTICE LEAGUE, LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES, BATMAN, SUPERMAN, WONDER WOMAN, on and on and on. There’s no way I can single-handedly track down each and every character who made their first appearance in a story I wrote. But all of you working together, each doing one or two characters — you can crowd-source it.

 

 

The bold parts don't mention not finding out they appeared on a show, or in a movie, but in cataloging the actual comic 1st appearances by creator.

 

What you mention is a reasonable request, what I read and copied above seems like something entirely different and something that's already collated and ready to be searched and documented.

 

Why would sending thousands of comic collectors into their collections to search for 1st appearances be more reasonable than pointing comic creators to an already established database that can answer the question without redundancy, duplication, or needless busy work reinvented the already established wheel?

 

It's awesome to help creators out, and it's great for them to get their due, it was just requested in the least efficient way possible.

 

just what I was going to say. gimme a break, for a WRITER to write so clumsily while asking for help. he should NEVER have said he doesnt have time to look out for himself while asking fans to do it for him. AT first he was asking for all the creators which sounded fine and a call to fans to chip in, and suggested that some of the creators might be too old or incapable of helping themselves -- not that they dont have the TIME!

 

he should hire someone to do the research for him.

[rjrjr]

Wow. I read the OP thinking this was a good thing, and then it bled into the most venom I've ever seen spit at comic creators.

 

 

I think it's a great thing for creators to get their just due.

 

I also think it's a great idea to utilize the tools that are in our hands to do so.

There's no reason to have other people physically go through individual original comics looking for characters, credits, and 1st appearances, when it's already been done, collated, organized, and posted online by the GCD.

 

Creators can go there, punch in their name or the name of the character or story they created and, in a blink, all the information is in front of them.

 

And that helps the creator know their creation appeared on such and such TV program or is used in such and such toy line how?

 

I also think the request is reasonable. Never seen so much negativity generated from a simple request.

 

 

That is a reasonable request, if that's what he had asked for, but the way he wrote it...that's not exactly what he said.

 

 

Which is where you come in.

 

If you’re a fan of DC comics published since 1975, you can help your favorite pros — not just me, but any writer or artist who worked on DC’s titles. Go through your collection. Look for the first appearances of any character, major or minor, hero/villain/sidekick/bystander from the years 1975 on. Download and fill out the DC Comics Character Equity Request form (you’ll find the link below) and email it to the creators involved. Most creators have an active presence on the web, either on Facebook, or Twitter, or through their own web sites or fan pages. Reach out to them. Encourage them to file the paperwork you prepared with DC.

 

Help them get their fair share.

 

Obviously, I include myself (Gerry Conway) in this list. I can use your help, too.

 

Between 1975 and the mid-80s I wrote literally hundreds of comics for DC and created dozens of characters. FIRESTORM, JUSTICE LEAGUE, LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES, BATMAN, SUPERMAN, WONDER WOMAN, on and on and on. There’s no way I can single-handedly track down each and every character who made their first appearance in a story I wrote. But all of you working together, each doing one or two characters — you can crowd-source it.

 

 

The bold parts don't mention not finding out they appeared on a show, or in a movie, but in cataloging the actual comic 1st appearances by creator.

 

What you mention is a reasonable request, what I read and copied above seems like something entirely different and something that's already collated and ready to be searched and documented.

 

Why would sending thousands of comic collectors into their collections to search for 1st appearances be more reasonable than pointing comic creators to an already established database that can answer the question without redundancy, duplication, or needless busy work reinvented the already established wheel?

 

It's awesome to help creators out, and it's great for them to get their due, it was just requested in the least efficient way possible.

 

Now that I'm reading it more closely and not through the lens of many posts later, I do see your point.