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How Do You Feel About Stan Lee Getting Money From Marvel?

Started by The Brain,

Stan Lee is getting money from Marvel, and I feel:  

366 members have voted

  1. 1. Stan Lee is getting money from Marvel, and I feel:

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32 posts in this topic

ComicBookGuy

ComicBookGuy

Posted
Posted

Stan's contract says he gets 10% of the profits, so that is exactly what he should get, whether we think he should or not.

 

On another note...

* Ditko drew 38 issues of Spidey and one Amazing Fantasy and some Annuals. Just not the same thing as writing and conceptualizing them.

* Kirby's heirs didn't ever draw a Marvel comic that I know of.

Joe

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Forbush-Man

Forbush-Man

Posted
Posted
Stan's contract says he gets 10% of the profits, so that is exactly what he should get, whether we think he should or not.

 

On another note...

* Ditko drew 38 issues of Spidey and one Amazing Fantasy and some Annuals. Just not the same thing as writing and conceptualizing them.

* Kirby's heirs didn't ever draw a Marvel comic that I know of.

Joe

 

Wow, you totally overlooked the fact that the major contributors to the Silver Age at Marvel were Kirby & Ditko. The Kirby estate deserves it's share & Ditko does as well. For example, if you know anything about the developement of Spider-Man, you'll realize that Ditko threw most of the ideas out the window & created the hero we all know & love today. Many of the Silver Age Marvel charcters were inspirations of Kirby's imagination more so than Stan Lee's. Unreal !!! makepoint.gif

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ComicBookGuy

ComicBookGuy

Posted
Posted
Stan's contract says he gets 10% of the profits, so that is exactly what he should get, whether we think he should or not.

 

On another note...

* Ditko drew 38 issues of Spidey and one Amazing Fantasy and some Annuals. Just not the same thing as writing and conceptualizing them.

* Kirby's heirs didn't ever draw a Marvel comic that I know of.

Joe

 

Wow, you totally overlooked the fact that the major contributors to the Silver Age at Marvel were Kirby & Ditko. The Kirby estate deserves it's share & Ditko does as well. For example, if you know anything about the developement of Spider-Man, you'll realize that Ditko threw most of the ideas out the window & created the hero we all know & love today. Many of the Silver Age Marvel charcters were inspirations of Kirby's imagination more so than Stan Lee's. Unreal !!! makepoint.gif

 

I totally agree with you, but my point is that Stan HAS A CONTRACT that says he is entitled to 10% of the profits. Kirby and Ditko have no such contract. That's my point. I would NEVER diminish those guys' accomplishments! Kirby's heirs and Ditko will need to pursue their own litigation if they want anything. The bad guy in all this is Marvel for 1) not honoring the contract they already made with Stan, and 2) not putting forth a similar contract for Kirby's heirs and Ditko.

Joe

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Forbush-Man

Forbush-Man

Posted
Posted
I totally agree with you, but my point is that Stan HAS A CONTRACT that says he is entitled to 10% of the profits. Kirby and Ditko have no such contract. That's my point. I would NEVER diminish those guys' accomplishments! Kirby's heirs and Ditko will need to pursue their own litigation if they want anything. The bad guy in all this is Marvel for 1) not honoring the contract they already made with Stan, and 2) not putting forth a similar contract for Kirby's heirs and Ditko.

Joe

 

Got ya!

 

Sure would be a stand-up thing to do for Lee to remember the people who helped create the empire of which he now enjoys 10% of the profits. Guess we'll never see that happen though. sorry.gif Took him a long time to acknowledge their input & contributions.

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Aman619

Aman619

Posted
Posted

he gives them credit. Hes improved his public relations on the matter considerably from the 70s when he grandiosely wrote those one-sided intros to the Marvel reprint trades... (cant remember the name....sigh) Sons of Origins was one..

 

and, for all we know, Fireside rejected any co-creatorship talk in an original draft cause they wanted to keep the Origin of Marvel Comics simple: in the publics mind Stan did it all, and why introduce facts that dont fit that myth. Im not saying that happenned at all. Chances are Stan wrote it according to the general myth in the first place. If you recall, Stan was doing shaving commercials and was clearly the voice, head, heart and genious behind Marvel. Kinda like Bill Gates created Microsoft all by himself.... tell that to Paul Allen for example.

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ComicBookGuy

ComicBookGuy

Posted
Posted
I think Stan Lee's ego is as big if not bigger than his conrtibutions to comics. Like it would kill the man to give some credit to his partners in creating all those classic Marvel characters. Still legally he should get the cash

 

If his ego is big, he's earned it. If I had created and, yes, co-created, all the great stuff he has, my ego would be pretty $%^&ing big too! And he's always giving credit to the other guys. He says nothing but great things about Kirby and Ditko everytime I see or read his interviews. Look at how Disney was treated by the company he created and, yes, co-created, and compare that to how Marvel treats Stan. Disney treated Disney like a god, and Marvel treats Stan like (*&^! They won't even honor a legal contract much less honor the guy during his final days. If Ditko would step into the spotlight he would be treated like a god, and deservedly so. Why he chooses not to is a mystery to me, but it's HIS choice, and it's not up to Stan to pry dollars on his behalf from Marvel's greedy fingers.

Joe

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bronze johnny

bronze johnny

Posted
Posted

Did anyone saw the 60 Minutes interview?

 

Stan Lee did not deny the fact that he was responsible for creating all of the major characters of the marvel universe.

 

I am impartial to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. I grew up loving their work and I am greatful for the contributions they both made to ComicBookDom.

 

But I was disappointed in Stan Lee when I saw the 60 Minutes interview. In a way, Stan Lee reminded me of the current regime running Marvel. I hope I'm wrong about Stan.

 

Even comic book lovers need real life heroes.

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tilleycs

tilleycs

Posted
Posted

If he and Marvel agreed to the contract and signed it, which obviously happened, he is 100% entitled to the money. If Kirby, Ditko, etc. (or their heirs) did not have the same contracts, then legally, they are not entitled to the same money, and that is not Stan's fault. What he did, they could have done.

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bronze johnny

bronze johnny

Posted
Posted

I'm not talking about Stan Lee's legal obligation to Marvel or vice versa. I'm talking about Stan Lee's moral and ethical obligation to the artists he worked with, in particular, Jack Kirby.

 

My hope is that Stan Lee at least acknowlwedges this. But even if he doesn't, I will still have the greatest respect for Stan Lee as the greatest comic book publisher since Gaines. Stan Lee still has time to rectify this perception that many in comicbookdom have towards him.

 

Jack Kirby later fought for his rights as an artist and paved the way for younger artists to have greater liberties over their artistic creations. It's Stan Lee's turn.

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Aman619

Aman619

Posted
Posted
If he and Marvel agreed to the contract and signed it, which obviously happened, he is 100% entitled to the money. If Kirby, Ditko, etc. (or their heirs) did not have the same contracts, then legally, they are not entitled to the same money, and that is not Stan's fault. What he did, they could have done.

 

well, not exactly..... Stan was always in a priveledged situation, vis-a-vis the "ownership rights" to the Marvel universe characters. He never had a legal claim to any of them, having "worked for hire" like all the rest of the artists and writers.... but as Editor in Chief, and moreso, as the Voice of Marvel publicly, and as writer of ALL the early stories, Stan BECAME Marvel Comics. As such, only HE had value to the owners (Cadence, Perelman, and now Avi/Ike) to negotiate contracts like the one he is trying to enforce.

 

If they saw no value to Marvel Entertainment in Stan's involvement in their curent endeavors, believe me, Stan would be in the breadline on the outside looking in like all the rest of the unprotected Marvel creators over the past 45 years.. e might even be suing for ownership etc UNSUCCESSFULLY - - like Jack and Marv etc...

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Aman619

Aman619

Posted
Posted
I'm not talking about Stan Lee's legal obligation to Marvel or vice versa. I'm talking about Stan Lee's moral and ethical obligation to the artists he worked with, in particular, Jack Kirby.

 

My hope is that Stan Lee at least acknowlwedges this. But even if he doesn't, I will still have the greatest respect for Stan Lee as the greatest comic book publisher since Gaines. Stan Lee still has time to rectify this perception that many in comicbookdom have towards him.

 

Jack Kirby later fought for his rights as an artist and paved the way for younger artists to have greater liberties over their artistic creations. It's Stan Lee's turn.

 

Stan has been all over the map in regard to his fellow co-creators over the years. From boldly claiming sole creation in the 70s to unequivocably giving credit to Jack and Steve for their contributions. I didnt see the interview you mentioned, but I could guess that the interviewer, w/o having researched the controversy we discuss here in comicsland, probably handed Stan a complementary question that presumed Stan did it all singlehandedly... and Stan probably gratiously deigned to correct him this time. I get the feeling that in Stans mind, he can make the case that he WAS the sole driving force all along, having been the Bossman giving out assignments and orders... and having gone so far as to share credit often sometimes wants to assert HIS ego a bit. Human nature....

 

As to Stans moral and ethical obligations????? Lets talk about YOURS for awhile before we condemn the guy.... I always state that at the time, NOONE was worried about who got credit for 'creating' this [#@$%!!!]. Comics were something they were ALL embarassed to tell people they did for a living back then!! And Jack for one was appparently very hapy with all the money he was taking down. Stan got the credit cause he was the front man, he was the glib raconteur the reporters loved to go to when the outside world suddenly noticed Marvel books. The Legend of "Stan the Man" grew from there.

 

Theres no perfect analogy, but I think Walt Disney comes closest. He sketched a mouse on a train one day on the way to a meeting...and had ideas for other stuff, even a perfect city. But OTHERS created the details and more. Im not a big Disney buff, so if Im wrong, feel free to corerct this short summation.... Kirby created a lot of characters and ideas, but was not the leader of Marvel. That was Stan's job, and lets face it, who could have done it better?????

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