From Gerry Conway’s Twitter feed:
Some months ago, Marvel sent me a contract offering to acknowledge my creation of a character called Mindworm. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindworm
Really, Marvel? This http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindworm is the character you want to acknowledge I created for you? No other characters come to mind?
For those who may not understand what Gerry’s getting at, Kurt Busiek offers a clue:
@gerryconway I particularly liked the MINDWORM WAR JOURNAL series.
Conway – who added “I’m not bitter, honestly, just bemused” – then went on to ask Marvel why they don’t send him comps of statues based on his creations, the same way that DC does, and then offers examples of both. In the process, he reminds you of all the characters he’s created that are still in use today: Firestorm and the Punisher, obviously, but also Vixen, Killer Croc, Power Girl and Marvel’s Jackal. It’s a pretty impressive resume, really. More impressive, at least, that having the legacy of the man who created Mindworm…
October 25th, 2011 at 2:31 pm
Mindworm? Is that the magic-based character who came back to life in a cocoon after being beaten to death by some guy in a jacket?
Wait, that’s the worst idea ever.
Some people know what I’m talking about.
October 25th, 2011 at 3:26 pm
I alway’s ahte it when stuff like this come’s up,since it’s a shame that creator’s don’t alway’s get the respect they deserve for past work.
October 25th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
Man, that sucks. It should be a thing that if a character headlines their own movie (let alone three times) that they automatically acknowledge the creatorship.
There’s not much creators can do within the industry, but members of the Writer’s Guild at least should refuse to work on “work-for-hire characters” unless the original creator is acknowledged.
October 25th, 2011 at 5:08 pm
“Writer’s Guild at least should refuse to work on “work-for-hire characters” unless the original creator is acknowledged.”
That’s one of the first suggestion of its kind I can see worth pushing for, and leading to some real change if it got adopted.
October 25th, 2011 at 9:30 pm
@JRC, yeah, especially if it entailed an all-out WGA boycott of Marvel Studios/DC Entertainment films.
Damn, I’m going to go into work early tomorrow to draft a letter to the WGA (I work for an entertainment lawyer, so I have all the guild rules and contact info in my office :3 )