This is a bit mean-spirited. Stan Lee also has no control over what the Marvel publicity wonks write, you know. (And putting much stock in what Marvel publicity wonks write is... heh... inadvisable. Lately they seem to be assuming that nobody reads their material and planting as many silly jokes in their blurbs as they can fit.) I've never read an interview with Lee in which he's claimed sole creator credit on anything -- and if he's being celebrated nowadays more than his co-creators, that's probably because a) unlike them, he's still alive and still on more-or-less good terms (give or take a lawsuit or two) with Marvel; and b) although others were involved in everything he co-created, he was the common thread throughout more or less all of the most important foundational Marvel characters.
I must side with Katherine in this particular case (though it sounds like you have other, weightier evidence that you're not sharing today); Stan Lee has no more control over what appears on a Marvel promotional flyer than a screenwriter has on what image will be used on the posters for her film.
The Marvel Comics publicity machine promotes the fantasy that Stan Lee personally created all the Marvel characters, and the rest of the media falls into line. It may be that Stan Lee is not personally to blame for this dissemination of this fib, although I think he could probably work harder to counter it.
The Stan Lee who appeared in the Bullpen Bulletins was almost as much a fictitious character as "The Mighty Tharg" or "Lord Peter Flint"; I guess it's this fictitious character who the new comic series is about. So it may be that Marvel venerates the Stan Lee of Faith while the Stanley Leiber of History remains willing to acknowledge the contributions made by his collaborators; but the rest of the media can't be blamed for not spotting the distinction.
But isn't Lee specifically explaining the distinction in the first quote, where he says he has no control over whether other people call him the creator of Spider-Man and so on? Surely that applies to publicity stuff from a company he no longer works for as well.
Which is not to say that Lee never minimized the roles of the artists in the creation of those famous characters.
I think this actually requires a proper article, which I shall try to get around to writing.
Friday, 08 September, 2006
Every time that people talk about "creating the characters," I always say I co-created them. I co-created Spider-Man with Steve Ditko. I co-created The Fantastic Four and the Hulk with Kirby. I co-created Iron Man with Don Heck. Very often, when people would write about us in the newspapers or the trades, they would say, "Stan Lee – Creator of Spider-Man," and that would get Ditko angry – but I had nothing to do with that! I have no control over what journalists write. Stan Lee, interviewed on IGN, June 2000 Celebrating his 65th years at Marvel, Stan "The Man" Lee comes face-to-face with some of his greatest creations of all time. Five all new 10 page stories by Stan Lee with 10-page backup tales from top talents in the industry, along with reprints of classic Stan Lee stories. Stan Lee Meets Spider-Man. Stan Lee Meets Dr. Strange. Stan Lee Meets The Thing. Stan Lee Meets Dr Doom. Stan Lee Meets The Silver Surfer. Marvel comics flyer, September 2006. (Stan Lee's name appears 17 times in this leaflet. A no-prize for anyone who guesses the number of occurrences of the words "Ditko", "Kirby", "Jack", "Steve". The cover for the Spider-Man comic appears to be have been copied from Ditko's art on Amazing Fantasy #15, and the cover for the Thing appears to have been copied from Kirby's art on Fantastic Four #51.)
"When Pants Ignite"
6 Comments -
This is a bit mean-spirited. Stan Lee also has no control over what the Marvel publicity wonks write, you know. (And putting much stock in what Marvel publicity wonks write is... heh... inadvisable. Lately they seem to be assuming that nobody reads their material and planting as many silly jokes in their blurbs as they can fit.) I've never read an interview with Lee in which he's claimed sole creator credit on anything -- and if he's being celebrated nowadays more than his co-creators, that's probably because a) unlike them, he's still alive and still on more-or-less good terms (give or take a lawsuit or two) with Marvel; and b) although others were involved in everything he co-created, he was the common thread throughout more or less all of the most important foundational Marvel characters.
Saturday, 02 September, 2006
Steve Ditko, the creator of Spider-Man, is still alive.
"Stanly? Oh I feel sorry for him. I sleep well at night." -- Jack Kirby
Sunday, 03 September, 2006
I must side with Katherine in this particular case (though it sounds like you have other, weightier evidence that you're not sharing today); Stan Lee has no more control over what appears on a Marvel promotional flyer than a screenwriter has on what image will be used on the posters for her film.
Monday, 04 September, 2006
The Marvel Comics publicity machine promotes the fantasy that Stan Lee personally created all the Marvel characters, and the rest of the media falls into line. It may be that Stan Lee is not personally to blame for this dissemination of this fib, although I think he could probably work harder to counter it.
The Stan Lee who appeared in the Bullpen Bulletins was almost as much a fictitious character as "The Mighty Tharg" or "Lord Peter Flint"; I guess it's this fictitious character who the new comic series is about. So it may be that Marvel venerates the Stan Lee of Faith while the Stanley Leiber of History remains willing to acknowledge the contributions made by his collaborators; but the rest of the media can't be blamed for not spotting the distinction.
Monday, 04 September, 2006
But isn't Lee specifically explaining the distinction in the first quote, where he says he has no control over whether other people call him the creator of Spider-Man and so on? Surely that applies to publicity stuff from a company he no longer works for as well.
Which is not to say that Lee never minimized the roles of the artists in the creation of those famous characters.
Wednesday, 06 September, 2006
I take many of the points made above.
I think this actually requires a proper article, which I shall try to get around to writing.
Friday, 08 September, 2006