Comic Creators From Marvel Getting Paid A Measly $5,000 For The Use Of Stories
The Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU as it is commonly known, has cemented itself as a titan in film. Characters like Spider-Man have always had a large fanbase from comic and movies alike, but the films have been able to introduce fans to characters they might not have known as well beforehand like Iron-Man, Scarlet Witch, and the Falcon. This is due in major part to the dozens of comic book creators, writers, and artists that worked diligently to bring the comic books and characters these films are based on to life. However, with the MCU films grossing over $20 billion combined, those people who created the characters and wrote the stories that the films adapted are not being compensated as they should.
The Guardian recently revealed that Marvel, as well as DC, have been paying the writers and artists who created the characters and stories, which their films are based on, a measly $5,000. In addition to the $5,000, they are sent an invitation to the premiere with no obligation to attend or incentive to use the $5,000 for travel expenses to the premiere. There have been special cases where some creators have been able to create a "special character contract," which allows them to claim higher payment for the use of their characters. However, those in the industry say that these contracts are few and far between. The Guardian attempted to reach out to Marvel to comment on the payment to creators, but Marvel stated that they could not discuss the individual agreements or contracts as that would be a breach of privacy. Many comic creators, especially long-time creators, feel it is getting harder and harder to be paid by Marvel or DC. It is also worth noting that both Marvel and DC are owned by major Fortune 500 companies like Disney and AT&T respectively.
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This has left many creators out in the cold in terms of credit and payment for their hard work. Creators like Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting, who originally revived Bucky Barnes in the comics, received next to nothing for their work. This is made worse by the fact that Bucky has become a major character in the MCU, and he has gone on to star in his own show as one of the titular characters in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Brubaker said,
"For the most part, all Steve and I have got for creating the Winter Soldier and his storyline is a 'thanks' here or there, and over the years that's become harder and harder to live with."
Other creators like Jim Starlin, who created Thanos, tried to renegotiate for a larger payout when he felt Marvel had underpaid him for the use of his characters as the main villain for an entire arc of the MCU.
Unfortunately, the mistreatment of comic creators is not a new issue for Marvel or DC. It dated all the way back to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the creators of Superman, and Bill Finger, the co-creator of Batman. They were all left basically penniless for their characters and contributions. Jim Shooter, former editor-in-chief at Marvel, refused to return Jack Kirby's original art unless Kirby signed a form allowing Marvel to adapt his creations like Black Panther and the Incredible Hulk. As recently as 2015, DC decided to stop making payments to Gerry Conway because the studio decided the character he created, Power Girl, was an off-shoot of Supergirl, and thus not eligible for payment.
The poor treatment of comic creators has always been an issue. These beloved stories and characters that appear on the big screen are the products of love and hard work from countless of writers and artists. The success of these writers and artists is evident in the billions of dollars that the movies have raked in, and that success would not have been possible without those comic creators. Hopefully, as these characters and storylines continue to grow in popularity and relevance, it will shed new light on the insulting amount of credit and payment that the creative minds behind these comics are given.
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Source(s): Screen Rant