Kirby vs. Marvel decided...

Above: This Jack Kirby piece was used in "The Art of Mickey Mouse."

Both Bleeding Cool and The Beat are reporting that the court has decided that Jack Kirby’s work for Marvel was work-made-for-hire. Thus, the Kirby estate is entitled to zero money and zero ownership to any characters that Jack Kirby had co-created while at Marvel.

This is no surprise to me. I didn’t think the Kirby estate had any chance of winning this one.

There’s nothing wrong with being compensated for your services. I don’t even have a real problem with work-made-for-hire IF A) you know what you’re getting yourself into, B) you don’t create any characters for someone else, and C) if you're treated fairly.

Hopefully, the Siegel family will clean Warner Bros. clock over Superman.

For more information about comic book Creator's Rights, visit Ya Can't Erase Ink... Here, we feature conversations and interviews with Scott McCloud, Dave Sim, Steve Bissette, Rick Veitch, and others about The Creator’s Bill of Rights and other Creator’s Rights issues.

What's going on in comics?

I haven’t blogged in a bunch of days. I’ve been busy drawing comics and preparing for teaching this Fall.

Anyway… I like drawing comics and I like reading them. Well, some of them, anyway. And I like to keep up with the latest news in comics. So, what is going on in comics? (Mind you, there are some spoilers.)

Well, the San Diego Comic-Con International came and went. I didn’t go. But, all the news I’ve read and heard from the Con just seemed like a bunch of uninteresting hype. How can such an enormous amount of non-news be new news? (Although, I was waiting to hear about what was going on with the revised First Comics and E-Man, but I heard no news about that.)

Is it really news when a publisher is renumbering or rebooting their titles? Is it really news when a publisher is going to tell the same sort of stories over and over again? Count me out.



Above: Artwork from Frank Miller’s HOLY TERROR.

Now, Frank Miller’s HOLY TERROR looks interesting. It’s nice to see creators address important issues like (as in this case) terrorism.



Above: No one escapes Steve Bissette’s the Fury.

The great Steve Bissette is bringing back THE FURY! I can’t wait for this one.

From srbissette.com:

It’s official: I’ve now signed contracts with a publisher for a return to color comics of… The Fury!

As far as reading comics, I picked up X-MEN: SCHISM #2. I really do enjoy Frank Cho’s artwork, but this issue was very dull, even the art. (I miss LIBERTY MEADOWS.)

Oh no! The Sentinels have been reactivated (again), and are about to stomp all over those poor mutants (again). Oh no! Cyclops and Wolverine are gonna argue (again). Can anyone in the X-offices come up with some new story ideas?

But, (and I liked this part) Kitty Pride tells Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad where to go…



Above: Artwork from X-MEN: SCHISM #2 by Frank Cho. Colors by Jason Keith.

The best line from X-MEN: SCHISM #2 was: "Liberals are nothing if not predictable." I thought that that was funny. One doesn’t customarily see Liberalism mocked in the comics industry.

I give X-MEN: SCHISM #2 two out of five NM’s:




Above: Partial artwork from the cover to INVINCIBLE #81 by Ryan Ottley.

I don’t often say this sort of thing, but INVINCIBLE #81 was kinda dull, too. FCO Plascencia has got to come back to coloring INVINCIBLE. The previous issue was quite awesome, though.

In this issue’s letter column (Penvincipals), I found it interesting reading the letters concerning abortion. (See INVINCIBLE #79 about why.)

I give INVINCIBLE #81 three out of five NM’s:




Above: Chris Bachalo’s artwork from AVENGERS #15. (Don't know who inked this, though.)

AVENGERS #15 is excellent! For the last several years, I haven’t been much of a Marvel Comics reader, but I really dig Chris Bachalo’s AVENGERS. Brian Michael Bendis’ writing reminds me of why I loved the Avengers as a kid. In AVENGERS #15, some of the Avengers fight the hammer-wielding Asgardian Hulk. Plus, Hawkeye and Spider-Woman make smoochies.

I give AVENGERS #15 four and a half out of five NM’s:

Congratulations Stephen Gerard and SO MANY OPTIONS!

Above: Movie poster for SO MANY OPTIONS featuring thespian Stephen Gerard.

I received some good news from Stephen Gerard concerning Spinshot Films’ SO MANY OPTIONS and the Seattle 48 Hour Film Project…

From Stephen Gerard:

When all was said and done we won Audience choice, Best direction, Best cinematography and Best editing. We got a lot of positive response at both the awards screening and the after party. Here's a link to the short on youtube.

ARCHIE WORLD TOUR...

The ARCHIE WORLD TOUR trade paperback is now on sale. I was one of the inkers of these comics when they first saw print in ARCHIE & FRIENDS.



Above: Artwork from ARCHIE & FRIENDS #119. Pencils by Rex Lindsey and inks by me.

Although, I don’t expect to see any royalties from the sales of this book. Now-a-days, royalties paid to creators is fairly standard in comics. Marvel pays royalties. DC pays royalties. Why are some other comic book publishers so horrible when it comes to royalties and the return of original artwork?



Above: Panel from ARCHIE & FRIENDS #118. Pencils by Rex Lindsey and inks by me.

SO MANY OPTIONS...

Above: Movie poster for SO MANY OPTIONS.

Stephen Gerard stars in Spinshot Films’ short film, SO MANY OPTIONS. Scary-looking movie poster, huh? Thus far, SO MANY OPTIONS is an "Audience Award Winner."

Here’s more info on The Seattle 48 Hour Film Project.

LETHARGiC LAD 2010 news...

Above: Artwork to Greg Hyland’s LETHARGiC LAD 2010. "Lethargic Lad" and all other prominent characters are TM and © 2011 Greg Hyland.

Greg Hyland reports "LETHARGiC LAD 2010 coming soon...!"

Independence and Gettysburg...

This is a very amazing holiday weekend. We celebrate the independence of our nation.



Above photo: Independence Hall is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The United States Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution were both signed at Independence Hall.

P.I.C. even once paid a visit to Independence Hall.



Above photo: President Abraham Lincoln leaves the stage after giving his Gettysburg Address.

Also, 148 years ago, our nation saw the Battle of Gettysburg. In 1863, from July 1st to the 3rd, 160,000 American soldiers fought one another at the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. There were between 46,000 and 51,000 Union and Confederate casualties in that battle. Some sources state: For the Union: 23,055 (3,155 killed. 14,531 wounded. 5,369 captured or missing). For the Confederates: 23,231 (4,708 killed. 12,693 wounded. 5,830 captured or missing).