Steve Bissette and His Idiotic Call for a Marvel Boycott
By Dan C. on Aug 01, 2011 with Comments 18
Steve Bissette is trying to organize a boycott against Marvel Comics.
Last week, a US court issued a ruling siding with Marvel Comics in a long-running legal dispute between Marvel and the estate of comics legend Jack Kirby. Kirby’s family had been trying to get the court to rule that the Kirby estate owned the copyrights to all of the characters that he created for Marvel Comics during his career as an illustrator for the company. A US Federal Judge, however, made it clear that Kirby had no claim to the copyrights, as per the 1909 Copyright Act. In the wake of this ruling, Steve Bissette, who’s best known as the co-creator of DC’s John Constantine character, has called for an all-out boycott of any Marvel property that Jack Kirby had a hand in creating. It’s a stupid idea and it won’t work. Allow me to explain.
First of all, in a rambling, hard to follow rant which appears over on Bleeding Cool, Bissette tries to convince comic fans everywhere to boycott any Kirby created Marvel property. His logic is that the ruling that the court issued isn’t fair and if fans just stop buying Marvel comic books, video games, movies, and other merchandise that this will somehow force Marvel to throw its hands up in defeat and pay the Kirby family huge sums of money. In Bissette’s own words…
“I put it to you, ladies and gentlemen, that San Diego Comicon 2012 should be the least comfortable eventMarvel or any fleeting participant in any product, movie, videogame, or anything derived from Jack Kirby’s Marvel legacy, should ever attend in the history of comicbook conventions—if you make sure it is.
But there’s a lot to do—or rather, not do—between now and then.
After all, given the biggest news in the comics industry this week, in a vertebrate world, pros would cease working for Marvel and any Marvel product that involved Jack Kirby’s co-creations or derivations of Jack Kirby’s co-creations.
Fandom would cease buying/supporting any Marvel product, including its movies, in Jack’s memory.”
He then goes on to ramble on about how lawyers are lying scum and anyone who continues to support Marvel Comics has no spine and so on and so forth. Throughout, he repeatedly brags about how much money DC continues to throw at him for the hand that he had in creating John Constantine (on several occasions, Bissette reminds everyone that he got a $45,000 check after the movie came out) and how Marvel and Disney (who owns Marvel) are a bunch of corporate monsters. All of that may be true. And, to be fair, perhaps the Kirby family does have a legal right to these copyrights and the judge had no idea what the hell she was talking about. However, to all of that, I would make this point; I don’t give a shit. And no one else does, either.
Look, would I love to see the Kirby family get something for what Jack did for Marvel? Absolutely. Do I think he (and by extension, they) deserve it? Yes, I do. However, I’m not going to stop buying Marvel Comics stuff because of a legal dispute between Disney and the Kirby family lawyers. And I don’t think anyone else is, either. And, honestly, why should we? Most of what Kirby did for Marvel was done before I was born. I never met the man. I know of him and know about how instrumental he was in creating most of the Marvel Universe, but I have no emotional attachment to Marvel. And, excuse me for sounding selfish here, but what’s in this boycott for me? I miss out on reading my favorite Marvel comics, miss all the awesome new movies coming out, and stop wearing my Spider-Man shirts. And guess what? Marvel Comics doesn’t notice even for a second.
This whole dispute is between Marvel and the Kirby family. Maybe if I were a comic professional or was friends with the Kirby family or had some other emotional stake in this case, I would feel differently. But I’m sorry, I don’t. And asking the Marvel Comics fan base to walk away from the company because of a legal disagreement about work-for-hire status and the 1909 Copyright Law is absurd. And Bissette essentially calling me a spineless coward for not supporting his stupid little crusade? Fuck you! I’ll stop buying Marvel Comics stuff when Marvel does something that pisses me off. In terms of this whole Kirby vs Marvel dispute, I honestly don’t care about who’s right or who’s wrong. The case was put in front of a Judge, both sides made their argument, and Marvel came out ahead. If you think that I’m gonna stop reading Uncanny X-Force or The Mighty Thor over the outcome of a legal case that in no way affects me, Mr. Bissette, you are obviously a fucking moron.
The bottom line here is this: I appreciate what Jack Kirby did for comics, but I’m not going to change my buying habits and sacrifice something that I enjoy in an effort to help get his kids some money. Does that make me a shallow, insensitive, “invertebrate”. Maybe. But I don’t care. Aside from a few hippies, no one is going to support this boycott. Because, rightly or wrongly, almost everyone considers the Jack Kirby era to be ancient history. Most people who flock to theaters to see Iron Man and Captain America have no clue who Jack Kirby is or what he did. Marvel Comics might owe the Kirby estate something, but I sure as hell don’t. Have fun with your boycott, Steve Bissette. Let me know how it works out for you and how much money it puts in the Kirby kids’ pockets.
Filed Under: Comic Books
Yes, it happened in the ’60s. So what? Clearly many in the comics community felt it was important to keep fighting for Superman’s creators to be compensated well into the 1970s, including Neal Adams. The impetus for that fight was similar to Bissette’s call for a boycott: movies made about the character(s) from which the primary creators get no compensation. If you cannot see how this is similar, you might need some meds. Clearly you didn’t even read Bissette’s article (or the many linked to from it), because he explains quite clearly how Kirby was screwed over and over again, not just initially, but for years and years after the fact. How can what Stan Lee is compensated be irrelevant? I don’t love corporate America, but there’s proof time and again that they CAN get it right and correct mistakes. And just because they often don’t, is that any reason not to demand it in this case? That’s like saying one murderer got set free on a technicality, so we might as well give up on trying people for murder! Idiotic!
Nate, Kirby’s most important work for Marvel took place in the 1960′s. That’s also when he signed the contacts that laid out what he’d be compensated. When he died is irrelevant, as is what Stan Lee is compensated. Kirby signed up for a shitty deal and Marvel screwed him. Welcome to corporate America.
How, exactly, did it “happen forty years ago?” Kirby died in 1994, so, at the very most, we’re talking 17 years. And he never received his just due, so it’s really still going on. Why does Stan Lee get a mill a year? Why will his kid get $500K for five years after he dies? What did she create?
Sour grapes and ancient history, people. If you think boycotting a business for something that happened about forty years ago makes you “classy” or “doing the right thing” then have at it. Have fun rolling around in the muck of the past. I’m looking ahead…
Wow, what a douche drinker the writer of this article is! If you read Bissette’s article at all (which it seems you didn’t), he’s pretty up front that he doesn’t think the boycott has much chance of working. That said, do you do the right thing because it’s easy, or do you do it because it is the Right Thing? As for “hurting” the current creators, they are getting to work and “create” at Marvel BECAUSE of Kirby. No Kirby, no Marvel Age of Comics. Yes, I believe Lee and Ditko had a lot to do with it, too, but the fact remains that, if Kirby didn’t do the work he did, Marvel would have gone out of business in the early 60s. Also, Bissette calls on creators to not work for Marvel as well. They have a choice. So enjoy your lousy ass Marvel comics, which were created on the back of the fine Jack Kirby, along with your baby rattle and your baw baw, jerk!
Who the fuck are you people? You sound like a bunch of DC fanboys salivating at the mouth over any reason to tear down Marvel. You must all have also failed English, because none of you can comprehend the point of this post.
What would an IDIOTIC boycott of Marvel accomplish, other than hurting the CURRENT creators, and were it to go far enough, possible eliminate all of the Marvel characters that people continue to enjoy?
You do all realize that a Judge was the one who made the call on the lawsuit, right? Were it to have gone the other way, Marvel would have paid the money and been on their way, but obviously however the paperwork was done duirng Kirby’s tenure at Marvel just doesn’t justify him getting any more payment than whatever he was given at the time. That’s how things work. No one was standing over his shoulder screaming, “GIVE US ALL YOUR BEST STUFF.”
He knew what he was doing, and now his family are just looking for a way to leech. This would be a non issue if he created Howard the Duck or some other character noone cares about. It’s kind of like me asking for Veterans benefits because both of my Grandfathers served in WW2.
Now, all that said, I respect Jack Kirby. He created my favortie comic book character and without him, the landscape of comics would be wildly different. Do I think it’s fair? No, not really.
But think of what you people are trying to support: you’re trying to get money for OTHER people, possibly LOTS of money, so that they DON’T HAVE TO WORK OR CREATE ANYTHING. All while you and I and everyone else continue to struggle to make something of our lives. Aren’t those the exact kind of people we hate? You know, the Paris Hilton types, living IDIOTIC lives off their parent’s wealth. In any case, I fucking hate them, but you know what, if you’re totally okay with what the end game is, go ahead and support this IDIOTIC BOYCOTT.
If Jack Kirby were still alive, I’d feel different ly about whether or not Marvel gave HIM any of the money HE deserved for HIS creations, but really, his family needs to stop looking for a free ride. And this is coming from a pretty liberal thinker. There are far more problems in the world than this situation.
Buy hey, can’t wait for all of you to twist my words.
“Worse, reading most of the the Marvel line for me is like getting tooth extraction without the pain killer. The art is almost always bad (have any of these guys and gals EVER sat in on a life drawing session?) and scripts are all plotted by Angst and Global Destruction Writers Ass. I’m not a huge reader of any of the big three but I love the way a full grown adult resounding claims their love for guys in tights with “super” powers, cause that’s the first thing any adult would do if suddenly, magically given powers, go out, buy a bright tight suit with a mask and kick criminals and evil aliens’ butts.” <—-So you don’t read Marvel Comics and you just shit on the bulk of the characters that Kirby created. Did you have a point?
And how is this comment any more justified than Bissette’s? Well, for one thing Bissette’s speaking from his heart and from a perspective experienced in seeing creative folks routinely screwed. As for fandom, I HATE fandumb. I grow so weary of fanboy rantings and their inevitable selfishness and all while giving lip service to their favorite choices in comics. “Too bad ol’ Kirby got screwed but it don’t affect me, long’s I git my X-Men fuck Kirby, he ain’t nothing t’me”. We used to just like stuff. The emotion was in the joy of the reading and I never got into that “gotta have every freakin’ issue” mentality. Worse, reading most of the the Marvel line for me is like getting tooth extraction without the pain killer. The art is almost always bad (have any of these guys and gals EVER sat in on a life drawing session?) and scripts are all plotted by Angst and Global Destruction Writers Ass. I’m not a huge reader of any of the big three but I love the way a full grown adult resounding claims their love for guys in tights with “super” powers, cause that’s the first thing any adult would do if suddenly, magically given powers, go out, buy a bright tight suit with a mask and kick criminals and evil aliens’ butts. The one thing lost on this writer and the other fans is that their comics are getting a staff to create them it’s entertainment the Hollywood way, by committee. The reason they don’t care about Kirby is they’ve grown up reading comics by committee. they have no concept of the sweat and blodd that goes into the creative process. I’ll admit it, I grew up reading the guy and was NOT a big “fan” of his work (though, the New Gods issue titled, Glory Boat puts a lump in my throat every time I read it). I didn’t follow him when I started collecting at 12. But I still read his work and traded it.
Those days are long gone but lives in better work than the mainstream drek that changes artists and writers like they’re changing soiled underwear. But there will be no stars like Kirby again and writers like this poor excuse for comics “fan” is the exact reason for that, oh, and comics by committee made into bright and dingy films that rake in oodles of bucks while comic artists still scrape by trying to make a living and real genius is treated like a doormat. But hey, that’s just the price of entertaining this snarky breed of cynical manboys that pass for today’s “fans”.
For what it’s a man. am taking a risk thinking it’ll matter, I finally met Jack and got to know him. What an unassuming class act of a human being. This was no “King Kirby”. This guy was so polite and friendly to every one he met, he was model human being as only a man who knows hardship and inspiration can be honed into. I miss the man much more than I miss the artist and creator.
So, yeah, screw that old man. Ain’t no sweat of the comment writer’s brow, as long as he gets his fix of poorly contrived alsorans as entertainment. He’s a big boy with his bigboy guys and gals in tights who have sex and stuff. Huzzah…
So, again, I’m not anti-Jack Kirby. I’m anti-stupid idea. Which is why I’m against this boycott. If this court case and Marvel Comics has you all so worked up, good for you. Guess you’re all better people than me. Best of luck to your boycott. I hope it changes the world and Marvel breaks down and admits that it is a horrible, slave-driving organization and it owes everything to Jack Kirby. You guys go fix all of this with your boycott. If wanting to continue to buy Amazing Spider-Man and Uncanny X-Force makes me an “ass” and “selfish” then guilty as charged.
Wow. I could not disagree with this blog post more. You really misrepresented Steve here. Incredibly shoddy work, sir.
If I understand your thesis, it is mostly based on a platform of selfishness mixed with willful ignorance. That and a concept of history that dates Jack Kirby’s contribution to all the Marvel products you love in the 1960s as “ancient.” What do you call Roman history, “like, dude, REALLY ancient history”? Steve Bissette is talking about justice for a visionary artist who never got a fair shake while generating millions of dollars in revenue all based in characters he had a hand in creating for a company that continually treated him like a work-for-hire peon. If that makes Mr. Bissette a “hippie,” then whatever it is your position makes you, I’d rather be a hippie. Enjoy your Marvel products. None of it would exist without Kirby. Period.
John, I’m well versed in comic history. As I said in the post, I hope Kirby does eventually get the credit he deserves. My issue is with this boycott (and yes, it is idiotic). I’m not supporting it because it does nothing to address the problem. Nothing. Even if the majority of fans did throw their weight behind it (and they won’t), Marvel isn’t going to change it’s position. Doing so would jeopordize it’s entire legal case (which they just won and the Kirby estate is planning to appeal) and doing that would cost them multitudes more than any fan boycott. And, again, if you want to support this stupid boycott, have fun.
Your last paragraph is a pretty good summation of what is wrong and why it is so wrong. You sir, are an ass. Count me in for the boycott. You should learn some comic’s history and gain some much due respect. As a comic fan you owe all of your love of comics to the creators, and you should be ashamed of yourself. You also trivialize Bissette’s career a bit, which is just plain stupid.
Let me be clear on this: I stand by my description of Steve Bissette’s call for a boycott as idiotic. I’m not calling Steve an idiot, but this scheme of his to somehow make Marvel reverse course on this issue is stupid. Because it’s doomed to fail.
For starters, for the vast majority of casual comic fans, this shit is ancient history. Jack Kirby is dead. Most of Kirby’s work took place before many (most?) comic fans were even born. And what will a boycott accomplish? More to the point, who will it hurt? Marvel Comics or the writers and artists who’s books will be boycotted, assuming Bissette’s call for a boycott was answered. Which it won’t.
If you all feel so strongly about not buying Marvel comic books in support of a dead man and a legal case that his lawyers lost, have at it. Let me know how the revolution works out for you and Jack Kirby’s estate.
Typical modern jerkweed ideology. “I know what’s right, but I only really care about my own personal desires.” Impressive. Too bad you weren’t around for the gladiatorial games, you selfish prick. You would’ve really enjoyed those… who care about someone else’s pain and the abuses of the powerful, as long as you’re entertained. Enjoy your stance as the only important person on planet earth, douche.
Your statement: “Maybe if I were a comic professional or was friends with the Kirby family or had some other emotional stake in this case, I would feel differently” makes all the difference because Stephen is a comic professional and has been for a long time. He can associate with being in Kirby’s shoes even if DC did pay him however much for “Constantine.” He is nothing but fair.
This is important because Stephen is not just sticking up for Jack Kirby, he is sticking up for the fact that both Marvel and DC have at times not been entirely fair to their staffs, the people who provide their livelihood. The people without whom, they would not be raking in these obscene profits.
Stephen is just trying to point this out and Jack got to be poster child because his is a preeminent case in this continual war to make the comic industry fair to those whose blood runs through it.
DC/Warner Bros. Took a long time to make it a habit of recognizing Siegel and Shuster for their creation of Superman in cartoons and movies, but mere credit does not pay the bills. The recent court case between DC and the creator’s families was a long battle and the families won. DC had to actually change Superman’s appearance to stay within the limits of the final ruling (52 was not the only reason Superman’s look changed, although I see many uninformed stating it was.) If this had been worked out years ago none of this would need to have happen.
All Stephen is doing is asking the comic book customer to do is support those who create the things they love. Now I understand not everyone will, and maybe your right and Marvel won’t even notice; but how can you tell without trying? The last elections a lot of people told the Democratic Party, they need to shape up by handing power back to republicans. If comic fans, who love their comic creators (and they do, look at how busy artist alley is at comicon) then they can show their support for better treatment of these people by refusing to fund further mistreatment of the creative forces behind their comic books.
What Stephen is asking is for a little sacrifice for the greater good. You yourself admit in multiple places in your post that you agree. So how can you agree and so vehemently attack Stephen’s course of action and words when you agree? I have to ask (and my money is on you disagreeing) is this some kind of personal attack? Calling Stephen’s words “idiotic”, how can that be when you agree with what he is saying in base fact? It makes no sense.
You appear to be one of those who refuse to vote because he doesn’t think his vote will matter anyways, and this is wrong thinking. And here is why, the creative staff of a comic book, works under the pressure o f deadlines and such for often less than they are entitled, now thinking psychology here; wouldn’t that make them miserable and in that state do you think they do their best work? Now think about how cool a comic book could be if the creative staff were paid well (or at least fair) and they were happier, don’t you think they would turn out better comic books?
I actually propose the comics of the last 20 years have been produced by overworked run down people, who do the best they can with what they have. Look around at the current (last 5-7 years) of comic book criticism, what do you see? Same old stories, different title, things getting rehashed, characters and stories sloppy, continuity in ruins.
I think we would have been spared this had both DC and Marvel been a little more generous with the people who made them rich. Happier people do better work, and we would have seen that and been happier ourselves. Less complaints from us, corporate comic books would have been ecstatic with the outcome, but unfortunately the human mind works more on hind sight rather than forethought, and this is the result.
So I don’t see where anything Stephen is saying is wrong or as you so bluntly put it “idiotic” it is a call for help from the only people who can do anything about it really. It is our dollars DC & Marvel use to pay to fight these lawsuits, why do we go on supporting it? You state that “…I would make this point; I don’t give a shit. And no one else does, either.” I humbly submit that you are wrong! People do care, and corporate comicbookdom (new word!) needs to wake up and see it, and the only way they will is when the fans decide it is enough and do something to make a change. And if a boycott is what will make Marvel take notice then so be it.
I can see from reading your post your heart is in the right place, but why deny your own thoughts, “…And, to be fair, perhaps the Kirby family does have a legal right to these copyrights and the judge had no idea what the hell she was talking about.” And then even agreeing with what he says you berate Stephen because he is trying to start a movement to do something to accomplish something that is inherently right given this situation?
Think about it! Thank you!
Ehhh. I know nothing of this lawsuit. When I first started reading comics in the early 1970′s, Kirby’s influence was everywhere. (One of the first comics I read was Kirby’s Kamandi from DC.) Kirby Dots, vast expanses of blackness defining characters, characters screaming in rage – all Kirby signatures. And his characters are still everywhere – most of the recent somic book blockbuster movies have been based on his characters. I don’t know the nature of this lawsuit, but I do know that the comics industry has long given a raw deal to creators like Shuster and Siegel and Bill Finger – all of whom may be just meaningless names to kids these days. Still, admitting ignorance of the influence of and debt owed to these giants is like admitting that everything you know about Green Lantern you learned from this summer’s film.
Ah, well. There’s always an opportunity for appeals. Bissette would be better off trying to organize people to support an appeal of this decision, or to persuade Marvel to do the right thing regardless.