Comic book writer, editor and publisher Stanley Lieber, better known to as Stan Lee, died on November 12 at the age of 95.
A legend in the comic book world, Stan Lee, along with his creative partners, made his mark in the 1960s by introducing the world to superheroes with flaws and frailties. This changed the game in the superhero comic book genre, making him an icon in the industry.
Although this co-creator of the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor and the Hulk retired from Marvel in the 1990s, he remained the public face of Marvel comics, making cameo appearances in nearly every Marvel movie, including this year’s box office hits Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War.
Stan Lee, however, or rather his estate, does not hold the rights to the characters he co-created. Meaning, he gets no share in Marvel movies’ profits, and his position as executive producer on Marvel’s films is an honorary title.
Lee, however, was luckier than his contemporaries, in that he received a reported $10 million (Sh1 billion) in 1998 (according to Forbes) for signing away his movie rights, and a lifetime salary of a million dollars a year from Marvel.
It sounds like a lot of money and it is, but when you consider Avengers: Infinity War made a little over $300 million (Sh30 billion) by day five after release, and that’s just one Marvel movie — well, I’m sure most of you can do the fractions.
Those who weren’t so lucky include Lee’s artistic partner, Jack Kirby, who created Black Panther, Iron Man, the Hulk, X-men, and too many other characters to name, but he never got a deal similar to that of his partner.
In fact, Marvel fought for a decade to keep Kirby from claiming creative and financial control over his creations, leaving his heirs, after he died in 1994, to sue Marvel multiple times before finally reaching a settlement in 2014.
And then there is Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the creators of Superman. They spent nearly 40 years in legal battles with DC Comics, trying to receive royalties and even credit for their character. They only managed to receive some credit and a meagre financial compensation, but that was not until the late 70s. Bob Kane, who drew Batman’s first appearance, negotiated a contract for sole credit and royalties, leaving his co-creator Bill Finger with nothing. This injustice was rectified in 2015, but by then, Finger had long since passed away.
These are just some examples of how many a creative, even the greatest of creators, have to fight to get credit and compensation for their own work.
Getting out-of-box ideas off the ground and pitching them is difficult enough without then having to watch out for dodgy contracts designed to short-change you. And the hardships and travails don’t end there.
You have the naysayers and doubters, the challenges of making ends meet, the self-doubt and the temptation to chuck it all in. But perhaps most depressing is the reality check: for every creative who is successful, there are tens of thousands more who won’t be. Between getting shafted and reality destroying you, it’s a losing battle.
But so what if it’s a losing battle?
‘The grandest, most honourable battle is the losing one, but you’ve got to keep fighting.’
— Connor Mason, Timeless.
Put simply dear creative, this means win or lose, give ‘em hell.