To be honest, there are elements
of all of this that just bother the Hell out of me.
|
|
I grew up reading DC COMICS, more
than those of any company. To quote author Harlan Ellison, "I'm
a DC kid!" It never mattered to me who was more popular
at any given time, or if other kids were making theirs MARVEL
-- I was LOYAL to this company. Loyal to the point of always
submitting to them first, whenever I had a story or art submission
that was ready to make the rounds. I wanted my artwork to grace
covers beneath a DC bullet. If you'd told me even five years
ago that I'd be in this position now, ready to square off in
court against this company...I'd have found it unlikely. Possible
(remember Seigel and Shuster), but unlikely. |
|
And in case it hasn't been made
clear, I doubt that I could care more about Superman the character
if I'd created him myself. Superman is the REASON I chose to
get into this ridiculous business, and it almost makes me sick
to think that of all the characters in existence for me to have
a story snatched away from me featuring...why THIS one? Not that
I'd have accepted it any easier had it been say a Batman or Captain
America story, but this hits home in a bad way. The character
himself stands for honesty, fairness and integrity; yet I'm still
waiting for the company that owns him to display these qualities
in dealing with me.
|
Also, Steve Gerber is a FANTASTIC
writer, who deserves far more than to be stuck in the middle
of this legal morass. (And it should be noted, Mr. Gerber knows
a thing or two about legal morasses! He created HOWARD THE DUCK,
y'know...) I only just recently rediscovered that he was the
author of a seminal mini-series from my own childhood: "THE
PHANTOM ZONE", a creepy little piece of business from the
early eighties that to this day gives me chills. It also demonstated
that Mr. Gerber even then had a solid grasp on what made The
Last Son of Krypton tick.
|
But there are entirely too many
coincidences here for me to just dismiss the matter. From the
title to the manner of publication to the timing involved, it
all just says that there's something not quite right about this
project.
|
Just over two years ago I received
a phone call from an editor at DC COMICS. This person was responding
to several submissions I"d just sent them. (This was over
a year after I'd submitted S:T.L.S.o.E.) It was the editor's
belief that I needed to "back off", because I "just
wasn't ready"to have a work published. I took exception
to that then, but I take even more exception to it now.
|
|
Because you see, I WAS
ready. I had been ready for at least a year; that was when I
sent them an idea that - even if you give DC the benefit of the
doubt - was startlingly close to an idea that they were putting
into production at the SAME TIME.Consider, by my own rough estimations
it would have taken approximately THREE YEARS between conception
of the idea to final publication, had DC picked up the story
from me when it was submitted. In the notes to his FLASHPOINT
Elseworlds mini-series, writer Pat McGreal states that previous
similar projects he has worked on for the company have generally
taken about THREE YEARS from initial pitch to final publication. |
 |
|
Which makes this all the more
infuriating. You're talking about a great character, a huge company
that's been in business for years publishing books which have
won them fans of all ages, a writer who's been around the block
and who knows his craft and who understands the importance of
covering yourself legally -- so how does THIS happen? For my
part, I'm glad I covered the bases and saved everything from
the outset. Every piece of correspondence, everything showing
I'd created this when I did; this all only serves to protect
me. I basically have proof to support every statement I've made
and my beliefs that this story originated with me. Yet I've never
sold a work to a major publisher, nor had any dealings that would
have merited taking such steps...still, I have proof and I've
shown it.
|
I'd be interested in hearing what
YOU have to say, now that you've seen and read about what's involved.
|
|
|