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[LOLtron]

Jim Starlin has mixed feelings about seeing one of his creations on the big screen in The Avengers. (Spoilers Here)

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(Spoilers ahead for anyone so full of fail they have not seen The Avengers yet...)











(Seriously, don't blame this reporter if you're still reading this...)










(Come on, get out of here! Go on, get!)










Ok, now that we're all alone, Jim Starlin spoke to LA Times' Hero Complex last week about his character, Thanos, who (SPOILER) appears in one of the end credits scenes in The Avengers. Thanos, (SPOILER) who is in love with Marvel's female embodiment of death, is famous in comics for (SPOILER) attempting to kill the universe multiple times to gain favor with his beloved. Thanos famously starred in Starlin's 90s comics mega-crossover-event Infinity Gauntlet, as well the follow-ups Infinity War and Infinity Crusade, which were (SPOILER) increasingly more lackluster than the original. The appearance by Thanos seems to indicate the villain will play a major role in the future of the Avengers movie franchise, provided, of course, it doesn't get rebooted before a sequel comes out, which can never be ruled out as a possibility. This is what Starlin had to say:

"It's nice to see my work recognized as being worth something beyond the printed page, and it was very cool seeing Thanos up on the big screen. But this is the second film that had something I created for Marvel in it - the Infinity Gauntlet in Thor being the other - and both films I had to pay for my own ticket to see them. Financial compensation to the creators of these characters doesn't appear to be part of the equation."

Really, it's only fair. The Avengers has made over a billion dollars worldwide so far, and movie tickets cost less than half that amount (as long as you avoid 3D).

The debate over creator rights in comics has been raging for the past few years, with the most notable example being bearded creator Alan Moore's disgust with Warner Bros and DC Comics over their exploitation of the Watchmen franchise (coming soon to a toaster near you). Starlin seems easier to please in this regard, but we all know it's a slippery slope. You start with free movie tickets, and, before you know it, you're fairly compensating the creators of characters your corporation has made money on for 75 years.

Starlin is also hoping that the interest in Thanos will shed some attention on the movie projects he trying to develop himself: Dreadstar, Breed, and Thinning the Predators.

Source: Hero Complex
Written or Contributed by: Jude Terror


http://www.theouthousers.com/index.php/news/entertainment-news/19601-alan-moore-is-at-it-again-no-wait-its-jim-starlin-this-time.html/

[ReturnoftheMack]

Ok, Starlin:

Kirby had done the New Gods, which I thought was terrific. He was over at DC at the time. I came up with some things that were inspired by that. You'd think that Thanos was inspired by Darkseid, but that was not the case when I showed up. In my first Thanos drawings, if he looked like anybody, it was Metron. I had all these different gods and things I wanted to do, which became Thanos and the Titans. Roy took one look at the guy in the Metron-like chair and said : "Beef him up! If you're going to steal one of the New Gods, at least rip off Darkseid, the really good one!"

[Grayson]

Come on Marvel, you can at least tell a guy that something he created is going to be in one of your movies and invite him to the premiere so that he doesn't have to spend his own money to see it.

That being said, how much compensation could a creator receive for something like this? The Infinity Gauntlet was a prop in the background of Thor that was visible for less than a split second. Thanos's cameo was only slightly longer, he didn't speak, and he wasn't even credited as being Thanos but Man #1 if I am not mistaken.

I have tried to stay out of this creator vs. publisher debate, so I am not trying to ask the question should a creator be compensated. Instead I am just curious about what you think a creator could be compensated for something that is literally as small as the Infinity Gauntlet in Thor or Thanos's cameo in Avengers.

[ReturnoftheMack]

Come on Marvel, you can at least tell a guy that something he created is going to be in one of your movies and invite him to the premiere so that he doesn't have to spend his own money to see it.

That being said, how much compensation should a creator receive for something like this? The Infinity Gauntlet was a prop in the background of Thor that was visible for less than a split second. Thanos's cameo was only slightly longer, he didn't speak, and he wasn't even credited as being Thanos but Man #1 if I am not mistaken.

I have tried to stay out of this creator vs. publisher debate, so I am not trying to ask the question should a creator be compensated. Instead I am just curious about what you think a creator could be compensated for something that is literally as small as the Infinity Gauntlet in Thor or Thanos's cameo in Avengers.

I wouldn't invite him. Starlin has burned his bridges at Marvel.

He also deserves no compensation at all.

Would it have been nice to invite him? Sure. But he doesn't deserve anything.

[bkthomson]

In these cases you mentioned. NONE. If a full length movies where the character has more screen time than waitress in distress #3 at least credit in the end credits.

[Rockman]

has Jude been taking comedy lessons from Cat-scratch?

[KingPagla]

In these cases you mentioned. NONE. If a full length movies where the character has more screen time than waitress in distress #3 at least credit in the end credits.

But he did get a credit in Avengers.

[bkthomson]

But he did get a credit in Avengers.

Really?

[e_galston]

he expected a ticket to Thor?? even though the infinity gauntlet play absolutely no part in the movie, besides an easter egg?

[Zechs]

I wouldn't invite him. Starlin has burned his bridges at Marvel.

He also deserves no compensation at all.

Would it have been nice to invite him? Sure. But he doesn't deserve anything.

How did he burn his bridges at Marvel? Last story I remember him writing for them was Annihilation.

[KingPagla]

Really?

Yeah, in the end credits there was an acknowledgement to him, Lee, & Kirby (naturally) Bendis, Millar and maybe some others.

[ReturnoftheMack]

How did he burn his bridges at Marvel? Last story I remember him writing for them was Annihilation.

Starlin didn't write Annihilation.

[ReturnoftheMack]

How did he burn his bridges at Marvel? Last story I remember him writing for them was Annihilation.

Starlin didn't write Annihilation.

[ReturnoftheMack]

To answer your question Zechs:

A bitter falling out with Marvel left Jim saying that he wouldn't work with them on any other project, leaving him with an unfinished Thanos series

Someone over at a newsarama post said he got to talk to starlin at a con. from the original post he said Starlin told Brevroot he was thinking about pitching a Warlock series to concide next to his Thanos series. Breveroot (or whoever he was talking to, I seem to recall it was Breveroot) said they already had a Warlock series almost finished. Starlin felt concerned because he was using Warlock in his Thanos series already. So the editor replied with "if you don't like it then you can quit."
So he did.

[chap22]

Yeah, in the end credits there was an acknowledgement to him, Lee, & Kirby (naturally) Bendis, Millar and maybe some others.

yep, including Don Heck, a couple more, and one guy i honestly had never heard of (but the name escapes me now...)