| Stan Lee, in my mind, has to be one of the all | | | | any reason to hold back Stan's piece of the pie? |
| time most recognizable individuals in the | | | | I think not. Just corporate bigwigs trying |
| "Comic Book Industry". Most lovers of comic | | | | to increase their lot in life. Now this is just my |
| books have known his name all their | | | | opinion so don't rant back at me as being |
| collecting lives. For those of you who don't know | | | | unfair.As luck would have it, a federal judge |
| his name, I am sure you have heard of | | | | agreed and ruled in favor of Lee. How much |
| his creations. The X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the | | | | monetary compensation does this mean? Well to |
| Incredible Hulk, Daredevil, and the | | | | put it in perspective, the two Spider- |
| very well known Spider-Man are all from the | | | | Man movies thus far, have reaped on the order |
| mind of Stan Lee. For the last forty years | | | | of 800 million dollars apiece, in world |
| or more and as an employee of Marvel Comics, | | | | wide ticket sales. This settlement could mean |
| he has entertained us through the art of | | | | tens of millions of dollars for Lee, but the |
| comic book imagination.Well, by now you would | | | | battle is not over. Marvel, will quite probably |
| think that an individual of this caliber would be | | | | appeal the verdict and the case may be tied |
| taken seriously | | | | up in the courts for years.Now don't go feeling |
| and treated with respect from his employers. | | | | too badly for Stan Lee. He is still pulling down a |
| Apparently not! In 2002 Stan Lee decided | | | | salary from |
| he had to file a lawsuit against the comic giant, | | | | Marvel on the order of a million dollars. Still not to |
| Marvel. It appears the agreement between | | | | shabby in my mind. And Lee has |
| Lee and Marvel was that 10% of the income | | | | mixed feels because he has been loyal to Marvel |
| generated from TV and movies using Lee | | | | for 60 years. To have his lifelong |
| characters, was to be his. Seems Marvel didn't | | | | employer trying to, shall we say, stiff him, for |
| see it that way. Typical of conglomerates, | | | | being so loyal, I'm sure, does hurt. Had it |
| isn't it? The boys in the suits seem to want to | | | | not been for Lee, Marvel may not have been in |
| make all the rules. Stan at one time had | | | | the financial position they are today.At 82, Stan |
| even been a suit. Among other positions held at | | | | Lee does have a comfortable and successful life. |
| Marvel, Lee had even been president of | | | | And if even his settlement is |
| the company for a while.Years ago when Stan | | | | held up in the courts for years, Stan won the |
| Lee had created most of his characters, he had | | | | first round. He didn't bow down to the |
| done it through a | | | | corporate hammer. Just another "Joe working |
| write-for-hire agreement, so he doesn't own the | | | | class hero" yelling out, hey guys, let's play |
| characters. Stan was then, just a "meat | | | | by the rules.Dave Gieber, a former rocket |
| and potatoes" kind of guy, trying to put meat | | | | engineer, has decided to take up residency on the |
| and potatoes on the table. But over the | | | | Internet. |
| years, he was very instrumental in putting Marvel | | | | He is the owner and editor of several websites, |
| Comics on the map.When the 10% deal was | | | | one of which was built around one of his |
| formally put together, apparently most individuals | | | | childhood passions; . You can visit here to |
| involved | | | | keep up to date on the world of comic books |
| didn't realize the windfall that comic book | | | | and comic book collecting. Feel free to sign |
| character movies would become. Now is that | | | | up for my comic book ezine. |