Now this, I can't argue with. I'd say it's more true of Marvel than DC, but neither company is clearly all that interested in the creation of new characters or all that concerned about their creators not doing it. And when it does happen, new characters are usually the product of some editorially directed process (like that Spider-Girl they tried to pass off in place of DeFalco and company's brilliance).

Mike

That's a great question.

But I'm not sure what argument you're making.

Are you saying that the current employees at Marvel are trying to have it both ways? By refusing to be exploited the same way as the employees before them, but still having no problem working at Marvel themselves and exploiting the work of employees past.

Unless an artist or writer is willing to make the sacrifice themselves, they have no moral right to work on these characters? That they are no better than Marvel themselves. It's like a moral price of admission to the cultural toybox, that's held captive by the evil empire?

I think I see the logic in that.

FYI, Gary Friedrich, himself, posted this statement online last night on facebook to help answer some questions concerning whether GR was a collaboration or a solo creation...

"WHO CREATED THE GHOST RIDER?: Recent articles across the internet continue to be heartwarming. For the record, however, to the extent some of those articles reference others as being co-creators of Ghost Rider with me simply aren't accurate. I created the Ghost Rider principal characters andthe original story over a period of severalyears before I suggestedthe comic book project to Marvel. Roy Thomas, Mike Ploog and others came on board later, in the implementation stage. To the best of my knowledge, neither Roy Thomas, Mike Ploogor even Stan Lee,for that matter, has ever claimed to be a co-creator of Ghost Rider.................thanks, Gary Friedrich"

This was interesting. Anyone else think this might be Allen? No, seriously, watch the part at the end when the guy gets really mad a few times and even talks about an Occupy Marvel movement, I thought he might break some stuff...

Stand Up Against Injustice!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVIWI0LYtOI&feature=youtu.be

No, but I think you might possibly be retarded.

A 9:56 video? No thanks!

Folks are free to boycott Marvel for its shabby treatment of the creators who made it worth billions of dollars.

But I doubt most fanboys have the fortitude for a true boycott: no Marvel comics; no reprint books of old Marvel classics; no toys, T-shirts, games or other goodies licensed by Marvel; no tickets to any Marvel movies, including this year's Avengers and Spider-Man flicks. No nothing connected to Marvel. Ever again.

And that's just Marvel. If you're also going to boycott Disney, as this You Tube protester suggests, then good lord -- that's close to half of the TV shows and movies. The ABC television network? Pixar? To successfully not give money to the Mouse at this point, you almost need to live in a tent in the woods.

Are you sure it's not you, originally I thought no way this guy isn't effeminate or harmless looking enough to be you, but then the guy seemed so passionate about Ghost Rider and comics in general, and was so concerned about making a case for why Stan Lee might be the next victim of a Marvel counter suit, plus the reluctance to go the Occupy Marvel movement route, all of it got me thinking, and I said to myself, self, only someone who was a genuinely caring nice guy with a big heart would try and hide behind such a gruff persona like Allen Montgomery, and pretend to be such a jerk all the time.

It's ok big guy.

You can go ahead and cry, we won't feel any less about you.

Seriously, it's hilarious.

Absolutely. No way this would ever happen. Fanboys heads would burst if they weren't in the first available showing of Avengers.

And you'd have to become Amish to successfully avoid all Marvel, Disney and any other content that doesn't screw over somebody somewhere.

That would be poetic justice.

I think Marvel's a bunch of corporate scum-suckers.

But I'm perplexed by the fanboys' furious, surprised response to the Gary Friedrich case.

Why now? Why not the last half-dozen struggling creators we watched get screwed by Marvel? Why not 40 years ago when publisher's nephew Stan Lee signed a deal for a lifetime of riches and artist Jack Kirby got the shaft?

I don't really disagree with the fanboys who are skulking around, talking boycott and cursing the suits at Marvel. But let's not be disingenuous. We all knew what Marvel was as we -- including me -- gave it our money for comics, toys and movies. We helped pay for the lawyers that beat Gary Friedrich like a rug. This isn't a new development. Unless you've never given Marvel a penny in your life, you're part of the problem and shouldn't start acting indignant now.