I was on a comic forum and posted this reply. Thought it was worth putting here. It concerns how people writing the books now. Such as on Superman, Spider-Man and all those icons you know. How the books published now. None of them feature the work of the original creators who made them.

Making the books now are people who never created them.

It’s a bit heady stuff, and you might need to be a fan or know more to understand the context. But I hope what I’m getting across can be understood.

Some context is: (When I say Lee I mean Stan Lee and Ditko is for Steve Ditko. For those who didn’t know.)  They co-created Spider-Man. Lee on writing, Ditko on art. Back then it wasn’t a direct full script writing. Lee would give his artists an outline. The artist was free to pace and draw the story how he felt fit, and whatever elements he wanted, the artist would put in such as how the story would go.

Then Lee would see the art pages and then make up the caption dialogue on the spot. Then they would look at and edit the art or writing. But usually there wasn’t much to do. Just fix a panel or part of a page here or there for the book.

Also Kirby is for Jack Kirby, he was the artist with Stan Lee who co-created the Hulk character.

The Silver Age refers to an explosion of new character’s made in the ’60’s. Most think it had a cut off point and every book after was a new age. I disagree and think every book ended at a certain point in their run. They did not all end at the same time.

Anyway here it is:

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For me any other creator who takes over another’s creation. That creation is no longer the same, or at least as legitimate.

I hate to say it but “the real and true” Spider-Man left after Ditko left the book.

It’s tough when two or more people create a book. If it is one person who made a book or certain character. When he leaves, then the character is truly in another’s hands and not the real creators.

With a co-creation we still have one of the creators, in this case Lee, and there is still a legitimate creative hand there. It’s different, but not the same. If that makes sense.

Because let’s face it, if Ditko were still on it. The series would Never have went the way Romita and Lee brought the book. It would have been vastly different.

But after Lee left in the early 100’s. And other’s hands took over the book. Then the creation is truly not the work of it’s creators. It becomes something else entirely.

Another example is the Hulk, I know other’s filled in, but it wasn’t a long gap and Kirby was back. But after Kirby had no creative hand in the series for a long time and Lee left. Then the character lost it’s creators.

I think it’s okay if a creator, or the creator of a character series takes a leave. But when his hand is entirely gone from the series. The it becomes something else the character. Not quite true to what it once was.

I used to think like others that the books and characters keep going and going.

One thing I like on Manga is there is usually a series end and that’s when it’s creators leave and wrap up the book. No one else takes over. With superhero comics when one person leaves, another just takes over.

I mean in books would you consider a Lord of the Rings material legitimate and canon if it were not written by Tolkien?

Would you consider a Star Wars movie legitimate if Lucas had no hand in it?

Yet in superheroes, when it’s characters creators leave a series. It’s still seen as legitimate work.

I wonder why? Just because a publisher put a label on it approved and printed it? Think about it, if you wrote the title and had an artist to draw it. Then Marvel printed it. Your work would be considered just as legit as the writers at Marvel now. It’s the fact that they put a label and approve it that makes the difference. But just like them, you never created these characters. So the line between fan and pro in this regards I think is thin.

The Silver Age had endings. But not one vast cutoff point that others like to use. Each series was different, and ended at a different time. But when Lee left the writing, and others took over the books of all his co-creations. Then the last gasp of the Silver Age was truly over.

Other writers are more true to the original writing by Lee, but it’s not the same either way. It just varies by degree who is closer to that original vision. Some bring it close and others bring a far different perspective.
Working for a company where you have no cretive control or rights, such as Marvel or DC  your creation can be ripped and changed from you and you can’t do a thing about it.

Sadly the Marvel Comics now I think have become just as commercial as DC Comics and the heart is not there. The creators who were around then or worked with the original creators are long gone.

Look who is at Marvel now. Young guys in there 30’s mostly. I remember for example Mark Miller saying he only read a few Wolverine issues, the best stories of his, and not the rest and wondered why read his crap stories?

Then I thought, many fans and I have read more stories and therefore know the character better then him. Yet Mark Miller is writing the book.

I realized when it gets to that point, where the reader has more knowledge of the character, then the books writer. I thought:

A. Writing comics is easier then I thought. Or to fake it and can get by, even if you don’t know the character well.

B. Such a book is not worth following.

Also on the boards in the Spectacular reboot a few years ago, the writer whose name I forgot was asking for information about Carnage. Then I was like, I know more about Carnage then him, yet he’s going to write the character and barely knows him.

I think comics writing has become too serious now and real world. The current MU is just not fun or worth following anymore. If I wanted real world, I’d look at the papers.
I’ll get to a more fun topic next time. Too much thinking on this post.