You Gotta Fight For Your Rights

Alex Ross, Marvels #2 cover, 1994,
courtesy of the artist, ANGEL and MAGGIE™
& © 2012 Marvel and Subs. From the exhibition
Heroes & Villains: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross

Sean Howe, the author of Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, has posted his top six favorite (or essential) Marvel comics on theweek.com. I think his list is spot on, including Jack Kirby and Stan Lee's Fantastic Four; Steve Ditko and Stan Lee's Amazing Spider-Man; Frank Miller and Klaus Janson's Daredevil; and Chris Claremont and John Byrne's Uncanny X-Men... Alex Ross and Kurt Busiek's Marvels is also included, which was nice to see!

I finished reading the book last week... literally tearing through the pages in a way that surprised my wife (not used to seeing me so absorbed in a regular book). Well, I grew up obsessed with Marvel comic books, and was fascinated by this revealing look at how creativity and business unfolded for the company. 

There was a current thread through the book about creator-owned rights... by the time I hit the 1990s period in the book, I got a little bummed. Marvel went Wall Street, and it seemed to open the door to owners who didn't really give a shit about comics. I guess I didn't really miss much in that decade, as the art and storytelling also began to slide... coincidence? I never liked the Image Comics crew (the band of popular artists who defected from Marvel to form their own company, where they owned the rights to their creations)... I mean, I appreciate their assertiveness, but there is also something kind of revolting in the way they turned their back so quickly on the publisher that made them household names... above all, I just didn't care for their overly detailed, homogeneous looking art... it set a really boring standard.

Luckily, things seem to be on an upswing for the company, perhaps bolstered by their recent movie successes (a long time coming). Last week I made the trek again to Earthworld Comics in Albany, and enjoyed catching up on comics--past and current--with the staff... it has become something of a new social outlet for me! There are some cool looking books I picked up (Hawkeye, FF, X-Men), and I look forward to reading them... Alex Ross even has a new fully painted interior book out... Masks looks at vintage pulp heroes (The Shadow, Green Hornet, etc.).

Speaking of Ross, the exhibition continues to attract press, and I'm rolling along on a new video... a trailer to promote the show. I may not own the rights to the images, but I am enjoying the chance to be creative....

Related Links:

"Sean Howe's 6 favorite Marvel comics," The Week.com, December 2, 2012

"Exclusive Preview: Roberson & Alex Ross' 'Masks' #1, Comic Book Resources.com, September 24, 2012

seanhowe.tumblr.com