There has been quite a bit of necessary hubbub the past year about Big Business squashing Little Guy to a pulp. If this were a comic book, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae would be Lex Luthor and Dark Phhoenix, respectively. But this isn't a funny book. Hell, people losing their jobs and homes isn't funny at all. Every night, we hear on the news exactly the same thing that we experience during the day. It's damn depressing. To get away from all of the bad news about our financial ruination, what have we done for decades to escape reality? I mean... most of us, anyway.
We go to the movies.
But wait just second before making that ticket purchase. Think about the ramifications. Most of us consider ourselves a person of high ethics and morality. We stand for what's right. We help our neighbors. We weep when we see those Sarah McLachlan abused dog commercials. We put on pants when we answer the door. We're a righteous bunch, aren't we? Not really. We slip without thinking of the ramifications. We shop at Wal-Mart, even though we know it hurts the little guy that owns the struggling downtown business. We order from Amazon, knowing that bookstores are closing all around us. We may put on our pants when opening the door, but we don't close the barn door. We make mistakes.
There is a new wrinkle in the Big Business vs Little Guy fight. You may not have heard of this monster, but it has just awakened, and its tendrils will reach far and wide. It is affecting those in my business, but specifically those in the comics industry. Regular Joe may not give a shit. But Regular Joe should. Regular Joe is part of the problem.
Recently, Marvel Comics (owned by Disney) was sued by Gary Friedrich, creator of GHOST RIDER, believing he was due compensation for characters he created used in the 2007 Nicolas Cage movie. Marvel, in turn, counter-sued... and won! Details about the lawsuit here: and some of the ramifications are here. An old friend of mine, writer, legal advisor and comics legend, Jean-Marc L'officier, very succinctly describes the consequences of this decision and an immediate solution for artists here.
I know. You're sitting there and saying, "Who gives a shit? Has no effect on me. Shane goes to Comic Con because he's a geek."
But look at it this way: You are the one who decides the outcome because you vote with your dollars. . Marvel/Disney does not care about you. They want your money. That's all. San Diego Comic Con, and other cons, generate quite a bit of money for comic book companies and studios. If anybody has gone to a Con over the past decade, you know that it isn't about comic books anymore. It is all about movie promotion. People buy the comics as a result of seeing the movies, more often than not. A small part of the population goes to a comic convention. Companies like Marvel know this. They rely on the geek culture to spread the word about their products via the internet and word of mouth. And what they want you to do is go see their movies, which generates billions of dollars for them.
The internet is buzzing about the Friedrich case, with comics icons Stephen Bissette, Neal Adams and Steve Niles leading the charge against Marvel and Sony, who is releasing the new GHOST RIDER movie. Their efforts are extremely valiant and worthwhile. Multiple news sources have picked up on the story. They are doing the neighborly, moral and ethical thing for Gary Friedrich. Followers of them are falling in line with the movement... and donations for Friedrich fund. They should all be commended on their actions.
I don't want to speak for these gentlemen, but most have been extremely vocal about their personal boycotting of all Marvel offerings - comics, clothing, toys and especially the films -, with the inference that we should, as well, stay away from these things as if they were plagued. But I feel that they are missing a very major point. They are speaking mostly to the comics industry. They have to break beyond that. There is no way in hell that anybody is going to convince anybody to not see these movies, save for the defiant few who work in the industry. The movie-going public is not necessarily a comic book buying public. Naturally, there is some cross-over, but movies are where the money is made. Smart eggs like Marvel make their movies accessible to the average movie fan, like my dad, for instance. He knew about the character of IRON MAN, but in no way is he a comic geek. They also throw in enough to appease fans of the comics. Rotten eggs like DC and Warner Bros. have made movies for the comic geek, first and foremost (WATCHMEN and GREEN LANTERN), without much appeal to the general audience. Which ones did you see and like? Exactly! The 2007 GHOST RIDER was a horrendous movie, but it made tons of money. Enough to warrant a horrible looking sequel. And guess what, people are going to see it. Like my dad, most people didn't know who IRON MAN was, but enough people went to see the movie to make it one of Marvel's most profitable movie franchises.
Movies are the gateways to these characters and the comic books. That's been the case for decades. When I was a kid, my gateway to the comic books were the reruns of the 1960s produced Marvel cartoons (Based on Jack Kirby panels) like CAPTAIN AMERICA, SUBMARINER, THOR and THE INCREDIBLE HULK. In recent years, it was most likely the SPIDER-MAN, IRON MAN and certainly BATMAN movies that have sent kids running to the comic book shops. We love these characters, and don't want their adventures to end on the silver screen.
This summer sees THE AVENGERS, one of the most anticipated movies of the year. Jack Kirby (R.I.P.), the creator of almost every super-hero in that movie... hell... the innovative genius that made comic books what they are today, has all but been completely shut out by Marvel. His heirs have tried over and over to get compensation for their fathers achievements, but have been unceremoniously shot down every time. It is truly criminal how his legacy has been treated. Simply put, there would be no Marvel without Jack Kirby. You can read some of Stephen Bissette's call to arms here. Again, thank you, Stephen, for your high ethical standards and for being a General in the Battle for Justice.
A boycott just simply isn't going to work. Because it will never happen. You can't possibly stop Regular Joe from purchasing Apple products because of the abhorrent working conditions of the laborers who make them in Third World countries. You can't stop Regular Joe from buying at Wal-Mart. You can't stop Regular Joe from going to Marvel and Disney movies. That's the bottom line. Unfortunately, you can't make Regular Joe concerned about the tragic occurrences in the Congo when Regular Joe has his own problems happening in his own front yard. This has been the way of the world since its inception, and it is a bit short-sighted of the leaders of the pack to think that they can change this, based on an artist of a comic book that most people have not ever heard of. In short, Regular Joe doesn't really give a damn.
Although noble at the core, these gentlemen, and the movement, should know that Regular Joe is going to do what he wants with his money... and what he wants is to see THE AVENGERS, or to a lesser degree, GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE. And these gentlemen - I use the term to not point out Bissette, Adams, Niles or any singular person. It refers to an all encompassing media - shouldn't be pissed and wag fingers at Regular Joe for doing so. Not that they would. But they should know better. They should know that people simply aren't going to stay away from these movies. Knowing that, the tactics should be changed to bring about an alternative. People don't want to hear, "No, you can't do that." People want to hear, "I see your point. How can I get around that?"
I completely agree with all that they're saying. However, I'll be the first to admit that I'm chomping at the bit for THE AVENGERS, and eventually THOR 2 and the next CAPTAIN AMERICA installment. I've seen all of the previous comic movies, and will most likely continue seeing them. BUT I'VE NEVER PAID TO SEE A DAMN ONE, out of respect for the Kirby or (insert whomever) estate. I can't stomach the thought of being part of the problem. I work in an industry where my imagination pays my bills. The theft of those imaginations isn't just a bummer, it's financial ruin. Every penny counts to an artist, or writer, what-have-you.
I'm not a pirate, nor do I condone piracy. Art is not for free. If you want to see it, or hear it, pay for it. I'm not suggesting you steal these movies off the internet. What I'm suggesting is this: Go and see GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE this weekend, or THE AVENGERS this summer. You deserve to be entertained. JUST BUY A TICKET FOR A DIFFERENT MOVIE!!
There are tons of smaller studio films and indie films that need your support. Movies that you may not want to see in a theater, because they don't have the blockbuster feel of a Marvel or Disney film. Something that you wouldn't normally spend your hard earned money on to see on the big screen, but would later watch at home. I've been doing this for years. It actually makes me feel good. Movie theaters don't care. When's the last time they checked your ticket? When's the last time you ever saw anybody walking the rows with a flashlight? Not anymore. Last year, I refused to give my money to Marvel for CAPTAIN AMERICA. I bought a ticket to CREATURE, a total blast of a horror movie that was totally ignored at the box office. A few days later, I bought a ticket to CREATURE and actually watched CREATURE. Marvel didn't earn my $8.75 (matinee price), and the little horror movie that entertained my ass off got it twice.
Go see your GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE this weekend, but purchase a ticket for the very solid THE WOMAN IN BLACK (or whatever smaller film is playing in your multiplex) instead. If you didn't know, this is a remake of a BBC series from long ago, which was originally based on a book. None of the artists or writers were harmed (financially) during the making of this great little gothic horror flick.
Remember, you vote with your dollars, and your vote really does count. It would be arrogant to think my guerrilla ticket tactics are going to change the face of business. But if enough people start aping this practice, it could send a message to Big Business to do what is right for Little Guy.
