Denim Wrapped Nightmares: joseethefirst: xybutt: Marvel demands $17,000 from Gary Friedrich, the…
I believe you are again completely mistaken, sorry. First, Gary Friedrich did not work for Marvel for a long period of time. There would be no reason for him to sign another contract, as he was essentially out of the business, and I can guarantee YOU that the only ‘contract’ many of these creators ever signed was that backdoor endorsement on the check itself. Some creators refused to sign it, even back then, but very few—for most, it was endorse the check or go unpaid.
So I’m sorry, but this is just pure fiction. It’s just not at all what happened.
Reading the actual report, the key piece of evidence appears to have been that same endorsement on the first check Gary received for that book. Gary was asserting, as other creators have in the past, that there were extenuating circumstances in the case of Ghost Rider. For whatever reasons, he did not prevail.
Marvel may have the legal right to their IP. But I am hoping they will do the right thing and ditch the punitive damages against a destitute creator. If not, I am hoping the comics community rises up to pay that bill for Mr. Friedrich and I will do everything I possibly can to make that happen.
Sorry, but according to the full judgement at the ohdannyboy link, Friedrich did unfortunately also sign the 1978 contract as well as the “agreement” check.
But legal crap aside, it was still a contract signed under duress with all the power on Marvel’s side, and in no way lets Marvel off the hook morally.
On second read, you are correct, so my apologies to getthesaltnburn, as well. I read the second piece and had a bit of information that the check was the key document. But the first article, the one not linked, supports what you both have said, that there was a one page document in 1978. Knowing that the check had been the key deterrent in previous such cases, as flimsy as it seems to be as a contract, it’s almost gratifying to know that there was more to it than that.
In any case, wrong is wrong, my apologies to you both.
Again, I think Marvel has a right to protect their IP if they legitimately feel that they paid for it in toto. But asking a destitute creator to come up with $17,000 he doesn’t have while they have a multi-million dollar film of his creation coming out soon is just appalling.
(Source: brain-food)
