In the most remarkable news in the comic book industry in decades, the Siegel family recently won back a substantial portion of Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster’s creation, Superman. Long regarded as the benchmark of the long underwear super hero types, Superman is one of three comic book heroes to have an uninterrupted publication run from its first Action Comics issue in 1932 (the other two being Batman and Wonder Woman).
Last week, attorney Marc Toberoff won a potentially costly “Superman” victory against Warner Bros. for co-creator Jerome Siegel’s heirs. The federal ruling, which gives the heirs a stake in rights sold 71 years ago, could put a serious crimp on future plans for one of the studio’s most enduring — and lucrative — franchises, especially if co-creator Joe Shuster’s heirs follow suit in five years, when they are eligible to do so.
As it is, the studio has at least two Superman projects in development — a follow-up to Bryan Singer’s “Superman Returns” and “Justice League” — and it may end up paying tens of millions from the domestic haul of “Superman Returns” to Siegel’s heirs under the ruling, which applies to domestic monies for Superman projects since 1999.
With such a large amount of money going to the Siegel family, it’s starting to look like any large screen production will be unlikely in the near future. Bad news to some, but to me I think that the character has had a good run and it might be time to let some new ideas in. This ruling is the latest in a series of legal attacks from Marc Toberoff who has also been assaulting the re-packaging giant corporation for the rights of “Wild Wild West,” “Dukes of Hazzard,” “Smallville” and the upcoming “Get Smart.”
Well… Smallville may be a loss as the only quality production of the lot, but the others are just dire re-tread movies of ideas that were tired to begin with, surely.
With so many of these comic book characters beginning with the hard work of one or two creators, it’s a real eye opener how much their hard work can effect a major corporation. Joe Simon recently attempted to win back the rights of Captain America and Marv Wolfman took it to streets for an obscure character called Blade, both bouts with Marvel Comics. Both lost and Marvel continues to make major moolah on their ideas.
What do you think? Should the companies own up to their responsibility to these creators or should the artists admit that their ideas would be just scribbles on paper without the publication industry to back them up?
