There's a new picture shop just opened in my local Town Centre, with an amazing selection of all types of images, from comic covers, movie stars, musicians, etc., etc. I jumped in on my way home and bought the one pictured above, which I think is a belter. There's quite a few others I'd like, but I just don't have any space left on my walls to hang them.
This one is a large picture (nearly 20 inches wide by almost 16 inches high), so it'll look extremely impressive when I decide exactly whereabouts I'm going to put it (now, now, you lot - don't be rude). Whaddya think, Crivvies - like it? Click to enlarge, then click again for optimum size and take a better look. Incidentally, it only cost £10 - wotta bargain, eh?
Incidentally, everything in the shop is brand-new - framed pics, canvas pics, and tin signs. No second-hand or 'pre-used' items, in case the low price had you wondering. I think the dearest pics are £15 (with frames) and the tin signs are only £8. The shop's name is Outside In and its sign says 'contemporary art at affordable prices'. Hope it does well.
This is obviously spoofing that famous painting of The Last Supper with Stan Lee as Christ and the Marvel characters as his 12 disciples so if any Christian fundamentalists see this picture they'll denounce it as blasphemy!
ReplyDeleteOr maybe some of them will take the view that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and appreciate what they see as a simple 'homage', CJ. Stan's book, Origins Of Marvel Comics, starts with a paragraph that's based on the opening of the Book Of Genesis. I don't recall hearing about any fundamentalists objecting to it.
ReplyDeleteI regret we've reached a point where most folks think the Marvel Universe popped out of Stan Lee's head like Zeus giving birth to Athena. The contributions of Kirby and Ditko and others are largely unknown. They get credit at the butt end of movies now at least. But it's like Walt Disney and the myriad creations of that behemoth which now owns Marvel, almost everyone thinks he created most all of it. But it's a funny take on a classic image.
ReplyDeleteI hear what you're saying, RJ, and agree with it up to a point. Thing is, Stan's contribution was what gave those characters life and, without Stan, Kirby's and Ditko's art would've still looked just as nice, but the stories would've been as dull as a school textbook. And it was Stan who created a celebrity 'cult' around Jack and Steve at the time (at least in the comics), so without Mr. Lee, we might never have heard of K & D.
ReplyDeleteIt's a great concept, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBut now it comes to mind-- which of the 12 is Judas? (I don't like the way Spidey is standing behind Stan.)
And who would be the twelve if you were using the images of professionals who actually worked at Marvel in the sixties? I imagine you'd have to have Kirby and Ditko framing Stan on either side, to emphasize their importance. (Ditko's face would be left blank in respect for his wishes.) My other nominees: Roy Thomas, Gene Colan, Marie Severin, BIll Everett (mostly for the Daredevil contribution), John Buscema, Joe Sinnott, John Romita Sr, Jim Steranko, Wally Wood (again, just for Daredevil).and Don Heck. I guess I'm letting Sinnott stand in for all the inkers, and don't have room for non creative types like Flo Steinberg and Morrie Kuramoto. Barry Smith did a little sixties work but all his great work is in the seventies.
As for credit, there's no way that non-fans would ever be invested enough to remember even two or three of the creators, so I don't think Stan deprived anyone of their due in that respect. He advertised their work and helped build the fan-cults of both Kirby and Ditko, even if he refused to agree with statements that he Stan didn't do anything. Kirby was worse about making that claim, but I don't think Ditko was objective about how much Stan brought to the table either. The question of whether Kirby and Ditko should have received scripting payment for their plotting contributions is very complicated, but I'll just note that back then no writer would have worked with either artist had that writer been obliged to split his paycheck with them. And since neither Kirby nor Ditko could have done dialogue, much less kept track of company continuity, the current argument is somewhat unrealistic.
Great comment, GP, and full of things to think about. One of my pals made the same query as to who Judas might be, but I don't take the pic as literally as that. (If I did, Daredevil could perhaps be considered as Judas in a symbolic way, purely because of his name.) I don't think the picture is seriously trying to suggest that Stan is a Christ-like figure, only that he was the 'leader' of Marvel comics and the pic, while certainly 'borrowing' the famous last supper imagery, isn't intended to have any 'religious' connotations. It's purely meant as a bit of fun - at least, that's the way I view it.
ReplyDeleteI've always found the anti-Stan sentiment of some Jack and Steve fans somewhat bewildering, as it was Stan who named Jack 'King' and he was always praising the pair in the Bullpen pages and lettercols, as well as in many interviews. In fact, it's not too much of a stretch to wonder whether Kirby and Ditko would be as well-known as they are today (which isn't as well-known as they arguably should be, admittedly) if it weren't for Lee.
Also, Jack and Steve had higher page rates than a lot of the other Marvel artists, and Stan often gave them rises to compensate for their plot contributions, so they weren't 'ripped off' in the way that some people seem to believe. As you say, neither Jack or Steve ever seemed quite able to recognise just how significant Stan's input was, effect-wise, and appeared to believe that they did everything that made Marvel great. I think they were mistaken in that belief.
Spot on with your suggestions for which creators would represent the 12 disciples, I don't think I'd change that list in any way.