Why Not Say What Happened? Episode 24: My Ethical Conundrum About Owning Original Comics Art

Posted by: Scott    Tags:      Posted date:  June 22, 2025  |  3 Comments


After three conventions in four weekends, I finally catch my breath to celebrate several important personal comic book anniversaries, sort through Marie Severin’s classic covers, realize my discovery of horror comics was topsy-turvy, fail to answer a question about how to break into comics, remember Stan Lee’s fear of the word “horror,” appreciate the increased respect professional writing organizations are now paying comics, look back at the day Jim Shooter stopped sharing original art with writers, wrestle with the morality of my original art collection, and more.

You can eavesdrop on all those memories via the embed below or download them at the site of your choice.

Here are several images to illuminate the topics I touched on during the episode —

Chatting with Joyce Carol Oates at Stokercon


My name on the Stokercon T-Shirt

The cover to my first comic book: Dead of Night #11

A horrific Stan Lee memo

A classic Marie Severin cover: Tales to Astonish #93

The Comics Journal reports in 1980 on Jim Shooter ending Marvel’s policy of sharing original art with writers





3 Comments for Why Not Say What Happened? Episode 24: My Ethical Conundrum About Owning Original Comics Art


Joe

Scott,

Thanks for sharing this and always appreciate your candor in looking back on your time in the comic book field. Also, congrats on meeting Oates! What a fascinating author.

1) Your own art collection- is there anything to be conflicted about if these are from your stories? You didn’t steal them, and the policy was pre-existing, even if I agree the artists should have gotten all of it, and we know Roy, Marv etc. benefited financially from selling (sometimes stolen- not by them, but stolen all the same) art, so that perhaps adds to your feeling of misplaced guilt. I think the fact that these are from your written stories and you have no intention to sell them… you shouldn’t beat yourself up over it.

2) – Original Art makes me think…. Thinking about the ethic quandary of owning original art, it got me thinking of a past blog where you spoke about the treatment of Kirby by the young guns at Marvel upon his 70s return and how you would’ve behaved differently, if still maintaining your opinion about his writing. Specifically though, I was stunned to learn that Roy (Thomas) wrote “lousy dialogue” on a make-ready of Kirby’s art that was set to be returned to him- that gesture alone (and coming from Roy, by then a veteran!) sort of reinforces this notion that Kirby was mistreated that last run at Marvel.

Have you ever thought that it was just a bad environment if a founding father could be treated like that, and blatantly? Do you know if people like Ralph (Macchio) have ever expressed regret?

I am not trying to stir things up but genuinely curious and I appreciate the name of this, “why not say what happened”. It seems the discussion on Kirby, Marvel, original art, and all of that continues to be a discussed subject going into the roaring 20s…

Cheers

    Scott

    Thanks for your intriguing questions. Do you mind if I address them on the next episode of the podcast?

    And if you’ll allow me to do that, you can choose to remain completely anonymous, or I’ll mention your name if you wish.

    Let me know! And thanks again.

Joe

Hi Scott, thank YOU for answering me! Wish I’d made it to Balticon but I have had to live vicariously through Fanac these past few years…

I will look forward to that next podcast if you don’t mind sharing. I have been reading up on Kirby’s return to Marvel and am really horrified actually how entitled a lot of these fans that became professionals acted. I have always felt your take on things shows maturity, a sense of empathy, and growth. Meanwhile, none of these other pros have shown any sort of progression in some regard… not that it is for me to judge of course.

My name is Joe Gessner but no pressure to mention my name at all, you can just say a listener sent it in, because that’s true too. 🙂 Thank you again and I am really enjoying the podcasts. Cheers!