Since returning to Lying in the Gutters six weeks ago, Rich Johnston embarked on a more in depth journalistic course in place of the short item "rumor" based column LITG was known for. The foray ended this week with the sixth installment and is now put to a vote by Rich's readers as to which type of column they prefer. The current sixth installment of LITG is perhaps the more journalistic intensive of the series and focuses on the villainous reputation big publishers garner in their manipulation of intellectual properties given them by the comics creators. Rich covers current situations with the Jack Kirby estate and the upcoming Fantastic Four Movie, Denny O'Neill and Batman Begins - and Steve Gerber regarding Omega the Unknown and other Gerber creations.
The more lengthy and fascinating item, however, covers Scott Rosenberg's Ultraverse property which launched at Malibu in the 1990's and was eventually sold to Marvel only to get wiped out in the company's downsizing cutbacks in the years to follow. Well, it seems that in spite of renewed interest in reviving this property, Marvel appears to be ignoring it altogether and Rich speculates whether the hint of needing to deflect a part of the profits to the original proprietors and creators from Malibu is behind this indifference.
This latest installment is a marvelous exposition of the current state of affairs for intellectual properties in the comics arena and a great source of research of the behind the scenes efforts of comics creators to procure a just recompense for their intellectual properties.
Go. Read. And Learn.
