Frank Cho Asks What If Milo Manara Drew Spider-Gwen?

[Tuck]

The entire point of a blank cover is to allow pros to do sketches. So it's difficult to call it a copyright violation.

If it's not commissioned by the copyright holder, it's a violation.

It's just not in Marvel or DC's interest to exert their copyright there. Maybe there's an entertainment lawyer on the board who can clarify if there's some nuance with the blank covers, but I've seen this exact situation described as such by lawyers in the past.

[Park Slope Pixie]

Well, I don't have a roadmap of this entire back-and-forth, but Rodriguez posted this on Facebook. Seems well-reasoned to me.

Actually, it doesn't. That mass of text? He's ridiculously blowing the whole thing out of proportion.

Just comes off self-serving and entirely unprofessional.

Your baby? Let's get this straight, Spider Gwen isn't YOUR baby. It's IP owned lock, stock and barrel by MarvelDisney. Go creator-owned if you want to defend something this zealously.

[The World]

I don't understand the inclusion of Marvel/Disney in the discussion. As far as we know Marvel doesn't really care, this is just internet beef between Cho and Rodriguez over a the art piece. Rodgriguez blew up like a rooster in a cock fight and Cho brushed him off, Rodriguez went into damage control afterwards.

[cyberhubbs]

Actually, it doesn't. That mass of text? He's ridiculously blowing the whole thing out of proportion.

Just comes off self-serving and entirely unprofessional.

Your baby? Let's get this straight, Spider Gwen isn't YOUR baby. It's IP owned lock, stock and barrel by MarvelDisney. Go creator-owned if you want to defend something this zealously.

When did we decide we didn't want creators invested in their work?

[Park Slope Pixie]

When did we decide we didn't want creators invested in their work?

When you take it to a ridiculous extreme like this.

[Mister Mets]

Actually, it doesn't. That mass of text? He's ridiculously blowing the whole thing out of proportion.

Just comes off self-serving and entirely unprofessional.

Your baby? Let's get this straight, Spider Gwen isn't YOUR baby. It's IP owned lock, stock and barrel by MarvelDisney. Go creator-owned if you want to defend something this zealously.

Latour and Rodriguez do view Spider-Gwen kinda like a creator-owned book. It's done well for Marvel/ Disney, so they do have an incentive to keep the creative teams happy.

Writers/ artists will often feel upset about something that touches on the brand of the title.

Bleeding Cool has a summary on Rodriguez's comments.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/04/...s-spider-gwen/

They do seem to be wrong about one detail.

My editor-in-chief, Hannah Means-Shannon, pointed out to me that the Gwen Stacy of the title Spider-Gwen was a teenager, rather than the twenty-something character we had left back in the seventies, something I think I’d failed to pick up on. Which did give the drawing a different flavour, one that The Mary Sue then pointed out.

The Gwen of the 70s was an undergrad. She was probably never in her 20s.

[Tuck]

She maaaaay have made it to 20, but only just.

[cyberhubbs]

When you take it to a ridiculous extreme like this.

What's the extreme? Ranting online against cheesecake art? If he showed up at Cho's house and set up a tent in his yard, that's an extreme. Rodriguez is literally doing what we do on a daily basis.

The main difference being that this is something he puts effort into, something he may even be proud of to be a part of. But we're focusing on whether or not he comes across as a kid playing Call of Duty? It's missing the point.

[Webhead]

Does anyone have the entire discussion? I just read a Rodriguez tweet where he says it's like a dirty pic of "one of his kids" and basically tells Cho to never run into him. Going by that alone it seems like an overreaction. I'm not arguing against the term "kids" (because that might very well be what Gwen's intended to be, although I was under the impression she was a young adult), even the 'threat' might be understandable as venting, but the possessive "his" seems... off.

[cyberhubbs]

Does anyone have the entire discussion? I just read a Rodriguez tweet where he says it's like a dirty pic of "one of his kids" and basically tells Cho to never run into him. Going by that alone it seems like an overreaction. I'm not arguing against the term "kids" (because that might very well be what Gwen's intended to be, although I was under the impression she was a young adult), even the 'threat' might be understandable as venting, but the possessive "his" seems... off.

This version of Gwen may as well be his. He designed the costume and the look for most of not all of the characters in the book. Gwen Stacy in general? Of course not. This Gwen Stacy? Yeah.

[Webhead]

This version of Gwen may as well be his. He designed the costume and the look for most of not all of the characters in the book. Gwen Stacy in general? Of course not. This Gwen Stacy? Yeah.

I'm not questioning his role or merit in that much. It's just that comparing the virtue of a fictional character he all but created to that of a real kid speaks more about his (acceptable) love and concern for the character than the matter at hand. It's a self-defeating stance that trivializes his complaints and makes his judgement look hot-tempered, damaging whatever reasonable points he might have.

EDIT: I read his extended response. I sympathize with his worry, but I just don't think much of the wording was the way to go about it.

[Tuck]

Chris Claremont and Rick Leonardi are credited with creating Nathan Summers.

Louse Simonson and Rob Liefeld are credited with creating Cable.

And Jeph Loeb and Steve Skroce are credited with creating X-Man.

Lack of control over Cable is partly what led Liefeld to leave and co-found Image.

[Chrysalis_Changling]

something tells me robbi rodriguez shouldn't be in the comic book industry if this is what sets him off....if he went on deviantart He'd probably start foaming at the mouth and firing death threats probably everywhere

[CrimsonEchidna]

Of all the recent controversies, this is definitely one that should not have become overblown as it is. I can empathize with Rodriguez not liking Cheesecake poses of Spider-Gwen, but the whole "Call-Out Culture" thing needs to stop. Not everything warrants putting someone on blast online.

[lone_wolf]

The Gwen of the 70s was an undergrad. She was probably never in her 20s.

Hmmm, good point. Though somehow I always pegged her and Pete as Juniors in college. They would've least been 19-20 depending if their Freshmen year they either 17 or 18.

--Wolfie