Posted in: Comics, HBO, Movies, TV | Tagged: dc studios, james gunn

James Gunn Addresses DC Studios, Compensating DC Comics Creators

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn addressed the issue of properly compensating and recognizing DC Comics creators for film, shows, and more.

If you look at the history of how companies like Marvel and DC have compensated the writers, artists, inkers, colorists, letterers, and others who brought their comic book universes to life, it would be safe to say that it hasn't been a pretty one. As the characters that became beloved on the printed page began to find new lives in other media – films, television, books, video games, and more – the disparity between what the characters' creators were paid and how much the company continues to make in profits off of those characters has become too painfully and tragically obvious to ignore. So when it was announced back in January 2023 that James Gunn and Peter Safran would be leading DC Studios to create a New DCU, there were a lot of folks in the comics community and fans keeping a keen watch on what the source materials would be for the films and series being announced (including making sure that promotional artwork was attributed to the appropriate artist).

Since that initial announcement, there appears to be a friendly synergy between what DC Studios is doing and making sure that DC Comics gets promoted in the process – including having a number of artists and writers visit the set of David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan-starring Superman to celebrating the anniversaries of characters being brought to live-action life with social media posts honoring the character's creative teams. Still, as it gets ready to begin rolling out its universe in December, the question of DC Studios making sure that comics creative teams get the recognition and compensation they deserve continues to be asked – and it was a topic that Gunn addressed on Threads earlier today.

Noting that it wasn't fair that the writers and artists who created the characters that serve as the basis for DC Studios' upcoming projects aren't properly paid for their creative contribution ("Stan Lee died a pauper"), an individual added that there was also the added insult that comes when many creators first learning that their characters were being brought to either the big or small screen when it hits the headlines. Gunn responded by noting that "Both DC and Marvel compensate comic book writers for their creations." For there, he added, "I have created personal relationships with many, if not most, of the writers who have created characters who I've gratefully put into films." In terms of one of the key figures in making Marvel what it is today, Gunn pushed back on the idea that Lee was "a pauper" when he passed: "Stan Lee was my friend, I loved him, and he did not die a pauper." In a reply to a later post, Gunn added, "When I said they get paid for their creations, I meant they get paid when they're used in films (as they should)."

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