Writers getting art 1 1

[J.Sid]

Was there a time when writers (Marvel) received artwork from books they worked on?  Or has it always been penciller/inker?

(asked out of curiosity sparked from the two Claremont Byrne X-Men pages in HA)

Edited February 29, 2020 by J.Sid

[glendgold]

14 minutes ago, J.Sid said:

Was there a time when writers (Marvel) received artwork from books they worked on?  Or has it always been penciller/inker?

(asked out of curiosity sparked from the two Claremont Byrne X-Men pages in HA)

Yes, there was. Around that time period, Jim Shooter was allowing writers to receive art. There was a point in 1978 when he had proposed an every-other-book trade off with the inker, but I think that didn't fly with the artists.  I'm not sure how many pages writers ended up with, but there was a cbg ad in the early '80s where Gerber was selling all of his pages to fund his legal battles.

 

[artdealer]

11 minutes ago, glendgold said:

Yes, there was. Around that time period, Jim Shooter was allowing writers to receive art. There was a point in 1978 when he had proposed an every-other-book trade off with the inker, but I think that didn't fly with the artists.  I'm not sure how many pages writers ended up with, but there was a cbg ad in the early '80s where Gerber was selling all of his pages to fund his legal battles.

 

Writers used to receive 2 pages from every book they wrote. This started in the late 70s and ended in the early 80s.

The alternate every other book with the inker never happened.

[Brian Peck]

Years ago I used to own a page from Marvel Feature #6 signed by Roy Thomas. Up until a few years ago Frank Thorne the artist on the book had kept almost all of his originals. I think the page I owned was given to Roy as part of the split where writer of the issue gets two pages.

[jjonahjameson11]

20 hours ago, artdealer said:

Writers used to receive 2 pages from every book they wrote. This started in the late 70s and ended in the early 80s.

The alternate every other book with the inker never happened.

Agreed, writers received 2 pages per issues, however since the aforementioned policy was implemented by Roy Thomas, I believe the starting date was earlier, perhaps ‘73 or ‘74.

jim Shooter also indicates this policy of art returns whereby the writer gets 2 pages per issue was instituted by Roy Thomas.

http://jimshooter.com/2011/09/many-happy-returns-and-some-unhappy.html/

 

 

[John E.]

I know this is not what you’re asking but I want to add that artists will sometimes gift art to writers. This info may especially come in handy looking for “lost” art be it that writers tend not to share their art on CAF or talk about what they have or be asked if they have any. Jim Kruger told me Alex Ross gifted him the cover of Justice #1. I think Jim may have had another Ross cover that he may have tried selling on eBay. 

[RBerman]

22 hours ago, glendgold said:

Yes, there was. Around that time period, Jim Shooter was allowing writers to receive art. There was a point in 1978 when he had proposed an every-other-book trade off with the inker, but I think that didn't fly with the artists.  I'm not sure how many pages writers ended up with, but there was a cbg ad in the early '80s where Gerber was selling all of his pages to fund his legal battles.

 

So when Chris Claremont sells X-Men pages, it's not like he has a hundred more at home. He must really need the money.

[glendgold]

2 hours ago, RBerman said:

So when Chris Claremont sells X-Men pages, it's not like he has a hundred more at home. He must really need the money.

I'm pretty sure Chris Claremont is doing okay.

Edited March 1, 2020 by glendgold

[artdealer]

4 hours ago, jjonahjameson11 said:

Agreed, writers received 2 pages per issues, however since the aforementioned policy was implemented by Roy Thomas, I believe the starting date was earlier, perhaps ‘73 or ‘74.

jim Shooter also indicates this policy of art returns whereby the writer gets 2 pages per issue was instituted by Roy Thomas.

http://jimshooter.com/2011/09/many-happy-returns-and-some-unhappy.html/

 

 

Except that artists didn’t receive art back till sometime 1975. Probably around 1976 is when 2 pages went to the artists.

[RBerman]

6 hours ago, glendgold said:

I'm pretty sure Chris Claremont is doing okay.

Piles of money have gone through his hands, doubtless. Is he unloading some of the most famous comics pages ever because his cash reserves are overflowing? Hmm...

[J.Sid]

1 hour ago, RBerman said:

Piles of money have gone through his hands, doubtless. Is he unloading some of the most famous comics pages ever because his cash reserves are overflowing? Hmm...

FWIW: He's 69 years old and the pages were from a story he wrote 40 years ago. 

Edited March 1, 2020 by J.Sid

[glendgold]

38 minutes ago, RBerman said:

Piles of money have gone through his hands, doubtless. Is he unloading some of the most famous comics pages ever because his cash reserves are overflowing? Hmm...

If you know something, cool. But otherwise: auctioning for tax reasons; for estate planning reasons; because his kids don't want it; because two or more people have asked for those pages; because he's Marie Kondo-ing his life;  because he finally realized he had art by THAT John Byrne; because of a gypsy's curse requiring he only unload during a pandemic; because he's funding Kitty Pride's trip back to 1978; because he's using HA credit to bid on those 5 bottles of 2005 Domaine de la Romanee Conti La Tache; he regrets every decision in his life and is looking to unload evidence of his shame; he's had therapy;

[RBerman]

43 minutes ago, J.Sid said:

FWIW: He's 69 years old and the pages were from a story he wrote 40 years ago. 

He does indeed find himself in the position of having been unable to top something he did as a young man. What was the most recent brilliant Claremont story you've read? (Assuming you think any of them are brilliant.)