Anything and Lois Lane , by Michael Davis – Straight No Chaser #212

April 1, 2011 Michael Davis 42 Comments

I had a real good rant recently about how DC Comics has completely ignored me regarding the Static Shock tribute book.

As Jay Z says; “I’m off that.”

Really.

No, really.

REALLY!

DC Comics has no reason to nor do they have to include me in anything.  I’ll say it again; DC Comics does not have to include me in anything. They are under no legal anything that says they have to include Michael Davis in anything.

One of my points in writing the DC article piece was to point out that there have been others who have done or said really screwed up things and yet DC continues to work with them. Hell, DC put Captain Marvel out of business in the 50’s and look who’s publishing the Big Red Cheese now.

I know a bit about business and I can tell you from experience that there is ALWAYS a way around anything.

I’ll say THAT again, there is ALWAYS a way around anything.

Sometimes it’s as simple as getting two people in a room without lawyers. Wait, I tried that.  You know what happened? The OTHER (he who must not be named…yet) came to the meeting with a lawyer.

OK that did not work. Sometimes it’s as simple as a heart felt, conversation with the head of the company in question at Comic Con the year before last. Wait, I tried that also and guess what the response was from he who must not be named?

Yep, it was a very corporate, “Fuck you.”

I get it. They don’t like me.

That’s cool; a lot of people don’t like me.

My mom likes me. My wife likes me. My girlfriend likes me. My wife likes my girlfriend so I’m doing pretty darn well in the ‘like’ department.

Linda Gold liked me.

Hell, that by it’s self is well worth EVERYONE else NOT liking me. I mean that Mike, I really do. I do have a lot of people that like me and I’m now officially off the I want DC Comics to like me wagon.

Truth be told, I’m easy to dislike. I know that.

There are some people I don’t like but sometimes it’s just the RIGHT thing to do to solve whatever the problem I had with that person for the greater good. I’ve done that on many occasions.

I mention Linda because she came to my mind when I read the following letter from Joanne Siegel. Linda could take you to school before you even realized you were in class. That’s what Mrs. Siegel wife of Jerry Siegel did in a letter to the head of Time Warner, DC Comics parent company.

Jerry Siegel, who co-created Superman.

Superman.

Mrs. Siegel, who was the real life inspiration for Lois Lane, wrote a letter with elegance that I’d pay to process. I can’t write like that. THAT’S why I thought of Linda-she could roll like that. I can’t.

I wish I could have written my Static letter the way Mrs. Siegel wrote her Superman letter.

My contributions to Static are important to me. They are important to my family and friends. CLEARLY they are NOT important to DC.

Hey-I’m a troublemaker and what kind of role model would a troublemaker be?

I have a school building named after me but that’s not important. I dared to question something I saw as unjust. Who am I to question what I see as unjust? Hell, I’m not that smart. A lot of people have doctrines but that’s not important. I’m just a guy with a chip on my shoulder and half a dozen city proclamations on the wall but that’s not important.

DC is a business, what do I know about business? I’ve run divisions at a few fortune 500 companies but that’s not important. I’m still the only creator / company to have a comic book program taught in the school system as a curriculum but what do I know about comics?

None of that is important right now. Yes, it’s crystal clear that DC Comics does not care about me, as a co-creator of one of it’s few black characters that have achieved national if not worldwide success.

AND, it’s crystal clear that DC Comics does not care about me, as a co-creator of one of it’s few black characters.

Period.

That’s OK. DC has NO obligation to care about anything I’ve EVER done or what I’m about to do and what I’m about to do is a MONSTER, but that’s not important…until my press release.

So to recap-DC does not like me.

Got it.

DC does not care about me.

Got it.

DC has NO obligation to care about anything I’ve EVER done or what I’m about to do.

Got it.

But to NOT care about Jerry Siegel, who co-created Superman or his WIFE?

THAT as they say where I’m from is GHETTO.

Joanne Siegel died recently. The letter below was sent on Dec. 2010. I’ve seen it on a few websites but when I saw it on the Facebook page of a DC Comics superstar I was proud and jealous at the same time.

That creator can post something like this and I’m sure DC will continue to work with him.

Me?

Nope.

The family of Jerry Siegel?

I do so hope so.

Oh well, if they don’t work it out at least I can point to this and say at parties to unsuspecting young Asian women; “DC Comics treats me with the same respect they do the creator of Superman.”

They will think that’s a good thing.

December 10, 2010

Jeffrey L. Bewkes
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Time Warner Inc.

Dear Jeff,

I am Joanne Siegel widow of Jerry Siegel, creator of Superboy and co-creator of Superman with Joe Shuster. It has always been my policy to be in touch with the Chairmen of the Board of your company going back to when Steve Ross formed Warner Communications.

Steve Ross knew how to take care of large vexing problems. He paid the price, whatever it was, then went on, and the company prospered. He was gracious and friendly when my late husband Jerry and I met him at a stockholders meeting after he sent Jerry, Joe, my daughter Laura and me company stock. He also phoned me to say if we needed anything I should just pick up the phone and call him. He said if he could not be reached for some reason, one of the top officers in the company, Deane Johnson, would handle things personally. Laura and I believe if Steve were alive our copyright ownership matter would have been successfully resolved long ago.

Jerry Levin was also reachable and thoughtful. He sent my husband and later me, cases of grapefruit at the holiday season. He remembered Jerry’s birthday with a Superman sculpture. When my Jerry passed away, Jerry Levin told Laura and me that we are part of the Time Warner family, part of its history. Unfortunately he retired before our rights issues were resolved. He had given his attorneys too much power so that negotiations were unsatisfactory and a settlement was impossible. Dick Parsons, on the other hand, was not friendly and, under him, the attorneys hired by the company were arrogant and pro-litigation.

Now you are Chairman and CEO. Because we are in litigation I held off writing to you. I now believe had we had contact early on, things might not have gone so far off track.

My daughter Laura and I, as well as the Shuster estate, have done nothing more than exercise our rights under the Copyright Act. Yet, your company has chosen to sue us and our long-time attorney for protecting our rights.

On December 1st I turned 93. I am old enough to be your mother. I have grown grandchildren. Unfortunately I am not in the best of health. My cardiologist provided a letter to your attorneys informing them that I suffer from a serious heart condition and that forcing me to go through yet another stressful deposition could put me in danger of a heart attack or stroke. I am also on medications that have side effects which force me to stay close to home and restrooms. Nonetheless your attorneys are forcing me to endure a second deposition even though I have already undergone a deposition for a full day in this matter. As clearly they would be covering the same ground, their intention is to harass me.

My dear daughter Laura too has painful medical conditions including multiple sclerosis, arthritis, glaucoma, spine disorders, and fibromyalgia. She has already had her deposition taken twice by your attorneys while in pain. Her doctors have given written statements saying she should not be subjected to a third deposition, yet your attorneys are insisting on re-taking her deposition in an effort to harass her as well.

So I ask you to please consider – do these mean spirited tactics meet with your approval? Do you really think the families of Superman’s creators should be treated this way?

As you know, DC and Warner Bros. have profited enormously from 72 years of exploiting Jerry and Joe’s wonderful creation. Superman is now a billion dollar franchise and has been DC’s flagship property for all this time.

As for this letter, the purpose is three-fold:

To protest harassment of us that will gain you nothing but bad blood and a continued fight.

To protest harassment of our attorney by falsely accusing him of improper conduct in an attempt to deprive us of legal counsel.

To make you aware that in reality this is a business matter and that continuing with litigation for many more years will only benefit your attorneys.

This is not just another case. The public and press are interested in Superman and us and are aware of our and your litigations.

The solution to saving time, trouble, and expense is a change of viewpoint. Laura and I are legally owed our share of Superman profits since 1999. By paying the owed bill in full, as you pay other business bills, it would be handled as a business matter, instead of a lawsuit going into its 5th year.

Even though you will no doubt pass this letter on to your attorneys, the final decision is yours. Your image as well as the company’s reputation rests on a respectable and acceptable outcome, and I hope you will get personally involved to insure this matter is handled properly.

The courtesy of a friendly and meaningful reply from you will be most appreciated.

Sincerely,
Joanne Siegel