A long article on Starlin's almost 50-year on-again/off-again relationship with Marvel.
https://www.vulture.com/2019/04/jim-starlin-creator-of-infinity-war-thanos-hates-marvel.htmlI didn't realize just how rocky that relationship has been all along. I knew about Starlin leaving in 1977 because of a clash with Jim Shooter. And when Starlin took his creator-owned DREADSTAR series to First Comics in 1986 because his paychecks from Marvel coming to him with long delays (Starlin himself told me this at a convention).
But it was a surprise that he quit two previous times as early as 1974 and 1975.
And that Stan Lee had Starlin and Gerber removed from IRON MAN after issue 56 because Lee didn't like how they portrayed the characters. At precisely the time Starlin was creating the Thanos storyline, one of the most acclaimed in Marvel history!
And how Starlin parodied Stan Lee and John Romita in the "1,000 Clowns" STRANGE TALES/Warlock story, with villains who were anagrams of their names, as powerful overlords of generating a steady stream of mediocrity and garbage. Much as I loved that storyline, that went right by me! And apparently right by the Marvel editors as well.
The article kind of glosses over the details of the Shooter/Starlin clash when Starlin left after AVENGERS ANNUAL 7 and MARVEL TWO IN ONE ANNUAL 2 (concluding the WARLOCK storyline). Shooter himself made reference to their clashes (before reconciling and becoming friends) in his editorial in DREADSTAR 1 in 1982, a few years after the fact. But I don't know the details beyond that.
Similar to Kirby, Starlin has contributed to Marvel greatly, in terms of profits as well as critical acclaim. And they've likewise mistreated Starlin, one of their greatest talents. Not just once, but over and over.
I'm beginning to wonder if there's anyone Marvel
hasn't dicked over.
