A long-gestating lawsuit between Marvel and the estate of legendary artist Steve Ditko has finally settled. While Ditko created many an established character for the comics giant, two characters of note were the focal point of this lawsuit. We’re talking of course about Spider-Man and Doctor Strange.
Back in 2021, Marvel was informed about a termination of character (and story) copywrite from the likes of Larry Lieber, as well as the estates of Gene Colan, Steve Ditko, Don Heck, and Don Rico. Considering this was the majority of the main Avengers (characters like Thor, Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America and more), this was not what the company wanted to hear. Earlier this year, all but one of the suits were settled, with only Ditko’s estate holding out.
Ditko’s estate was seeking to reclaim “Amazing Fantasy” (debut of Spider-Man in 1962) and “Strange Tales” (debut of Doctor Strange in 1963) rights for art and story elements. That termination notice (which you can read here) also included “any character, story element, or indicia reasonably associated with the Works.” Which, you know, would be an awful lot of Marvel Studios’ current content, not to mention Marvel Comics.
According to paperwork filed today, both parties have reached an amicable settlement, and expect a stipulation of dismissal with prejudice in the coming weeks. We’re not expecting the details to be publicly released, but if they are, we’ll let you know.
Mary Anne Butler
Mary Anne Butler (Mab) has been part of the fast-paced world of journalism since she was 15, getting her start in album reviews and live concert coverage for a nationally published (print) music magazine. She eventually transitioned to online media, writing for such sites as UGO/IGN, ComicsOnline, Geek Magazine, Ace of Geeks, Aggressive Comix (where she is still Editor-in-Chief), Bleeding Cool (where she was News Editor), and now Nerdbot as Editor-In-Chief. Over the past 10 years, she’s built a reputation at conventions across the globe as a cosplayer (occasionally), photographer (constantly), panelist and moderator (mostly), and reporter (always). Interviews, reviews, observations, breaking news, and objective reporting are the name of the game for the founder of Harkonnen Knife Fight, a Dune-themed band with an international presence. Though she be but little, she is fierce.
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