My name is Bill Mantlo and I want to go home

[samurainoir]

Tragic Tale | LifeHealthPro

Bill’s connection with Marvel went even deeper, as Jack Kirby was a neighbor of his. Bill often spent his teenage afternoons at “the King’s” house, picking up on drawing tips, geeking out on superheroes and talking about storytelling. It would prove to be a formative relationship for Bill.

[samurainoir]

One such title was the Micronauts, which was based on a line of science-fiction action figures already popular in Japan and introduced to the U.S. market in 1976. Bill himself suggested that Marvel license the toys so he could develop a comic around them. Marvel agreed and began publishing the Micronauts comic in 1979. The toy line had little in the way of backstory, metaplot or character development, but that did not stop Mantlo from building an entire universe around the toys, inventing numerous additional characters and even a fictitious alphabet for the setting. The toy line died in 1980, a casualty of pretty much any science fiction-themed brand that tried to compete with Star Wars merchandising. But by then, it did not matter. The Micronauts was a hit in its own right, popular enough with the fans that it won the 1979 Eagle Award for Favorite New Comic Title. The series continued until 1984, with Mantlo writing all but one of its nearly 60 issues, including spin-offs.

[samurainoir]

There were other problems, too. Because he was writing so fast, and under tight deadlines, Mantlo was known to rehash stories that had already run in earlier issues, or crib an idea too closely from another source while searching for a storyline to develop. Mantlo was hardly the only Marvel writer to do this, but he was one of the few who caused some problems along the way. In one case, while scripting an issue of the Incredible Hulk, Mantlo borrowed from an Outer Limits episode written by Harlan Ellison. Ellison called Shooter to complain, and settled things for a standard writer’s payment for the issue, an acknowledgement in a later issue’s letters page, and a lifetime subscription to all Marvel comics.

In another case—and one that remains a point of debate within comic book fan circles—Mantlo was accused of plagiarizing an unfinished story treatment written by artist Barry Windsor-Smith, again for the Incredible Hulk. Shooter’s version of the story is that Windsor-Smith had brought to the Marvel office an unfinished treatment for a story explaining the origin of Bruce Banner, the Hulk’s mild-mannered, but easily enraged, alter ego. Shooter wanted to buy the story on the spot, but Windsor-Smith insisted on finishing it first, and he left rough drafts behind. Mantlo, while visiting the Marvel office, found Windsor-Smith’s work, figured it was open for use, and wrote a story off of it. The Incredible Hulk itself was between editors, and the story’s lineage was not noticed until the issue was in print. The story remains one of Mantlo’s most popular, and it was developed as a core element of the script for the 2003 film adaptation of the Hulk. Windsor-Smith never stopped holding a grudge over it.

[Brazoo]

Incredible story - thanks for posting this!

[Figuremod73]

Thanks for posting that, I had no idea that had happened to him!

[thunderbolt]

Did Ellison sue the producers of the Terminator for ripping off the same story?

[StrangeVisitor]

Did Ellison sue the producers of the Terminator for ripping off the same story?

Yeah, he some money and an aknowledgement for story in the credits.

[johnmiic]

Did Ellison sue the producers of the Terminator for ripping off the same story?

Yes but there was a gag order. Ellison and Cameron and parties involved are not allowed to talk about it. Tho on the Wikipedia Page Cameron has some choice words for Ellison.

Cinefantasique` did an article on how James Cameron attributed the origin of the Terminator to The Outer Limits episodes in an interview, (with another magazine?), but soon asked the interviewer to remove references to The Outer Limits from the interview.

[kingdom warrior]

Wow, Tragic story...Mantlo wrote and created one of my Fav marvel mini-series Cloak and Dagger...and loved his Rom

[johnmiic]

His brother has responded to the article.

[Figuremod73]

would be nice if they would do a special ROM figure or something and the proceeds went for his care.

[UnderdogDJLSW]

What a tragic story.

[Random Axe]

OR just collect a bunch of Rom books in trade or as an essentials book. Hell, print it black and white. A good chunk of the proceeeds go directly to his care and others sticken with the same thing. Unless I am unaware of such funding, the day of Marvel stepping to the plate for Bill is waaaaaaay past due.