The Miles Morales Debate Re-Ignites Debate Over Comic Book Royalties

The fan-favorite Spider-Man, Miles Morales, is back in the spotlight as an ongoing issue once again pops up in the comic book discourse. Seasoned fans of comics may be familiar with this issue and others around creators’ rights when it comes to what they produce for the Big Two comic book publishers, Marvel and DC Comics. It’s a sore point among many creators who generally aren’t compensated when the characters they bring to life become worldwide sensations.

Historically, there have always been issues when it comes to creators being compensated for the work they do for bigger publishers. While writers and artists are indeed paid for the work they produce (usually at page rates), it’s a more complex issue when it comes to their work being adapted into additional media such as television shows, video games, and movies. Miles has been all over the place in the last several years, and now he’s found himself at the heart of a debate that has fans everywhere clashing.

Miles Morales Becomes Center of Massive Debate Online

This past weekend saw CCXP come to São Paulo, Brazil, and numerous big-name creators attended the convention. Sara Pichelli, the artist who co-created Miles Morales with Brian Michael Bendis, was there and was interviewed by the website Jamesons. During the interview, Pichelli was asked if she gets any additional compensation from other things featuring Miles, such as video games. Pichelli revealed that she doesn’t, noting she’d be a billionaire if that were the case. These comments spread online fast, with everyone throwing in their two cents about Pichelli’s revelation and the larger compensation issues for comic creators.

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In all fairness, Pichelli was quick to respond once her comments gained traction. She posted on her Instagram to clarify that the headline of the original story was “embarrassing click bait news” and that the tone of the original conversation was “relaxed and ironic”. Pichelli also said those comments were just one part of the conversation and that they weren’t intended as a complaint. She validated the issue of copyrights and royalties, but implored that everyone not use her or her work to “take sides or talk sh*t”.

And that’s fair. This is a touchy subject, and there are more than enough examples of comic creators airing their grievances without forcing Pichelli to participate in the conversation. That’s why so many people were quick to jump once these comments hit the internet. Over the past few years, we’ve seen more and more creators like Jim Starlin, Ed Brubaker, and Rob Liefeld discussing how little money they make when it comes to characters being adapted into movies that end up becoming huge, profitable ventures.

The Royalties Issue is So Much Bigger Than Miles Morales

I don’t think anyone doubts just how much damn money the MCU has generated. But that’s what makes it so weird when we hear how little creators are compensated. It’s work by artists and writers who give these movies and shows to pull from. And I know some fans take the argument of ‘Well, they got paid for their work’, which is true. But back in the day, no one could have predicted just how much of a cultural juggernaut superhero media has become or how valuable even more recent comic creations could be.

There’s a reason this debate pops up every so often. In recent years, fans have become very aware of creators’ rights and the long history of writers and artists being improperly compensated when their creators make the leap from the page to the big or even the small screen. Fans who care about the comics want their favorite creators to be treated properly, so when they catch wind that another injustice has potentially appeared, they run with it, blasting the horn and letting everyone know whose side they’re on.

Maybe this time was a little overzealous. People love Miles Morales, and they don’t want to imagine a world where one of his creators gets nothing for her contributions. But as she said on her Instagram, we can be better when it comes to this kind of conversation. We can acknowledge that there are issues when it comes to compensation without pouncing on every story that makes its way online before having the full context. So as this conversation regarding creators continues, let’s all make sure we’re being respectful of the creators in every sense.

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