Stan on "Iron Man"

Sometimes, I'm amazed we get paid to hang out at Variety, especially when stuff like this happens: Last week, the following letter ran on Daily Variety's weekly opinion page.

Heavy mettle

To the editor:
I'm glad that "Iron Man" is finally getting a film adaptation ("Hayter shows mettle for 'Iron Man' gig"). When I was a child, he was one of my heroes, and I read his exploits religiously. However, I believe there is an error in the report of the forthcoming project which you printed. I don't recall Tony Stark (Iron Man) having an accident which forced him to put on his red and gold armor to survive. On the contrary, Tony Stark, like Batman and other superheroes, was forced to keep his identity secret and put on his suit whenever the world was threatened. So I really have no idea where the writer got the impression that Iron Man's suit was a kind of life support system.

- Nina Gut
Richmond Hill, N.Y.

To which a number of comics fans on staff said, "wait, that's not right, is it?" But, thankfully, we have some readers with firsthand knowledge to set the record straight. From this week's opinion page:

Behind the Suit

To the editor:
Responding to the letter about Iron Man's armor, since I'm the guy who created ol' Shell Head for Marvel years ago, I can testify that he originally fashioned the armor so that its electronics would keep his heart beating due to a near fatal wound he incurred during the Korean War. Later, the suit of armor enabled him to become one of the world's greatest superheroes.
Excelsior!

- Stan Lee

That doesn't necessarily make up for "The Punisher" movie, but it's still pretty cool.

It's Worley's World, Almost

The Comics2film Web site has recently undergone some major changes, as has the site's founder, Rob Worley.

The site: Definitely one of the best resources for anyone looking for film- and television-related comic book info (the coming soon index is daunting but exhaustive), Comics2film has been transformed to a portal through which fans and industryites can quickly scan news compiled from many varied sources.

The founder: One of the reasons the hub has became more community-built was the sudden workload taken on by Rob Worley. A computer programmer who "just started rounding up stories" about comics-related film and TV news he found by scouring the web and calling up Hollywood producers from his Michigan locale, Worley's exposure to the creative side of the industry led to his metamorphoses into a journalist. And that experience pushed him towards becoming a comic book writer and screenwriter.

"I was writing for the website almost every day, getting to know screenwriters and other industry people, and one of them in particular would pick my brain on ideas and stuff. So I just said 'Maybe I ought to try it.' "

Try it he has. Worley, through Marvel, is bowing a comic book in February as part of the comic company's Epic banner, an imprint created for unknown talent to pitch ideas and get them published (submissions aren't currently accepted due to oversupply). The book, titled Young Ancient One, is a Doctor Strange prequel that mixes Kung Fu and sorcery. Worley is also working on a spec screenplay with a writing partner. With so many things on the burner, something had to give -- and so he took the plunge.

"Working a full-time job and running the website didn't leave me a lot of time, so I quit my day job. It's a kind of risky move," said Worley. "Now I sort of just let the fans be the catalysts."

Chicks Get Comics Fix

The stereotypical comic book reader is a kid, say 11 - 17, wearing baggy clothes, hunkered over a stack of books with his friends.

You see I said "his." That's also the common perception. You don't see many girls in the comic books shops or at the comic book conventions. But the ratio is changing and the perception is changing as well. Two publications/organizations that highlight and promote this development are Sequential Tart and Friends of Lulu.

While Sequential Tart is a webzine about the comics industry published by women, Friends of Lulu is an information hub and organization that promotes the reading of comics by females and spotlights women in the biz. Lulu lists not only women on the creative side of comics, but also those in retail, production and administration (their Industrial Strength Women). Suggested readings, resources, and an event calendar are also provided.

Sequential Tart publishes articles, columns and features that range from general news and reviews to pleas on comics' (specifically Meridian's) behalf.. The site received a Lulu award in 2002 (for bringing attention to the best, most women- and reader-friendly work in comics and for recognizing the work of women comics creators of the past).

Mia MacHatton, a contributing "tart" for the Sequential Tart zine, believes that even though the industry may cater to "boys," things have been changing (as evidenced by the film deal recently signed by Ariel Schrag for her self-published title Potential) Her tastes in books is diverse (faves include Kabuki and Route 666), but the ultimate goal as a reader is not so different from any other fan, male or female.

"The common thread is that they're all good stories. They have characters I care about and plots I find interesting."