AMC has just debuted a new series called Robert Kirkman's Secret History of Comics, a series of documentary-style looks at that field. Tonight is Wonder Woman and the week after is Superman. The first show, which debuted last night and which airs repeatedly this week and thereafter, is "The Mighty Misfits Who Made Marvel," a title I do not think applies at all but maybe that's just me. It's basically a look at the early days of Marvel with special emphasis on the eternal question of who created the smash hit comics that were first produced by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
(I'll give you a hint: The correct answer — which Disney/Marvel now officially acknowledges and which I heard from every single person who was there including, at times, both Stan and Jack — is Stan and Jack.)
I am among those who was interviewed for it but I had nothing to do with the overall presentation or factual recital. Winston Churchill supposedly once said "History is written by the survivors," though some say that's wrong and that what he actually said was "History is written by the victors." I don't know which is right but I think it's hilarious that either the survivors or the victors got the history of what he said wrong. Personally, I think in this day and age, history is written by the video editors under the supervision of the producers.
When I agreed to be a part of this project, I was unaware how much of it would be about Stan vs. Jack. If I had been, I would have told the folks doing it that I don't think you can properly serve the Stan/Jack topic without explaining a lot more than can be squeezed into their time restraints. I'm pleased though that a video recounting of this story has finally noted that Jack Kirby was heavily involved in the writing of important comic books for which he was only paid and credited as artist. When I've said that in past documentaries, even when I've cited all the times Stan admitted it, that has always been the first thing to hit the cutting room floor.
I really, really don't like being in front of a camera and I know that however well I tell stories in print, I'm a whole lot worse on video. Still, I thank the filmmakers for including the part where I said Jack (and Steve Ditko) assumed creative control of the comics they were drawing. That was well worth my discomfort. It was also, indeed, a secret history of the comics…a poorly-kept secret, true, but it should not be a secret at all.