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The reference would be to the Wolfman lawsuit, in 1999, since that was the only time Shooter and I were ever in a courtroom at the same time. Shooter is perhaps forgetting that "The Comics Journal" printed the transcript of that trial, so it is easy enough to check what was actually said.

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Shooter likes to promote the myth that it was he, and he alone who brought in royalties -- or "incentives" as they were called at Marvel -- to the comicbook industry. This overlooks two important details: the royalties arrived first at DC, and Mike Hobson, as Shooter's BOSS, was the one who signed off on the policy at Marvel.

Nathan Greno: "...at least "too cute" for me. "Bamf doll"? Nightcrawler has a hot, flight attendant girlfriend? Feels like the concept of the book is lost imho."

I dunno, I think one of the things that made the book popular was the playing against type.  The strongman being an artist, the "demon" who would rather play at being Errol Flynn than focus on his appearance, etc. 

It does make me wonder how the book did in the alternate reality where Len Wein never left.  From Giant-Size #1, I suspect he would have gone for a less offbeat approach.

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Never read SWAMP THING?

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In reality, the more popular a title became, the more interference that could be expected from Shooter. DAREDEVIL is a prime example, under Frank Miller's tenure.

The Kulan Gath two-parter by Claremont and JRJR is a weird one in part because unless Marvel reacquires the rights to Red Sonja, the Spider-man/Red Sonja team-up Kulan Gath first appeared in can't be reprinted. It's in Comic Book Limbo with the Doc Savage/Spider-man and Doc Savage/Thing team-ups...and The Shadow meeting a young Bruce Wayne, for that matter.

I think Heidi McDonald nailed the problems of later 1980's Claremont in a Comics Journal article at the time which pointed out how increasingly often characters were getting maimed and killed and then reset-buttoned back to normal. The Kulan Gath story is pretty much a perfect example of this, as Claremont even gets to come up with grotesque hybrids like the Xavier/Caliban thing, all while also crucifying Spider-man in, um, excruciating detail. Whee! And then it never happened. Until it happened again.

Cheers, Jon

QUOTE: It does make me wonder how the book did in the alternate reality where Len Wein never left.  From Giant-Size #1,.

I'd rather read the issues from the Earth where Roy Thomas and Neal Adams stayed on the book until JB took over the writing and art in 1975.

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Oh, sure! Following Dave Cockrum wasn't enough pressure! You want me to actually have a stroke!!!