May 10, 1978 Cover Letter, Marvel Comics Work-Made-for-Hire Contract

This is an appendix post for the article "All Quacked Up: Steve Gerber, Marvel Comics, and Howard the Duck" (click here).

Below is Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter’s May 10, 1978 cover letter for Marvel's standard work-made-for-hire contract. The letter and contract were sent to members of Marvel's freelance creative pool. The contract was issued to bring Marvel in compliance with the work-made-for-hire provisions of the 1976 Copyright Act. The Act went into effect on January 1, 1978.

Marvel's 1978 Work-Made-for-Hire Contract

This is an appendix post for the article "All Quacked Up: Steve Gerber, Marvel Comics, and Howard the Duck" (click here).

Below is Marvel’s 1978 work-made-for-hire agreement, first issued in May 1978. At the time, Marvel exclusively published company-owned material. The majority of the writers, cartoonists, and other artisans working for the company were employed on a freelance basis. The contract's purpose was to bring Marvel into compliance with the work-made-for-hire provisions of the 1976 Copyright Act. The Act went into effect on January 1, 1978.

April 30, 1985 Letter from Marvel Re: Submitted Howard the Duck Story Script

This is an appendix post for the article "All Quacked Up: Steve Gerber, Marvel Comics, and Howard the Duck" (click here).

Below is an April 30, 1985 letter by Michael Hobson, Marvel Vice-President in Charge of Publishing. It was addressed to Steve Gerber's attorney Henry W. Holmes, Jr. The letter offers conditional acceptance of a Howard the Duck story script Gerber submitted. Gerber withdrew the script in response to the publisher's proposed revisions.

Hobson's letter also includes references to the terms of Gerber and Marvel’s September 24, 1982 “consulting agreement.”