Alex Yarde thinks we can all pitch in to help a creator of our beloved heroes.
“It is true that there are a lot of things that may be legal that probably aren’t the right thing to do..” -Barack Obama
I saw Guardians of the Galaxy this weekend with my kids, you can read my review here. One of my favorite characters, voiced by Bradley Cooper, is Rocket Raccoon. Rocket is the creation of comic-book writer Bill Mantlo. While at Marvel Comics he created Lady Deathstrike, Cloak & Dagger and a plethora of other characters. He’s best known for his work on two ’80s powerhouse comic book franchises and licensed toy properties the Eagle Award-winning Micronauts and the long-running Rom Spaceknight. He was the victim of a hit-and-run accident in 1992, suffered traumatic brain injury, and has been in institutional care ever since. Like many other comic book writers and artists with “work for hire” status, their creations and the vast profits they generate belong solely to their publishers. With the insane amount of cash his work has generated over the years and continues to generate he doesn’t see a dime.
With the unparalleled success of Guardians of the Galaxy Mr. Mantlo and his family shouldn’t be struggling financially, yet here we are. Bill’s brother Michael has asked for donations and cards for Bill, who is still living in an assisted living facility. You can find more information, and a letter from Michael, over at Greg Pak’s blog. Please donate if you can toward his care and if you can’t spare any cash please spread the word about his plight. Let’s encourage Marvel to step up and do right by the creators of their content. If they don’t, we will.
After all, what would any hero worth his salt do?
You can send cards, letters, and/or donations to Mantlo at the address below:
Mike Mantlo
26364 East Pintail Road
Long Neck, DE 19966
Please make out any checks to “Michael Mantlo” ― Bill’s legal guardian.
Like on Facebook- The Bill Mantlo Project | Facebook
Follow his donation page on Twitter @billmantlo
cover photo -Facebook
interior art – Marvel Entertainment
Thank you for posting this article. I hope more people learn about Bill Mantlo.