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Daredeil 11: Lee did not understand Wood's superb plot. But took credit anyway.
Patrick Ford
25 March 2017
DAREDEVIL #11, Wally Wood and Bob Powell. Wood's last issue of DD.
One issue after finally being given a writing credit on DAREDEVIL Wally Wood's credit is reduced to "inker" and Wood is openly ridiculed by Stan Lee on the letters pages of DAREDEVIL.
Patrick Ford: J David Spurlock would probably know if this page has been seen in the marketplace before just now showing up at HA.
https://comics.ha.com/itm/original-comic-art/bob-powell-and-wally-wood-daredevil-11-story-page-4-original-art-marvel-1965-/p/7163-91010.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515
Norris Burroughs: What was Lee's snide comment about Wood in the letter column?
Patrick Ford:
J David Spurlock: Wood said when he turned in DD #10, Stan scoffed at the writing and said he would have to re-write it. Wood then said that when the book came out, only a few words were changed — LESS THAN A REGULAR EDITING JOB.
J David Spurlock: DD #10-11 was a 2-part classic mystery. As per the mystery tradition, clues are given in part #1 (issue #10) to solve the mystery in part 2 (issue #11). SO, Wood actually DID plot #11 as he did with all his earlier DD issues. As seen by the letters, readers seemed to spot Wood's plot-clues easier than Stan did. They had fun doing it but Stan was disgruntled that Wood (busy working on THUNDER Agents #1) didn't have time to provide him a written plot but made Stan figure it out from the plot-clues Wood had put in issue #10 instead.
Patrick Ford: Which Lee was unable to do.
Tim Bateman: Well, Pat, he was only the writer and editor, after all.
Oh, hang on...
Patrick Ford: Lee admitted that on one of the letters pages.
Patrick Ford: Once the story was explained to Lee by a reader Lee claimed that he had written it.
J David Spurlock: BETWEEN THE LINES: While he is crying over not getting more work out of Wood, he admits Wood brought sales up to a hit MONTHLY (it had been near cancelation when Wood took over after #4).
Norris Burroughs: "What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive"
Patrick Ford: There's a near identical pattern with Ditko.
1. Lee becomes boxed in and has to credit Wood and Ditko for writing.
2. Lee himself and through others (John Romita, Roy Thomas) comments that the stories are hard to follow.
3. Later reader response indicates the stories were popular and Lee takes credit for them.
Patrick Ford: The "hard to follow" criticism was also levied against Kirby's post Marvel work. Although more by Lee's surrogates.
Tim Bateman: Well, I'm sure many did find that hard to follow. You know, the way some people find, say, _Absalom, Absalom_ hard to follow.
Norris Burroughs: Someone will eventually write a great book about Lee, based on these sorts of accounts.
Patrick Ford: Probably not. At the moment there are three different people writing biographies of Lee and they are all sycophants.
J David Spurlock: Name them. We must get them some indisputable, FACTS with source citations.
Norris Burroughs: The truth will out.
Norris Burroughs: Wood, Ditko and Kirby are the zombies that will return to get "Baldo Smudge"
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