As the era of comic book multimedia blockbusters continues growing unabated - Green Lantern obviously notwithstanding - its important to note that more than ever, Disney and Warner Bros. are aggressively fighting to retain any and all profits from the heirs of the creators that built their respective universes.

When Disney acquired Marvel, they took immediate steps to build the Avengers brand, setting plans in motion for the movie and tossing aside claims from Jack "King" Kirby's heirs that they might be entitled to any share of the profits.

The case is ongoing, and is not nearly so ugly a display of greed and cruelty as Warner Bros. war on Superman creators Siegel and Shuster, but it is important comic book news and both fans and creators have an investment in seeing the founding fathers of comics get a fair shake - after all, what incentive do today's creators have to invent characters as memorable as the Fantastic Four if they know that their employers will one day reward them by shaking down their heirs to prevent them from seeing a tiny percentage of profits from their action figures and clothing lines?

Jack Kirby was an amazingly prolific creator, a singular talent, and his influence shapes the world of comics and pop culture at large to this day. Disney has turned his creations into a money-making machine and his family deserves their fair share.

Check out today's New York Times for a summary of the current state of Marvel's legal fight against Kirby's heirs.