When you're a comic book creator working for a major publisher, rights are a tricky issue. For the most part, characters and storylines you create wind up belonging to whoever you're working for which means it gets all the trickier when those characters and storylines get adapted to film. Whose meant to get royalties then? Usually Marvel just give people significant bonuses, but the filmmakers are also looking out for those writers and artists. Obviously Stan Lee has cameos in most of the X-Men films although there are a handful (X-2, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and First Class) where he's absent but they find the time to credit the people who originated some classic heroes and arcs. Chris Claremont, who wrote the Dark Phoenix Saga and Days Of Future Past, appears at the beginning of Last Stand mowing his lawn, and as a congressman at Trask's hearing in the latter film. Wolverine creator Len Wein plays a similar part in Days Of Future Past. Then there are all the screenwriter's cameos...you're on your own there.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
