Self-Insertion Stories: Putting Creators In Their Own Comics

Earlier this week, we talked about Stan Lee's upcoming super-hero project with Archie, and while there were plenty of interesting things batted around, what caught our attention most was the fact that Stan Lee will actually be appearing in the comic, using his knowledge of super-heroics to mentor characters like Laser Lord here. It won't be the first time Stan's shown up in his own comics (he and Jack Kirby were famously denied entrance into the Fantastic Four's wedding, setting a trend in Marvel that saw everyone from Chris Claremont and John Byrne to Matt Fraction and Ed Brubaker make in-story cameos), but we're pretty sure this is the first time he'll be a regular cast member.

It's fair to say that most creators put a little of themselves into their work--more than a few readers have noted the physical similarity between Donna Troy's husband Terry Long and creator Marv Wolfman, or Jim Balent's to "Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose's" Skeleton Man--but other than Grant Morrison, who had a long conversation with Animal Man at the end of his run, we can't think of another creator who's gone this far.

But what if they had?

It's a question that got us thinking, and so today, we're taking a look at how a few of our favorite comics might be different if their creators involved themselves in the actual stories!

What if Rob Liefeld was in Cable?

What if Joss Whedon was in Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

What if Mark Millar was in Kick-Ass?

What if Alan Moore was in Lost Girls?