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Tony Twist Wins Lawsuit Against Todd McFarlane
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 A jury has awarded more than $24 million to a former National Hockey League player who claimed his name was stolen for use in a popular comic book series.Former St. Louis Blues player Tony Twist sued Todd McFarlane, creator of the ``Spawn'' comic book and HBO cartoon series, on the grounds that the mobster character ``Antonio Twistelli'' was named after him without his consent. The St. Louis Circuit Court jury on Wednesday agreed with Twist and awarded him $24.5 million. A marketing consultant who testified during the trial had suggested that Twist could be entitled to as much as 20 percent of all Spawn revenues of about $120 million. McFarlane, of Phoenix, said he would appeal. Otherwise, he said, the award could put him out of business. McFarlane had testified the Twist name came from an old-time mob figure's nickname; but in a letter once sent to a fan he had said the character was named after a player for the Quebec Nordiques, Twist's former team. Co-defendant HBO settled with Twist during the trial for an undisclosed sum. Source: Reuters [Posted 7/06/2000]
  
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