[...] this year, I criticized Zenescope for running contests instead of paying photo models. Now, Dark Horse is doing the same thing (only without as much [...]

[...] include writers for Zenescope and some of the girls who have won among others) and Johanna at Comics Worth Reading suggest that this is exploitation plain and [...]

I meant that as a hypothetical, not a literal statement of fact.

That’s a completely unfair statement. The creators got way more than that over the years. They certainly should have received more. But stating they only got $5 is silly.

Btw, it’s Zenescope, not Zenescape.

I guess I’m seeing this from the position of a small business.

I agree that its unfair to only give the creators of Superman 5 bucks when the property makes a billion dollars.

Its more fair to me to give the creators of Superman 5 bucks if the property makes $5.50.

I’m sure these women are making some money for Zenescape by attracting people to the table or generating publicity, or whatever, but if they also get to explore the convention on their own (I have no idea what is expected of them at the convention, aside from the signing), and a free trip sounds like a form of compensation.

I can’t say I know anything about the motivations of the women who enter this thing, whether they are just fans who want attention, aspiring models hoping to put this on their resume, clueless fools, or whatever. I’m not prepared to substitute by judgment for their own, without more information.

Zenoscope is a tiny publisher, they do, probably, one or two monthly comics, so I doubt that this has anything to do with being “cheap”, and, since you are a comic blogger, people shouldn’t have to tell you how rare and difficult it is for anyone outside the big two publishers to make a living in comics. (Do I know whether they can afford to pay a professional model? Well, Rich Johnson reported rumors they were having cash flow problems)

I doubt that any of those women are doing this because they desperately need a $100 gift certificate and trip to San Diego.

You are presenting this as if a huge corporate conglomerate was taking advantage of poor working models, which is ridiculous.

I know video game companies do the model thing, and don’t know about comic publisher, but I’d hate for this to be a “if the wealthy do it, its moral, if those without wealth do it, its disgusting and appalling,” sort of thing.

[...] and Johanna already got in on this. Johanna’s post was entitled, as is her fashion, PR: What Not to Do: Exploiting Models In other words, instead of paying modeling fees, they get free pictures in return for calling it a [...]

2) Nudie magazines holding monthly amateur modeling contests. If memory serves, each month’s winner gets a pictorial in the monthly issue, some cash. The yearly winner gets a bigger payout.
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Do they need live models? Oh, do you mean Booth Babes? I can see the amateur angle, the fan doing something they enjoy, getting some fan-cred, the whole cosplay mentality, winning a prize.

I haven’t read their comics, so won’t comment on the content.

This is just ripe with the possibility of exploiting a minor, which we all know has a legal definition that nobody wants to be associated with.