Comments on: More Bluewater Accusations and Reactions

By: Bluewater’s Math Doesn’t Add Up; The Real Costs of Making Comics » Comics Worth Reading

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 21:14:59 +0000

[...] Productions managed to get another newspaper article praising them, in spite of their dodgy business practices. This relatively local coverage praises the company’s “recent decision to dive [...]

By: Bluewater Launching Superhero Line With Twilight of the Gods » Comics Worth Reading

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 17:36:22 +0000

[...] infamous Bluewater Productions, a company surviving on unauthorized biographical comics of whichever name has been in the press [...]

By: Making a Better World LinkBlogging » Comics Worth Reading

Making a Better World LinkBlogging » Comics Worth Reading — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 11:29:26 +0000

[...] months ago about Bluewater’s celebrity comics. They asked to interview me, given my outspoken comments on the subject previously, but they refused to talk about Bluewater’s shady business [...]

By: Bluewater Follow-Up at Comics212

Bluewater Follow-Up at Comics212 — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 10:37:12 +0000

[...] more on Bluewater Comics, check out Simon Jones, Tom Spurgeon, Johanna Draper Carlson (2), andÂ Heidi [...]

By: Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes | Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources – Covering Comic Book News and Entertainment

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:18:04 +0000

[...] to no longer run the company's press releases. More commentary from Simon Jones, Tom Spurgeon and Johanna Draper Carlson. [Bluewater [...]

By: Greg Harms

Greg Harms — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:58:08 +0000

Just because you cover them doesn’t mean others should, don’t fault you for that, and don’t fault other bloggers for not covering them. We all have prejudices and convictions, and even though a company is inheritantly evil doesn’t mean the creatives, editors, etc. that work for them are. But when blogging, call it like it is, crap is crap and worthwhile is worthwhile, politics of the industry aside. :) More people need to have a backbone all the way from the buyers/fans, comic shops, creatives, to the publishers, editors, and bed mates like hollywood. To many times ego gets in the way of good products and good stories that are worthwhile. Just because companies screwed over creators in the past doesn’t mean it should continue status quo today. The internet media and word of mouth can stop it, and it can make injustices right. Companies will change these hurtful practices or they will run out of creatives to abuse.

By: Rich Johnston

Rich Johnston — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:29:42 +0000

I wrote about this situation back in September – http://www.bleedingcool.com/2009/09/07/getting-in-deep-with-bluewater-productions/

Thing is, Marvel never paid royalties to Jack Kirby. DC wouldn’t renegotiate Watchmen and V contracts when the marketplace changed unrecognisably. Lance Gueck got screwed out of promises and credit by TMP. The comics pirate industry leaves thousasnds unpaid every week. Yet I still cover them. I’ll still cover Bluewater.

By: Greg Harms

Greg Harms — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 04:26:59 +0000

Funny thing is, we had finished issue 2 of the mini-series before we even got the contract mentioned in Richard’s article. I signed no non-disclosure contract and wanted to try and educate new-comers, especially since no one had thought it important enough to do it for me. We asked what historically sales had been, what sales are; but got nothing. We asked for reports, but got nothing. If I was to see this contract today, I would say no thanks. I won’t do this again. (See other article response for more.)Per a phone conversation he stated,” it was my fault for not knowing what he had not mentioned.” and that he can’t “hold every creators hand.” But if I put more than one question in an e-mail he would “overlook” and only respond to the one he wanted to answer. He stated that “if I continued to speak out, I would not be working in this industry.” :) Classy.

By: THE BEAT » Blog Archive » Bluewater: finding new ways not to pay people

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:51:04 +0000

[...] reaction: Johanna Draper Carlson one and two, Tom Spurgeon, Chris Butcher. Also this thread where actual “creatives” discuss their [...]

By: Johanna

Johanna — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:28:54 +0000

Probably because most publishers don’t have the cojones to try such a thing! I’m going to take your rights in return for … nothing! Even internships provide class credit, in most cases.

By: Kevin Melrose

Kevin Melrose — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:24:48 +0000

Arguments about fairness aside, the contract you link to is pretty badly constructed.

1. A percentage of (fingers crossed!) profits doesn’t constitute a “page rate.”

2. The specific work (number of pages) and time frame aren’t defined.

3. There’s no definition of “profits” (leaving the interpretation open to, as you mention in your previous post, “Hollywood accounting”).

4. “Paperbacks — depending on how many issues the ‘artist’ contributes to that trade paperback” is unclear.

5. There’s no allowance for the creator to check the publisher’s math. (If I’m working for a cut of profits, then I want to see sales reports.)

I wonder, too, if an agreement can truly be considered work for hire if the independent contractor isn’t actually “hired” (i.e. if there’s no payment in exchange for labor or services)? Typically, work-for-hire agreements involve a transfer of rights in exchange for final payment. So what if there’s no payment (consideration) from the publisher? I’m genuinely curious, as I can’t find anything online that addresses that.

By: Rivkah

Rivkah — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:22:36 +0000

“Also know that items posted in message boards are slanderous and can be seen as libel”

It’s not libel if it’s the truth.

Lordy, they make Tokyopop look like Mother Teresa!

By: Matt Maxwell

Matt Maxwell — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:29:40 +0000

If the publisher is making money on the work, then the artists creating the work should be paid. No ifs ands or buts. And you know what, I think offering unpaid work in exchange for experience is a crock. People can choose to go that way if they want to, I suppose. I mean, it’s a free country and all that. But taking try-out pages and running them? Uncool.

As for me, artists who worked with me got paid first. The writer and letterer, well they’ll get paid eventually…

Note to the sarcasm-impaired: I’m the writer and letterer. And publisher, which is why there isn’t a lot of money going around.