Posted in: Recent Updates, Run Around | Tagged:

Tuesday Runaround – Lichtenstein Legalities

Published Tue, 11 May 2010 03:22:45 -0500

UnrealisedComicsWatch: Michael and Peter Spierig have written a number of prequel graphic novels to their Daybreakers movie.

We've written a series of graphic novels which explains the entire history of things prior to the movie, so maybe that will come out in that form or maybe it will come out in another form. Who knows. Maybe it will just be for us.

LegalWatch: It's good to see that the estate of Roy Lichtenstein's estate is no longer suing people for using the images that Lichtenstein chose to reappropriate.

You know, I don't usually go along with the comics hive mind that Lichtenstein was a rip off merchant. I believe he genuinely created new works of art with his comic panel canvases. And certainly seeing them in person is a remarkable experience. But sending out legal letters because someone used the same panel that Lichtenstein used – yes, that was completely ridiculous…

StoreWatch: The Maryland comic book store… that doesn't make money. But that's okay.

Things have slowed during the recession. The company lost $20,000 last year on sales of $172,000; about $100,000 of the costs was the comics and toys. Rent is more than $20,000 a year, and the part-timer earns more than $5,000. About $1,000 a month goes to pay the $75,000 loan from their relatives, which is almost paid off.

Thomas collects a $12,000 annual salary, which goes toward paying back the $15,000 he spent to buy the company. Then James will start taking $12,000 a year toward the $60,000 he is owed.

ContractWatch: An Emerald City Comic Con guest creator was discussing with others' DC"s move to get new exclusive creator deals.

One creator coming off his exclusive found that though DC told him there would be no incentive to continue his exclusive other then getting health care was surprised to learn that his page rate was dropped by $50 a page after going non-exclusive.

WebWatch: Les And May is a new webcomic by 82 year old Larry Lewis. Is he he the oldest online cartoonist in the world?

Such language! People never made such allusions in comic strips when I was a whippersnapper…