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Talents For Talents?

Published Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:51:09 -0500

How do you define "talent"?

1. A marked innate ability, as for artistic accomplishment.

2.
a. Natural endowment or ability of a superior quality.

b. A person or group of people having such ability: The company makes good use of its talent.

3. A variable unit of weight and money

Ability, skill… and money. The two go hand in hand.

Since Marvel launched its digital offering two-and-a-half years ago, they have been promising that comic book creators would be compensated for work being sold online. And since Marvel launched its digital offering, creators have been moaning that they haven't seen a cent.

When DC this week announced to their freelancers that they were to start paying comic book creators based on the numbers of digital sales as well as physical sales, they stated;

As we make this announcement it's worth noting that, although DC is not the first major publisher to enter the digital comics arena, we are the first to announce a participation plan for talent, thereby setting the industry standard in that regard.

Marvel's CB Cebulski kicked off on Twitter, stating

Sorry, DC, but despite what your nice letter says, you are NOT "the first to announce a participation plan for talent" for digital comics.

With Tom Brevoort following up with;

So today, DC invented the digital comic and payments for same. Interesting approach, taking a leadership position from the back of the line.

But I have spoken to a number of Marvel comics creators. All of which tell me they haven't received notification of digital payments nor any actual payments. Not yet at least.

Turns out that exclusive talent only received such a letter on Monday with a further letter to all freelancers coming this Monday, as well as an official announcement through CBR a reputable news source on the same day. I'll see if an unreputable source can get it up first.

Shame DC didn't use the word "royalty" instead of "participation plan" – as Marvel have pointed out a number of times, they pay "incentive payments", never royalties…

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