Posted in: Comics, Digital, Recent Updates | Tagged:

Wait One Extra Day To Download Your MonkeyBrain Comics

Published Tue, 30 Oct 2012 08:00:13 -0500

Tomorrow, October the 31st, Chris Roberson and Allison Baker's Monkeybrain Comics release five new digital comic books. They are previewed below and no doubt you'll be in a rush to read them all.

But BLeeding Cool is asking you to wait a day. On Wednesday, fill up on other publishers' comics. In print, in digital, whichever. And then on Thursday dive into Monkeybrain Comics. Why?

Because for the month of November, Monekybrain are donating all their profits to Hero Initiative, which tries to help comic industry veterans in financial difficulties.

Chris Roberson writes;

Over the decades, countless comic creators have given us excitement and inspiration, entertained and educated us. And we need to give back.

For most of the history of American comic books, the only income that creators received were the page rates for the work they did. Writers, artists, letterers, and colorists would be paid a flat rate for the pages they turned in, without any royalties for sales or equity for their creations. If a comic were to be reprinted, the creators would not receive any additional payment, nor would they be compensated if characters and concepts from their work were used elsewhere, whether in other comics, in other media, or in merchandising. And since the overwhelming majority of comic creators were freelance employees, there were no pensions or retirement funds for them to look forward to.
In more recent decades, comic book publishers have instituted new policies for comic creators. Some began to offer royalties and bonus incentives for creators, so that if their work sold well or was reprinted, they would participate in those profits. Some publishers instituted creator equity deals, so that if a creator's concepts and characters were to generate profits in other media, the creator would reap some of the benefit. But few if any of these policies have been made retroactive, and as much as later generations of creators have benefited from the improved financial arrangements, generations of creators who came before them have not.

There are far too many stories of well-respected, talented writers and artists who created successful and beloved comics in previous decades, and who now are living in reduced means—unable to afford health care, unable to find paying work, some even homeless. At the same time, characters created and co-created by many of these same creators have gone on to appear in major motion pictures, on television, and in toy aisles.

The American comic book industry was built on selling morality tales to young readers, stories of men and women who fought for justice and stood up for what was right. And the writers, artists, and others who created those stories deserve better than they have received.

Thankfully, they have the Hero Initiative in their corner.

For more than a decade, the Hero Initiative has provided a safety net for comic book veterans who need assistance, whether in the form of financial support, emergency medical aid, or an avenue back to paying work. In that time, the Hero Initiative has granted more than $500,000 to over 50 comic book veterans. But as a not-for-profit corporation, the Hero Initiative relies on donations and contributions to continue its work.

Throughout the month of November, Monkeybrain Comics will be donating all of its income to the Hero Initiative. Our creators will still receive their cut of the profits, but the portion of each sale that we retain as publisher's profits will be donated in its entirety to the Hero Initiative.

As we in the United States prepare to celebrate the American holiday of Thanksgiving, please consider giving thanks to the veteran creators who have given us so much over the years by donating to the Hero Initiative. And we encourage other publishers to join us in supporting the Hero Initiative through direct donations. Unless and until creator royalties and equity participation policies are made retroactive, charities like the Hero Initiative are the only support many veteran creators have available to them.

Sincerely,
Chris Roberson
Monkeybrain Comics

Here's a look at the books in question;

Amelia Cole And The Unknown World #4

$1.99 – Ages 12+ – Amelia Cole's life was thrown into a blender in
issue 1, and the chaos hasn't stopped yet! As she unlocks secrets of
her past, outside forces plot a dangerous course for her future! It's
more action, magic, and excitement — barely contained within 22
full-color pages! Brace yourselves for AMELIA COLE AND THE UNKNOWN
WORLD issue 4, written by Adam P. Knave & D.J. Kirkbride, drawn by
Nick Brokenshire, and lettered by Rachel Deering!
Adam P. Knave, Writer
D.J. Kirkbride, Writer
Nick Brokenshire, Artist
Rachel Deering, Letterer

Edison Rex #4
$.99 – Ages 12+ – Have Edison Rex's sins come back to haunt him? The
specter of his defeated foe has been plaguing Edison's restless dreams
for some time. But are the visitations now carrying over into his
waking life?
Chris Roberson, Writer
Dennis Culver, Artist
Stephen Downer, Colorist
John J. Hill, Letterer

Wander #2
The history of The Ninth Kingdom is revealed, along with why Olive is
so hotly pursued. There's also a piggy-back ride.
Kevin Church, Writer
Grace Allison, Artist and Colorist
Josh Krach, Letterer

Spirit of the Law #1 of 2
$.99 – Ages 17+ – It's the Great Depression, and Sammy Workman is
lucky to have a job — even as a mob hitman! But when a hit goes wrong,
Workman and his men find themselves stalked by the paranormal
vigilante they've accidentally created! You've seen plenty of
superhero origins– now, see one from the villains' point of view! Part
one of a new two-part noir/pulp mashup from Brandon Seifert, creator
of WITCH DOCTOR and writer of DOCTOR WHO, and Michael Montenat, artist
of HELLRAISER and PILOT SEASON: ANONYMOUS.
Brandon Seifert, Writer
Michael Montenat, Artist
Ron Riley, Colors

The Stars Below (one shot)
$.99 – Ages 9+ – In the tradition of such tales as "Stuart Little" and
"The Cricket in Times Square," a young pigeon is literally swept into
the Hayden Planetarium and is awed by his first-ever view of the
stars. But when he finds you can't see the stars from the streets of
New York, he sets off on a dangerous quest to reach the city's highest
point — and realizes his dream in a way he never expected.
Zach Smith, Writer
Rich Ellis, Artist