Alan Grant interview

[paulvonscott]

I don't think they are, I mean I got the impression this is just saying, in print, that AD owns the characters and Intellectual Property.  This must be partly due to that arch c*nt grant morrison trying to steal zenith back, when he knew full well at the time he wouldn't own the series he was writing.

I would imagine that all royalty payments etc. would remain as before.

Without owning intellectual property 2000AD would rely ONLY on the goodwill of the creators, i.e. it would have been fucked and folded years ago along with all the other UK creator owned comics.

I am all for rewarding creators for what they've done (is profit based royalties been taken away,  if not, then what has changed?), but they all wrote for 2000AD KNOWING FULL WELL that they didn't own the characters they created.  Whining like Alan Moore that it's not fair AFTER the fact really isn't good enough.  He still cashes his royalty cheque on reprints.

People deserve a slice of the rewards of what they have created, IPC didn't give that, later regimes have.  It doesn't make up for past injustices and maybe it's not as much as American creators like Marvel and DC give, but the UK is a one horse town, if it was posible to grow fat on the efforts of others, don't you think there'd be ten other similar titles in whsmiths?

I also can't imagine them trying to take back creator owned strips like Button Man and Big Dave, again, tell me if I'm wrong.

Creators deserve proper respect and rewards, I'd be well pissed off if they didn't, but even the most catarract blighted mole can see the realities behind the situation.

[Tiplodocus]

I got the impression from the interview that he had a strip that he wanted to publish through 2000AD but wouldn't because they wouldn't let it stay as creator owned.  

Catarct blighted mole - nice one!  Reminded me of Blackadder IV - My men have all the artistic talent of a cluster of colour blind hedgehogs... ...in a bag"

[Dominic O'Rourke]

PVS, I'm not sure of the ins and outs of this case, but Grant compares this to the days of IPC - and we all now how the comic dropped in quality in those dark days - this appears to be a step backward for 2000ad, rather than treating your creators with respect due, they seem to be railroading them (however if the anderson movies makes it big - my movie shares are going to go through the roof!!)

;-)

[Art]

This must be partly due to that arch c*nt grant morrison trying to steal zenith back

Or maybe hes just been out in the real world, where people do things like sign proper contracts and pay people for reprints...

[paulvonscott]

If there is no longer room for creator own strips, that's a shame, but let's face it, 2000AD havn't had many bankable hits for a while, if creators just want to keep their best stuff for themselves and give AD pedestrian stuff, you can understand why this is in the best interests of the artists and not AD.  Again, AD profits only in the short term by having what is effectively a space filler and offering a wider audience for something it doesn't own.

I certainly don't claim to really know anything about all of this, but I'm happy to be proved wrong.  I certainly believe that some strips should be creator owned, but if they all were, AD's garden would be choked to death by the comic equivelant of weeds.  They stifle the profitable crops at the expense of something that they don't own.  

Having said that if someone was to say do a creator woned series and an AD owned series (of euqal worth) then both parties would get what they wanted.  Perhaps.  There has to be a balance between creators and publishers, if you can't look at the needs of both objectively.

These contracts are here BECAUSE of Grant Morrison, to tighten up contracts which may have been acceptable in the seventies, but not in the 21st century.  

Grant Morrison was happy to take 2000AD's money for work for hire, for no royalties (though that's changed, so why do this now?) and use it to build a reputation over here (a superhero story is always good for the CV) and then go onto fame and glory and undoubtable riches in the states.

If while you were on holiday and I found a legal loophole to break into your house, occupy it and take it over, it may be legal, but it wouldn't stop me being a c*nt.  

Basically the effects of morrisons action can already be felt and it seems to be spreading bitterness among brithish publishers and creators.  He has enough money, he did it for work for hire, what else can the bastard possibly want?

[Andy Diggle]

Creators deserve proper respect and rewards, I'd be well pissed off if they didn't, but even the most catarract blighted mole can see the realities behind the situation.

And what 'realities' are they? Are you aware of the details of the contract in question? If not, I would humbly submit that you are not in a position to judge. It's not Grant Morrison who is coming off looking like a 'c*nt' here.

Link: http://www.andydiggle.com" target="_blank">andydiggle.com

[paulvonscott]

"And what 'realities' are they? Are you aware of the details of the contract in question? If not, I would humbly submit that you are not in a position to judge. It's not Grant Morrison who is coming off looking like a 'c*nt' here."

I did say above I didn't understand the details of any of contracts.  Neither the new rebellion one, nor the legal issue with Grant Morrison.

The 'realities' I mentioned was that there has to be a balance of Creators rights and publishers rights.  If it goes either way, then it's bad news for everyone.  

Form what I know and base my ideas on (which I agree may be wrong/innacurate/bullshit/hearsay) Morrison is contesting his contract or lack of contract.  

He's not a mate of mine, I don't know him and I may well be wrong for calling him a c*nt.  He may have some high and noble motives for his actions, personally I'm not sure what they could be.  As with most things in life, arguments usually come down to money.  I'm sure it'll all come out after the event.  And if I'm wrong then fair enough.

To be honest, if I come across as a c*nt on an internet chat board, I wouldn't be the first Andy.

This is a fan board, if you can't or won't tell me why I'm wrong (from what you say I assume I am), why bother turning up just to rattle yer chains?

[Oddboy]

Everyone have a slush-puppy & cool down.

[Art]

Dude, he's got you totally outgunned. Back away slowly...

[paulvonscott]

The problem is, for me is that I say stuff, then people but forward a conflicting viewpoint and then some greater understanding is reached (at least by me).  

Just saying NO! You are the ball-lickers!  And having access to ethereal knowledge isn't enough to make me roll over and do tricks.

With all the rumours, gossip and backbiting that goes on, the comics scene even with a just a narrow peek through the crack appears to be at best the equivelant of imperial rome and at worst a not far removed from a Womens Insitute meeting, bitching over cake recipes.

[Dominic O'Rourke]

Andy, you've just signed up for a new story for 2kad, I belive and I don't know the position with Lenny Zero, but if you did own this, and lost your rights to the character, wouldn't that stop you from writing for the group again?

I belive this is what Alan is saying in CI - that a contract such as this would prevent him from doing any new work for the group.

[Andy Diggle]

Guys, I'm not going to get sucked into this conversation. Private contract negotiations are not something to air in a public forum.

I just think it's rude to call someone a 'c*nt' in a public forum on the basis of wild and erroneous assumptions regarding a matter about which one frankly knows nothing.

Call me old-fashioned.

Link: http://www.andydiggle.com" target="_blank">andydiggle.com

[Oddboy]

It's rude to call anyone something which needs a * to prevent the word being read, whether they deserve it or not.

[paulvonscott]

Regardless, of any of my opinions, I genuinely apologise to those who I did cause offence to whether that be Andy Diggle, Grant's Mum, the one handed wizard*, whoever, unreservedly and without bitterness or rancour.

If anyone does want to tell me an accurate assessment of the situation (and I can perfectly understand why they wouldn't, why should they, it's none of my business) then my e-mail address is handy :)  Or I'll read about it in comics international in sixth months time, when the whole matter is resolved.

As a lot of these conversations on fan boards, are largely speculation based.  I did want to pursue the details about contracts and how fair they are (and whether whatever action Morrison may or may not be involved with, whether he is or is not the aggrieved party has precipitated that)  I don't understand why they aren't fair and why it prevents people doing creator owned strips.  I'd like to know, but am resigned to the fact I probably won't find out.

Okay?  Okay.

Paul

*And I'm just being light hearted, not snide

[John Caliber]

'Dude, maybe you should relax and calm down a bit. have you tried aromatherapy, or maybe listening to some whalesong?'

As I'm chronically ill, doped on painkillers and anti-depressents, I couldn't be any more calm :) It takes aload of shite to get me riled - and Anderson is shite.

But isn't it so much better to have a few radicals on the group than a busload of brown nosers? The letters page is where the pro-2000AD propaganda belongs - we can be honest on the newgroup - can't we? Course we can.

- TCC