Eagle Awards 2012

[pauljholden]

It's probably a bit early to announce it, but to hell with it, next year I'm inaugurating the PJs - awards given to artists/writers and new comics that start with the letters "PJ". I'll be honest: I'm pretty hopeful of winning something in this.

-pj

[Emperor]

It's probably a bit early to announce it, but to hell with it, next year I'm inaugurating the PJs - awards given to artists/writers and new comics that start with the letters "PJ". I'll be honest: I'm pretty hopeful of winning something in this.

I hear PJ Harvey is writing and drawing a graphic novel, so don't get your hopes up

[pauljholden]

DAMMIT!

[Emperor]

DAMMIT!

Unless you restrict the voting to... say one person...

[Frank]

It's probably a bit early to announce it, but to hell with it, next year I'm inaugurating the PJs - awards given to artists/writers and new comics that start with the letters "PJ". I'll be honest: I'm pretty hopeful of winning something in this.

I hear PJ Harvey is writing and drawing a graphic novel, so don't get your hopes up

Proby's inking it and O'Rourke's on letters.

[pauljholden]

One person(me) one vote(mine)

-pj

[Emperor]

Oh and the Eagle Awards are officially over. Next year there will be the MCM Awards, but it doesn't seem the same.

This appears to be a mess.

BC hinted that something was wrong in their Kapow report:

Mike Conroy bawling out – or being bawled out – on the phone on the shop floor, talking (or screaming) to the organisers of next week's MCM London Expo over the Eagle Awards – if they still happen. Then experiencing him saying nothing at all once the phonecall was finished.

www.bleedingcool.com/2012/05/19/kapow-2012-day-one/

John Freeman has expanded on this at DTT:

Over the past few weeks, there have been murmurings of rising acrimony between the co-owners of the Awards - the MCM Expo and Cassandra Conroy, daughter of Mike Conroy, the latter an integral part of the Eagles since they began.

If the Eagles are truly over - and we hope this is not the case - neither co-owner has made a public statement on whatever issues have arisen to lead to this sad day. MCM Expo owner Brian Cooney did however take it upon himself to announce their own awards will begin next year and that the Eagles are "over" as a parting shot at last night's ceremony.

...

While we have no desire here to be drawn into whatever quagmire of controversy that has arisen behind the scenes over the Awards it was telling, we think, that Mike Conroy, the man who has helped run the Awards for many years, announced on Twitter that he was in the pub opposite the awards venue and would not be attending the ceremony.

Co-owner of the Eagle Awards (MCM Expo owns 50 per cent of them as part of a business deal) Cassandra Conroy also did not attend.

Here at DownTheTubes, we're surprised to hear the Eagle Awards have been summarily 'finished', and given the lack of attendance by their co-owners, we do wonder if there will be further announcements in due course.

http://downthetubescomics.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/last-ever-eagle-awards-let-hope-not.html

So the MCM Awards aren't just the renamed Eagle Awards, they are new. Their half share would mean they could block the Conroys from going solo and I can't see why they'd be interested in having a competing award because, as it stands, the MCM Awards (if they ever happen) will be the only British comics awards.

Fingers crossed that the mess gets resolved amicably but, unless there is a positive statement soon, it looks like it could be stalemate, at least until things are less heated.

[pauljholden]

I've very confused over what ownership of the Eagles actually mean - presumably, there's ownership of a trademark (the eagle 'mark' and the name)

As I understand it you can lose trademark either by letting the mark lapse (no idea what time period that requires) or by having someone else co-opt it and then not enforcing the trademark.

-pj

[Emperor]

I've very confused over what ownership of the Eagles actually mean - presumably, there's ownership of a trademark (the eagle 'mark' and the name)

Yeah I suspect that is what it largely entails, although it'd make sense to establish the Eagles as either a small company or, even better, a charity for the advantages that can bring. So it might be the deal also involved buying or transferring half the ownership of the organisation too.

As I understand it you can lose trademark either by letting the mark lapse (no idea what time period that requires) or by having someone else co-opt it and then not enforcing the trademark.

That is how Marvel nabbed the Captain Marvel trademark and why every few years they'll have a Captain Marvel comic, just to keep hold of the trademark.

[pauljholden]

Here's the only eagle awards I could turn up at the trademark office

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/domestic?domesticnum=2310221

[Jimmy Baker's Assistant]

Here's the only eagle awards I could turn up at the trademark office

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/domestic?domesticnum=2310221

I don't think that Eagle Award is the comics one.

http://nigeriaworld.com/feature/publication/oyedoyin/112302.html

So, there's nothing to stop me from appropriating the Eagles for my own ends.

I can already see that Massacre For Boys is going to do well at next year's "Eagles"...

[Colin YNWA]

Well it would appear that the Eagle Awards may not be over yet.

In a press release, Cassandra [Conroy] stated "The Eagles are neither dead nor morphing into anything else. MCM Expo is in no position to announce, imply or indicate otherwise. In fact no third party can casually discard what my father has developed over the past 36 years. The Eagles will continue to soar into 2013 and beyond. We'll be announcing further details of our plans for next year in the near future."

It's the Kirbys all over again. Time to call out the lawyers.

Interesting that they mention Kirby (via the Kirby Awards) as I don't think we can rule out Jack Kirby winning best newcomer if they do run next year!

via Bleedingcool.com

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/05/31/thursday-runaround-when-eagles-cry/

[Emperor]

DTT have the full statement and contacted MCM for their take:

DownTheTubes contacted the MCM Expo and asked for clarification of Mr Cooney's statement on Friday night.

Speaking for the organisation, which currently co-owns the Eagles with Cassandra, Paul Miley confirmed Mr Cooney had declared the Eagles were over last Friday folowing the ceremony - or at least it would seem, based on his comments quoted below, over as far as MCM was concerned.

"Bryan made a joint announcement for Bryan and I on stage last Friday to the affect that we have spent the last three years organising the Eagle Awards which we have enjoyed doing but it is time for change," Paul told us.

"It is most likely there will not be an Eagle Awards from this point forward and that we are looking to launch an MCM Awards next year.

"At this time we would not like to comment further on this matter but may in future."

http://downthetubescomics.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/eagle-awards-set-to-soar-back-next-year.html

Make of that what you will but I suspect we won't know what is going on until it happens.