Don't sign Away your Characters' souls for free!!!
More backlash is coming out against publisher Tokyo Pop. I worked in trade books at my art college store and I found out Tokyo Pop was only a subsidiary of publishing giant Harper-Collins. I also found out from my favorite american mangaka that she had a three book deal, but they made her do two and she can't even buy her characters back to carry on with her storyline. I was also thinking of entering my baby into their rising stars of manga contest, not I'm considering selfpublishing. ($6,000) and no royalties/residuals. That doesn't even seem worth the work. I wish I can say I would boycott their manga, but if it was just me , it wouldn't make much of a difference, but if more people could boycott buying or not publishing TP to protest against unfair contracts, to fight or bring up a union type case against them to change their contracts. MAybe we can hope. I like to consider myself a realist though.
I'm posting a link to destryerzooey's artist blog ! Every comic artist should read this and get educated about heinous contract practices that don't respect creator's rights!:
http://destroyerzooey.livejournal.com/180842.html?view=3097194#t3097194
But what for those just starting out who don't have access or money for lawyers? Where do we go , to the pro bono attornies?
The tokyopop contract is as bad as the deviant art licensing agreement that I railed against long ago.
My character's mean alot to me and I don't think I can sell them without knowing that both the creator and the characters are in good hands. If that is not the case I shall publish it myself or go to a smaller indie publisher.
I'm posting a link to destryerzooey's artist blog ! Every comic artist should read this and get educated about heinous contract practices that don't respect creator's rights!:
http://destroyerzooey.livejournal.com/180842.html?view=3097194#t3097194
But what for those just starting out who don't have access or money for lawyers? Where do we go , to the pro bono attornies?
The tokyopop contract is as bad as the deviant art licensing agreement that I railed against long ago.
My character's mean alot to me and I don't think I can sell them without knowing that both the creator and the characters are in good hands. If that is not the case I shall publish it myself or go to a smaller indie publisher.