A Gentle Sunday Sermon. Well, I answer a question.

 A question from Steff. What did I think of the work of some of the artists I scripted for and were there any problems?

Generally, if working for a company no real problems as if you are being paid for a script you take the money and buy food then move on (except in the case of Egmont who still owe me £5,000).  But artists can create problems.

Three of the Black Tower books had to be withdrawn from the online store. Basically, the artist had approached a US publisher with a project we had worked on and tried to take full credit but mentioned me as "thewriter" and stated that "the writer might still be contactable". Now I have no problem with an artist on a project pitching it quickly to a paying publisher when he gets a chance. However, I was mentioned as "just" the writer and that I might be amenable to the deal. At absolutely no point was I consulted until after the artist had agreed to the deal.

In a roundabout way I communicated with the publisher in the US who was one of the exploit out of copyright material fot T-shirts, mugs etc etc and then move on. He had, he told me, got a few old posters of the character in the book (a real life person) and told me all the merchandise that was going to come from it which, of course, was going to earn him 100% of profits. His deal was this: I withdraw any and every book featuring the character in cameo or otherwise and also withdraw any online images I used. I also had to sign the character over to him for six years and at the end of that time he would see what he wanted to pay us. I stopped short of telling him to "**** off" so explained that there were similar characters from real life with posters and that a new book could be written and drawn around one of them. No. I gather that he must already have started merchandising.

I explained how important the character was in some upcoming storylines and suggested that I might withdraw the two books IF he paid something up front or offered a deal in writing. No. His demands were final and he'd give me 24 hours to decide or he would withdraw the deal; (WHAT deal??). I told him not to bother with the 24 hour deadline because my answer was no and the books could not be used without my permission.

This was no deal and he could claim copyright on the character and work and pay us nothing. This the artist thought was a good deal.  I checked into the publisher and he was BIG on grabbing and exploiting but not paying out. It came down to the fact that the artist agreed to a deal as the man "who had the idea" and without whom the books would never have been published. People know that I will stand up and defend every single artist I work with even if it causes me problems. I expect loyalty in return. That partnership ended.

Another artist I wrote the first part of a supernatural series for drew it and it was lovely slick black and white work. The editor at  2000 AD at that time (pre Rebellion) then decided he didn't want the series. No kill payment either. The artist kept in touch for a few months then refused to answer emails or messages/letters.  

A few years later I submitted the project to a couple other publishers -having written to the artist's address to make him aware of this. One day I got a phone call from one of the publishers -"What's going on?" he asked. Mystified I asked what he meant and he told me that "This project has been on my desk twice in two years under anothertitle and credited to someone else". I explained the background and so on and asked who the other person was? It was the artist. I was sent a scan of the credit page and the artist was credited with character creation, story and script -something he had no input on.

I was then told the name of another publisher who had been sent the project and it was only because the first publisher had compared notes with him that they realised this. I was given the artist's new email and told that the project could not be used if there was a dispute.

I emailed the artist and explained what I had been told,  his excuse was that he had found no way of contacting me so went ahead by himself.  Really? Someone actually told me that with UK comics it is hard NOT to come across me!  Another fast one was attempted but I made it clear that nothing could be done with the project without my involvement.  Heard nothing since.

One strip that was published in egmont's Revolver was a horror. Nothing wrong with the art but the artist had decided to cut out a lot from the three pager (!) and when I read through the issue I neverrealised that it was my tory with my credit on. The actual catch to the story did not exist and so it was a three page mush.

Another pre-Rebellion project for 2000 AD the editor liked. He thought irt ticked all of the boxes so said "go ahead". Lots of letters and phone chats (no internet then) and the artist set to work. After a month I asked what was going on and I received about 10 pages. Very nice work. A week after that the Editor asked me why I was changing everything that worked? I said I had made no changes -he had the scripts so he could check. He then told me that the pages he had received -I stopped him there and told him I had sent no pages so was he confusing things? The artist had sent in the pages, badly lettered. I was told some copies would be sent to me.

In the meantime I contacted the artist by letter -he was 'conveniently' out each time I rang him. I got a reply the same day as the 2000 AD page copies arrived. I almost put my fist through a door (again...I was young). The artist explained how he had changed all the character names to make them sound cooler and the main character had now changed sex to be a woman (which made no sense considering later scripts) and the location, name of the sinister corporation and several other things had been changed. I politely (with gritted teeth when I did speak to him by phone) pointed out that he had read the full series scripts and undertaken to draw the strips for which he would be paid and this was the series the editor had okayed. He then got into a strop explaining that his version was cooler so I asked how he proposed to change all the future parts since they made no sense with his "adaption". Well "You can re-write them, can't you, you're supposed to be the writer!"

I made the ultimatum to keep to the script or I would tell the editor it was cancelled. He put the phone down after saying "fine". A few days later Gil Page contacted me asthe editor had thrown the problem up to him as Managing Editor. It seems that the artist had accused me of being unprofessional, a poor quality writer and that he had done his best to try to correct all the flaws in the script. The artyist then suggested that he take full credit and re-write the series. I'm guessing he had a loose grip on reality. I was told "he's a problem" and that the editor had now said he would not use the project. I can understand why.

Several other artists also decided to do re-writes of accepted scripts that publishers wanted to use but they thought sending the completed work straight to the publisher meant that it would all go to print and be too late for me to do anything about. In these situations publishers will pull out of any deal.

All of the artists involved -and others- have never worked in comics again. One I heard had actually bad mouthed the Managing Editor of Marvel UK when talking to three other artists...and thesaid Managing Editor (he obviously did not know that at the time).

Otherthan that a few awkward artists -the ones who tell you about their commitment and professional standards and then baulk at the idea of completing 5 pages in a month when they had a 20 page project to complete! I did laugh at one who told me that he could complete a twenty pager in 9 months. Never heard from again.