Concept art from my new superhero comic

[Michael Anden]

Another promo pic

[Michael Anden]

Captain Rayken Shorde of the fighting freighter Starstriker. A notorious industrial saboteur-for-hire and freebooter, Shorde nevertheless throws his weight behind the Hold's plight against the incursion of the Dark Gods into his adopted realm.

Shorde was condemned to be encased in his battlemask from birth, yet he remains oblivious that his mentor- for not entirely altruistic reasons- recently impanted his false memory that the 'casket' is but a recent and voluntary affectation.

Shorde's true identity could spell salvation or damnation for the besiged worlds of the Gods universe.


"Oh- uh... Hi, Ray. Didn't, uh- didn't see you there. Guess, uh- guess you need to get going, now that old jalopy of yours's good to hit sky, huh?"
"Be a while yet. Your mother’s well?”
“Huh? Oh- yeah. Yeah, she’s ok. Bit of chest infection, third this year so she’s a bit down... plus what with this whole end of the world deal'll n' all-"
“Good. Good.”

[Michael Anden]

Court martialled demolitionist Dannick McQ is nobody's idea of a hero, but nobody could ever accuse him on not following through on an assignment.







"I know. But, see, working back from my list, seems there's still this thing hanging over everything since Outpost K. Kind of embarrassing, really- hate to even bring it up, but more than that I hate loose ends. 'Specially when it comes to someone's failure to discharge his duty..."
"Fragging hell, Dan- are you serious??"

[Muffy]

You have talent Michael. Your concept would work well with 2000a.d. or as a UK graphic novel.

Very best of luck

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

you are extremely prolific, Michael....

---do you hope to hang onto ownership of your characters and stories or are you hoping to attract an established publisher?

[Raven]

---do you hope to hang onto ownership of your characters and stories or are you hoping to attract an established publisher?

The two aren't mutually exclusive. People shouldn't even consider handing over ownership of their own characters and original concepts.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Smetimes creative folks have to 'sell out' in order to stay in work, though, Raven----

at D C Thomson, writers and artists had to sign a form stating the company owns all your work, if you refuse to sign, that's the end of the company/employee relationship----naturally, most creatives sign there and then.


Also, Gerry Anderson had to sell the rights to THUNDERBIRDS in order to raise much-needed cash for the production costs----he lost the rights to his own creation through this, others reaped the financial spoils, but it was the only way he could get the series completed at the time.

Creative folks, by their very nature, are often very uninterested in the business side of things, they just want the freedom to produce their works for a livable wage, which is often exploited by large companies who distribute their work.

Today of course, there are many more opportunities for creator-ownership, but I've yet to hear of anyone who has earned a true fortune through their characters and concepts, managing to distribute everything on their own.....you can do stuff for free on the internet, but this won't get you rich.

[Raven]

Creative folks, by their very nature, are often very uninterested in the business side of things, they just want the freedom to produce their works for a livable wage, which is often exploited by large companies who distribute their work.

Today of course, there are many more opportunities for creator-ownership, but I've yet to hear of anyone who has earned a true fortune through their characters and concepts, managing to distribute everything on their own.....you can do stuff for free on the internet, but this won't get you rich.

Yes, but anyone who signs it all over to a big company for nothing, will not make a "true fortune" when the spin-off movies and million dollar merchandising spin-offs roll out - they will make nothing. They will not be entitled to a penny.

Creator-owned comic companies include Dark Horse, Image, Oni Press, Avatar and IDW, and titles increasingly can sell even better in their paperback collections than the single issues. People should do work-for-hire for the large mainstream companies, by all means, if they wish, but on those companies' existing characters and concepts - so, yes, if they write or draw Dennis the Menace, that's the deal, DC Thomson owns it - but they should never be so lacking in sense as to just sign their own original creations over.

Creative folks need not, "by their very nature", be gormless, and wilfully exploited.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Creative people know exactly what they are getting into selling their work to large companies, and if, say, I could earn 200 quid a week for drawing DENNIS the MENACE for the BEANO over 201 quid a week for toiling in a sweaty kitchen washing pots, I know which one I would take!

Even the relatively modest earnings for working for the large companies can offer a better way of life for many creative people, and I don't blame them for doing this, in the least.

Their earnings can often be quite disappointing on this score, though......however at the end of the day they can say they are an industry professional and this in itself is enough for many contributers.

[Raven]

Creative people know exactly what they are getting into selling their work to large companies, and if, say, I could earn 200 quid a week for drawing DENNIS the MENACE for the BEANO over 201 quid a week for toiling in a sweaty kitchen washing pots, I know which one I would take!

Right, but that doesn't contradict what I wrote:

"People should do work-for-hire for the large mainstream companies, by all means, if they wish, but on those companies' existing characters and concepts - so, yes, if they write or draw Dennis the Menace, that's the deal, DC Thomson owns it - but they should never be so lacking in sense as to just sign their own original creations over."

[Lew Stringer]

Creative people know exactly what they are getting into selling their work to large companies, and if, say, I could earn 200 quid a week for drawing DENNIS the MENACE for the BEANO over 201 quid a week for toiling in a sweaty kitchen washing pots, I know which one I would take!

Right, but that doesn't contradict what I wrote:

"People should do work-for-hire for the large mainstream companies, by all means, if they wish, but on those companies' existing characters and concepts - so, yes, if they write or draw Dennis the Menace, that's the deal, DC Thomson owns it - but they should never be so lacking in sense as to just sign their own original creations over."

That works for some, but not most. Sometimes it makes more sense to create a new character for a publisher, in order to keep yourself solvent. It also proves to the publisher that you can be creative, rather than just wanting to work on characters created by others. True, you won't get a penny from any merchandise using the character but the strips that have expanded in that direction are in the minority so it's a risk you take.

Creative people can always come up with other characters that perhaps they'd prefer to keep the rights to. The imagination isn't finite. It's more common sense to have a balance rather than refusing to create new characters for publishers to own.

[Michael Anden]

I guess a lot of it depends on how good an entertainment lawyer you can afford- in my case I'd be lucky to get Lionel Hutz right now, my proiority pretty soon is to get this out as a creator-owned limited series. If business people eventually come knocking wanting to talk business with my business people (ie me in a suit and tie) then we'll talk- but my biro's staying manacled to the wall of my basement until I've got the industry equivalent of Saul Goodman sat next me.

[Raven]

That works for some, but not most. Sometimes it makes more sense to create a new character for a publisher, in order to keep yourself solvent. It also proves to the publisher that you can be creative, rather than just wanting to work on characters created by others. True, you won't get a penny from any merchandise using the character but the strips that have expanded in that direction are in the minority so it's a risk you take.

Creative people can always come up with other characters that perhaps they'd prefer to keep the rights to. The imagination isn't finite. It's more common sense to have a balance rather than refusing to create new characters for publishers to own.

For freelance creative people, Lew, their intellectual property is their likely livelihood and it never makes any sense - except for the big company - to just give it away. No respectable company would ask for you to hand it over for nothing, and freelancers should pull this kind of illegitimate practice out into the light and refuse it. They already know you can be creative, and if, say, DC Thomson want new creations, perhaps cite the precedent of Gary the Sheep in The Beano, and ask why if Gary Northfield was able to keep his copyright, why shouldn't you? Why shouldn't they negotiate; why shouldn't they pay you for the right to use your intellectual property within a specified time frame, or for first serial rights? It would be nice for creative people to stop dying in poverty - and to get closer towards that, they really need to stop being complicit in their own exploitation.

[Raven]

I guess a lot of it depends on how good an entertainment lawyer you can afford- in my case I'd be lucky to get Lionel Hutz right now, my proiority pretty soon is to get this out as a creator-owned limited series. If business people eventually come knocking wanting to talk business with my business people (ie me in a suit and tie) then we'll talk- but my biro's staying manacled to the wall of my basement until I've got the industry equivalent of Saul Goodman sat next me.

Well, you created it, Michael, so if it's original, you own it, it's your copyright, and if you've been creating your own "mythos", and you're not self-publishing (which is how you might start off), you definitely want to be looking towards companies who support creator-owned titles - or you'll regret it when it becomes the new Michael Bay blockbuster trilogy!

[Michael Anden]

I guess a lot of it depends on how good an entertainment lawyer you can afford- in my case I'd be lucky to get Lionel Hutz right now, my proiority pretty soon is to get this out as a creator-owned limited series. If business people eventually come knocking wanting to talk business with my business people (ie me in a suit and tie) then we'll talk- but my biro's staying manacled to the wall of my basement until I've got the industry equivalent of Saul Goodman sat next me.

Well, you created it, Michael, so if it's original, you own it, it's your copyright, and if you've been creating your own "mythos", and you're not self-publishing (which is how you might start off), you definitely want to be looking towards companies who support creator-owned titles - or you'll regret it when it becomes the new Michael Bay blockbuster trilogy!

Thanks, Raven- and yes, I agree completely. Though I think Bay will be busy with Transformers films pretty much until the age they're able to start building real Transformers.