Tokyo Faust!
Tom Spurgeon at Comicreporter.com pointed out Brian Lee O'Malley's Livejournal entry on the comic book creator contract being offered by Tokyo Pop as part of something called a 'Manga Pilot Program' which allows new artists to submit work:
The contract for this fun deal is horrible, draconian, ridiculous. It's like Satan wrote it.
...Just so we're all clear: If they're making money on any of these things - and believe me, they will be - you aren't getting any of that money. Pay attention, kids.
'“MORAL RIGHTS” AND YOUR CREDIT
“Moral rights” is a fancy term (the French thought it up) that basically has to do with having your name attached to your creation (your credit!) and the right to approve or disapprove certain changes to your creation. Of course, we want you to get credit for your creation, and we want to work with you in case there are changes, but we want to do so under the terms in this pact instead of under fancy French idea. So, in order for us to adapt the Manga Pilot for different media, and to determine how we should include your credit in tough situations, you agree to give up any "moral rights" you might have.Of course, you still have your rights under this pact to your credit.'
...First of all: hey, everyone hates French people! Tokyopop couldn't possibly be as bad as the French!
O'Malley's commentary continues throughout in this same stick-to-the eye vein. Tokyo Pop comes across like chickenhawks canvassing a group of youngsters.
This reminds me of two things: the first is the horror Shuster and Siegel went through over who owned Superman, and the way things went sour for Jack Kirby in the 1960s when he got the notion that he was giving all his ideas away on a per-page basis that gave nothing to him or his family in the future (which, as you may know, basically is a large chunk of the billions of dollars rolling off Marvel Comics movie adaptations).
It also reminds me of guitarist Jeff Beck's comment on a contract he once signed (paraphrased from memory) "it was one of those contracts that guaranteed that under no circumstances would I be able to make money off of my music, forever."
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