When Creators speak out...

David Brothers and the Comics Alliance have an interesting article titled "The Exit Interview: When Disgruntled Creators Speak Their Mind". The article concerns poorly-treated, yet vocal, comic book creators:

It's terrible that these creators went through situations that made them feel like they had to speak out, and while they may be telling tales out of school, isn't it better that somebody know what's happening behind the scenes? While staying silent might be considered more professional, shouldn't there be some kind of accountability for when people are wronged? Actual people make the comics go round, so shouldn't they be treated with respect -- even if they insist upon it publicly?

Why do comic book publishers not want us to speak out? Well, for various reasons, perhaps. Maybe they don’t want to abide by existing contracts, maybe they’re cheap, or maybe they don’t want to look bad in the public eye. Well, if you don’t promote unethical business practices, then you don’t have to worry about others speaking out about your unethical behavior.

I’m continuing to speak out on the topic of Creator’s Rights for several reasons. We need young cartoonists it’s very important to teach young cartoonists about the pitfalls of working in comics, their rights as creators, and how to approach publishers.

We all need to speak out when publishers act inappropriately or dishonestly. We need to change work-made-for-hire in comics.