The novel coronavirus pandemic hasdevastated the comic Word of God diligence . So it seemed too good to be true that one publisher was not only hiring en masse shot , it was recruit new endowment . But it could come in at a price : the company would keep one-half of their pay until 90 % of Americans were vaccinated againstcovid-19 .
“ He ’s a scam artist , ” laughable book creator Samal McNealy articulate . “ The elbow room everything is written is just to gain Andrew Rev and Terrific Production , and shaft over writer and creative person financially the proficient means he can . ”
wonderful Production LLC , base by proprietor Andrew Rev , pop up onto the scene atSan Diego Comic - Con 2019and touts itself as “ America ’s fast raise comics publisher , ” although it ’s yet to publish an issue . It ’s only been around a year but has already faced issues — like being dissolved for two weeks in April 2020 by South Dakota ’s Secretary of State ( where Terrific Production is registered ) over failing to posit its annual study on clip . The company’swebsiteis nonexistent , with no record of the domain of a function ever having host a web site . The publisher ’s master presence is aTwitteraccount that has shared hundreds of gif - take messages about how it ’s “ the next revolution in comic . ”
Illustration: Angelica Alzona
The Coronavirus Outbreak Has Put the Comics Industry Between a Rock and a Hard Place
The publisher , which for months slither along comparatively unnoticed , got some tending latterly after a serial publication of clauses purportedly from its contracts started making the round on social culture medium . They include : prohibiting creatorsfrom accepting newfangled work if defrayment from Terrific Production were n’t overly later , requiring creative person toturn over original graphics or ratify pagesin exchange for a share of a comic Quran ’s net royalty , and a now - infamouscovid-19 clausethat mean the publishing company could hold half a creator ’s full varlet rate during the ongoing pandemic . io9 has viewed several of the contracts in question and can verify the clause .
io9 spoke with 12 writers and artists who ’ve either worked this preceding year with Terrific Production or entered talk of the town to do so . Many of those who work for the publishing house confirm they ’ve yet to be in full compensated , leading to thousands of dollars in missing wages . They place the blame forthright on Rev , who some take used Janus-faced manoeuvre to try on to swop their initial contracts with new ones that would touch their pay and rob them of their rights as creators .
“ I imagine his company , and all that Terrific comprise — he ’s a hustler , ” artist Daniel Mainé told io9 . “ I ’d rather quit draw before working with them again . It has been a real nightmare . ”
revolutions per minute burst onto the comics conniption in 1990 when he grease one’s palms Comico , an autonomous publisher that was brace to match DC and Marvel with series like Bill Willingham ’s The Elementals and Matt Wagner ’s Grendel . Unfortunately , a string of big financial decisions led Comico to file for failure , lead Rev to come in from the outside and take it over . Rev refused to say how much he compensate for Comico , but in a serial publication of long ( and often hard - to - empathise ) e-mail , he share how he come into the diligence eager but inexperient only to weave up being taken advantage of .
[ Note : Many of Rev ’s response , conducted over e-mail , hold in spelling and grammatical errors . We ’ve select to present them as - is . ]
“ I was I ’ll equip to take on the revival of Comico- I had no stave . conceive of how I find having pay their salary and then they treated me as a sucker ! ” Rev wrote . “ With only love of comics and an A in art appreciation in college I went ahead to figure out without youtube or Wikipedia how comics were made . My original end before I get was for us to be peaceful investor with 1/3 rd of Comico . But the Chief Executive after he saw he had no duty personally for his staff salary go and hand me the keys and say he was ‘ go fishing ’ this is how my book on the amusing industry will maybe depart . ” io9 was ineffectual to get through the former owner of Comico for comment .
Reports on the sales agreement fromthe Comics Journaldescribed Rev as a Chicago businessman and native of Hungary who worked in the lineal mail business concern and had done consulting for Citibank . A 2017 court case involving his ex - wife ’s holding showed he also attempt to start a package business in Vietnam around a ten prior but that he made no money from it . Otherwise , Rev is an brain-teaser . He ’s believed to be 68 long time old and live in California , has a modest digital step , and his life between Comico and Terrific Production is largely unidentified . Rev refuse to cater or sustain with io9 any detail on himself and noted that he expect “ nothing personal in this article . ”
After speak with the writers and artists , io9 reached out to Rev for an consultation . His initial response was to send us a extended e-mail suggest what our clause should shroud , penning , “ I hope you and your editor can see we have a very positive story covid narration about overpower adversity that Gizmodo readers could potentially identify with . ” Rev echoed this suggestion in his final emails to us before publishing , piece of writing , “ you could always change the story into a level of the caller that want to save the comic industry . ” On the morning this small-arm was localize to issue he wrote , “ I would revalue you scrap your clause or modify it . ”
Rev repeatedly ask to mouth off the record book — mean nothing he said to us could be used in our article — we declined , demand him several more times if he ’d remark on the specific allegations made against him ( which he ultimately did ) . Rev claimed onTwitterhe wanted to speak off the record to “ tell our story on the record without revealing source and methods . ” OnTwitter , he call the article a “ hit small-arm , ” despite it not having been published yet ; in emails , he run on to mention the 2016 Hulk Hogan cause against our former sister situation Gawker , whichbankruptedGawker Media , and consume toTwitterseveral more time to discuss detail about io9 ’s editorial building block , GMG Union .
Some of the creators we utter with submit pitch after run across Terrific Production was promoting itself and solicit creators on Facebook or Twitter . Others say they were enroll by writer Robert Shepard , who for the most part declined to gloss ( io9 has viewed schoolbook message and email show Shepard do up employment and contracts with some of the Maker ) . They fancy that Rev hold back the rights toRob Liefeld’sYoungblood , originally release by Image Comics then Awesome Entertainment ( Liefeld declined to comment for this story , but has been vocal on social mediadisavowingRev and next iterations of Youngblood ) . Rev decline to share how he came about the rights to the serial , which were arranged through Cowboys & Aliens co - creatorScott Rosenberg , calling it an “ unfitting interrogative under CONFIDENTIALITY . ”
Youngblood was a series many of the Godhead we spoke to had grown up with , so they were concerned in the vista of helping a bequest property they loved issue forth back to life . In plus , many of them were either new to the comics scene or examine to break into the American mart — they saw it as an chance to develop their make , especially since many of them were being asked to do multi - issue serial publication . Gabriel Santos , a newer artist commissioned by Terrific to work on Supreme ( a standalone series for a Youngblood character ) , order he thought it was going to be his big good luck .
“ I was extremely excited for a nobody to get a chance to work on Youngblood characters , pop characters in the ‘ 90s . It was a great hazard to get started , ” Santos said . “ Really , what set out me unrestrained was a luck of promises these Guy had . ‘ If all goes well I can get you some more covers for these Book , ’ or ‘ If this book does really well I can up your page rate for the second book . ’ Little promise like that . ”
calculate back , the writers and artists we mouth to say they should ’ve seen the monition signs . At least three Divine , including creative person Fritz Casas , tell Shepard agreed to their starting rates with little seek to negotiate . Penciler and inker Emiliano Urdinola , along with at least three others , said the initial contract was sent without Rev ’s signature — only Mainé state he managed to get his signed . The contracts go over by io9 stipulated that Terrific Production would own artists ’ original art ( the comic industriousness ’s version of an original painting ) . It ’s a recitation that ’s considered rare and uncouth nowadays , as artists often betray their original page on their own websites or through inspection and repair . It also does n’t apply to digital artists since they do n’t make physical piece — something Mainé said Shepard state him would n’t be a problem . It subsequently turned out to be a problem .
The Godhead also said Terrific Production was set to pay them after windup of each takings , which bring the Godhead we mouth to 1 - 3 month on average . Rev fight down the practice , telling io9 , “ Some new artists like all people ca n’t be trust without having a security deposit to cue them to do 5 issues . That ’s smart . ” But it ’s something lawyer Gamal Hennessy , who specializes in study within the funny Word industry , pronounce should ’ve been a red flag . Instead , Hennessy said , writers and artist should always ensure there ’s a tiered payment system in office before getting to work .
“ One defrayment could be made on signing the contract . One payment could be made on delivering the thumbnail , or the rough sketches . One defrayal could be made for the 22 - page Koran , then let ’s say every four pages another payment occur through , ” he said . “ That way , if there ’s any dispute about what ’s going on … then you actually understand what the job is up front . So these artists are not out weeks and peradventure months of employment and not getting pay . ”
About half the God Almighty we spoke to got suspicious of Rev and walked away , either during dialogue or before discharge their first issues . They were the favorable one because the moment the first takings were turned in and a author or artist require for requital , chances are Rev would ask to speak with them over the speech sound or school text and give reasons why they could n’t be paid , like banking issues or problems with their work ( Rev acknowledge that Terrific Production has deny to pay some creators for their work , claim it ’s for “ if an artist over bills , did not have approval to increase rate .. Refused to redraw unfit art ” ) . Santos told io9 one of the excuses Rev open him was because the inking was n’t done , even though Santos had been take as a penciler . Rev still texted Santos to ask how issue two was add up along . In the end , Santos said he was only paid for a cover before drop by the wayside .
For three of the creators we spoke to — Mainé , Urdinola , and Casas — the conflict was because of the contract . Rev would claim that the first contracts they ’d signed were invalid for thing like universal mistakes , Shepard beam it without his favourable reception , Rev never signing it , or it not fare from a Terrific Productionemail address . Mainé , whose contract had Rev ’s key signature , said Rev accused him of “ forgery . ” Rev repeat this charge to io9 ( though he did n’t note Mainé by name ) , and Shepard backed it up in his only response to our dubiousness . Shepard , identifying the individual as Mainé , claim Mainé “ tried to pull a con on us . A wrong Sir Frederick Handley Page rate and Euros vs USD , ” but electronic mail obtained by io9 show Shepard agreeing to Mainé ’s pace and pet currency , and send him the declaration with Rev ’s signature . We demand Shepard to provide documentation to support his account , but he did n’t reply . Rev paint a picture we “ get an expert to compare signature , ” so we asked him to offer examples . He did n’t reply to our request .
accord to Mainé , Urdinola , and Casas , Rev insisted on transport them a new contract and would n’t pay off them until they ’d ratify it ( Rev choose not to “ confirm or deny ” most of the contract details , citing confidentiality ) . No matter how confutative the first deal was , this new deal was a whole lot worse .
There was the “ Special Covid-19 Terms ” clause , which Casas and one other artist affirm was include in their nominate contracts . The article stipulated that Terrific Production would obtain onto half of their page rate until either 90 % of people in the United States and Canada were vaccinated against the coronavirus , or 2,500 mirthful book shops in those countries were fully capable again . ( concord toPublishers Weeklyand theJoe Shuster Awards , there are about 2,000 comic book shops in the U.S. and approximately 300 in Canada . ) This is something Hennessy promise one of the most egregious parts of these already questionable wad .
“ What they are doing is they are attempt to tie requital to condition beyond the ascendance of anyone that is a political party to this agreement — and anyone in the comical book manufacture in general , ” Hennessy suppose . “ You do n’t have to be a attorney to understand this : This is the kind of clause that you edit the contract and you go work for somebody else . Because what ’s the justification for someone saying , ‘ I ’m not going to bear you the varlet charge per unit for the work you did , found on a piece of public wellness selective information that has nothing to do with what we ’re talking about ’ ? ”
“ This is just stupid . This is an attempt to not pay someone based on something that has nothing to do with the contract , ” he add .
That ’s not all . Mainé and Urdinola said their new declaration slashed their Sir Frederick Handley Page rate and partake in royal house ( after 10,000 copies sold ) , with Mainé say his was reduce by almost 50 % . Rev confirmed the page rates Mainé and Urdinola share with us , evidence io9 each of them had “ earned ” the lower one he was offer . A portion of the newfangled varlet charge per unit , as well as royalties , were contingent upon the creator play the comic and companionship “ in a positive and supportive way . ” Non - disparagement clause are common in the industry , but Hennessy observe it was unusual that the contract stated Terrific Production could take the author or artist refund a portion of their requital if they failed to adequately show their support — and since it was unclearly delineate , this meant it could be whatever Rev decide was insufficient . Some of the contracts also admit a clause that expect writers and artists to do convention appearances on behalf of Terrific Production , with no word as to whether the ship’s company would pay for traveling expenses .
In addition to the covid-19 article , Casas ’ new contract let in stipulations that put it a few steps short of an single contract . Casas sustain it banned him from accepting unexampled work from other publishers so long as payments from Terrific Production were n’t over 45 Clarence Day late , and he would have a three - year ban on make for any companies creating similar characters to ones he ’d made for Terrific Production . While that might not apply to Casas , since he was making Supreme , Terrific Production has been exercise on a public orbit version of Thor and is currentlysoliciting young artistsfor it . It ’s unclear what the comical entails , but inker Matthew Seaborne said his call for a love triangle between Thor , Hercules , and Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz .
sole declaration are n’t an unusual conception on their aspect , as Marvel , DC , and other reputable publishers sign creators to exclusive contract bridge , but Hennessy said they typically come with lucrative fiscal benefits that make it worth the person ’s while . In Casas ’ case , he say it really lowered his overall expected earnings — and if he quit anytime before fetch up the series , the contract bridge required him to refund “ the deliverable payments paid in anticipation of [ Casas ] fill out the serial . ” According to Casas , who ’s from the Philippines , Rev told him he should feel grateful for the opportunity ( in answer to this , Rev said “ any artist go for TP is favorable ” and called Casas “ not a soft Isle of Man ” ) .
“ Andrew Rev severalise me that , with the covid-19 pandemic , I ’m lucky that I am turn with them — and [ with ] theDC layoffsa peck of artists will be looking for work , pro will accept a lower page rate and I will be competing with them , ” Casas said . “ While it is rightful that overseas creators , especially in a third - world country like ours , are gimcrack than our American counterparts , it is not a reasonable and acceptable apology to tap creators . ”
Several writers and creative person we spoke to said Rev enjoin them he preferred outside Godhead because they can be paid less than one base in the United States , though Rev told io9 it ’s “ because major dignitary artist interfered win so blend in outside ofb USA . ” Mainé , who ’s based in Spain , shared that after Rev ’s attempted contract swop fell through , Rev tried to hale him over electronic mail to take an even lower rate , $ 50 per Sir Frederick Handley Page , and that one-half of that payment would be hold back hostage until Mainé turned over original artwork so Rev could sell it at auction bridge — something , as previously mention , Mainé did n’t have and was order he would n’t need to provide since he works digitally . In his email , one of Rev ’s defense of this Thomas Nelson Page rate , less than one - third of Mainé ’s initial one , was because Mainé ’s from a country where it ’s still “ very good compensation . ”
Not everybody has shared this experience . Writer Leon McKenzie has been mold with Terrific Production since 2019 . He said he ’s only signal one contract with the publishing firm ( along with a separate NDA ) and he ’s been pay for every comic ledger he ’s completed so far . That say , he declined to share his Sir Frederick Handley Page charge per unit , and when ask if he feel he ’s being fairly compensated for his work , he veered into how it ’s a step forward for his career before eventually say yes . McKenzie said his clock time with Terrific Production has been positive — although he expressed irritation that none of the comic book he or anyone else has worked on have been published yet .
“ I ’m frustrated that it ’s taken this long to get this far . I want a script on the shelf . And this makes me sound really selfish — because , once I ’ve done that , then Little McKenzie has written an issue of Youngblood and that ’s there constantly , ” he said .
Seaborne said he and Rev also shared a irrefutable influence kinship at the beginning — he said he was even paid for his comics work , albeit only one-half of what he was owe . According to Seaborne , Rev considered them to be friends and would call him regularly , keeping him on the phone for hours at a time ( prolong phone conversations are a vulgar trait with Rev , consort to every person we spill to ) . At one point , he enjoin , Rev get the estimation to get a record book label predict Terrific Records , part of his aspiration to expand Terrific Production with children ’s books , picture games , habiliment lines , and acinematic existence . He asked Seaborne ’s band to write a song that would be included in every transcript of Youngblood — only or else of bear them , Rev sent the band a multi - yr platter heap . Seaborne called the contract “ dreadful ” and refused to sign it . In response , he said Rev became rude and uncongenial to the gunpoint where Seaborne blocked his number .
“ I ’ve been offered some really , really terrible medicine contracts over the retiring 10 long time , but this is hand - down the unfit , ” he said . “ He tried to put everything in there to take every correctly away from us that we could possibly have . He wanted to change the band name . We had to write 40 songs a yr . He would own pretty much everything to do with our similitude , the band itself . It was just the most wild declaration I ’ve ever receive . ”
Rev told a dissimilar version of events , claiming he rewrote part of Seaborne ’s song “ with a witness ” ( whom he never name ) and was simply trying to give the band an opportunity : “ I asked Seaborne whose band making under $ 300 a Sung dynasty to write a vocal We are Legion , I told the of band to emulate . After first song I said I did not like all the lyric it was violent = so I asked license and I wrote changes with a witness . I say let me rep and I render him a great deal well than obscure indie circle receive plus cash . He turned to a shade . take why ? Maybe he had polish off . ”
Before Terrific Production and Youngblood , Rev ’s crowning accomplishment in comics was Comico . At the metre , writers and creative person like Wagner speak out to the Comics Journal about Rev ’s strange contract and lack of requital for service render , but Willingham read that did n’t stop him from selling The Elementals . He told io9 that the deal with Rev came with stipulations like appearing at normal to “ speak up the handover . ” Comico paid for his travel , along with several other writers and artists , only to witness out Rev was set them “ in the outside way of his retinue , in a barracks with nine or 10 bed shoved into a individual area ” ( Rev confirmed that he took Comico staff member to cons but could n’t recall any details ) .
Willingham also claimed Rev seek to scratch his final paycheck so he drove from Seattle to Chicago , where Comico was located , to postulate it in mortal . He say he was either going to leave with the money he was promised or break enough of Rev ’s clobber that it would make up the deviation , but he ultimately got yield . Rev denied that Willingham ’s final paycheck was ever cancel , but that he does n’t call up whether the writer hail to see him at his government agency in Chicago . “ Willingham final requital was never scratch for rights or piece of writing ! To bring up such hokum 30 age subsequently is nonmeaningful if Willingham was pay , ” he said .
Comico quietly stop over producing comics in 1997 — following years of inconsistent releases and series that never went past a few issues — ending on an issuing ofThe Elementals Sex Specials Vol . 2 . The first topic of the short - lived X - shop series list Willingham as its writer , but he severalize io9 he ’d actually turned in an issue of The Elementals ( as part of his contractual obligation ) only for Rev to rename it without his noesis or consent and slap on a prurient cover of a woman having sexual activity with a dolphinfish . Rev confirmed that Willingham ’s final payoff was turn into an 18 + sexual activity special , and secern us “ it ’s was my vox populi that it was awry to force under 18 years old to not have an outlet because I was a puritan and thought in 1990 ’s that any sexWas too much for kids . they were under age which is why it was made into its own title . ” But when expect to explain why the publishing firm put bestiality on the cover , he did n’t answer .
The newspaper publisher , now die by “ Comico Entertainment LLC , ” still exists and is register in South Dakota — although it ’s under the name of his comrade , Steven Rev , and Andrew Rev said he does n’t own share of the fellowship . It debut atSan Diego Comic - Conin 2019 but has yet to publish anything since .
Terrific Production has grown in ill fame in late weeks as more folks in the industry have been share the most bewildering share of Rev ’s contract bridge and creator who find they ’ve been burned are warn others to stay off . Despite the rebound , Terrific Production is still prove to recruit writers and artists — going so far as to ask people onTwitterto bow full - take comics with its characters “ at their own danger ! ” and that if the caller likes them they might grease one’s palms them . Rev recite io9 they “ no longer need freelancers , ” and the publisher is now focused on signing people to exclusive contracts . He would n’t share any inside information — although onTwitterthe publisher mentioned providing “ stipend & Royalties”—but some of the people we spoke to worry the declaration are no undecomposed than before . Rev said five Divine ( whom he has n’t identified ) have signed exclusive contracts so far and that Terrific Production is expected to announce its first titles on November 10 .
“ We reject the grounds for industriousness norms in a failing industry . Innovate or die . Ownership look if the artists choses an Image laughable type artists deal where they take the risk on paying for our depression and printing and marketing – they then can own the art than we have a repp fee . Or chose a TP acquired character than we share income because we are an IP development platform for the global market , ” Rev said . “ We recognize artists fought for right which we say chose that . I believe others will follow because comics are dying . ”
Terrific Production might swear it ’s innovating , that it ’s “ the next revolution in cartoon strip , ” but it ’s guide on an out-of-date playbook . One that has taste to take advantage of comic volume writers and artist even though it ’s result the company and Rev himself without anything to show for it . Unlike his time at Comico — where the experience of Willingham , Wagner , and others were lost to history — societal medium has made it so all of these funnies God Almighty can share their stories . It seems Andrew Rev ’s quondam illusion do n’t work in the novel digital eld .
“ The gentleman’s gentleman is a crook , I cogitate he ’s an cretin , and I think he ’s insane . I think in this business of ours , you might be able-bodied to get away with any two of the three and still find your recess . But all three , you ca n’t be all three and make a go of it , ” Willingham said . “ This enterprise , the current one , is going to fail — just as every other attempt has . ”
extra reportage by Bryan Menegus . Upang mabasa ang artikulong ito sa Tagalog , pumuntadito .
The Excellent DC Universe Is Dead , and a Comics - Only Service Is Taking Its Place
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