Must-read #2 of the day: Chris Roberson on his recent experiences with DC:
In fact starting at the beginning of February I did a number of interviews that were specifically and only about that, but I think that because many of them were audio podcasts, no one took the time to listen to them all the way through and realize that I was saying all these very disagreeable statements about company policy, and in some cases much more confrontational and inflammatory than what I ended up getting castigated for. So yeah, I expected at any moment for there to be blowback, but no one appeared to be paying attention until the day that three of my tweets were quoted on Bleeding Cool. And within two hours of that appearing on Bleeding Cool, I got a call that I was no longer was employed by the company.
And they told you that the reason for this was because of what you’d written on Twitter. Yeah, and specifically the one tweet which questioned the ethics of the company. Because I have done one or two work-for-hire things using DC properties I would occasionally get questions from readers asking was there a chance I would work on X character or this particular book, and after I said I don’t have any intention of working for DC again, somebody said, “So you’re not going to work on Legion of Superheroes then?” and I said, “In a better world, characters like the Legion would be owned by a more ethical company, but sadly not in this one.” That was enough apparently to inflame the ire of the higher-ups at DC.
Again, so much more at the link, including a change in creator-owned contracts at DC, hints at what Roberson is doing next (“[A]ll creator-owned stuff, meaning that I own it and the artist owns it”) and a sign that the comics internet isn’t all snark and bile: “I will say though that within minutes of me saying I didn’t want to work for DC anymore on Twitter, I not only got questions from readers, but I was also contacted by other publishers.”
April 25th, 2012 at 9:15 am
never awaken a sleeping dragon…
April 25th, 2012 at 9:55 am
I wonder – Was one of those companies MARVEL? And would he ever work for MARVEL?
Would he ever work for IMAGE (I mean, look at the McFarlane vs Gaiman legal batte or even Kirkman and Moore).
Very few big companies are “morally righteous”. Interesting to see where he would draw his line in the sand…
April 25th, 2012 at 9:58 am
ah good news – cheers Graeme.
I hadn’t intended buying Before Watchmen (or reading it) but after this Roberson business I think I can spare a few bucks to throw his way,
You’re a good man Chris Roberson!
April 25th, 2012 at 2:01 pm
In the real world you still need to make your bosses money to be considered a success. Last year, Chris whined that no one appreciated his awful work on Superman. Then he whined when no one wanted him on any New 52 titles. Now he whines that his Vertigo comic got axed. Suddenly he’s leaving DC over artistic ethics. LOL. He’s leaving because his work doesn’t make DC money and then he ran his mouth about it like it’s THEIR fault no one bought iZombie. They published it for two years. That’s more than OMAC got, and frankly, that was a better title.
DC only put up with Alan Moore’s crazy because he made them money. Chris is doing a John Byrne act without any of the commercial success Byrne had BEFORE he went crazy and burned every bridge he crossed. Good luck to whatever hapless editor has to deal with this guy next. He’s clearly a primadonna that thinks the world owes him something, despite never having achieved commercial success.
April 25th, 2012 at 2:03 pm
artistic talent sounds awesome, but it doesn’t keep the lights on, comrades. You gotta sell people on a product.
April 25th, 2012 at 5:27 pm
What a smug, idiotic prat. DC is better off without him.
April 26th, 2012 at 9:39 am
Kal-El and Kelvin –
I pity you both.
April 26th, 2012 at 9:56 am
Wow, how noble. Standing up for poor, defenseless Mr. Moore. I’m sure this guy was equally outraged when Alan Moore published a story where Alice from “Alice in Wonderland” had a sexual affair with her father. Alan Moore is a whiney hypocrite and this Roberson guy just screwed himself with his immature pro-Moore fanboysism.
April 26th, 2012 at 7:06 pm
@supergodwhatverthehell — save your pity for wherever trails life takes you down. You’re gonna need it.
April 29th, 2012 at 6:24 pm
Really I do not understand how alan moore can be upset or people want to defend him most of his work,was based at least loosesly off other people’s.