D.J. Coffman - Sequential Artist, Thinker

37. When your dreams become reality, they are no longer your dreams.

If you are successful, it’ll never come from the direction you predicted. Same is true if you fail.

Is it the 25th? I’m losing track of my days here. June is flying by….

Update from me workwise…

Flobots comic is still in it’s “beta launch” as I slowly put that out a tier a day for the first story. Jason Embury had toleave coloring duties because of his limited time, which is understandable. So I’m switching into “one man army” mode again on my approach for drawing pages and stories. I might decide to actually do MORE now and keep the webcomic a standard full page every M-W-F - We’ll see. I have to test my speed and patience today, after coffee. These are reasons I launched this as “beta” to see what shakes down, because I’ve had the experience in knowing anything can happen. Wow, we are getting some AMAZING stories coming in though, some heartfelt and very passionate. I can’t wait to crack into the more sci-fi aspect of the whole thing as well.

SketchCards: I have some submissions in for official sketchcard work for a few big companies and titles, waiting to hear back hopefully this week. I could use the money, and frankly it’s pretty fun to mess around with. Can’t wait to show off the sample ones I did, but it’ll have to wait until after I hear what’s what.

WillDrawAnything: Yesterday was a lot of fun. I have a ton of requests stacked up now though, not sure if I’ll be able to get to them all today, so I might have to ammend the 24 hour thing, but it’s an awesome addition of content, hell I’m thinking it could even be it’s own darn comic on the side, we’ll see. There’s definitly more than enough content adding up, and it’s all beautifully random!

Speaking of that…. I was linked to a rant by Scott Kurtz about my situation with Platinum Studiios on Pop Syndicate (thanks spleen) where he redrew a panel from the “Fat Cats stealing money from hardworking webcartoonists” - and he redrew a panel in Platinum’s defense saying i was just airing their dirty laundry the second things went bad. This is not true on a lot of levels, but typical Kurtz to not think before he speaks or posts. He told me once before his wife gave him the advice to wait 24 hours before posting about something he was angry about, and it’s ironic that I think of her wisdom sometimes and seamingly use it more than he does. ANYWAYS, he assumes that’s “ME” in that little 5 minute drawing I did, and while the commission buyer might have been eluding to my problem, it’s not what I had in mind at all. In fact, for some odd reason, I had R Stevens in mind when thinking of “hard working webcartoonist” but surely nobody is stealing money from anyone, and I never once ever said anything of the like about Platinum or any of my deals. I also don’t feel like this is dirty laundry at all, it’s just facts, and it surely wasn’t spare of the moment– there have been problems for a long time. I’ll leave dirty laundry to other people, and also gossiping for the sake of gossiping to stir a drama pot. I know these guys care about RIGHTS and pushing creators to their own opinions on how to go about business. It’s also a little ironic to me that on Scott’s main page at PvP the news about his Book 5 being on sale and store have been bumped down by his link to drama, and the whole issue now has top billing on his site. I don’t think that’s very smart, but I’m sure he wants the world to see what he wrote because there wouldn’t be drama without Scott Kurtz being able to get his say in! “Look at me, I’m Scott Kurtz and I wrote something that everyone should pay attention to!”– but you’re blogging about me, so, I guess, THANKS? I know you’re reveling in it even though you’ll make a follow up comment or email about how I’m sad and how you think this is all very sad. But people just know you’re inherantly an asshole at heart, and there’s really nothing wrong with being an asshole I guess. We know, we know. You’re a kind-hearted one and lovable. They’d probably have you no other way, and i’m sure it’s been hard surpressing your dickery, even for 24 hours, let alone one.

As much as people want to keep making this into a creator rights issue, I still don’t think that it is. I think it might be a business ethics issue more than anything to me. Kris Straub had it right, and wasn’t being vindictive in his post, and the follow up comments by Andrew Foley are nailing everything that is right about the situation, and he has a lot of experience dealing with Platinum, even a creator who has had things handed back to him rights wise. I mean, LOOK, I know I’m going to eat some crow and take some lumps over this whole fiasco, but I’m being honest and transparent here, and that’s part of it. I take no delight in failing miserably here.  See the post here.

I also see on the morning rounds, Dirk Deppey and few other “journalists” online are linking to past good things I said about Scott Rosenberg, as if I’m a hypocratic idiot now, “Oh, look what good things he said, I bet he feels dumb now!” — Not at all. I’m smart enough that I can seperate a man from a company. Scott Rosenberg is a good dude, and he DOES love comics and movies and games. He’s like a big kid. He’s a smart businessman, and I’ve had long conversations with him about many many things. I don’t always agree with him, but he knows what a good business man I am as well, and creatively. It’s a reason they not so long ago had offered me a big position in the company, where I honestly believe I could have come in there and shaped some things up, made webcomics profitable for them, made creators happy and guided them in their own micro-branding strategies— so, no, everything I said about Scott Rosenberg at this time stands firm. Would it surprise anyone, especially in a public company climate now, that it’s not always what HE wants all the time, they have a board and voting, he actually has to take things to that board now and listen to others. I know he looses sleep about creators not being paid on time, i know it, it’s one of the things he was very proud of to be able to say that all of these years they have been on time, and now they’re in a rough spot, and it’s gotta be hard.  And to me, that’s what makes their decisions even a little more surprising to me, that they wouldn’t take their lumps too and do what’s ultimately best (PR and otherwise) for Platinum. I’d blog tomorrow that they came to their senses and I was glad. I’d point out the fact that they’re not big bad guys looking to screw over creators and point out creators like Andrew Foley who have gained some of his IP back from them.  There’s no love lost between creators like Rob Liefeld who had to strike deals with them too, and I know I’m not even in that league of “dirty laundry” ball. When I was told by someone that Scott Rosenberg, the CEO, had been told “not to talk or communicate with creators” , it made me really sad. (of course I know they all have to be very careful about what they actually say) but still.

None of this has been an expose on Platinum of any kind. Of course I know about things, personal conversations I’d never ever repeat. I knew and know things that I keep very close to the chest, things they don’t even know that I know that somehow made it’s way to my ears. And even in all this drama and mud, I’m still optimistic that someone will come to their senses business wise at least. If they could poll their investors individually, (which isn’t realisitic but you can see some vocal ones talking over on Yahoo Finance Board)  I’m sure they’d all agree what’s best would be what I suggested, because ultimately, it’s true what some X-Platinum guy said in the comments ,that I do want what’s best for Platinum and it’s investors, and for the creators and their IP there.

I had a great phone conversation yesterday with an old creator friend I’ve known FOREVER. He called me out of the blue to offer advice and support. He’s no small fish either, he’s worked with some HUGE companies and stars, he has everyone from Gene Simmons to the creator of the Simpsons on speed dial (i guess!?!)  I was trying to explain how we, in this area, come about decisions of what’s right and wrong, like is it an ethics thing, a moral thing? Maybe I had gone about this all wrong, i thought for a moment to him– What is that thing insde? And he said “Ha! Its a blue collar thing!” — they like it when it’s for em, but hate it when you’ve stood up and said something against them. “DJ, you’re not a YES man. Lots of people I deal with in Hollywood are surrounded by YES men (or dude’s just milking the cow and nodding their heads), and what they need to do is be surrounded by more guys like you”

I think he might be right. Nuff said.