Robot 6
Update on Walt & Skeezix hiatus
- Posted on January 9, 2009 - 05:29 AM by Chris Mautner
Walt & Skeezix, Vol. 2
Responding to last Wednesday's post regarding Drawn and Quarterly putting their Gasoline Alley reprint project on indefinite hold, Steve Tippie. vp of marketing and licensing for Tribune Media Services, posted the following comment:
I’m also not sure why Chris said last summer: “Sales are not a problem, but rather Tribune Media.” I haven’t been in contact with him for years and have never sued him or threatened to sue him over what he is currently publishing. I did let him know in an exchange of lawyer letters several years ago that I would take any necessary steps to protect our trademarks (e.g., Gasoline Alley) and the copyrights that we do retain, but he believes that doesn’t prevent him from publishing public domain strips under the “Walt & Skeezix” title and it certainly hasn’t deterred him so far. So if it is not sales, and I can tell you it is not Tribune Media Services, I’m not sure what’s holding him up.
FOR THE RECORD - It is not and never has been our intent or practice to withhold publication and distribution of the classic strips we own or represent. As an example, look at the series being published by IDW — the complete Dick Tracy, Terry and the Pirates and Little Orphan Annie. They are superb! I believe IDW does a much better job than ANY other publisher in the market, which is why I work with them. Dean Mullaney, who puts them together (Terry and Annie and starting this year, Tracy), goes to great expense and effort to track down the best images, digitally clean them up and through his vast knowledge and research create vivid and fascinating front matter. The material he has created on Terry is stunning! It is no accident that Terry won an Eisner this year. I’ve also gone through other, smaller publishers to get out items I haven’t been able to interest the bigger guys in — like Dondi and Leonard Starr’s Mary Perkins On Stage in paperback format. So please, buy them all and keep the series going, but don’t say that we’re holding back publication of the classics!
Tippie has more to say, so click on that second link to read the comment in full.
I contacted a representative from Drawn and Quarterly to get a response but they politely refused to comment.
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One Comment
tone
January 9, 2009 at 11:45 am
"They are superb! I believe IDW does a much better job than ANY other publisher in the market, which is why I work with them."
-We know where the bread and butter is coming from. Grease those palms Steve. Better than Fantagraphics? Better than DC? Better than Marvel? For the shame. If I exchanged lawyer letters with publishers, it would not consider that too friendly. Better just clear the air with copyrights with the government. More hands to grease. Since when has scanning and touching up old work has become stunning. Now Seth's work for Fantagraphics and their Peanuts run is stunning. Pound for pound Fantagraphics and Drawn and Quarterly have done a better job than IDW. IDW stands for I Don't Want and that is what Fantagraphics and Drawn and Quarterly thought of Dick Tracy, Terry, and Annie before ever considering publishing them. IDW is just trying to pass as either Fantagraphics or Drawn and Quarterly. They opened the doors for IDW. IDW is only living on the glory of others, let's see something original for once. Transformers and G.I. Joe? Wait didn't Marvel already do those titles? This is not a personal bash against IDW, but a statement like, better job than ANY other publisher, really irks me.