The second major paper to file bankruptcy is Minneapolis Star Tribune which made the filing to “reduce our operating costs, restructure our debt and create a financially viable business for the future” according to a report over at E&P. The filing was also a promise made good by the paper after failed negotiations between the […]
The Colombia’s coffee growers federation has opted to drop its $20 million lawsuit against Mother Goose and Grimm creator Mike Peters according to a report on Colombiareports.com. Citing sources within the federation, representatives of the association have met with Mike and have accepted his apology. They’ve also extended an invitation to Mike to travel to […]
At the first of this year, the Popeye character entered into the public domain in Europe. In the US, the copyright is still in play until 2024 because US law protects works for 95 years after the death of the creator instead of the 70 years that Europe observes. That said, King Features still owns […]
Mother Goose and Grimm creator Mike Peters has been sued by the The Federation of Colombian Coffee Growers over a cartoon published last week poking fun at Columbian Crime and Columbian coffee. The federation alleges that Mike’s cartoon “damages the intellectual heritage.” They’re asking for US$20 million. According to Columbiareports.com, Mike has apologized in a […]
An Australian judge has ruled that an internet animation depicting “The Simpsons” cartoon characters engaging in sexual acts is child pornography and has declared a Sydney man guilty for having it on his computer. The defense argued that the cartoons were not real children no even realistic representations of humans, but the judge found that […]
Former San Diego Union-Tribune editorial cartoonist Steve Kelley is suing his former employer for allegedly pressuring the current editorial cartoonist Steve Breen to not work with him on a collaborative comic strip that was due to launch this year. According to Voices of San Diego, an online newspaper, Kelley and Breen teamed up to create […]
I received an email last night saying that the House of Representatives was set to pass the Orphan Works Act. Not able to corroborate the announcement (that cited the Illustrators’ Partnership’s “DC Sources”) with the docket on the House of Reps web site, I opted not to post the news. The bill did not go […]
The Orphan Works Act of 2008 was delivered to a chaotic House of Representatives yesterday and was quickly “lost” in the House’s attempt to pass a $700 billion Wall Street bailout. According to Wired.com, lobbyists pushing for the bill concede that the House will not be able to take up the bill until after the […]
Ted Rall, president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC) has written an official response to the Senate passage of the Orphan Works Act. It is as follows:The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC) is dismayed to learn that unscrupulous members of the U.S. Senate have taken advantage of Americans’ focus on the nation’s […]
I’ve received an e-mail from JP Trostle alerting me that the Senate has passed their version of the Orphan Works Act last night before the presidential debate. He opines that the timing of its passage was deliberate as the media and watchdog groups are distracted by the debates as well as the Wall Street economic […]
© Nick Anderson. Used by permissionNick Anderson, Houston Chronicle editorial cartoonist, has written a blog post on the personal impact of the Orphan Works Act on artists if it is passed. And written from the artist’s perspective: “Why does this matter to me? Creative control and ownership: No one can use or change my work […]
MAD Magazine cartoonist Tom Richmond takes issue with an article written by Meredith L. Patterson entitled “Six Misconceptions About Orphaned Works” and why artist have no need to fear the 2008 version of the Orphan Works bill that is making its way through Congress. A week or two ago I found this sarcastic but reasonably […]
A “new and improved” Orphan Works Bill is expected to be introduced to the House and Senate next week. The original Orphan Works bill was meant to make it easier for corporations to use creative works without compensating the creator if the creator cannot be found. The problem that the legislation would have created is […]
Susie MacNelly, the widow of Shoe creator and Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist Jeff MacNelly has sued Tribune Media Services charging that TMS is obstructing a possible move to King Features Syndicate. Susie’s Blue Salvage Company, the company she and Jeff created in 1995, has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Northern […]
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, or CBLDF, is gearing up for another big auction at the upcoming Comic-Con International: San Diego, and will have some big name artwork up for grabs, according to Pulse:“The CBLDF holds its biggest auction of the year at Comic-Con, and this year brings some amazing one-of-a-kind items to raise […]