Typhon Blue (Genderratic), Nicole Dieker (Hello, The Future), and John Lotshaw (Accidental Centaurs) rejoin us in this week’s webcomic and comic news and discussion. Mostly legal cases in discussion this week: A questionable IndieGoGo campaign gives pause to Eric and  Charles Carreon playing hide and seek; and more!

Thom Revor heads the show this week; and thanks to all of our news team: Thom Revor, Dean Esmay, Marie Tary, Jason Strawsburg, and Eric Kimball.

Consider Sponsoring an Episode!
[display_podcast]

Promo: Animation Aficionados

___________________________________
Webcast Beacon Network

Webcomic Beacon 5th Anniversary Giveaways Through The New Year!
The Webcomic Beacon podcast is reaching its 5th Anniversary this December, and we are celebrating through the New Year with prize giveaways through several episodes! You’ll need to follow our 5th Anniversary post for all the details and what you can win and when, where, and how you can win it!

___________________________________
Top Stories

15 Years of Digital Comics
Longime web-comics creator, Krishna Sah-DAS-eh-VHAM, tweeted “15 years of making comics online. Tomorrow.”  on October 20th. Hopefully he’s being droll in appending “Why am I still doing this? :)”
Original Source: @PCWeenies
Additionally: PC Weenies, Uncubed

___________________________________
Buzz

First Axe Cop Cartoon clip
Fox has released a clip based on the popular webcomic by brothers Malachai Nicolle (6) and Ethan Nicolle (29), Axe Cop. The clip was created as a test for the series airing next summer as part of their “ADHD (Animation Domination HD) Saturday-night block”.
Original Source: Comic Book Resources

Interview with Sydney Padua
Sydney Padua, mad artistic genius behind the webcomic: 2D Goggles, chronicling the whimsical crimefighting adventures of Victorian computing pioneers Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace.
Original Source: Sequential Tart

___________________________________
Legal

Questionable Indie Go Go Campaign
Compiled, written, and presented by Eric Kimball

Here is what’s known and both parties agree on:

• Gates Industries is suing Michael Jantze and his wife for losses involved in a business deal that they backed out of.
• Gates Industries provided Michael and Nichole Jantze with office space to work in for the business association
• Gates Industries payed the Jantze $2000 which they are currently refusing to return.
• The deal the were involved in was to create an animated series.
• Michael Jantze backed out of the deal before final papers were signed.

The Point of dispute:

• Gates Industries claims that Micheal Jantze promised to get his mother in law Linda Bott to invest 400,000 with Gates industries to jumpstart the project.  When Jantze failed to get these funds the company had to shut down the effort due to lack of funds.
• Jantze denyes he promised to provide these funds.
• Gates Industries seeks to recoup the losses of buying office space for the Jantz, legal preparation for the work and the $2000 they paid them.  While the actual amount is not listed this is probably something in the neighborhood of 10K to 20K total given the total price of things listed.
• Jantze denyes he owes any money and demands that Gates Industries return all his sketches or and pay $11,773 for “replaceable goods” that Gates Industries used in the preparation of the animation work.

The things that just smell bad:

• Jantze started a kickstarter to pay for his defense of this case calling it “Know your creator rights.  I am raising funds to fight a frivolous lawsuit — when business isn’t fair and ethical, creators need to fight back.” but this court case has nothing to do with creator rights.  It is a contract deal gone bad
• Jantze is asking for $56,200 — an amount far in excess of what he could possible owe to Gates Industries.  This is the total cost that he “could” incur if the case goes to trial.
• Jantze is offer nothing in return for this money and does not state what he will do with the money if their is some leftover once the case is settled.

History

• In 2004 Jantze had a fundraiser to “Keep thenorm alive” saying if he didn’t get a certain number of members he would have to stop the comic.  In exchange for donating you would get exclusive access to the comic.  After the fundraiser was complete Jantze put thenorm up on go comics for free.  It is unclear if he return the memberships fees or not.

Original Sources: IndieGoGo, Complaint, Counter Complaint,
Additionally: Editor & Publisher, MyBrainBlog, ComixTalk
Also: The Norm “Classics” on GoComics

Hide and Seek: Charled Carreon Style!
It wouldn’t be a newscast if Charles Carreon didn’t do something crazy last week. Back to the topic of Lawyers behaving badly.  It seems Charles Carreon has gone from cartoonish villainy to just cartoonish.
Original Source: Pope Hat

___________________________________
Business

Monkey Brain Comics donate to charity
Chris Roberson owner of Monkey Brain comics announce this week that all of the company fees taken in through the sell of its books in the month of November will be donated to the Hero Initiative a foundation that fights for comic book creators to regain and maintain their creative rights.
Original Source: Robot 6

Mergers Disney+Lucas, Penguin+Random House
Disney merges with Lucas and promises to create a Star Wars: Episode VII.  Penguin merges with Random House and promise to print boring pretentious books that you’re forced to do reports on in middle school.
Original Source: Robot 6

___________________________________
Education

On Maintaining a Balance
Words of wisdom from cartoonist Faith Erin Hicks
Original Source: Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong
Additionally: 4th Letter

Why old comics smell like clay
Original Source: Kleefled on Comics

___________________________________
Tech

Security holes in Paypal
Found via: Slashdot
Original Source: SC Magazine and L8security

___________________________________
Oddities

4 breasted video game ad
For those of you who went to see “Total Recall” just for the three-breasted Martian prostitute, we have a story that goes one better.  Literally.
Original Source: The Escapist

Physics Explains Cthulhu
Be afraid.
Original Source:  Slashdot

______________________________________________________________
Sponsor an Episode | Other Shows | Webcomic Beacon Archives | Newscast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download