General Category > Comic Related Discussion

Graphic of Martin Goodmans "Publishing Companies"

<< < (2/3) > >>

Yoc:
I believe SS was correct about why a publisher would want to create such a web of companies. 
And Goodman was far from the only one with multiple companies
If one fails or is sued, just use another one and continue as normal.

-Yoc

darkmark (RIP):
True.  Archie also published under multiple company names.

SuperScrounge:

--- Quote from: bminor on November 29, 2018, 05:45:40 AM ---I have read much of the book. It really leaves the reader feeling that Martin was not a honorable person when it came to treating other people in his employ with respect and honor.
--- End quote ---

How many comics publishers could be considered honorable? There are quite a few stories about the weasels who ran comics, but very few about good guys who ran comics.

Poztron:

--- Quote from: SuperScrounge on November 29, 2018, 09:09:20 PM ---
--- Quote from: bminor on November 29, 2018, 05:45:40 AM ---I have read much of the book. It really leaves the reader feeling that Martin was not a honorable person when it came to treating other people in his employ with respect and honor.
--- End quote ---

How many comics publishers could be considered honorable? There are quite a few stories about the weasels who ran comics, but very few about good guys who ran comics.

--- End quote ---

Though I haven't read in-depth about Bill Gaines' EC comics publishing empire, I've gotten the impression that, compared to most comics publishers, he was fairly benign in a paternalistic way. True, he didn't want to cede 51% control of Mad Magazine to Harvey Kurtzman, and I suspect (but do not know for sure) that EC writers and artists never got royalties for the various reprints of their work in Ballantine paperbacks, Mad anthologies, or the Russ Cochran EC reprints.

OTOH, he certainly seemed to display a certain loyalty to long-time Mad Magazine artists, and apparently paid them well enough for them to have MAD as their main venue for decades. (I'm thinking of Dave Berg, George Woodbridge, Mort Drucker, and other middling stalwarts.) I know that Don Martin had his beefs with Gaines' use of his work, so I could be off-base with my impressions.

OtherEric:

--- Quote from: Poztron on December 06, 2018, 11:21:57 PM ---I suspect (but do not know for sure) that EC writers and artists never got royalties for the various reprints of their work in Ballantine paperbacks, Mad anthologies, or the Russ Cochran EC reprints.

--- End quote ---

As I understand it... and my understanding may be wrong... the creators never got contracted royalties when their work was reprinted.  But, if they were on good terms with Gaines, they got one-time gift payments when the work was reprinted, over and over again.  A rather strong carrot and stick arrangement, if you fell out with Gaines you stopped getting the payments for your old work.

Like I said, I'm not 100% clear on this.  If anybody can elaborate or find a quote on that (I read it years and years ago) I would love to see it.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page