Friday 7 August 2015

Weekly Update #94: The Cerebus Trust


Dave describes various options for the Cerebus Trust such as including Gerhard. Also, a look at some other things Dave wants to get done before he dies. Don't miss exclusive video footage of the ACTUAL first-ever Cerebus Superfan Award! It's like an Oscar for Cerebus fans! It's on its way to Jesse Lee Herndon right now! Could YOU be the next Superfan? Make your nominations and vote now!


BONUS ITEM!:
The latest Jesse Lee Herndon video review... Cerebus #45!

6 comments:

Michael said...

I thought that Dave paid Gerhard for his share of the Cerebus enterprise? IF so why is Dave even bringing up Gerhard in the context of longterm preservation of Cerebus?

Anthony Kuchar said...

Gerhard contributed to at least some part to the Cerebus comic in it's entirety. Knowing Dave's principles regarding creators receiving fair monetary imbursement for not only their physical work, but also intellectual property, it makes sense that Dave would suggest Gerhard receive at least a piece of that $50,000.

To quote the Creators Bills of Rights:

8. The right to prompt payment of a fair and equitable share of profits derived from all of our creative work.

Jeff Seiler said...

Actually, Anthony, Ger contributed to 78.333333333~% of the Cerebus book, proper, plus many covers and the four Epic stories. Dave was wisely generous in giving Ger a 40% share of the entire company. If one really wants to break it down, it could be done like this:

If one assumes that writing, drawing, and inking are equally laborious chores (huge assumption; they aren't), then Dave did at least two and probably three of those on each issue (all 300). Ger did two of those things on issues 65 thru 300, although he kind of trailed off a bit there towards the end, due to health issues. In many issues, Ger did way more work on the backgrounds than did Dave on the drawing and inking of characters.

BUT, Dave did all of the writing. And all of the (amazing) lettering.

AND, keep in mind Dave created the characters and the story.

Did Ger at times brainstorm plot with Dave? I believe Dave has said in the past that they did. But this was Dave's baby from the start.

Also, keep in mind, when Ger started up with Dave, Ger was not a comics kinda guy. Didn't read them then, seldom has. (I consider it an honor that Ger wanted one copy each of all four issues of my anthology comic book.) No, Ger signed on because he would get paid for doing what he loved best--becoming the best environmental (apparently, that's what they call backgrounds nowadays) artist, ever.

60-40 seemed and seems a generous split. Plus, I think (but don't hold me to it) Ger still gets royalties off the trades.

SO: returning to the initial question as to whether Ger should get some percentage of the anonymous donor's bequest. I think it would ultimately come down to the question of "just how much did/does Mr. J believe that Ger's contribution to Cerebus contributed to Mr. J's overall enjoyment of the 236-issue run of Cerebus on which Gerhard labored?".

But, that's up to Mr. J to decide, isn't it?

Michael said...

So what did Dave buy when he bought out Gerhards portion of Cerebus/AV?

Jeff Seiler said...

Well, Michael, first a nd foremost, he honored the deal he had made some twenty years before, which was that Ger could request to be bought out at any time.

Secondly, he acceded to Ger's desire to no longer be a part of A/V.

Third, Dave, by default, restored himself to full and sole ownership of Aardvark-Vanaheim, Inc.

Jeff Seiler said...

Minor correction to my above comment:

Gerhard currently does not receive royalties from sales to Diamond of the trade paperbacks.

That's straight from Dave.