IP Licensing & Copyright: The Legal Side Of Comics & Manga | Ft. Queenie Chan

[@MonitorComics]

The FIRST 1,000 PEOPLE to use the link will get a 1-month FREE trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/monitorcomics07231

[@inunekoal23]

This is the reason I'm self-publishing my series

[@Dr.Infin8ty3810]

What's the name

[@SammyRobinson62232]

Drop the link 🗣

[@Lord_Vanns]

Exactly

[@BCU013]

Years later, another great video. I appreciate Queenie for keeping it real and letting us know why many fail and what it takes to profit doing something we love like this.

[@MonitorComics]

For sure! She had great advice! Super fortunate to have had the opportunity to have her on!

[@queeniechandotcom]

Thanks, glad I was of help. :)

[@Armetzger]

The painful artist cycle. >Becomes Artist Because you're Antisocial and your investment in art made you incredibly introverted and not good at talking with people face to face >Discovers the only way to make profit from your work is to be incredibly extroverted and sociable to open more oportunities for your works by networking, and talking face to face.

[@MonitorComics]

There are some artists who are able to find success by not interacting with others! Many japanese mangaka hide their face and use pen names! You can let your work speak for itself, if it is good people will read it and talk about it. You can also create merchandise and ways for your fans to donate to you!

[@dark_nightwing_xl2797]

Dude, art made me an introvert and you should be ok with that.

[@lukeharman5522]

Great video! It's always unfortunate to see creators go through situations like these, working with any publisher isn't inherently a bad thing but you must know what you're signing, read things carefully and don't be afraid to negotiate contracts, you don't have to agree to every point of one, and if you can't come to an agreement you're happy with don't be afraid to walk away, with your rights still in your hands a better opportunity may be around the corner

[@MonitorComics]

VERY TRUE. I think a lot of people, myself included for a while, don't even know WHAT rights we have. Like the whole Saturday AM situation briefly highlighted around 15 Min was a clear case of a PR Manager, a head Editor, and a Publisher not understanding what COPYRIGHT means and irresponsibly telling their audience that supports their company that one of their ex creators DOES NOT own their work, even though NO CONTRACTS were signed, there was NEVER a conversation about co-ownership (until book deals suddenly became involved) and EVERY TIME a new chapter of the series was released, it only credited the creator, DD Mark. Like you said, you CAN NEGOTIATE, I know several artists who have had amendments made to their book deal contracts. I also don't think companies are "out to get you" but situations like this remind me that everyone should try to learn as much as they can so they aren't taken advantage of (talked into signing a bad contract) or walked over (a company making false statements that are legally not true, but now the public is confused)

[@lukeharman5522]

​@MonitorComics the podcast Comic Lab is great for insights, lessons learned, tips and advice from people who have been making and posting comics on the web for 20+ years

[@queeniechandotcom]

Yes, most younger creators are afraid to negotiate, and publishers know and take advantage of that.

[@danielg.w5733]

Reminds me if issues in the american comic market. Creator ownership has been a issue for decades. Several piblishers have sprung up that function similar to how you described the japanese market and just help with the publishing itself and take a cut of the initial sales(to keep publishing) and the creator keeps the rights. Image comics for example only takes 20% of the inital sales and the creators keep everything else

[@MonitorComics]

TRUEE, I would love to find a guest in the future who could speak more on that subject!

[@danielg.w5733]

@@MonitorComics I look forward to watch that episode.

[@KenRock]

@MonitorComics Not only did I find value in this video, this is probably the single most valuable video I've seen in a very long time! I've been writing for 7-8 years now but I've always had questions about this stuff and you just cleared up a lot for me. Thank you so much!

[@MonitorComics]

I'm really glad to hear that!!!

[@queeniechandotcom]

Glad that so many people are finding this useful. We should prolly do more interviews in the future to iron out more stuff. I went thru some law but didn’t go thru enough accounting BS.

[@EvilSnails]

This is such a valuable video, I'm bookmarking this as a reminder for when I finish my first volume. Thank you so much to you and your honorable guest Queenie!!

[@Rkader11]

I know im late to the situation but thank you for shedding light on this situation at Saturday am shit is depressing but an eye opener.

[@Thollis1987]

It is always a pleasure to see you upload another video about manga in different topics. ❤

[@MonitorComics]

Thank you so much!

[@terriermonisgod]

love listening to queeny chan, she is so insightful

[@ashcomics13]

The right of first reprint is a game changer I learned about today. I'm so glad that I've kept my main story secret. now i know to show it only directly to wsj.

[@marcop.525]

THIS 23:00

[@wcoanime5764]

So this is why DDmark left Saturday Am🤔.... I have asked him if he is still with the company about a month ago, he gave an answer but never a reason to why..... but at least he is doing good without them

[@MonitorComics]

There are a few comments below addressing the situation more if you feel like reading!

[@footsurebobcat1135]

I seriously appreciate these topic videos, my goal is to put out my own manga so this helps a ton so thank you so much🙏😊

[@MonitorComics]

Really glad to hear that! Thanks for watching!

[@forgettableotaku]

This video is great because publishers certainly aren't telling us about this stuff and as someone who did legal studies in high school (so I have a better understanding than the average person, but not as good as a lawyer- which i doubt we have many mangaka lawyers) even I don't know that much about copyright and every country is different. As an Australian where we have next to no manga publishers, trust me i looked and found precisely one website which didnt even have a single manga under its name, this makes it even more difficult as I would have to understand copyright for whatever country i went and got published under. Also, that clip from saturday am really bugged me. Idk it just felt sort of petty and unprofessional to talk about a former artist that way, especially on what looked like a post for the general public. Even if you as the owner of a magazine thinks something is stupid you probably shouldn't say stuff like that.

[@MonitorComics]

VERY TRUE. Since Queenie is also Australian, it might be worth looking at the publishers she DID work for! International objects like you mentioned are also an option though. In the past when I have spoken to company representatives directly, it also felt like they weren't telling me "the full story." Because they WORK with the company, I guess that makes sense. The same thing happened with the ComicsBrokeMe hashtag, companies like SatAM publicly said that they side with the businesses and that because the industry doesn't make a lot of money, THAT is why artists aren't paid. Many people saw that and were like "and that's reason to not pay artists who have been working for you 0 dollars the past few years?" I was glad to find someone who WAS AN ARTIST and worked with publishers, but wasn't biased to defend them if that makes sense. Her raw opinion and advice was really valuable, even I learned a lot from talking to her The other thing with Saturday AM, that clip is from a PUBLIC 1 HOUR LIVESTREAM that is still up on their instagram. People have been sending that clip around because we ALL KNOW its about DD Mark, but they refuse to ever publicly name anyone. Plus people were confused and asking if DD actually owned his work, does ANYONE own their work, what about the new people applying etc and its a WEIRD PROBLEM right because the company prides itself on being "creator owned IP." As those screenshots showed, the CEO, the Head Editor, AND the PR Manager all somehow believed DD did not own his series fully, which raises the question "wtf is the job of an editor then" like does NOBODY OWN THEIR WORK??? It definitely felt petty, especially because Metal Souls won a couple thousand dollars from a Shueisha award. The company has always been petty though and makes indirect tweets and vague posts about people. They've even made vague posts about me and I bet they'll continue to do it. Anyone who ever speaks out is labeled a "troll, harasser, and a liar"

[@queeniechandotcom]

I’m Australian and pretty well-known for drawing manga in Australia, I’m surprised you don’t know about me - ‘The Dreaming’ was recommended for study by a school textbook the in Queensland. Secondly, if you’re talking about Gestalt, they don’t publish manga since they don’t have the editorial expertise. But IPI Comics, the new Aussie publisher of ‘The Dreaming’, is Australian and they publish comics and manga.

[@forgettableotaku]

@@queeniechandotcom honestly I'm also suprised as I only graduated last year- although from NSW. The research I did for publishers was back in 2019 when I was only 15 so it probably had some gaps. I don't remember the name of the company, I don't think they were anyone big because they had like 1 book in total to their name, but I'll definitely look into those you mention.

[@in-craig-ible6160]

That's awful what the Saturday AM guy said about you. I remember watching your video where you interview him and he seemed above board. I guess he was not after all. Glad to see you have seen success with your work.

[@MonitorComics]

The comments made in the video were not about me, they were about a friend, DD Mark. I personally left "on good terms." with the company. But after seeing what they were saying about him and publicly posting, I felt like I had to say something since my experience wasn't so great either. Other artists in the company have also told me their own stories, and all of that led me to wanting to take a stance and say something I highly doubt I am on "good terms" with the company now, so I wouldn't be surprised if they make vague comments about me on Twitter or Livestreams in the future. What I always tell people is to take everything you see online with a grain of salt, a lot of stuff goes on behind the scenes that never gets made public

[@greensaintjester6392]

Yeah man.. I am kinda disappointed as well

[@besanayan5717]

Hey monitor comics can you make a summary or in points about how to publish and copyright works and which publishing corp. are good and which are heavy bad for creator. Please make a short video on copyright system and explain in simple terms. I really appreciate your works and i personally really like your content.

[@peachenelle]

This was a fantastic conversation, what an opportunity to speak to someone so established and knowledgeable as Queenie Chan! Monitor's got those good leads haha, looking forward to the next guest!

[@MonitorComics]

I KNOW I was so confused when she reached out to me on Twitter LOL I learned a lot from her as well! The full conversation was like 4 hours... I should start releasing uncut versions on Patreon or as a podcast or something

[@peachenelle]

​@@MonitorComics That's insane! Also, I am 100000% for more podcast content!

[@queeniechandotcom]

I randomly saw your ‘manga May’ thing and wondered what that was, so I reached out. I feel that the older OEL mangaka who are still around can do something to help the younger artists. I wasn’t aware that there was a community of younger manga artists since I’m in my own bubble - now I know they exist I’d like to be a bit more active in the community. ☺️

[@peachenelle]

​@@queeniechandotcom Crazy! Goes to show just how big a gap the challenge filled for artists looking to jump into making manga. Definitely worth it to get re-acquainted with the scene, especially with the amount of experience you've had! Thanks again to yourself (and Monitor) for the knowledge-giving 😸

[@HaoToDraw69]

Really great insight into the reality of book publishing, awesome video monitor!

[@MonitorComics]

Thank you!!

[@ofodude7382]

Looks like I'm skipping out on Summer of Manga next year and all foreseeable years. 😂

[@MonitorComics]

There are more opportunities out there!

[@shimshamjunior]

Ditto 😂

[@Twisted_Jay]

Um at 22:40 it reads "Up and coming or even established artists are paid about $175 a page and can make about $2,500 a month producing four pages of manga for a weekly magazine." I don't know where these numbers come from, but $2,500 a month for drawing isn't that bad. Hell, it's more than what I was making working full-time as a baker for a donut place. If that's only drawing four pages a week, then it's more than enough to live off of in Japan. That's more than enough to live in an apartment with a roommate(or without one)here in the USA(depending on which state you live in, of course). At $175 a page and producing 24 pages a week, that's a lot of money every month. I wouldn't complain and say I don't have a career if every month I was making $16.8k. Does anyone know someone paying $175 per page for a comic/manga? If so, I'd like to start working immediately. 😅😂

[@MonitorComics]

I'd love to find that rate as well LOL

[@insomeperson]

Seems like for the sake of sanity and the self of the artist to just hold onto whatever they want to create; it is better to quote-unquote, "self-publish". You either use a platform that allows third-parties to self-publish (without losing rights), or make your own website, or use a popular social media platform, generate your own traffic, with that traffic; sell your creations with all pricings wired directly to your own bank account, ignore publishing companies and operators simply on virtue that they are never on your side to begin with, etc etc. The only "platform" that I can think of that doesn't f**K independent creators is not a publishing company for comics, but a distribution platform for video games called Steam (yes, everyone who ever plays video games these days knows Steam). Steam doesn't even take your rights away; they just take a cut of your sales. Worlds apart better than losing your integrity to some old-farting paper-writing "publisher" that doesn't even know what makes a good "comic". Why else do you think there are so many Indie game developers these days? Because Steam doesn't f**k creators over.

[@dark_nightwing_xl2797]

Great concept my guy! Imagine you worked hard and all of a sudden you give all of your right and the company gains all the money and you “0” that’s sucks.

[@MonitorComics]

EXACTLY! A lot of people, myself included, don't know all of their rights as well, so it is easy to be taken advantage of or talked into things by higher ups

[@dark_nightwing_xl2797]

@@MonitorComics exactly you’re allowed to ask for more

[@greensaintjester6392]

I am aware of thr whole situation.. I am sorry But is that Johnny sin's as a lawyer? 16:58😭

[@MonitorComics]

YES LOL

[@aaronjohnson1286]

Can you do a tips on how to write team. Like magnificent seven ,five man band, elite four, and trio

[@MonitorComics]

Yes! It is on my list!

[@adamshafeeq8685]

Me knowing i can avoid this by not publishing comics at all: 😎 But in all seriousness, i didn't know you could just lose the rights to your own creation, that honestly makes me more horrified.

[@MonitorComics]

Yeahh, Manga contests especially you want to be careful of. The most recent one I remember looking at was Silent Manga Audition. In their terms and conditions it says if you win the top prize, to claim it you must forfeit all of your rights of the work So on one hand, if you just did that one shot entry for fun, who cares right? Get the prize money and awards etc. But if you want to do something else with it, post it elsewhere, expand upon it etc you're out of luck you don't own it anymore Luckily that is only for WINNERS, but some contests say something like all entries submitted belong to the contest and by submitting you agree to these terms, it's a case by case thing, you just need to read the fine print and understand what to look for! The first keyword is IP (Intellectual Property) rights. Most contests will say something like "creators who submit retain all Intellectual property rights" and then you're like "ok cool!"

[@queeniechandotcom]

I actually think Silent Manga Audition is a well-written contract, tho not a GOOD contract. It’s ‘well-written’ because it’s unambiguous about taking all your rights for the rest of eternity. Ambiguity in contracts is a big no-no 🤨 There are also shady terms that seem initially harmless but are not - like non-compete clauses.

[@lucianadurangomensoro]

This is so useful, I am now making my own book thank you!!

[@MonitorComics]

That's awesome to hear!!

[@jjballay]

Well this answers my questions about copyrights and licensing your work, i thought publishers wanted to print the books only, not own the rights to everything.

[@CashmoneyM]

Ok I got a question tho. I plan to make a comic soon for Dc and I plan to make her as popular as Batman Superman and Wonder Woman so the question I gotta ask is that if I finish designing the character with a collab editor do we both have the right or license to own that character even if it’s not published and is being reviewed by the editor?

[@kerwinjohnson1349]

I genuinely appreciate this information. Thank you.

[@MonitorComics]

Of course! Happy this video could help!!

[@BlueMonkey1159]

I'm curious how do you trademark and copyright your own characters is there something you have to do for that

[@MonitorComics]

The easiest answer is as soon as you create a tangible form of expression you own the copyright, so if you released a book, either self published or traditionally published, you own all of the characters. If someone ever tried to claim your work as their own you would just be like "hey! my book was released on this date and that character is from this!" Some people literally go to a copyright office to buy protection for their products like books, you could do that once you have something like a book out so you can always say your work is legally protected. The only benefit of paying for this service is it gives you more power to litigate and collect damages if someone tries to steal your work. But the moment you create something tangible it is protected under copyright law without any former registration

[@BlueMonkey1159]

@@MonitorComics does that also apply to if I create art of my characters and post them online are they protected by copyright even if my book is not out yet?

[@MonitorComics]

@@BlueMonkey1159 Yes! The moment you post something online you own the copyright, if someone ever traced, reposted etc you can report it to the site with the date yours was posted, the original file etc and they'll force the other person to take it down Inspiration is a thing though, so if you're posting something never before seen before like a girl with red skin, holes in her body, dragon wings, purple teeth etc and someone else makes a book with a character inspired by that, they beat you to the punch It wouldn't be illegal if they changed it enough to the point it's their own character ya know. So in that situation it's more annoying than anything because someone else did your idea first That's why a lot of artists don't post their scripts, storyboards, or talk about ALL of their ideas online, bc someone else could always do it first

[@BlueMonkey1159]

@@MonitorComics okay I get it thank you

[@queeniechandotcom]

Copyright, according to all who live in countries that are a signatory to the Berne convention, is automatically granted the moment you fix an idea into its expression - in comics it’s the moment you draw something. You can submit a copyright claim to the US copyright government office and get a certificate proving you are the original creator. I do it for nearly all my works. US$35 min a pop, and if you screw up the application process it’s non-refundable. Trademarking is much more complicated and requires a lot of requirements to be met and requires a special registration.

[@anandmohantiriya6074]

A video on Universities/College/Institute that provide comic/ manga Course 🙏

[@priamason284]

Yeah I love it 🥰 thank you for that I do intend on trying to work on my imaginary characters friends as best I can yes nice video my friend

[@MonitorComics]

Thanks for watching!

[@stridin]

Thanks for the video.

[@jonathanvergara162]

I really good video topic. Thank you for this monitor!

[@MonitorComics]

Of course! Thanks for watching!

[@skydivescorcher6144]

Good video, it's nice to have insight from a person in the field. To reference Bakuman, u guys went in depth on what exactly makes the difference between a genius and a gambler though 🤷🏾‍♂️. This isn't a career people commonly make a living off of, only the cream of the crop. It's honestly to a similar yet lesser degree the chances of someone making it to the nba. The point is, being successful is rare. In manga, and life in general. People should know that. Not to name anyone in particular, but when gamblers complain about the industry it just sounds like sour grapes

[@MonitorComics]

Very true! Great points!

[@alleinad_]

Hey, do you think you could do a video on how to write a good fight scene? It would be greatly appreciated 🙏🏾

[@dark_nightwing_xl2797]

15:10 monitor Im dead 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@MonitorComics]

"Creator-Owned IP" company btw!!

[@vaiyaktikasolarbeam1906]

Thank you!!!!

[@MonitorComics]

Thank YOU for watching!

[@zikry4787]

Ngl this sort of in a way demotivated me despite the fact I haven't even started drawing yet. I guess I tend to dream too big

[@MonitorComics]

Most people do comics because they love it and have a story they want to tell, no career or business is perfect. It's best to have the right mindset when going in. I'd say take a breather and see if this is something you actually care about!

[@skullknight4579]

Fredrick jones is something else lol

[@patientspooky]

I do wonder, though, where is the best option for us manga artists to publish our works? I've been looking at Manga Plus Creators, Webtoons, and Tapas but it doesn't seem guaranteed that you'll find an audience right away, nor make any profit at all.

[@MonitorComics]

The thing with comics is, there is no guarantee, Bakuman says it best, "manga artists are gamblers." You could be the BEST ARTIST in the world and there's no guarentee more than ten people will read your work. Hard work DOES NOT equal success in creative fields, it DOES HELP, but there's a million factors. There are many people who are successful now just because a lot of people follow them on social media. They might not be the best writer or author, but PEOPLE KNOW THEM, so when they release a book, PEOPLE BUY THEM It's a rough business, I always try to tell people to go into it knowing nothing is promised. There ARE ways to INCREASE your odds, but nothing definitive. Plus what works for ONE PERSON may not work for ANOTHER. With webcomics, I DO think MangaPlus is the best right now for people who DON'T draw vertical scroll comics. Forget about the awards, I have heard of several artists being approached by publishers JUST BECAUSE their work is doing good there. So opportunities DO EXIST, but you can't expect EVERYONE to get them if that makes sense

[@Covaslookout]

At the end of the day being a comicbook/manga artist is a privilege career just being paid at all for drawing is a blessing tbh but I’m saying that these companies are companies there not here for the creatives there here for the bottom line. In order to counteract that we creatives need to create a demand for our work, and use that demand as leverage in order to get the deals we want out of these companies.the idea we don’t gain anything from these big companies besides shitting contracts is false. It’s a give and take but you need to have something to give out outside of just good art/story nowadays tbh.

[@MonitorComics]

Good points! At the end of the day it is a business! So it should be expected that a publisher wants to MAKE MONEY. The industry itself isn't super lucrative though, so making money is HARD. In my honest opinion, that isn't an excuse for a company to not pay artists ANYTHING though. I've seen people draw chapters in magazines for years and were never paid anything At that point I feel like the company isn't doing anything for you. Obviously once you get a book deal things can improve, but nowadays I know artists getting book deals just for posting on webtoons, mangaplus creators, tapas etc and getting a lot of views I also have heard from currently published artists that social media presence DOES matter. One artist told me during submission periods they'd consider social media size and engagement before picking up new talent

[@queeniechandotcom]

Just to be clear: you are only ‘getting paid for drawing’ if you’re doing work for hire. If your own copyrighted work is getting published, you’re LICENSING your work out and getting paid a licensing fee (or royalties). Secondly, of course there’s many advantages with working with big publishers. I’ve worked with a few - there’s pluses and minuses. The problem is that with the really big publishers, once you decide they’re not doing enough promotion for your book, you can walk away but you prolly can’t take your book with you. You’ll prolly also find it real hard to get a book deal from a big publisher again - they all got access to the same databases, and they don’t want to take on an author that has debuted, but hasn’t had a breakout hit. Now, if you’ve got a huge social media following, publishers will contact YOU. And yes, publishers DO love to ride the coattails of those with an existing audience (tho that beggars the question… why would someone like that need a big publisher to begin with)?

[@jackieshiveley6931]

I want to learn more about how you draw manga and I want to make a comic book and I really want to do that and I was wanting to know how do you make a comic book and I draw women and I can only do that and I want to know how to make a comic book and I just want to know how to

[@talisaduncan6543]

@Montior comic. May you explain what is happening with Saturday am cause I am kinda confused. And also great vid

[@MonitorComics]

For the specific incident referenced in this video, Saturday AM started catching some criticism on Twitter during the #ComicsBrokeMe because their main page essentially said "publishers make a net zero profit and that is just how this business is" and people responded "so is that a reason to never pay your artists?" Also one of their founding members of 12 years, SaigamiProject came forward and told her experience working with the company, which a lot of current artists related to twitter.com/saigamiproject/status/1668079832666701824?s=20 She also resigned from the company, but they won't publicly release her statement to the company. Basically she said she experienced homophobia, sexism, etc during her experience working there This lines up with other stories from current artists who have said things like "I'm mexican, I was told my story should be about earning citizenship." Someone else who was writing about mental health was told to "draw their character cutting themselves to make her depression more clear" ME PERSONALLY, I was told my story should be about immigrants, which was weird to me because YES I am mexican, but nobody in my family is an immigrant Other people have been told to pander and make their characters black, or "act more gay." This lines up because their one series Soul Beat which is about a black man living in Harlem is written by a white woman There's a bunch of other things too like the original editors for Brunch (two lgbt people) left because of the homophobia and sexism. One of the creators in brunch has been described as "super religious, hates the gays type" The PR Manager has admitted to being conservative, etc etc A lot of things behind the scenes that haven't been made public. The company just likes to make vague tweets and make damning statements without naming anyone The only reason I got involved in all of this, is because the PR Manager of Saturday AM DM'd me asking why people I knew were posting criticism about the company The PR manager also told me to "not believe DD Mark and SaigamiProject" which rubbed me the wrong way. I wasn't even involved and they were trying to make sure I stayed quiet Anyways long story short, during that conversation she stated DD Mark, a former Saturday AM artist does not own his work. This statement matched that 30 second clip I put in of Saturday AM's founder and CEO ALSO STATING DD Mark does not own his series DD Mark sent me that conversation he had with the HEAD EDITOR of Saturday AM who also argued that DD did not own his series These 3 different accounts made a lot of people confused because the company always says it is a "creator owned IP company" This is a scary problem because it made me question "what the hell is the editor's job then if they're trying to take ownership of someone's work when ITS THEIR JOB to give feedback and suggestions"

[@junkospace7573]

" get a good lawyer " shows picture of Johnny sins. Lmao

[@MonitorComics]

LOL GLAD YOU PICKED UP ON THAT

[@Nastyn1nja808]

Yama-ji is a beast!!!

[@danielg.w5733]

France is also the secnd biggest comic book market in the world for comics in general(american, japanese, italian, etc). Also the second biggest selling comic after One Piece is a frence comic called Asterix. So yeah. The french love of manga is not shocking at all haha

[@MonitorComics]

It's a great time to be a comic artist living in France!!

[@danielg.w5733]

@@MonitorComics it's always been. I am sad more people aren't taking lessons from the French market. It's not perfect(nothing is) but they treat creators better as a whole plus they don't have the horrible deadlines that manga has haha.

[@queeniechandotcom]

France considers comics the ‘Ninth Art’, it is an art form in France and highly regarded. ☺️ some French comic artists works are sold in French art galleries. France has a comics culture that has no parallel in the Western World - the rest of us can only dream.

[@danielg.w5733]

@@queeniechandotcom not to mention that comic book artists and writers can also get civil knighthoods. Even non French or Belgian ones.

[@queeniechandotcom]

Yes, Japanese mangaka have received that honour. I don’t remember his name but you can Google it.

[@terriermonisgod]

crowdfunding and smart webcomics monetization are better ways to publish. most manga artists are broke, western comics artists earn way more on average

[@erkling5865]

so.....where to get your official copyright for your work that is recognizable in every country?

[@MonitorComics]

This is what I found on the Copyright.gov website Is a US copyright good in other countries? The United States has copyright relations with most countries throughout the world, and as a result of these agreements, we honor each other's citizens' copyrights. For a listing of countries and the nature of their copyright relations with the United States, see Circular 38a, International Copyright Relations of the United States. There is no "one copyright for every country" because each country has different copyright laws

[@erkling5865]

@@MonitorComics but i am not a citizen of the US. and that was somewhat the scary part isn't it? someone in a different country can apply for a copyright of your work without your name in it, make money out of it without the possibility of you knowing or having the money to sue those people.

[@MonitorComics]

@@erkling5865 You would need to look into the copyright laws of your own country, they probably have something else in place I can only speak based on the country I am from

[@queeniechandotcom]

If your country is a signatory to the Berne convention, copyright protection extends to you. To get an official certificate for a copyrighted work, the US copyright office has an e-portal where you can register your work for $35 a pop and they send you a certificate. Google it.

[@poodleattack8379]

what if you have mcdonalds and burger king in your manga, will the copright office give you trouble over that?

[@poodleattack8379]

like if lapiz lancer decoded to make a book? could he just say it is parody?

[@MonitorComics]

I can't say for certain. Whenever you see McDonalds in anime it is usually changed to WcDonalds or MacDonald or some other variation. I'd assume they do that for a reason.

[@azariahspence8551]

I just wanted to know, who in your opinion other than Saturday AM is the most trustworthy publisher?

[@MonitorComics]

Considering I left that company and a few of my friends did as well, I have my own opinions and feelings I won't go into lol What I will say in terms of trustworthyness for a company, I don't think anywhere is perfect. The ComicsBrokeMe hashtag showed me that anywhere you go there might be problems It's all a case by case situation, some people might have great experiences with publishers and others might have awful experiences I would say if you are a fan of a company's work and like some of their artists, consider applying and make that judgement call for yourself There is also the self publishing route that a lot of creators are starting to explore! Where you can find success on your own without a company backing you

[@xcaliberman]

so if i create original work and get copyright for it myself can i sell the rights to publish and distribute for a large sum

[@MonitorComics]

Yes!

[@wiliberotube]

is OEL manga read left to right

[@MonitorComics]

Sometimes! Depends on the publisher!

[@Achieme]

You may have answered questions like this but I recently graduated college and looking for a place to create because I mainly like to draw my OC or character concept art, and come up with stories that can be entertaining sometimes post my art on Instagram despite getting less than 10 views and I'm at a point where I'm in limbo would you start first? I want to find a place where I can draw/create, contribute somewhere or feel like I'm doing something.

[@MonitorComics]

If you want to post a comic online, MangaPlus Creators is the best free webcomic platform right now! If you like vertical scroll comics then Webtoons or Tapas are options too If you just want to draw art, then instagram or twitter probably

[@Achieme]

@@MonitorComics yeah I mainly do character or concept art, I don't feel like I'm up to doing comics it's way out on my league lol. Funny enough I recently started posting again on Instagram because I was afraid people would steal my art and turn them into NFT's I'm still gonna do it despite how I feel about it. There are times where I want to use Twitter but there are other times where I don't because how toxic It can be on that platform

[@xcaliberman]

cool

[@MonitorComics]

Thanks!

[@itsjust_zak217]

at this point, my best option is to make my comics as a hobby sidejob lmao wkwkwk

[@m.comicman243]

I have questions concerning copyright, and I apologize if I missed whether or not it was addressed in the video. If I were to post a comic online, do I automatically own the copyright? Should I register the copyright of the comic and then upload it online? If you have the answer(s), please tell me.

[@MonitorComics]

Yes, if you upload it online (instagram, twitter, mangaplus, webtoons, tapas, etc) you DO automatically own the copyright Once you create something tangible you can argue you are the creator, that's why when someone reposts your art on instagram you can get it taken down by proving you made it (original file, wip images, etc) I would say you SHOULD read the fine print where ever you upload it because you never know. For example for the Silent Manga Audition contest, you KEEP your copyright if you enter and DON'T win. If you DO WIN, I believe it says you need to sign over your copyright to claim YOUR PRIZE The only reason people register the copyright is to have an easier time proving you own it, so if someone ever tries to claim otherwise you have more grounds to sue or defend yourself. It costs money though, so it's not a mandatory requirement of making comics unless you're seriously selling books and stuff like that

[@m.comicman243]

@@MonitorComics So, you're saying that I don't have to register the copyright when/before I post it. Would it be possible for me to register it sometime after posting it, or is that still unnecessary?

[@MonitorComics]

@@m.comicman243 Most comic artists that I know do not register their work UNLESS they're selling physical books and stuff like that You automatically own the copyright when you create it, so most people who upload online are fine with that amount of protection You can always register it later if you want to, like I said there ARE benefits to registering it, like for legal trouble, but it's up to the individual if they feel like it is worth it

[@m.comicman243]

@@MonitorComics Alright. Thank you very much. Good luck to you.

[@luisB_OG]

This is looking out for the little guys for sure! 💪💪💪😤😤

[@furizagold]

periodt

[@dark_nightwing_xl2797]

The creator of squid game made no money since he give all the right to Netflix that sucks

[@MonitorComics]

Yeahhh, it really does suck when you hear stories like that

[@queeniechandotcom]

That is the norm with big Hollywood studios and Streaming services like Netflix. Copyright violations are even worse in Hollywood films/TV and in music - the amount of shenanigans in those industries are on another level entirely compared to comics.

[@dark_nightwing_xl2797]

@@queeniechandotcom I can imagine that, I would be mad

[@TheWaveBlurr]

making a comic brand for diversity is not a good idea that is why i was never a fan of saturday am im happy that ddmark left them

[@MonitorComics]

Before I respond, can I ask you to elaborate a bit more on the first bit? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

[@TheWaveBlurr]

@MonitorComics sure thing. The comic book industry is not doing well at all and it is because of them pushing diversity and social justice stuff in people's faces. There is a reason why Japanese manga is dominating them. Honestly the biggest thing to happen to western comics that no one talks about is eric july and the rippaverse. He is arguably the biggest independent comic book company and this is someone who was passionate and dc and marvel for decades and talked about the problems in the industry now he has people like chuck Dickson and Mark baron working for him

[@TheWaveBlurr]

@@MonitorComics diversity is not something to strive for because it turns people off and limits ur customers and audience

[@MonitorComics]

@@TheWaveBlurr I see what you mean now. Thank you for expanding! Personally, on paper, I don't think the idea is "bad." Mostly because there ARE people out there who want to see more races, sexualities, identities, etc represented in media. I get that side of the argument. There is also the conversation about minority groups right, like the LGBT community likes to support LGBT creators, the black community likes to support up and coming black creators, etc etc As you said though, that approach CAN cause a divide in audience. There are bound to be 1) people who have different political views entirely. 2) people who don't want to think about politics when they are reading comics, manga, webtoons etc and 3) people who DO care about diversity, but DON'T like the "diverse work" you are making (For example stereotypes, pandering, performative diversity etc etc) At the end of the day publishing is a business. The goal is to make money. I'm not a business person by any means so I got no clue how running a business works and I won't pretend too lol. Like I said, on PAPER, I think the sentiment is there, but in execution for how that works in the long run, not sure What I will say about DD's situation specifically, he HAS made significantly more money and gotten more opportunities in the short time he has left the company. So take that for what it is ya know

[@TheWaveBlurr]

@MonitorComics in terms of showing diversity or representation there are none that are successful in terms of unit sales. Yes u will see them on the news, article or on a magazine but at the end of the day if the units are not selling then it's pointless and that what's happening to mainstream comics right now

[@dragonslayerazeviche]

Why somebody that lives in america and can run a campaign on Kickstarter or Indiegogo would give their work for free to publishers like this?

[@Duffmox2]

Чому не державною?

[@alexh.6717]

im happy ddmark left them never was a fan of Fredrick saturday am especially since he only wants to push his series clock striker and not ddmarks @youngrippa59 always talks about problems in the industry and I believe dd is better off with out them plus in that video he said that mangaplus is free and no one cares or are invested. but he forgets that his app is free so the same can be said about his plaform

[@MonitorComics]

Funny enough, he has already made significantly more money for his comics all on his own since leaving

[@alexh.6717]

@@MonitorComics there are more eyes on his content than saturday am content dude has over 8 mil views. did u leave them too?

[@MonitorComics]

@@alexh.6717 Yeah I left the company a bit after he did. I left for an entirely different reason though. The branch I was a part of Afternoon was a huge waste of time. Higher ups whisteblew to me and said "Fred never had a plan for Afternoon, it was just a program to keep artists he was interested in close by so they can be used later." Basically he didn't want us publishing somewhere else, which adds up because he kept trying to get me to take over their KZbin Channel which was something I never wanted to do The bare minimum I asked for was to know people read our comics we were handing in every month. I had to argue several times to get the actual data. We were always told "you're doing good, this series did the best this month, more viewers than normal" etc. When I got the data all of our series were barely getting 20 views a chapter. The website they had us on had zero traffic. Once I saw the numbers I quit immediately. Since then I've heard the branch has been in limbo with some of them being asked to do assistant work for like 5-10 bucks a job