I really can't stand to see creators screwed out of their money.
Okay, now I feel sheepish because I'm an inveterate downloader.
But still, I'm talking about people like Saul Zaentz and DC Comics, who make tons of money because of people like Beagle and Alan Moore, while Beagle and Moore sit back and watch *their* money filtering into other people's pockets.
Grant Morrison made a deal with DC that still has him receiving a dollar for every copy of Arkham Asylum sold. Moore doesn't make any sort of royalty on Watchmen. Now, Moore's not poor, and he's not rich, either. DC owns the rights to Watchmen, and have promised to cede them to Moore, should Watchmen ever go out of print.
It never has.
It's just a tragedy for someone to go poor while somebody profits off of them. One of the Darrens from Bewitched died poor (and quite miserable), and you know somebody's still making big money from the show, a small fraction of which could have made this man quite comfortable.
I could give two shits about Lars Ulrich and his songs on Napster. He's got enough money. It's the people who need money and don't get it that irk me.
Harlan Ellison wrote about this in an open letter you can still find on the Internet. Roger Zelazny died poor, and you can find free copies of his books on the 'net. Ellison has made it quite clear that even though he lives comfortably off of his own work, many famous writers do not.
As a "writer" myself, I can hardly imagine somebody selling my works while I starve to death. But, ultimately, that's the way of our society. The very rich have a sort of block against letting go of their money. Apparently, the upper class frown upon giving their old clothes to goodwill. Can you imagine that?
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Okay, now I feel sheepish because I'm an inveterate downloader.
But still, I'm talking about people like Saul Zaentz and DC Comics, who make tons of money because of people like Beagle and Alan Moore, while Beagle and Moore sit back and watch *their* money filtering into other people's pockets.
Grant Morrison made a deal with DC that still has him receiving a dollar for every copy of Arkham Asylum sold. Moore doesn't make any sort of royalty on Watchmen. Now, Moore's not poor, and he's not rich, either. DC owns the rights to Watchmen, and have promised to cede them to Moore, should Watchmen ever go out of print.
It never has.
It's just a tragedy for someone to go poor while somebody profits off of them. One of the Darrens from Bewitched died poor (and quite miserable), and you know somebody's still making big money from the show, a small fraction of which could have made this man quite comfortable.
I could give two shits about Lars Ulrich and his songs on Napster. He's got enough money. It's the people who need money and don't get it that irk me.
Harlan Ellison wrote about this in an open letter you can still find on the Internet. Roger Zelazny died poor, and you can find free copies of his books on the 'net. Ellison has made it quite clear that even though he lives comfortably off of his own work, many famous writers do not.
As a "writer" myself, I can hardly imagine somebody selling my works while I starve to death. But, ultimately, that's the way of our society. The very rich have a sort of block against letting go of their money. Apparently, the upper class frown upon giving their old clothes to goodwill. Can you imagine that?