Hey everyone. Good morning! It’s your Friendly Neighbourhood Previously Editor with a round-up of all the news in the world of comics and entertainment. We’ve lost some greats in the comics world since our last Previously, so this is going to be a somber piece.
In the past two weeks we have lost four members of our community.
Trina Robbins
Comics trailblazer and pioneer Trina Robbins has died at the age of 85. The first woman to draw Wonder Woman, as noted by Joseph Illidge, Robbins made her name in comics despite the misogyny she faced. It wasn’t surprising that she spent her life propping up fellow women creatives. WWAC’s Features Editor Kat Overland described Robbins as “one of the greatest greats” in comics. There’s not much more to add to that. What a legacy. What an icon. What a loss.
Mark D. Bright
Mark D Bright, best known as the co-creator of Icon and Quantum and Woody, has died at the age of 68. Bright started as an artist at Marvel Comics and worked in the industry for many years, but he also had a career in storyboarding in film and television. You can read his obituary here.
Jeffrey Veregge
Jeffrey Veregge, a Native American artist who worked on Marvel, Valiant Comics, and many more, has died after a long battle with Lupus. The news was posted by his wife, Christina, on Facebook, and his friend, Zack Davisson, on social media. Davisson has also been resharing Veregge’s magnificent art on his BlueSky account.
Mike Byers
Jim Zub also shared some sad news on his BlueSky. Perhaps not the most well-recognized name, but Mike Byers is remembered fondly in the world of comic conventions, particularly at Gen Con, where he was actively involved in helping creators such as Tracy Hickman, Howard Taylor, and Zub.
Our deepest condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of all those who have passed away.
In news that makes me sad but mostly angers me, IDW has undergone yet another round of layoffs, with five people impacted this time, reports ComicsBeat. I had shared my outrage about last year’s IDW layoffs, but some of the people promoted following that round are now being laid off themselves. Make it make sense.
There’s been some debate about WEBTOON’s creator contracts and ComicsBeat has broken down the rumours that arose from a since-deleted Reddit post. In the post, there were allegations that WEBTOON was exploiting creatives and including exclusivity clauses for digital and print publishing, as well as merchandising. While ComicsBeat has got some responses from WEBTOON, they haven’t seen the contract that was being discussed. However, the majority of comments from creatives is bad, very, very bad, super bad, stay away from WEBTOON-bad.
But it isn’t just WEBTOON that’s exploiting comics creatives. Anybody working in the comics industry is being severely underpaid, as was found in a study by the Cartoonist Cooperative. The average amount earned by comics workers was US $21,000, which is not enough for them to survive on, let alone live on. Excuse me, I have to scream.
So, this has just been a downer of a news round-up. The only bit of positivity I can share is for fans of Criminal by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. The Eisner-winning graphic novel series is headed for the small screen, reports Deadline. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who served as writer-directors on Captain Marvel, are set to direct the first four episodes of the Amazon MGM adaptation. Brubaker will act as co-showrunner and executive producer alongside crime fiction author Jordan Harper. Phillips will also be an executive producer.
As if Mondays aren’t bad enough, I’ve kicked it off with the world’s most depressing Previously. If you can, take a walk around the office, house, nearby park to clear your head. Listen to your favourite song. Drink some cool water. Watch a funny cat video. I’m going to try all of those after writing this.
