Stolen from Newsarama:
Kyle Baker Publishing announced today it has finalized an exclusive agreement with the legendary cartoonist and graphic novel pioneer Kyle Baker, granting the cartoonist an unprecedented degree of creative control and profit participation.
“KBP is an amazing publisher. I’ve had a great working relationship with them for years,” says Baker. “They’ve done an incredible job with NAT TURNER and the CARTOONIST books. When I saw what they had planned for 2006, I was ready to sign on the dotted line.”
As much praise as Baker has for his publisher, a good deal of the credit for the company’s meteoric success rests with Baker, who has created for KBP such terrific characters as NAT TURNER and, well, KYLE BAKER.
“Yes, it’s safe to say that Kyle Baker drawing Kyle Baker is the perfect fit between character and creator,” observes Kyle Baker Publishing president Elizabeth Glass. “Kyle Baker is the character Kyle Baker was born to draw.”
While sources are hesitant to divulge specific dollar amounts, it has been verified that Baker’s new contract grants him one hundred percent of all profits.
“That’s including toys,” notes Glass, gesturing at the prototypes of the Baker Family Play Set, photos of which appear in the current issue of THE BAKERS, which debuted in stores last week. “We really didn’t want to give him toy or DVD participation, but he was adamant. Basically he gets everything. Him and his family. The DVD looks great, by the way. He will make a shitload of money when that thing drops this winter.”
The current friendly atmosphere is a marked difference from a few months ago, when public battles over missed deadlines and out of control budgets nearly resulted in Baker’s being ousted from the two KBP titles he currently draws.
Baker first butted heads with the suits when he impulsively delivered a 48 page manuscript for a 32 page book, NAT TURNER #1. He followed this up by delivering THE BAKERS #1 late, also with an extra 16 pages too much.
Glass shakes her head, remembering those days. “You can’t do stuff like that, come in a month late with an extra 32 pages! You know what that costs? People get fired over ____ like that! Who sells 48 pages for $3? That’s crazy stuff! Anyway, the books are getting great reviews, and we’re doing numbers any indy would give his left nut for. So he was right.
“Also, his schedule has been lightened considerably, with that DC book out of the way. So now he can really focus on NAT TURNER and THE BAKERS. In stores now, so cop ‘em!”
That sound you hear is DC Comics ripping off its own dick and fucking itself in the ass.
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