Things They Don't Teach You About in Art School: Slimebags
I'm usually pretty "up" on this blog or at least in good spirits. But I had an experience this week that I want to pass along to some of you who are graduating school and going out into the "real" world.
TALK IS CHEAP. Talk is the cheapest, easiest currency around. I had a offer to "license" my work to, shall we say, an "trendy apparel" company name, and I got a rather forward letter saying how they loved my stuff and wanted to use it on T shirts, belts, etc. What happened was we chatted a bit on email back and forth. They seemed large enough a company, and a "conference call" was scheduled wherein I was to be told "the deal we're offering". The appointed time came and no call. So I emailed a gentle reminder that I was in. Minutes later I got a terse "Thanks anyway, we got someone else". HUH? These are what I call SLIMEBAGS. They are these trendy, corporate ("evil") "giants" that promise all and then turn around and tell you to take off. It happens to the best of us. Often the decisions are made from "trend" marketeers who are in and out of "image" jobs like revolving doorsand want the World. Well, looks are always decieving and, The World Is Not Enough, to steal a James Bond title. The jobs themselves are as vaporous as the trends they entail. The people involved have little or no talent and, they want YOU with YOUR TALENT to MAKE THEM LOOK GOOD AND MAKE MONEY ON YOUR HARD WORK. The lesson is, never think a deal is done until you get it in writing or, the contract in your hands. Also, never trust casual inquiries, no matter how promising. Never give ideas to people you don't know. Always be on your guard for "fast talk" as it's truly the cheapest thing around. It costs them nothing, but it will cost you...everything.
TALK IS CHEAP. Talk is the cheapest, easiest currency around. I had a offer to "license" my work to, shall we say, an "trendy apparel" company name, and I got a rather forward letter saying how they loved my stuff and wanted to use it on T shirts, belts, etc. What happened was we chatted a bit on email back and forth. They seemed large enough a company, and a "conference call" was scheduled wherein I was to be told "the deal we're offering". The appointed time came and no call. So I emailed a gentle reminder that I was in. Minutes later I got a terse "Thanks anyway, we got someone else". HUH? These are what I call SLIMEBAGS. They are these trendy, corporate ("evil") "giants" that promise all and then turn around and tell you to take off. It happens to the best of us. Often the decisions are made from "trend" marketeers who are in and out of "image" jobs like revolving doorsand want the World. Well, looks are always decieving and, The World Is Not Enough, to steal a James Bond title. The jobs themselves are as vaporous as the trends they entail. The people involved have little or no talent and, they want YOU with YOUR TALENT to MAKE THEM LOOK GOOD AND MAKE MONEY ON YOUR HARD WORK. The lesson is, never think a deal is done until you get it in writing or, the contract in your hands. Also, never trust casual inquiries, no matter how promising. Never give ideas to people you don't know. Always be on your guard for "fast talk" as it's truly the cheapest thing around. It costs them nothing, but it will cost you...everything.
posted by Bob Eggleton (Zillabob) | 3:59 PM
9 Comments:
I hear yah Bob. Just like in medicine. You'd think in the arts and sciences this crap wouldn't happen. While you are trying to be creative, humane make "the world a better place" there is always some business slime looking to make a profit. Sadly these creeps are not usually the smartest people in the world rather the ones who have dedicated their lives to making money on the backs of others. Sadly, they control 95% of the worlds wealth and are truly leeches sucking the blood out of the world. My dad used to say don't trust anyone (although there are many trustworthy people, you just don't know who they are) and it took me 40 years of getting shafted to learn that.
On the bright side. Bob I'm sure you have more talent in you little pinky than that whole company. And thats something they can't buy.
dave
I would have liked a shirt with your art on it! (But not from these folks!)
My biggest pet peeves are people who don't (or won't) pay, people who think you work for almost nothing, and those who don't understand copyright law(!!!!!). And I have discovered that many of them work for giant corporations.
Thanks for the hard-earned knowledge, Bob.
Hi Chris-yup, that's this crowd to a Tee(no pun). I'll give you a hint-the company has it's name based on the name of a 1970's ex-President, so they go in keeping with the namesake as well! They are sludge, and slimy people. I think they make handbags, so slimebags is good to go.
Dave-always good to hear from you. Yup, I don't trust anyone. Well, I trust you and other friends. But I do not trust slimey corporate types who promise the world.
I had a big name casino in Vagas with a very astronomical sounding name inquire about my art. Boy were they excited. Did drafts, submitted the final project and they were going to call me back with a credit card number and then changed their minds literally within an hour of when they were to pay. It happens to all of us. It isn't done until the paper is in your hand.
All kinds of slimeballs in and out and around the field. I did several T-Shirt designs for a company in our area I was involved with...making the mistake of thinking everything was on the level because I knew them. I kept passing along the designs on CD but never saw the finished product...and they kept asking for more. I finally stopped after the third one when I got suspicious they were passing off my work to the T-Shirt company for THEIR use and not the original company...
I was checking out Gurney and found out he was in a mag called Imagine FX this month. So I snooped around and found the last copy hiding in about 10,000 magazines not in alphabetical order...way to go Barnes and Noble) and you were in there as well! Great find and funny your methods...big fan of the big G (just finished a vector piece for my son's school with him)...Enjoy your blog and notes and use your site as an example and for writing assignments in class...Always good to find someone to show both the good and bad of the industry and that is willing to talk real to 'students' (of which I think all artists look at themselves as such!)
Hey Brian-yeah, I know. This bunch was a "west coast" place...very typical of that industry.Slick, "skateboard" culture and "hipster" stuff. In retrospect I realized this was just not the place for me anyway.
Yeah, IMAGINE FX. I forgot to "blog" them, but I will in the next day. It's a great mag. I do enjoy talking to anyone who needs some guidance in art...advice is abad and overused word which I won't use. Ha, I just did! Thanks for stopping in!
Bob,
well said and "Amen." Whenever there's a "marketing" person involved in a job, I know not to trust my artistic insticts on if an illustration will be accepted. It can be a nightmare these people.
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