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Liefeld done with CGC...again...
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Started by RockMyAmadeus,

25 posts in this topic

RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

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I'm quite certain others will disagree, but this is the end result of allowing and encouraging "exclusive" arrangements with third party "facilitators", instead of treating everyone as an independent contractor. These "exclusive" "facilitators" not only drive prices up for everyone, creating a "two-tiered" cost for signatures based on, at best, incomplete information, and at worst, flat out lies, they often represent themselves (falsely) as being, in some measure, "connected" with CGC in some official respect, and it leads to creators who have issues with facilitators...who are NOT part of CGC, and do NOT represent CGC in ANY capacity...cutting off CGC proper, as if CGC is to blame.

CGC should never, in a million years, ever have allowed anyone to "exclusively represent" anyone. Now, unfortunately, the genie is out of the bottle, and this is the result.

Granted...I do not know (all) the circumstances surrounding this...but I suspect that CGC, its employees, and their corporate actions had nothing to do with Liefeld's decision, stupid as it is.

Liefeld's never been one for taking the long view, but he cuts off fans because of the actions of a few. Shame.

liefeld cgc.jpg

Edited by RockMyAmadeus
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mattn792

mattn792

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20 minutes ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

I'm quite certain others will disagree, but this is the end result of allowing and encouraging "exclusive" arrangements with third party "facilitators", instead of treating everyone as an independent contractor.

 

Granted...I do not know (all) the circumstances surrounding this....

 

Not saying you can't ultimately be proven correct, but you're making a pretty substantial leap in blaming that on the existence of exclusivity clauses when we don't know all the circumstances.  For all we know this is a result of his convention rake going down because fans no longer wanting to pay him $137.50 per New Mutants 98 signature.

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RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

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12 minutes ago, mattn792 said:

Not saying you can't ultimately be proven correct, but you're making a pretty substantial leap in blaming that on the existence of exclusivity clauses when we don't know all the circumstances.  For all we know this is a result of his convention rake going down because fans no longer wanting to pay him $137.50 per New Mutants 98 signature.

Normally, I would agree with you. However, as someone who is at 8-12 national conventions a year, and has a network of people that I engage on a regular basis, I can say with a reasonable measure of confidence that this is almost certainly related to the actions of "exclusive facilitators." As has been revealed with the Stan and Max issue, there are a LOT of behind-the-scenes shenanigans that go on with some of these people, and CGC ends up taking the fallout. When Starlin cut off CGC last May, was it CGC's fault...? Ok, according to Starlin, there was someone at the booth who talked to him in a way that CGC wouldn't have endorsed. But  was it actually the fault of the guy who couldn't be bothered to pay Starlin what he agreed to pay? Yes, clearly. 

The contention that it's a result of Liefeld's income going down doesn't make much sense. "I'm not making as much money as I was, so I'm going to cut off that revenue source entirely." 

No, I suspect this has to do entirely with the "exclusive facilitator" that "represented" Rob. It's not good for the fans, it's not good for the creators, and it's not good for CGC. It's only good for the "exclusive" guys, because, hey, it certainly doesn't cost THEM any additional money...and they get all sorts of goodies out of the deal (like, for example, free sigs.) It's all about the $$$, and everyone else pays.

I would be surprised to be proven wrong, but knowing the CGC SS personnel, I'm going to go with "third party facilitator" as bearing responsibility here.

Edited by RockMyAmadeus
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DjMartini

DjMartini

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Yeah, we definitely don't know the circumstances, so waiting to see first what the deal is before I assume anything. 

He was doing lot of "private signings" lately, so it could stem from that. With everyone and their mother wanting a book signed from Liefeld these days, the high price for a New Mutants sig could be in question or how a signing was conducted. Hopefully cooler heads with prevail and this will hopefully be resolved. 

(Might make a CGC SS book signed by Liefeld more valuable now???)

hm

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RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

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4 minutes ago, martini25 said:

He was doing lot of "private signings" lately, so it could stem from that. With everyone and their mother wanting a book signed from Liefeld these days, the high price for a New Mutants sig could be in question or how a signing was conducted.

Right...in those situations, there would be a "facilitator", who is NOT a CGC employee, and NOT connected to CGC in any official capacity, handling those signings. With Rob, it has almost (if not entirely) exclusively been handled by a single facilitator (company.)

It's really just putting two and two together, from my perspective. CGC has gone out of its way to PROTECT relationships with creators, especially under Balent and Sam, so why would Liefeld cut off CGC, rather than just that facilitator...? Because someone who acted like they represented CGC when they didn't created a problem, right...?

 

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aardvark88

aardvark88

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29 minutes ago, mattn792 said:

 the existence of exclusivity clauses when we don't know all the circumstances.  For all we know this is a result of his convention rake going down because fans no longer wanting to pay him $137.50 per New Mutants 98 signature.

Before the hint of Deadpool movie #1, Liefeld would sign for free at ECCC (Seattle, WA) and there would be a max. line up of 3 folks. Now that Deadpool #2 movie with Liefeld's 'creations' (Cable, Domino, Shatterstar) is being released, Liefeld has discounted his signature on key Deadpool and Cable comics for us poor Canadians at the huge Calgary (AB) Expo April, 2018 down to $80 Canadian (about $ 63 US funds) each. Not sure if 'Voldemort' Grading is confirmed for Calgary Expo to pick up the slack from CGC, although Voldemort was at the Vancouver Comic Show last week.

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newshane

newshane

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1 hour ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

With Rob, it has almost (if not entirely) exclusively been handled by a single facilitator (company.)

 

I wasn't aware of this. hm

Granted, it's been a few years since I got Rob's signature but, at the time, there was no single facilitator with an "exclusive deal" with Rob. 

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Transplant

Transplant

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6 minutes ago, Pirate said:

So he Doesn't Want Comics slabbed, so what.

LOL.  Not sure they have anything to do with CGC anymore, do they?

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STORMSHADOW_80

STORMSHADOW_80

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I don't know. This kind of situation has come up before where CGC takes the brunt of the blame for isolated incidents. In my opinion if CGC could work it out where they have a published/announced rates for creators I think it would save a lot of headache. Facilitators would be under contract for those rates.

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jaybuck43

jaybuck43

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47 minutes ago, Transplant said:

LOL.  Not sure they have anything to do with CGC anymore, do they?

Of course they do, just not under that name, because they aren't permitted to.  

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RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

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50 minutes ago, STORMSHADOW_80 said:

I don't know. This kind of situation has come up before where CGC takes the brunt of the blame for isolated incidents. In my opinion if CGC could work it out where they have a published/announced rates for creators I think it would save a lot of headache. Facilitators would be under contract for those rates.

It amazes me that the SS program lasted for well over a decade without all these jags trying to "exclusivise" these creators. There simply wasn't a need. If people wanted to facilitate books getting signed, great. But to attempt to control the market by convincing creators AND CGC to not let anyone submit to CGC except through them was an attempt to monopolize the market, based on false statements ("people are making FAT STACKS off your sigs!!!") and the promise of wads of cash. 

Nevermind that the program worked perfectly well for over a decade without them. Nevermind that, despite a few hiccups along the way, the vast majority of SS guys got in, treated the creators with respect and dignity, and got out. 

No, it's all about tying up those creators to YOUR "stable" and convincing CGC...unbelievably...to go along with your monopolistic plan to cut out everyone else from doing it on their own.

No, I suspect, as has been the case in the past, that CGC is not responsible for this decision by Liefeld either. It's a shame they get lumped into it. But if there were no such thing as "exclusive" facilitators, this kind of thing couldn't be pinned on CGC.

Edited by RockMyAmadeus
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Prince Namor

Prince Namor

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2 hours ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

Because someone who acted like they represented CGC when they didn't created a problem, right...?

 

Back in the day... before it became too much for them to try and handle at a show (and I don't mean that in a bad way, the demand just outgrew the manpower), you could just drop your books off at the CGC booth, fill out your forms and they'd get it all done FOR you.

CGC should bring that back in house somehow... they certainly have the people who are great with creators, know the business, know their way around, etc....

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