Hi, all. I’ve been getting a lot of questions about it lately, so I just wanted to make a quick clarification about my involvement with the Sullivan’s Sluggers Kickstarter. I’ve been content to be silent on my end, but after the second KS campaign went up and things are coming to a head, I feel I need to clear up a couple things up.
First off, I want to make abundantly clear that I’m in no way involved with the direction of either of the Kickstarters, or any other other outlet where that book is sold. The Writer and myself had breifly talked about working together on the KS, but due to some disagreements, I decided to remove myself from it completely.
There’s been talk on my behalf about fair compensation from the KS earnings, but I have to say that it personally doesn’t bother me. I have been paid what I was contracted for, and I’ve been very content to keep my nose out of anything involving the book post-Kickstarter. In other words, there’s really no reason to be offended on my behalf. I’m doing fine. I understand that some backers may feel mislead in that they were supporting me financially by backing the book, and for that I apologize. There was very little I could do once the ball started rolling in that regard, shy of shitting on the whole parade.
Lastly, I’ve asked The Writer to remove my name from any future Sullivan’s Sluggers related product. It’s not a book that I feel good about endorsing, and I’d prefer not to be associated with it any longer.
I wish The Writer all the best in getting out all the remaining books to the backers in the quickest and most ethical way possible. I’m sure he has no intention of stiffing anybody on their orders, and I’m positive that you will receive your book at some point if you have not already.
Thanks
–James Stokoe
ORC STAIN 
This is why you are one of my favourites, its cool to see you clear this up in a really classy way. Keep on rocking with the art, you’re a huge inspiration to me man.
Seconded!
Dang dude, mine just arrived in the mail and I haven’t read it yet, now I’ve got this hanging over my head while I do. THANKS A BUNCH BRO.
jack yer a hot mess hahaha
haha I think I’ll have to start a forbidden bookshelf of things never to be read or even opened. Starting with Sluggers and The Complete Works of Lads Helloven.
You’re a cool dude.
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After reading the writer’s rebuttal to this post, and also accounting for the long wait between your other projects and your tendency to disappear from the internet for months at a time, I’m honestly surprised you aren’t fired from more long-term projects. You make a wonderful cover artist, your work for the Godzilla covers is gorgeous and you’re a master at it – but if I was a writer or editor looking for an artist for my work, I wouldn’t hire you for more than the cover or a one shot comic spot. Not until you seriously took a look at your own professional habits and started turning around your history of meeting deadlines.
You’re right, it’s clearly Stokoe’s fault that he works at a pace that allows him to make things that look amazing. Don’t act as if he has a problem for opting for quality work instead of churning out shit.
I can practically guarantee you that, based on Smith’s response, if there were anything about deadlines in the contract, he would’ve invoked them. Instead, he offered to pay Stokoe more.
Get down off your high horse.
It’s fine to push back the intended deadline of a project for quality when the project is personally run and managed, but as soon as you partner up with a creative team and sign on to a production schedule, as a professional you are supposed to meet that schedule. If you know your process is very time-intensive, and may inhibit you from turning out work in time to meet that production deadline, it’s also your job to either work out the production schedule with the rest of the team, ask for an extended deadline before the 11th hour hits (which should be a very rare thing you have to do), or just not take on the project.
It’s not a high horse. It’s how contracted and commercial art is handled.
hahaha yesssssss why can’t james stokoe be more like don perlin
How fair is it for him to comment on Stokoe when he has deadline problems himself. Here’s a link to a Kickstarter project funded in May of 2011. Those people will be waiting until June or July… Of 2013!
It seems kind of pointlessly mean to come here just to tell him that if YOU were his boss then this-and-that would be the case. I read the writer’s rebuttal as well… where he did his best to tell everyone how horrible James is, whereas James, who I’m sure could tell his own stories, simply posted this professional post in which he spoke well of the writer and assured all the writer would never stiff them.
Seeing as how the writer himself is now having major issues getting his book to people on time I don’t think anyone has the right to berate Mr.Stokoe on this issue.
I don’t want to give my thoughts on why the writer would respond to this with such vitriol as JS has tried to make this space one of class and decency but I will say this… it takes different people different amounts of time to do things. Whether for personal reasons or stylistically. Travest Charest hasn’t put out a book that took less than a year to do since Adam was a lad. Joe Mad just got put on a new book over at Marvel even though we all remember that he completely abandoned his original series after huge waits in between issues. I don’t think anyone around here needs to be rebuked for scheduling as if they aren’t aware, even more so than us, how long it took to do something and why.
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Dude,
I must admit that I’ve only checked out your work sporadically, but with the class you have shown in this clusterf**k, I want you to know you’ve got a new fan who will be picking up anything with your name on it.
… now to work on getting those Orc Stain back issues.
-chris
hey!
@sutherland: you do realize that he does all his work himself, basically a one man production line, sketching pencils inks letters and coloring, so if you compare him to any creator owned or big2 books you arent going to get the same results, kouta hirano (hellsing) was doing everything by himself it took him 11 years to push out the 10 volumes! thats insane, i remember waiting years to get my next volume, also hiroaki samura (blade of the immortal) has been doing his thing since 1993 and hardly has 30 volumes.
the first stokoe book i read was orc stain, i torrented it ( i admit) and two days after i was done reading it had the actual book in my hand. because at that moment i fell in love with this dudes work. after that i went on the hunt for anything with his name on it.
so while i am sad that i will no longer be getting sluggers in book form as this has ruined it for me, i will patiently wait for godzilla to end so mr. stokoe can get back to more poxa gronka! and hopefully one day murder bullets and (this is stretching) we might be seeing johnny boyo again in wonton soup volume 3!
mr. stokoe you are a gentleman and a scholar rock on dude, eh! (as you canadians say).
Wael
Don’t get me wrong: I love Stokoe’s work, it’s phenomenal, and I do know he does it all himself. But when you sign on with a creative team – even for an independent/creator-owned book – you also agree to meet that team’s production deadlines or negotiate a more realistic time frame if you know your work is that time-intensive. If, as an artist, something comes up that prevents you from continuing your work for the project or means you possibly can’t meet your goal, or even have to take a (sometimes much-deserved) hiatus, you need to let the rest of your creative team know as soon as possible.
Honestly, I’d love to see the actual contract/invoice, with deadlines attached, because nothing is as sold as a paper trail, but I doubt it’s going to show up online.
a contract is none of your business
Dude, just look at Mark Andrew Smith’s line-up of disasters:
1. Aqua Leung: Unfinished because of a messy break-up with an artist.
2. New Brighton Archaeological Society Vol II: Undelivered after 2 years.
3. Orc Stain: 3 year-long development, broken promises to kickstarter backers, and a second kickstarter.
I don’t know if you’re the guys friend, or just taking him for his word, but I would watch what he says with that track record.
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A lot of drama on this book. I liked the look of the book, and usually dont care about personal lives of people involved. People all the time have falling outs, its sad that with the intrernet it gets aired more publically. Im sure Mark wants to make sure everyone gets theirs eventually, if people are pissed at him, big deal don’t support his next project, don’t need to spread the hate. Im pretty sure his next KS will be run better. Im a backer in Canada and I just hope I get mine before the middle of April, cause well James Stokoe will be at the Fanexpo in Vancouver…..It would be nice if bygones were bygones and he’d sign my copy…..but I won’t be dissappointed if he doesnt, I just might have to pick up some of his others instead.
A lot of drama on this book. I liked the look of the book, and usually dont care about personal lives of people involved. People all the time have falling outs, its sad that with the intrernet it gets aired more publically. Im sure Mark wants to make sure everyone gets theirs eventually, if people are pissed at him, big deal don’t support his next project, don’t need to spread the hate. Im pretty sure his next KS will be run better. Im a backer in Canada and I just hope I get mine before the middle of April, cause well James Stokoe will be at the Fanexpo in Vancouver…..It would be nice if bygones were bygones and he’d sign my copy…..but I won’t be dissappointed if he doesnt, I just might have to pick up some of his others instead.
Keep on rockin’, James. Kind of sucks that the writer is acting less than professional, but I’ll be looking forward to stuff you do!
aw man, I wanted to support you getting a book you did but ehhh i guess ill wait till the next one?
“I have been paid what I was contracted for”
Oh YEAH?! Well Mark has a SCAN of your SIGNATURE, SO
Um, I’ve no idea what that was supposed to be about.
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Hey James, very cool how you responded to this.
I’ve already bought the Orc Stain collected edition, is there anything else of yours I can purchase to show support? Any new thing you’re up to that I can pimp?
Everybody buy Orc Stain wherever you can get it. It’s freakin’ phenomenal!
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Can you make a comic about God and satan? That would be nice.
GIVE US M{ORE ORC STAIN!
I’m going to fly over to the US and punch Mark in the teste satchel.
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I didnt even realize this was an issue… i got my sluggers comic months ago! wow to those to havent gotten it yet, i truely hope all things are worked out because it’s beautiful and fun.
It got me into Stokoe work and i just finished orc stain and was blown away! tonight i’m going to dig into the godzilla 🙂
I never received my copy. And never supported the KS again. Too bad. But your art is phenomenal – congrats!
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