Byrne Robotics: A New "Byrne Challenge"

Call me a cold-hearted monster, but that would be an acceptable excuse only if it was Hitch's girlfriend drawing the Ultimates. Or her pediatrician. There is no such thing as paternity-leave.
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My dad actually got a week off from his work when my youngest brother was born, and that was more than fifteen years ago. Not going to mention anything else about the above post, as a lot of others on the board have done it for me.

professional reputation. On the other hand, I'd get someone else to draw
his books.

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This may be a bad idea in the long run. I honestly believe Hitch & Millar’s 25 issue run on the Ultimates will remain in print in trade paperback form for a long time, as it’s the best comic book Marvel’s published while I’ve been reading comics (although that’s admittedly only about 9 or so years.) Switching artists in the middle of the story may make it as unpleasant an experience as if an actor was switched in the middle of a movie.

Personally, I don't care why. If the presses or distribution center were in New Orleans, I'd cut slack, but if it's late, I just lose interest.

Astonishing X-Men is the best X-Men book in decades...it ships late, I've lost interest because it's late so I dropped it. Brubaker's Captain America has been brilliant, but there were issues that shipped late and I lost interest. Comics are serial fiction, intended to be put out monthly...if that doesn't happen, I'm really not of the mind to care. My part of the deal is that you (the publisher) keep me entertained on a month to month basis, and I'll support you. You drop the ball, my interests drift elsewhere.

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This is your right , although you are admitting that you’re missing out on the best X-Men book in decades, and a “brilliant” Captain America run.

Alright, since you all are so concerned about your favorite artist's girl-friend's health issues. During the 70's and 80's, were there NO writers or artists who had family crisis or personal health problems? Sure there were. I don't have any specific examples, but one would have to be naive as hell to believe that there weren't any. Yet somehow those comics continued to be published on a monthly schedule.

I remember when there was a Superboy and the Legion issue that came out in the late 70's featuring a gorgeous Starlin cover and I was surprised to find a Swan reprint inside. There was an editorial from Al Milgrom on the inside cover apologizing for the fact that he had just taken over the editing chores and the first issue under his reign was a reprint due to a schedule problem. THAT was a professional response to the problem.

I have my own response to late books. I don't buy them anymore. I've quit many titles that I was really enjoying because I hated having to wait for these so-called "professionals" to complete their CONTRACTED work.

Added Red Sonja to that list yesterday when I read a remark from the writer that he would rather the book be late than rushed. Damn shame. Makes me wish the place I work for was as relaxed as many of these comic companies. I would love to not have to produce my work on time and work at whatever pace suited me on that particular day. And still be revered and worshiped by my customers the way the fanboys eat up the "roses". Hell, they might even make up excuses for me, too.

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One problem with filling monthly books with reprint material is that a lot of the fans already own the original, or the work has been reprinted in some form. I would be really upset if a Marvel Knights Spider-Man issue I paid three dollars for contained Peter David’s brilliant Commuter story, as I already own the original.

Question: Are modern freelancers allowed to subcontract or "farm" out part of their work, such as backgrounds? Does it have to be ghosted, with no credit and no awareness from the editor? If the editor knows about it, must a credit appear in the book and must the company split the page rate up themselves, or can the freelancer do it?

Just a solution to a problem that might help freelancers, though I understand many of them struggle to put food on the table as is (but think about how much more you'd make overall with an on-time book!)

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This would help two freelancers. The star artist late with his work, and someone breaking into the industry (who would probably get the job of drawing backgrounds. ) I'd hope that the editor knows about it, though.

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