Before we wrap up the story of our goofy tenure at Tekno Comix, let’s pause and look at just how bad the creator-publisher relationship can get.

Colleen Doran has been reposting a series of ten-year-old message board entries that relate the ugly tale of her treatment by a now-defunct ‘80s imprint, a story that makes my Tekno reminiscences sound like an early Marx Brothers romp by comparison.

It’s a sobering tale for any creator, and a real eye-opener for those who think of the ‘80s as a renaissance time for creator-owned comics. It certainly brought home to me all over again just how lucky I’d been to have dodged that bullet by landing my stuff with Kitchen Sink Press back in those days. Even in a renaissance the crooks, incompetents and garden-variety assholes are everywhere.

The series begins here. Just follow from post to post (I dare you to stop), then skip over to the most recent entry here.

First class job, Ms. Doran. It’s been appalling, fascinating and ultimately entertaining as hell. The next installment can’t come too soon.

filed under Bemusements