On 2/8/00 8:27:10 AM, William Low wrote:

>
>I am also doing an article for step x
>step digital. The article has not been
>written yet, but I wonder if I should
>also cancel the interview ...
>

That's entirely up to you, I had no problems with the people there, they are very nice. They even faxed the stories beforehand to let me proofread it. On the other hand it wasn't a tough decision to make either. I was kind of doing them a big favor for free, with the possibility that other illustrators might copy my techniques. The only benefit for me is the very slight bit of exposure I got from being in the magazine. I can't remember anyone ever mentioning seeing my work there. Once you add in a big negative, like they are trying to put me out of business, it was a pretty painless decision.

I've called a few of my friends that are SBS regulars and they too had no idea it was a RFCD company. They are apalled by RFCD's too, but no word yet on their next interview.

Theispot is great for getting the word out about stuff like this. It's like being educated on the whole dolphin/tuna thing. If you strongly disagree with their business practices you don't have to do business with them.

Bryan

Stock Kit for the Masses

On 2/8/00 8:27:10 AM, William Low wrote:

>
>I am also doing an article for step x
>step digital. The article has not been
>written yet, but I wonder if I should
>also cancel the interview ...
>
>william
>


Why don't you and Bryan do the interview and explain your position on royalty free?  I imagine it would have a positive impact by reaching a far greater audience than the I Spot.  I think you guys would educate folks that respect your work and value your opinions.

Gary Taxali

I wouldn't go into any magazine that describes an artist's technique and then encourages readers/artists to go into RF!!! (possibly with your technique!!).  

I say that we  SPREAD THE WORD on this one!


Cathleen Toelke

 


http://www.illustrators.net/toelke                                                    

On 2/8/00 11:27:20 AM, Cathleen Toelke wrote:
>
>I wouldn't go into any
>magazine that describes an
>artist's technique and then
>encourages readers/artists to
>go into RF!!! (possibly with
>your technique!!).

Amen, Cathleen. I always wondered whether those SBS gigs got you work or just encouraged novices to do you. Great formula for SBS though: free content; you buy reprints of the spread; novices buy the SBS instrux on your technique and go you one better; they're sought to contribute content; they buy reprints... and the painted ponies go round and round...

I've never been asked to do anything like this. >Whew<  

RS

I gave an interview to step by step
digital, and the only person who Plied
me for further details on how to copy
my work was a grandmother from Arizona.
Oh, the ignominy of it all.
      Kathryn

On 2/8/00 9:10:29 AM, Bryan Leister wrote:


 It's like
>being educated on the whole dolphin/tuna
>thing.

Are we the dolphins or the tuna?

Irene


.........................

On 2/8/00 9:10:24 PM, Kathryn Adams wrote:
>I gave an interview to step by
>step
>digital, and the only person
>who Plied
>me for further details on how
>to copy
>my work was a grandmother from
>Arizona.
>Oh, the ignominy of it all.
>      Kathryn
>

Thanks for leveling, and sharing the realities of doing an ego-boosting PR spread. Most illustrators understandably enjoy the glamor aspect of these gigs. But unless the spread translates into more business, what's the use of it, for the illustrator?

RS

On 2/9/00 9:44:14 AM, Robert Saunders wrote:

>Thanks for leveling, and sharing the
>realities of doing an ego-boosting PR
>spread. Most illustrators understandably
>enjoy the glamor aspect of these gigs.
>But unless the spread translates into
>more business, what's the use of it, for
>the illustrator?

I am not aware of any jobs or notoriety from the 3 times they printed my work. Not a word from anyone, really. I think the audience is all wrong for promoting ones self, it mainly appeals to do-it-your-self designers and other illustrators. Not the best audience for getting work from.

To be fair, Step by Step never tried to get me to sign up for their royalty-free CD's or anything like that. Just a straight interview about my techniques.

Bryan

Stock Kit for the Masses

While they are selling stock images which undermine our industry the terrible thing is that they never pay for the content in their articles either. You are right that it is the do it yourselfers who are reading the articles. It's great that others are willing to teach others and I am strongly in favour of that. The magazines pay people to edit the stories  and to print the images but not the artists who provide the content. Odd don't you think. You are good enough to be in our publication but not good enough to be paid for your knowledge.
I'm not very impressed


>To be fair, Step by Step never tried to
>get me to sign up for their royalty-free
>CD's or anything like that. Just a
>straight interview about my techniques.
>
>Bryan
>
>Stock Kit for the Masses
>

On 2/9/00 9:59:45 AM, Bryan Leister wrote:
>On 2/9/00 9:44:14 AM, Robert Saunders
>wrote:
>

>To be fair, Step by Step never tried to
>get me to sign up for their royalty-free
>CD's or anything like that. Just a
>straight interview about my techniques.
 
They don't seem to try to get better illustrators to sign up for their royalty-free programs.  They may be more devious than that.  Could it be that they have figured out how to con America's best illustrators into telling a stable of imitators how to go about copying their individual styles?

JERRY RAPP
g e r a l d  &  c u l l e n  r a p p, I n c.  
http://www.theispot.com/rep/rapp
gerald@rappart.com