• Bluewater Productions is headlining a new round of controversy that they’ve since responded to with many words regarding how their talent is and isn’t paid. Comics Worth Reading has responded with a pledge to no longer cover their books, and my friend Chris Ward entered the conversation in the comment thread there. (His Obama comic where he eats a horseshoe with Abraham Lincoln is hilarious and informative, by the way, and I would think so even if I didn’t know Chris.) That said, people, particularly creatives in all industries need to be aware of the contracts they sign and what terms they agree to. Until writers and artists quit agreeing to those contracts, companies are going to continue to base their business models around them. The comics industry is full of contracts that do not prioritize cashflow commensurate with the work hours required of writers and artists. It would be nice to see this standard change, but I don’t have high expectations.
• “There are now around 200 kung fu centres in [Pakistan] and many are located in areas where the army is fighting the Taliban,” according to BBC News.
• Dr. Phil tells a mother what he thinks of her addiction to the game FarmVille.
• I’m not really into musicals, but this film Bran Nue Dae looks pretty amazing.
• T.J. Dietsch made the Zoidberg/Ood connection that I can’t believe I never noticed noticed.