By Alex Ness
December 26, 2021
I am waiting to return from hiatus when most able. That isn't presently now. I had to have life saving surgery upon my neck and the pain in the run up was brutal. So my outlook has been limited, and my interest in any interaction has been minimal.
Until now, that is.
Over the last 45 years of reading, and more than 35 years of communicating with author Alan Dean Foster has led me to a very deep and abiding love for his work, and great appreciation for the person he is, and for what he stands for. Creative artists have long been stolen from in contracts by publishers. Publishers have occasionally acted for the good of the art, but often not.
When Disney purchased the creative properties of the Star Wars and Alien franchises and more, they wanted to buy the harvest fruit of the seed planted by others. But when they bought these franchises they took upon themselves the debts of the previous franchise owners. Alan Dean Foster co-wrote or ghost wrote Star Wars, wrote A Splinter of the Mind's Eye, and The Approaching Storm, and he is owed royalties for the sales of the books he wrote as per the letter of the contract. He wrote the novelizations of the movies in the Alien franchise. Had I not read all the books I might well have seen the movies, but after I had read them I had a greater love and affection for each.
I've been hosed by two publishers. What they owe me probably is less than a month for what Foster is owed by Disney, but I still refuse contact and polite words for those publishers. While I acknowledge I can make mistakes too, this isn't about mistakes. It is about intent. Disney wants the fruit of the labors, but doesn't wish to pay those who planted the trees or their seeds.
DISNEY MUST PAY
Use this hashtag on Twitter and wherever else hashtags have an effect. #Disneymustpay
Before anyone suggests I'm only doing this because I appreciate Foster's writing, you'd be wrong. I've sallied forth into numerous Pyrrhic battles if not Pyrrhic victories. * I protested New Coke. I marched against Apartheid. I boycotted DC Comics after they refused to publish a comic by Alan Moore. I will now protest Disney.
The Link to follow The Mouse Must Pay.
*Ne ego si iterum eodem modo vicero, sine ullo milite Epirum revertar.
"Another such victory and I come back to Epirus alone." Orosius
