Why can't agents pay their artists in a reasonable amount of time?

[monikasiberkat.livejournal.com]

Xianjaguar suggested I make a post here. I have a question. How many people want to see a particular artis's work at AC FC or Conifur as well as the other furry shows. Well I have sent my work thru Nexxus of Furnation fame to Anthrocon for two years. First year, fine, this year, I haven't been PAID YET. Let's see, AC was in July???!!?? I have asked and asked to have some money, any of MY money sent to me. I told him to take a percentage out for his table needs. Of course I was being too trustful, yet again. This is the 3RD furry person to do this to me. How many times do I have to BEG for my money? This not only hurst me but the fans too. I just won't send my work to AC anymore until I find a TRUSTWORTHY AGENT AND HAVE CONTRACTS UP THE WAZOO WITH THEM so I can Chase them if I have too with a small claims lawyer. I have tried and tried to be nice in the furry community. I was there when it was born, you kids who were little don't remember when it was a time you could trust the other furs. But lately it seems the same old crap crops up for too many artists and customers. Yes this happens but it seems too common in this fandom. We have a couple of prepaid commissions we haven't seen yet either. And if I messed up anyone I would like them to tell me because if I didn't get your piece done I will pay you back or do it. I lost some paperwork in our move.
But anyway, I cannot send work to AC now, I didn't even ask Nexxus to carry for me, he wanted to be an agent to several artists. I had just given up but he came across so professional. What happened? I would NEVER spend someone elses' money for my troubles. I am tired of people taking that money and using it for their problems and MAYBE they will pay you back.I didn't screw up my finances.If I am irrisponsible it is my job to fix my own probles with my own money. $400 seems a bit cheap to lose a friendship over. Maybe now some of the furry clients might understand why artists have to ask for money up front for a commission. At least half anyway. This is crazy. I am not going to FC this year. Guess what? It costs MONEY to fligh or drive there and stay in motels and eat. I am warning the other artist, don't do business with Nexxus AKA James Robertson. He just doesn't pay. Thanks for listening, Monika Livingstone

Comments

[tyreenya.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's aweful! Thanks for the warning. I'm lucky enough that I live close to the Con, so I handle my own stuff, and be more than willing to help others out if they need it.

I think if I ever need an agent, it would be someone I know well.

[conorchu.livejournal.com]

Nexxis is a local fur to me and I haven't heard anything like this before so if you want I could try and ask some local furs to approach him on this point.

[kcravenyote.livejournal.com]

That's horrible. I wouldn't even think someone would be stupid enough to keep your money from you, but then again..you never know with certain people. It's so hard to tell if someone is a fake sometimes.

Your art is gorgeous too (believe I've seen it at Conifur and Furcon), I'm so sorry you. Tat's really not fair to you, after having put all that work into your pieces and such. :\

[martes.livejournal.com]

Welcome to the club. I've been published in 2 books through FurNation (collaberations with web cartoonist David Hopkins). For the first book it took well over 6 months to get my copies, and this was after repeated broken promises and outright lies that they were 'in the mail.' I still do not have my copies of the second book, which was published in October. Once again promises that they were 'in the mail' never came to fruition. It's begining to look like I won't get copies until I pry them from him physically at FC, which I am not happy about. Emails about it go unanswered.

What the pity is that the books LOOK really nice; to production values are much better than most other small press books. But it's like pulling teeth to get anything out of him.

If you were going to FC I'd suggest you confront him directly; he is pretty good about coughing up the money in person. In lieu of that, I guess you're SOL until the time comes that you're at a convention with him.

[ironbadger.livejournal.com]

Monika, do you know Mike Curtis or any of the folks at SFA?

I've had Brock Hoagland and the crew there sell prints for me at AC in the past with excellent results.
(They are also personal friends of mine.)
Might be too late to make plans for this for 2006, but I plan to start going to AC regularly now that its in Pittsburg because I have local friends there.

What do you say to the idea of starting a small co-op group to sell prints in absentia for artists who don't attend?

(I have always tried to maintain a professional attitude for sales at cons dating from when I was selling those miniature swords.)

Details will have to be worked out, and the number of artists who can be added will have to be small- (based on the table space that can be obtained) but since I have been thinking about this for a while, its possible.
(As I have been thinking of selling vacuform head shell kits for fursuiting, I will need tables anyway for my own use.)
Ans we've known one another for many years- ever since I introduced you to the idea of furry fandom in 86 at octocon. (Santa Rosa.) ;)

I'll try to talk to kage and see if the table or tables can be set next to SFA to form a sales block area.

Email me if interested- I should have some answers in a week or two.

-Badger-

[acexcat.livejournal.com]

You're not going to FC? Aawww... Now I'll be a little sad to know you're not there; you've been so nice the few times I've talked with you. You'll be missed.

Also, word's out, so you should be seeing something real soon.... immediately after FC at the latest if this guy has any semblance of morals.

[crssafox.livejournal.com]

May or may not be related, I don't know who pays for the costs of these things, but... in Second Life, FurNation owns three entire sims, which cost $200/month each to own. So that's a total of $600 each month they're paying to own and operate these areas in Second Life. They may have people contributing to help pay, but, if he owes you $400, and FurNation is backing such an expensive operation in a virtual world, I'd be very suspicious indeed.

And they're not too much more reliable in Second Life than they are in real life, from my experiences there.

[murasadramon.livejournal.com]

This is why I moved my website from www.furnation.com/dragoneer and got my own address, www.thedragoneer.com. Nexxus can be found online Second Life seemingly 24/7, but when comse to supporting Furnation, answering questions, etc... he doesn't respond.

I've sent half a dozen requests for assistance, no answer.

[murasadramon.livejournal.com]

Nexxus told me that he's running at about $50K in debt between Second Life and Furnation, so... y'know, I'm not sure what to believe. I know Nexxus is making money off of the Second Life sims. The company that runs Second Life pays people cash who run lucrative sims in game, although granted... it's not a LOT of money.

Nexxus is online Second Life seemingly 24/7, and seems to have all but quit supporting Furnation. I can't get an answer out of him to save my life.

[martes.livejournal.com]

I know some people on Second Life, but RPing and online games never held any interest for me so I don't participate. I could always get some of my friends on SL to bug him for me, though...

[aaaamory.livejournal.com]

Second Life is fun, but not *that* much fun. Plus the entire Furnation Sim looks like a ripoff of Stargate, with gates as teleportation points. BTW, I think I saw you on there. Look me up. I'm Bowr Udal.

[martes.livejournal.com]

It might be titanic you're seeing, although I would think he'd be on as Custer. I can guarentee you I do not have an account, nor have I ever been on. If someone's playing Jack Salem, it is not me.

[aaaamory.livejournal.com]

Actually, I was replying to a comment left by Prefar. No problem, if I see someone who might be you, then I'll know it isn't.

[aaaamory.livejournal.com]

Here's a screenshot of something I just found.

[crssafox.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I had a WHOLE lot of trouble in Second Life when Wolf Rocco was running the sky mall - I won't even go into it here - but I paged Wicht and Nexxus too, whose names were both on those damned yellow boxes in the mall, and neither of them ever responded either.

And Fox Diller's not too much better, but at least he's got the sky mall operating more smoothly now. *eyeroll*

Birds of a feather...

[crssafox.livejournal.com]

I've got a friend that owns most of the sim her land is on, and she's paying about $300 a month when it comes down to it. She's got a small mall, and land rentals, and competative prices, but, she said every month she -always- comes out in the red, even if she gets a cash bonus for her traffic.

It's not a lot of money - I think last I read the cash bonus for most traffic is enough to cover your premium account and your land fee for the sim, but all three regions of FurNation can't possibly be making enough money to cover themselves.

They seem to try to rip people off where they can, though. Like I said up above, I won't even go into the troubles I've had with the Second Life FurNation admin. (Only one of them has been helpful, and that was after weeks of pestering them.)

Don't get me wrong - I think the FurNation region in Second Life is a pretty good idea, though I wish it were a little more creative given the ideas that some furs can have - I like the Lost Furest region better, personally - but it's a good gathering place, and a name that most anthro fans joining up with Second Life will recognize. I just wish the people that ran it were a little more honest with everyone - and don't take up such a big project if you're not willing to work your butt off. (and especially not if it's going to cost you money but you already owe people!)

[aaaamory.livejournal.com]

Eh, I just heard him announce, "Nexxus Ambassador shouts: Don't forget furs! Me still paying off the 4th sim we got! And the 5th is coming online at the end of this month! Donate to the big green sign :) :) :)"