Wintervision Graphics

[dragoncreator.livejournal.com]

Hello! I joined to deliver a warning to the artists here about a company who hires artists within the Furry community.

Darrell Benvenuto of Wintervision Graphics hired me in September of 2004 to do some graphics for a Kids Fitness Website. We agreed on a set price for the sketches. A little insurance in case the folks in charge didn't want me to do the finals, at least I'd get some compensation. I ended up doing almost 20 presketches (they got a deal thanks to the set price) and the final 6 inked drawings. When all was said and done I sent my invoice. He replied telling me that my check was in the mail. I waited...

Nothing.

I sent him another email. He told me he lost my invoice and wanted me to sent it again. Why I had to contact him to find this out is beyond me. So I sent it and got a reply telling be I'll get the check by the end of the week. I waited...

Nothing.

I call him up and tell him, again, that I haven't received anything. He's confused and said it should have gotten to me by now. I send my invoice yet again. End of the week he says. I waited...

Nothing.

It has been TWO YEARS. Never did he email me asking if I had received any soft of letter from them. No. It's always me asking, where's my money. I've been told that "it was sent", "I'll have it by the end of the week", that they haven't gotten around to send it yet" and "that they're offices were moving." I'm tired of the excuses. I was hesitant to publicly warn anyone about him. I met him once and he was a nice guy. But I've had enough. At Anthrocon this year I found out from a friend that she had worked for him, and he's a deadbeat.

I don't want anyone else to make the same mistake I did of doing any sort of art for this guy since he doesn't seem to pay his artists.

Comments

[thornwolf.livejournal.com]

Huh, I think they contacted me once but I was busy...I /think/ that was them. Either way, thanks for the warning, if they write (back) I will decline.

[xianjaguar.livejournal.com]

I'll add to this story by saying that at CF9 he bid on art in the Art Show, then did not pay for it or pick up the art. This is, of course, against Con Rules to bid on pieces in the Art Show and then default. It took me months of writing him and playing email tag before he paid up.

I've been told by others in the industry that he means well, but is VERY forgetful and this sort of "never pays unless you hassle him" behavior is commonplace with him. However, I've only had that one experience. He seems nice enough, but FLAKEY when it comes to making good on monies. :/

Beware, indeed.

[amarafox.livejournal.com]

He's a big red flag in general. beware.

[martes.livejournal.com]

He's been around for many, many years. He operated under Med Systems publishing, then ran a furry comics company named Vision entertainment, and also dabbled in animation and book publsihing. Eric Blumrich and Scotty Arsenault worked for him, among others in the fandom. I've personally never done any business with him, but I do know Blumrich hates his guts, and he seemed to have a lot of Big Ideas that went nowhere. I'm sure many others have stories about him to tell.

[bailzzararco.livejournal.com]

Everyone is nice to you if you're giving them what they want. You're right to complain about him. If he expects all is well when he continuously doesn't pay, then he's got another thing coming.

[thaily.livejournal.com]

Sounds like he could be related to Kevin Duane.

[ironbadger.livejournal.com]

Darrell is very well known for this kind of behavior, and artists are well advised to simply not do business with him.

I have never had dealings with him, but know many who have, and the stories are near universally bad.

-Badger-

[dustmeat.livejournal.com]

He is a nice guy in person, but I have been warned by at least 5 people to never do business for him. He used to run Vision and is rather infamous for not paying up.

[woodlander.livejournal.com]

(To the OP) Don't feel bad, I too am waiting on payment for work I did on this project as well; it's been about 16 months now.

Having worked with the man for over ten years off and on, I can say with confidence that delayed payments like these are the norm -- though he does eventually does make good...

[dragoncreator.livejournal.com]

*sigh* But two years? That's a little silly.

[woodlander.livejournal.com]

Working for friends, etc.

[dragoncreator.livejournal.com]

He wasn't a friend when he hired me. I got to know him after I finished the job.

[marrus.livejournal.com]

Wow - I found this community utterly by accident.

Yeah, Benvenuto's a schmuck. I was his creative director for the Gor project about ten years ago. He screwed me (only financially, thank god), & screwed my artists out of thousands of dollars.

Wish I could've warned you folks...