NEW YORK Many readers are fans of cartoonist and caricaturist, many fans Stu Rees.
The San Diego-Rees is a lawyer with many artists among its clients. “I was probably three-quarters of the new comic book-launches,” said Rees, said the panel and creator of bands for which it negotiates contracts with unions.
His clients - it has been for over 300 entertainment Rees was a lawyer, a little more than a decade - are not only the creator of syndicated comic strips. It is the same for editorial cartoonists, Web designer, cartoonist magazine greeting card cartoonists, newspapers and other columnists.
In addition, Rees has done pro bono legal manpower from the National Cartoonists Society for almost a decade. This led to the recent announcement, Rees, 38, the T-Square NCS Silver Award for service to the organization and caricatures.
“I am very happy to work behind the scenes, but it is obviously a great honour,” said Rees in a telephone interview with E & P. “It was quite unexpected, and I could not be happier. ”
The mandate you have received the award May 24 at the NCS Reuben Award for the weekend in New Orleans, different types of work for the organization. A task, which is characterized by the solution was for him a complex estate case of a cartoonist has left a large sum of money to the NCS.
There are several reasons why the practice solo Rees much more unionized creator customers than any other lawyer.
For one thing, there are very few entertainment lawyers in the country, who know a lot about syndication Newspapers - considering Rees is an expert in this field.
“And most lawyers entertainment double royalties, what I am,” says the graduate of the Harvard Law School. One reason is that Rees’ awareness that most unionized creator can not afford to pay, like many others, and attorneys’ fees, as a large company.
Rees’ awareness of the needs of caricaturist part stems from the fact that himself. He has the right to Gag caricatures, illustrations for books right, and much more.
“I know how difficult it is to create and sell comics,” said Rees, whose work, we can Stus.com. “Cartooning is a big task, but it’s still a job.”
And Rees was a fan of newspaper comics since he was a child.
If moral Rees began his career in the second half of 1990’s, according to the distribution of newspapers have been rising - although the rate slowish, “he said.” That was always the appearance, as the Corporation may be used - and optimism that the companies would remain constant. I first contracts were negotiated with the unions rather well. ”
But he has emerged as “a different world” since 9 / 11, Rees. Newspapers - The United States and the economy in general - have been replaced by tough times, and the unions are now more stringent in their negotiating mandate, the authority took note.
In addition, Rees said unions in the year 2008, more people are interested in signing (as the beginning of an editorial cartoonist), which already has a track record in the newspaper caricatures of pressure or other artistic fields. “The days are more than handy if a union at the signing of a cartoonist, which until now in a coffee shop,” said the lawyer. “Of course, there are exceptions.”
Rees estimates that at least 80% of restarts, are now by the creators of some art professionals with experience, 50% perhaps a decade or two days.
“Playing communities in the search for a sort of guarantee,” he explained. “You do not feel they have the leeway for a portion of the risks to which they are accustomed.”
Rees said that the success of a few cartoonists on the Web is a clear spots in these days. “Some have the Route du Syndicat sidestepped traditional and managed to secure a salary of life,” he said.
The lawyer said preferable cartoons in the newspapers, what they are. “They are visual, and they are fast,” said Rees. “In a world that tends seven seconds of attention, cartoons are five seconds a read.”
Rees welcomes the participation Reuben weekend of May and found that he had missed the last two because the NCS meetings with young children.
“I am still a small part of the” old guard “,” Rees said. “This is what I wanted, when I am in this industry - a group of people in my career.”
In fact, Rees has reached the point where it has now negotiating with the union leaders have at their workplace for less time when he was a lawyer syndication.