VoorheesBLS
Jobber
Joined on: Nov 26, 2004 10:00:26 GMT -5
Posts: 11
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Post by VoorheesBLS on Dec 20, 2004 23:42:04 GMT -5
Maybe old news but I figured I would post. PHOENIX - A $15 million jury award against "Spawn" creator Todd McFarlane has pushed his comic-book business into bankruptcy court. Todd McFarlane Productions Inc. of suburban Tempe filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors Friday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. A jury in St. Louis awarded former NHL player Tony Twist $15 million after concluding that McFarlane and his company profited by using Twist's name without permission and that Twist's publicity rights were infringed. McFarlane gave the name Antonio "Tony Twist" Twistelli to a New York mob boss character in his "Spawn" comic books in the early 1990s. The U.S. Supreme Court (news - web sites) in January rejected without comment an appeal by McFarlane arguing that his work was free speech. Last year, he said his McFarlane Cos., then an umbrella of seven businesses, had annual sales exceeding $50 million. The bankruptcy filing allows McFarlane's company to continue to operate and reorganize its finances while freeing it from the threat of creditors' lawsuits. In 1999, McFarlane paid $3 million for Mark McGwire's 70th home-run baseball. He also paid $450,000 last year for Barry Bonds' record 73rd home-run ball and owns Sammy Sosa's 66th home-run ball. story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=529&e=3&u=/ap/20041218/ap_en_bu/mcfarlane_bankruptcy Does this mean no more Spawn, Movie Maniacs, Sport Picks, or any other cool figures. Good thing NECA and SOTA are kicking ass with Horror movie toys. |
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2dlz
POSSIBLE BAD TRADER
Joined on: Dec 23, 2001 12:02:54 GMT -5
Posts: 3,607
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Post by 2dlz on Dec 21, 2004 7:56:16 GMT -5
No no he will find a way, he better find a way!
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Post by The Sam Kinnison Corps on Dec 21, 2004 9:23:50 GMT -5
Awwwwwwww craaaaaaaaaaappppppppppppp
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Post by bludchylde on Dec 21, 2004 9:37:19 GMT -5
I quit collecting Spawn thanks to wave after wave of "action" statues. This won't bother me any.
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Post by Crimson Arrow on Dec 21, 2004 10:13:30 GMT -5
Yep... the company who are behind the Master of The Universe comics are also getting very close to that level.
Of course he's filed for Cap 11, which Marvel did not too long ago so it could change but I doubt it.
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Post by J Sylar on Dec 21, 2004 11:18:49 GMT -5
I find the whole lawsuit silly. I didnt even KNOWN the real guy, and I highly doubt comic readers would confuse the two.  ing lawyers... |
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Post by Thumper: One Year Later on Dec 21, 2004 16:01:07 GMT -5
Mcfarlnae is goign bankrupt, but not Mcfarlane toys, which is a sepreate compnay. so the comic producing one is, not hte toy company, which is doing fine and is the 2nd largest contributor to Mcfarlane (the one goign bankrupt).
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cosmicspidey
Main Eventer
Remove Joe Quesada
Joined on: Feb 18, 2003 3:07:12 GMT -5
Posts: 4,037
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Post by cosmicspidey on Dec 21, 2004 20:33:13 GMT -5
Filing for Chapter 11 is basically a way to get out of paying that guy the money that he sued for. And it will do little to nothing to affect McFarlane Toys. Hopefully, it'll prevent McFarlane from releasing any more comics, becuase let's face it, they haven't put out anything worthwhile since Spawn #1.
Don't really understand why they put in that bit abou the baseballs. Those were personal purchases of Todd McFarlane, not of his company.
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Post by Raoul the Great on Dec 22, 2004 10:52:30 GMT -5
Tony Twist (the NHL player) is a jackass. I hope the Chapter 11 does keep him from the 15 million.
McFarlane will continue to make toys I am sure. But he may end up merging with another company like how Toybiz bought out Marvel.
This year I bought very few McFarlane toys because as stated before, they are statues now. In fact, half the figures I bought were the old repaints from series that had articulation. Maybe they should take a lesson from Image 10th Anniversary Spawn and the exclusive i98 Classic Covers Spawn (both with tons for articulation). They both sold very well.
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Post by Raoul the Great on Dec 22, 2004 11:48:04 GMT -5
I found this article on Figures.com:
News on Spawn, Image Comics, and McFarlane Toys
"Only one company is involved in this action, and it (TMP Inc.) will continue to operate and create comics," said Todd McFarlane, chief executive officer of Todd McFarlane Productions Inc..
TMP International Inc. (the overseas branch of McFarlane's company), McFarlane Toys (the action figure branch of McFarlane's company), Todd McFarlane Entertainment (which helps create animated programming, feature films, and other products), and Image Comics (publisher of various comic books) will not be affected.
As previously posted here, Todd McFarlane Productions Inc., the comic-publishing branch of Todd McFarlane’s comic, film, entertainment, and action figure empire, filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection last week in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Phoenix, Arizona. Citing retired NHL enforcer Tony Twist as the primary creditor after a St. Louis Circuit Court awarded Twist $15 million in July 2004 for TMP Inc.'s use of the Twist name without permission in early issues of the Spawn comic book. (The mob boss character Antonio Twistelli was also known as "Tony Twist").
Filing for protection under Chapter 11 will enable TMP Inc. to propose a plan of financial reorganization while it appeals the $15 million judgment to the Missouri Court of Appeals.
The impact of this court decision on other creators in film, publication, and other mediums is still unknown at this time. With this decision, creator protection rights could be thrown out the window. The first amendment protects creators and allows them the ability to use names creativly and without threat. However, after this decision, anyone with a name used in film, television, a book, or a comic could follow in Twist's footsteps and sue the creator of the material for any negative publicity their name may receive from its use.
McFarlane and TMP Inc. have received amazing amounts of support from other creators in Hollywood and show business, specifically Harry Shearer from The Simpsons, Michael Crichton, author and creator of the TV series ER, and Larry David, co-creator of Seinfeld. Each filed a "friend of the court" brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the free speech defense TMP Inc. used in the trial.
Former St. Louis Blues enforcer Tony Twist won this major case last July when a St. Louis Circuit Court said TMP Inc. had infringed on Twists's publicity rights. Twist sited lost endorsement contracts (financial loss) as the primary reason for his law suit and was originally awarded over $24 million by a St. Louis Circuit Court before the Missouri Court of Appeals’ Eastern District found in favor of TMP Inc.. However, the Missouri Supreme Court ordered a new trial in July 2003. TMP International Inc., McFarlane Toys, Todd McFarlane Entertainment, and Image Comics were also defendants in the St. Louis case, but the jury found all innocent of charges.
Besides Twist, TMP Inc.'s other creditors include McFarlane Toys, the action figure company owned by McFarlane, which is owed $683, 902; nine contract artists, who are owed $60,000; and a collection agency that is owed approximately $7,700.
According to Eric Larson, head of Image Comics, TMP Inc. filing for Chapter 11 will not affect the release of any Image comic books. Spawn, the longest running Image comic, has suffered major delays in the past, but will continue to appear on comic book shelves worldwide.
Again, this bankruptcy case will not affect any other company under the McFarlane name, including McFarlane Toys, makers of the fan-favorite Sports Picks, Spawn, and Movie Maniacs action figures.
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Commander Cool
Main Eventer
Joined on: Oct 8, 2003 18:12:09 GMT -5
Posts: 2,421
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Post by Commander Cool on Dec 22, 2004 20:51:56 GMT -5
The only thing I buy from McFarlane is Movie Maniacs and the odd music figure.
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Post by Richikane on Dec 22, 2004 21:42:50 GMT -5
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I cant live without my NHL figures.  |
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Post by Raoul the Great on Dec 22, 2004 22:32:10 GMT -5
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I cant live without my NHL figures. Read above. Figures will keep coming out. |
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Post by Richikane on Dec 22, 2004 22:41:53 GMT -5
Read above. Figures will keep coming out. im on christmas break, you expect me to read? people these days..................... cool, as long as i get my NHL figures |
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Post by Sam Hain on Dec 22, 2004 22:50:33 GMT -5
I haven't been a fan of McFarlane for years now. NECA is making better toys right now.
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Post by K.J.V. on Dec 23, 2004 3:11:04 GMT -5
Tell him to quit putting out crapty movie maniacs that no one wants  |
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Jamc9103
Main Eventer
Joined on: Jun 24, 2004 5:49:25 GMT -5
Posts: 1,457
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Post by Jamc9103 on Dec 24, 2004 11:51:26 GMT -5
OH NO NO NO NOOOO. I love sportspick, I really hope he finds a way to get out of this one  . |
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Post by CM Poor on Dec 24, 2004 12:02:15 GMT -5
OH NO NO NO NOOOO. I love sportspick, I really hope he finds a way to get out of this one . Can you people read? |
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Post by shogun on Dec 26, 2004 9:56:58 GMT -5
aside from avp, mcfarlane are stale.
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I dont know good luck