Questions about the Tapas Creator Incubator Program

STAFF 2018-05-17 00:47:42 UTC #26

STAFF 2018-05-17 00:57:23 UTC #27

30 panels is just a rough estimate of the amount of panels for an episode and you are definitely welcome to have episodes with more panels.
We are looking for compelling stories, not just feel-good stories, so grimdark stories do have a shot. (We actually have a few dark Premium titles...)

STAFF 2018-05-17 01:02:17 UTC #28

Those who are ineligible are typically those who are under 18 or have a visa that restricts them from working with a U.S. company. If you live outside of the US and don't have a visa that restricts working within a U.S. company, you are eligible.

Zugaikotsu 2018-05-17 01:30:51 UTC #29

Thank you so much for the reply!

sushy00 2018-05-17 10:02:25 UTC #30

OMG I have a long story idea for a long time! I think I am going to pitch it! I am also excited to work with a different format for mobile (I usually make small gag comics)!

caelesc 2018-05-17 11:19:28 UTC #31

Hi. Regarding this requirement:
"If you're not currently publishing with us, please provide links to your websites or social media pages"

How important is the existence of an active social media page? Would a dA account that I haven't used for years still be a positive or more detrimental to my application? And if the artist doesn't have any social media pages/websites but would be willing to create one and maintain it for publicity would that also be acceptable?

Cavechan 2018-05-17 11:30:57 UTC #32

Likely, you'll have a contract with Tapas and whatever is in that contract READ IT VERY CAREFULLY. For anyone who does not have experience, have someone with experience read the contract with you to help understand it. Sometimes wording can be misleading or confusing in order to give the contract company the better end of the deal.

Make sure that you are not giving away your rights as the creator to YOUR WORK. This is still YOUR WORK and you should own it and have the final say in what happens with it. Personally, I find the wording of even just the OP to be a bit suspicious and I remember there was a fiasco a while back about Tapas rewording some of their policies so they essentially own the works of other people. Also suspicious the staff chose to answer every other question yet ignored this one. hmm

Campbell_Million 2018-05-17 15:57:51 UTC #33

Alrighty, Thanks for the help.

joannekwan 2018-05-17 16:29:13 UTC #34

As far as I'm aware, any series created through the Incubator program Tapas owns a sizable percentage of it (up to negotiation though obviously between each individual incubator creator). I don't know if they'll own it indefinitely or if after a number of years all rights will revert to the creator, but I imagine they'd want a say in the creation of any physical media to sell.

And per the fiasco with the ToS, Tapas only wanted to offer bargaining rights for their creators when pitching to other companies.

But feel free to clarify @STAFF, if I got any of this wrong.

theworlbitesdust 2018-05-17 19:51:08 UTC #35

So, for this, can we include extra documents? For example, I have a document with just extra information regarding details about the universe the comic is taking place in, details about the story line (like, how certain things came to be, etc,) and such, and I was wondering what exactly we have to put? Like I get that we gotta put on the list but can we add extras?

theworlbitesdust 2018-05-17 19:55:53 UTC #36

Furthermore, I am under 18 but my parents would be willing to help w/ money stuff, or the other stuff that is like only 18 and over can do, so can I still submit?

joannekwan 2018-05-17 20:04:42 UTC #38

Child labor laws make working while younger than 18 quite complex.

Here are the rules for California (where Tap is based out of).
https://www.dir.ca.gov/DLSE/ChildLaborLawPamphlet.pdf

theworlbitesdust 2018-05-17 20:05:53 UTC #40

To which part of this should I direct myself (Just asking cuz it's kinda long)

joannekwan 2018-05-17 20:09:16 UTC #41

Page 3 I suppose. In short, if Tap ever allowed minors to work officially for them (either as contract workers or employees) there are a bunch of forms to fill out for both parties and Tap would have to be checked out by a state office.

More trouble than it's worth. Just wait a few years until you're legal. ^^

Laht 2018-05-17 20:09:42 UTC #42

Most of your questions can already be find in the FAQ. You should read it.

Chroma 2018-05-17 22:56:35 UTC #43

Sorry, I'm just looking for clarification on a question covered by the FAQ! If you are an artist/writer duo, should you apply under a Tapas account of one of the individuals, or should you make a "duo account" for lack of a better term?

STAFF 2018-05-17 23:58:48 UTC #44

Because of the co-production agreement one would be approached with if chosen for the Creator Incubator program, selling physical copies at a convention is something that would be discussed during negotations.

Providing links to other social media sites allows us to get a better sense of you as an artist and as a person. This program is about forming partnerships with creators, it's not just about the story. You can definitely link your dA account and/or create a new social media page.

^^^

Works created in the Creator Incubator are co-productions, meaning both the creator and Tapas have ownership.

The best way to include this extra information is to incorporate it into the full synopsis.

On the same form, you can include both Tapas account names.

A friendly reminder for everyone to please read the FAQ before posting questions in the thread.

Cavechan 2018-05-18 00:29:49 UTC #45

Thank you for making it clear up front that the creators in the program will have zero control over their content. Personally, not something I'm interested in, but it's good to know for those who are.

DiegoPalacios 2018-05-18 00:48:07 UTC #46

Instead of rushing into conclusions i think is better to ask.

A shared ownership doesn`t neccesarily mean a complete loss of control. Anyway, as you said, is always wise to read the contracts no matter how much you trust/distrust someone.

About questions for @STAFF
How much involvement does the Tapas Staff has in the developing of the story and the route it takes?.

Jenny-Toons 2018-05-18 01:01:39 UTC #47

I'm a bit curious as to how you took "zero control" from "meaning both the creator and Tapas have ownership". Those sound like two completely different things.

I mean, I understand the concern because of previous troubles with other companies doing similar programs and not delivering the benefits to their creators. But we should still ask for more info before we come to a conclusion.

As @DiegoPalacios noted, you can definitely ask for more details on what "co-production ownership" means in the case of Tapas. Even if I myself won't enter (college and internships, for my reason), I would like to make sure they elaborate a bit more to help stop any misconceptions and to make sure others feel safe in partnering with them. Let's not strictly assume that the creator will not have any control over their work through the Incubator Program. If anything, it sounds more like

"You still have control and still have rights to your story, but we also have some input as well." -- which kinda sounds like what a lot of novel/comics companies negotiate to their creators.