Arts Professional Story: Jiba Anderson, Griot Enterprises

Every artist has to remember that, first and foremost, art is a business. If you don't want to face that fact, then do not try to survive off of your talent. Find something else to do.

With that being said, I have learned early on that artists need to protect themselves. The United States does not value art or artists the same as other countries do. Too often, entities not related to art (but who rely on it nevertheless), are quick to exploit artists. The mindset is one of "This person is doing it because they love to draw, take photographs, etc. They don't care about the money." As a result, some entities are quick to offer a creative far less than what they are worth while taking all of the credit and future profits.

In my industry (the entertainment and publishing industry) ownership is king. If one creates an intellectal property, and that property is successful, the owner of said property could become extremely wealthy in a short amount of time. Therefore, I became really aware of protecting my properties legally from the beginning. As I navigate through this business, my legal knowledge has increased.

For example, when my intellectual property, The Horsemen, a comic that tells the story of seven ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances when they are chosen by the ancient gods of Africa to protect humanity from themselves, was released in 2002 a conflict grew between my (then) partners and myself. It got to the point where I had to consult a lawyer for possible courses of action. Due to certain crucial documentation points during the incorporation of the company, I was able to make a clean break from my partners and chart the future course of not only the company, but my intellectual properties as well. I still have to make sure that any property that I create is legally protected. Whether I create work for hire, or I'm developing a creator-owned property, I have to make sure that I am delivered the monies that I was promised for the work. In addition, I have to make sure that I am not exploited due to any inexperience or unfamiliarity with contracts.

I am extremely fortunate because I have a number of close friends and family who are lawyers and/or legal consultants. I seek their counsel quite often when negotiating contracts and they have constantly made sure that all of my needs are met and that I am not taken advantage of by entities that I enter into a partnership with. Currently, I am working on a project with Top Cow Productions and Universal Music Group. One of the first things we took care of was the legality of this project. As this is a major undertaking with at least one major business entity, I had to make sure that:

1.) I was properly compensated for the work produced

2.) I would receive passive future income (i.e. royalties) from the sale of the product.

As a result, I have a good legal and working relationship with Top Cow and Universal. With my business mind at ease (due, in part, to negotiating a good contract), I am free to create work that I am proud of and am anxious to share with the world at large.

In the end, I have learned that in order to be a working artist, it takes more than talent to be successful. It takes a business sense and legal savvy in order to be truly "make it". That is the difference between reaping the benefits of the work an artist creates and struggling in a small studio, subsisting on Ramen Noodles. Stan Lee knew this. Bob Kane knew this. Will Eisner knew this. Todd McFarlane knew this. And now, I know it, too.

Jiba Anderson is Art Director & Founder of Griot Enterprises. He graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's graduate program for visual communication in 1998. His work ranges from Manga Entertainment's videotape covers for Street Fighter II V to forming his own publishing company/creative studio Griot Enterprises, from which he released his critically acclaimed mini-series The Horsemen in 2002. Jiba has also published two instructional texts Manifesto: The Tao of Jiba Molei Anderson and The New Mythology as well as the upcoming mini-series Getback for Markosia Publishing and Heroes of Hip Hop for Top Cow Productions. He currently teaches Animation and Video Game Design at the Illinois Institute of Chicago " Schaumburg. For more information email Jiba.