Special guest Katie Lane gives legal advice to comics artists

Comic Lab

Webcomics wild things Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are joined this week by lawyer-to-the-comics-stars, Katie Lane. She has some advice on attempting the elusive “working vacation.” THEN she discusses the legal questions that perennially haunt creative professionals, like how does one find a good lawyer? NEXT, she tackles work-for-hire contracts and right of first refusal. FINALLY, she shares some priceless advice… avoid one-size-fits-all legal advice. There’s no, one “right way” to do this.

BUT FIRST, as Brad shares his plans for a road trip to Michigan to visit his family, Dave recalls the family trips of his youth.

Show notes

• 00:00 — Brad preps for his road trip to Michigan to visit his family, and Dave remembers the family road trips of his youth
• 03:28 — The concept of the working vacation
• 06:13 — The search for Floyd Lake
• 09:12 — Introducing Katie Lane
• 12:10 — Katie makes her move to replace Brad when he, inevitably, gets lost.
• 12:22 — The elusive working vacation — is it possible?
• 17:52 — Brad’s briefcase — sexy or too sexy?
• 20:53 — Katie’s working-vacation plan… get just one thing done
• 24:12 — How does one become a lawyer-to-the-comics-stars?
• 28:13 — How does a cartoonist find a good lawyer?
• 34:20 — Understanding a Work For Hire contract
• 38:38 — Understanding Right of First Refusal
• 53:00 — The importance of asking questions… it doesn’t make you look unprofessional or uninformed!
• 55:22 — Katie warns about one-size-fits-all legal advice. There is no “right way” to do things. Risk management is a much more important focus
• 56:34 — Brad quizzes Dave on the most-often-asked legal question we get asked at comic conventions. It starts with an E and ends with an S… except it doesn’t.
• 529 — Everyone is afraid of having their copyright stolen. Is it a reasonable fear?
• 01:00:17 — Katie Lane’s new Skillshare series, Contracts for Creative Freelancers

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Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the editor of Webcomics.com

Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

Check out Katie Lane’s Contracts for Creative Freelancers at Skillshare. Her blog is Work Made for Hire.

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Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.