My name is Chris Wozniak, former Writer/Artist at DC Comics. I wrote a Batman/Riddler story that was used to make the $900M film THE BATMAN (2022).
Warner Bros. Attorneys are NOT disputing they used my story to make the film. Even they know I can prove that. So instead of providing fair credit and compensation, they’re having DC COMICS SUE ME for writing an « unauthorized » Batman story.
Yes, you read that right.
To be clear, EVERYONE who worked for or freelanced at DC Comics in 1990 knows full well that established Freelancers were given FREE LICENSE to submit stories anytime they wanted. It’s probably how 90% of DC Comics were made. And if DC Comics liked your story, they put it under contract. That was STANDARD COMPANY PRACTICE for decades…but my Batman story is the only one that was ever used without a contract in place, and Warner Bros. knows that’s a huge problem.
So as anyone would, I asked to be paid for my contributions; all I asked for was whatever the other « credited » writers received. No damages. No extras of any kind. But INSTEAD OF DOING WHAT’S RIGHT, Warner Bros. and DC Comics opted to fabricate a ridiculous lawsuit designed to bankrupt a single Dad with a ten-year-old daughter. They’re even seeking legal fees which we estimate could be nearly half a million dollars. They’re demanding that I back off.
I will not.
Again, DC COMICS IS SUING A FREELANCER FOR WRITING AND SUBMITTING A BATMAN STORY 30 YEARS AGO. Suing a Freelancer simply for submitting a story is completely unprecedented. It’s something all Freelance Writers did at the time that was regularly encouraged by DC Comics. Many, many former DC Comics Writers and Editors are willing to confirm this was a regularly accepted practice. Business as usual. But because Warner Bros. neglected to negotiate the rights for my story, they’re trying to have DC Comics run me off rather than pay me.
Typical Hollywood steamrolling tactics.
And all this from DC COMICS, the company that promotes TRUTH, JUSTICE AND THE AMERICAN WAY. Does this sound like Justice to you?
We’re requesting that you help our family get through this so that we can have our day in court. Thank you.
Pff.
C’est ubuesque cette histoire
ah oué quand même…
C’est en anglais surtout.
Ces anciens et actuels confrères réagissent comment ?
Quelqu un l a lue cette bd ?
Elle n’a jamais été publiée…
The claim is that Chris Wozniak pitched a story he called The Ultimate Riddle and later The Blind Man’s Hat to DC Comics a number of times, first in 1990 to the late Archie Goodwin as an Elseworlds title, and then subsequently in different forms such as in 2002 to the Batman office at DC Comics. Wozniak further states that this kind of thing was common for creators to do in the nineties. He also claims that he sent a copy to Michael Uslan , producer of the Batman movie and TV franchise at DC/Warner Bros, after they met at New York Comic Con. He has also issued a number of YouTube videos to demonstrate what he sees as similarities. between his proposed comic and The Batman movie. « Four months after Plaintiff submitted the Copyrighted Work to Michael Uslan, Plaintiff noticed multiple articles in film industry websites and magazines claiming producers at Warner Brothers were pushing Director Christopher Nolan and screenwriter David Goyle to do a Batman where the Riddler was a serial killer » and « Plaintiff was stunned to see such a large portion of his story copied in the Defendant’s Movie in some form or other, as if nothing of his was absent in Defendant’s Movie. » Here are a list of the claimed similarities that Chris Wozniak believed were copied from his comic book pitch;
Mais alors, comment pourraient-ils le poursuivre pour l’avoir écrite, puisqu’il ne l’a jamais publiée ni exploitée ? O___o
Sur quelles bases peuvent-ils l’attaquer ?
J’ai dû rater un truc.
Tori.
Et Arno nous remonte aussi d’autres faits un peu louche sur le bonhomme :
https://twitter.com/Arno_Kikoo/status/1600167113452244999?t=pZJU7NbcfZ6Hf0gY_qY-xw&s=19
Okayyy…déjà ça me semblait un peu bizarre parce que je ne me rappelais pas d’un Chris Wozniak scénariste…juste d’un dessinateur pourri (ses Excalibur étaient sacrément moches)…
Je veux lire Pénélope Powerhouse et ses tétons qui pointent.
« Le fait que sur son IndieGoGo supprimé il expliquait que les sous qu’il voulait lever ne serviraient pas à payer de quoi se défendre contre la (prétendue ?) attaque de Warner, mais à payer ce qu’il estime que le studio lui doit »
Alors, ça, c’est fort !
Tout est dans le nom : indie gogo.