Calendar - Signed with Invisible Ink?

[BlueRose]

GRRM just posted today that both he and artist Michael Kaluta have terminated their contracts with DB for the future calenders due to the problems over the 2009 calendar. Hopefully, another company (a better company at that) will express an interest in the future.

That is fantastic news. They dont deserve his business, nor do they deserve ours.

For anyone still waiting that paid with paypal, people are saying that escalating your purchase to a dispute might get you your calendar. Some people are having sucess with that. I paid with my credit card, so i'm going to call them and see if I can make a dispute that way.

[Daralys]

Is this going to make it even *harder* for us to get what we paid for? I mean, now they can't be pressured by GRRM if their contract is terminated.

At least now I get a response after 9 or 10 e-mails . . . although their e-mail responses tend to have provide absolutely no information at all.

So, on second thought, it'll probably be about the same.

Is he keeping them to do his comics or is that going to be done by someone else too? The Dunk and Egg comics are done by them, aren't they? Or am I getting publishers mixed up?

[Ran]

There is no contract for the third D&E story with anyone, as it has not been published, and even after it's published there's a one or two year exclusivity which will prevent it from being adapted.

Who knows where things will stand in 2012 in regards to potential adaption.

[Lythana]

That is fantastic news. They dont deserve his business, nor do they deserve ours.

For anyone still waiting that paid with paypal, people are saying that escalating your purchase to a dispute might get you your calendar. Some people are having sucess with that. I paid with my credit card, so i'm going to call them and see if I can make a dispute that way.

Unfortunately I can't claim back my money via paypal, because you only have 45 days for a dispute. Having orderes and pais in August, this is no opportunity for me.

I appreciate the news that the copntract with DB has been cancelled by GRRM and Michael Kaluta. Won't help us, but at least no more people can be fooled next year. Chapeau to the Dabels who managed to steer this whole thing in the dung hive.

@Daralys

Is this going to make it even *harder* for us to get what we paid for? I mean, now they can't be pressured by GRRM if their contract is terminated.

GRRMs interventions have helped in the beginning, but by now they ignore him too. It shows consequence to cancel the deal, after all efforts to settle the problems have failed. The only way to get either the calendar or your money back seems to be BBB and the FBI. Even though I don't know how good the chances are.

I'll keep on mailing them and complaining. Even though I have little hopes to get a refund.

[Myrddin]

Whenever I see a post from a Dabel now, I'm going to think of this response from John Lock on Lost a few weeks ago to a character who kept saying "my friend" to everyone: "You're in the habit of calling people 'friend', but I don't think you mean it."

It's a shame this had to happen, because DB seem to put out quality products, but it puts the problems with RJ's New Spring in a new light.

[CiaranAnnrach]

Whenever I see a post from a Dabel now, I'm going to think of this response from John Lock on Lost a few weeks ago to a character who kept saying "my friend" to everyone: "You're in the habit of calling people 'friend', but I don't think you mean it."

It's a shame this had to happen, because DB seem to put out quality products, but it puts the problems with RJ's New Spring in a new light.

It really is a shame. I'm not surprised, though, and I do applaud GRRM for breaking off his contract with the Dabels after this fiasco and their continuing attempts to do the minimum, in terms of actual work and with communication with their customers. I mean, any other company who took this long to deliver a product would be offering gift vouchers and other free stuff to make up for their mistake. The Dabels have done none of this, and that's just...not ok, especially considering the product is a time sensitive product.

[Rakehell]

It's disappointing to hear there won't be a 2010 calendar. The quality of the work on the '09 one was top notch(1), and I'm a big fan of Kaluta's work and think he could have done a tremendous job on it.

On the plus side, it avoids what was my biggest problem with all of this; that DB would start taking orders for next year's calendars and thousands of people would order them, regardless of the fiasco that this year's process was, and DB would continue to be rewarded for their mistreatment of their customers.

Given George's name attached to a product, plus the quality of Kaluta's work, I'm sure they'll have no problems finding a publisher if they can get out of the contract cleanly.

(1) I ordered my calendars through my comics supplier, got them in November.

[Given]

I emailed Les yesterday to check on the status of my signed copy of the calendar. I quoted GRRM's blog post about sending them back to the Dabels over a month ago. Of course I have not received a response yet.

And I fear that with GRRM deciding to break ties with the Dabels, the signed calendars that we all ordered may end up in Ebay, or depending on how vindictive the Dabels are, in a trash bin.

Our only recourse may be to pay the Dabels a visit at their place of business, Count Dracula style.

[Wolfheart]

And I fear that with GRRM deciding to break ties with the Dabels, the signed calendars that we all ordered may end up in Ebay, or depending on how vindictive the Dabels are, in a trash bin.

Our only recourse may be to pay the Dabels a visit at their place of business, Count Dracula style.

That would truley piss me off. Wouldn't we, since we have record of payment, and if they put them ebay, truley be able to take legal action. Theyd have to burn or trash them. I may just keep an eye on Ebay for a while.

**Cleans off pitchfork and torch.

[Daralys]

What's most annoying right now is the fact that they have the signed calendars, have had them for a while now, and they still haven't sent them out, nor is there any indication that they have any intentions of doing so.

[Wolfheart]

Through some links in the prior links I posted I found this individual who is a comic illustrator who has had as much trouble with DB in the past as we currently are now.

There was something that I found that may be very useful for us if need be. It was a comment from someone in this persons journal entry here:

http://trialsze.deviantart.com/journal/14960453/

And the person said:

"Will, depending on who all knows about it, whether you'd mind bringing this crap to light on a bigger stage (thus potentially making you a target), you could contact Rich Johnston of CBR.com. He's been tackling the latest round of non-payments that the Dabel Brothers have their names attached too and he very much likes to expose those who haven't paid and will listen/print stories that bring more info to light in his Lying In The Gutters column. That would be a way of really sticking it to them."

It would interest you to read most if not all the comments. I found this quote:

"They're a lying, thieving plague on the comic book industry"

After you get past that comment. You see Les responding in the journal. I think ive figured it out. He's a possible spin doctor of sorts.

[Ran]

Do not scan the calendar and put it up anywhere. Do not share links to someone else's scans. You'll be banned. That's a copyright violation.

And absolutely do NOT go around talking about a "lynch mob" finding out where their offices are. :P Jeebus.

[israfel070]

An alternative real-world idea to violence would be a class-action lawsuit. The hundreds/thousands who've been defrauded just mail in a claim to the lawyer, the lawyer handily wins this particular case, DB is forced by the court to pay as much of the award as they can, and everyone gets what would amount to a partial refund.

I didn't want to suggest this while GRRM was still trying to work with them successfully, but at this point I think the problem will only get worse. There is no more incentive for them to make any effort at fulfilling their current orders.

[Daralys]

GRRM's Not a Blog says the Dabels told GRRM they'd mailed out the signed calendars.

Anyone taking odds on if that's actually true?

I'm not getting my hopes up.

[Yagathai]

This is me, holding my breath. :eyeroll:

[Callum]

We should try to get the rights to produce the next calendars, given that most of you seem to have probably put more time and effort into trying to get your one copy than was put into the entire production. :P

Only half joking... ;)

[Lythana]

GRRM's Not a Blog says the Dabels told GRRM they'd mailed out the signed calendars.

Anyone taking odds on if that's actually true?

I'm not getting my hopes up.

I do.

Guys from Dabel Brothers assure a lot and keep little.

I was assured that my (unsigned) variant cover calendar had been sent on Feb 23rd. Nothing has arrived yet. No one replies to my requests, they do not refund.

Other people experienced the same. So what's this but another bubble to make people waiting and not informing official authorities.

GRRM sent the the signed calendars more than one month ago to DB. And they didn't manage to sent out all 250 by now yet (60 of them haven't been sent yet as they stated!)? What kind of great achievement is this, to beat the drum so loudly? This is something that could be easily done in one single week (actually, being a little experienced in distributions, you can do it in two days without any problems, even if you don't have many hands to help and if you have to do it manually)

Let me bet, I will never see my calendar nor my money back, no matter what they assure, unless legal authorities make them do so.

[NotHappy]

I'm definitely not getting my hopes up. How many times before have they said they've mailed the calendars? The replacements? The fill-ins for the signed ones? The calendars again? Yeah, exactly...

When I GET my calendar, then I'll believe it. Until then, the Dabel Brothers continue to get the big middle finger.

[CiaranAnnrach]

Oh.

Something else.

The "Bonus Content" that comes with the Variant and the Signed Calendars, they said it'd be early sketches of the 2010 calendar. Well, since that's no longer going to happen, they have no bonus content to send to us. They can not give us what we paid for anymore, so even if they do manage to get everything sent out, they will still owe us a partial refund.

[Winter's Bane]

I received the signed calendar today...identical to the original calendar, save for GRRM's signature, and, obviously, not shrink-wrapped (which would allow for signing). The "bonus content" is a limited edition comic book (The Hedge Knight)...the included letter (which was apologetic, at the least) from the Dabel's claim it's worth $25. So, there you have it...I hope everyone else receives what they ordered (or close to--don't recall a comic book as part of the equation). For myself, I'll probably just put the package up on E-bay and call it a wash....