The lawsuit involving William Crabtree and Invincible creator Robert Kirkman continues to pick up steam as it goes to trial in 2024. But what is it about and why has Crabtree sued Kirkman? Here’s all you need to know about the profits dispute.
What is the Invincible lawsuit?
The Invincible lawsuit sees artist William Crabtree suing creator Robert Kirkman over royalties and misleading persuasion.
Crabtree claims to be the co-creator of the Invincible comic series, being involved with the artwork of its first 50 issues. According to Crabtree, Kirkman tricked him into signing his ownership away, making Kirkman the sole creator of the Invincible comic series.
As per the colorist, their initial agreement was that Crabtree would get at least $40 per page and a royalty of 20% of single-issue sales. Furthermore, it was agreed that Kirkman would pay 10% royalties if any media deals were to be signed.
Kirkman stated that Crabtree was paid when a potential deal with MTV happened, but it was labeled as a “bonus” payment. He didn’t pay any royalties when a deal with Amazon was signed, claiming to be the sole author of the comics.
Why is Robert Kirkman being sued by William Crabtree?
In January 2022, William Crabtree sued Robert Kirkman for tricking him into signing his ownership away, and not paying any royalties after a series with Amazon was greenlit.
Out of 4 of Crabtree’s claims, 2 have been denied while 2 others are moving forward. As per The Hollywood Reporter, a jury trial is scheduled to take place on February 20, 2024.
It all originates from what happened in 2005 when a Certificate of Authorship was signed by Crabtree. It states that all the rights to Invincible were assigned to Kirkman and he was the “sole author” of the comic series. Per Crabtree, Kirkman asked him to sign it because it was needed to negotiate media deals. So, he signed because of their oral agreement that the initial contract between them would remain the same and Kirkman would pay royalties if any media deal were to be signed.
According to U.S. District Court Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, Crabtree cannot move ahead with any statute of limitations on copyright disputes and fraud claims. But he has been permitted to claim that the Certificate of Authorship is invalid and Kirkman had breached the oral agreement between them by not paying any royalties over the Amazon deal. Now, the trial will begin in 2024 unless the two parties agree to settle before that.
For more Invincible updates, check out whether Donald is a clone. Also, learn when Season 2 Part 2 could be coming.
