Promises Broken
I talked a couple of months ago about retiring The Defuser. It’s been over 2 years since Stan crowned me the next great superhero and the fun of donning the spandex for various events has lost much of its luster. I’ll try to give you the shortened version of events; (no guarantee of how short)
In April of 2007 I won the show, of course this didn’t air until the last episode on Sept. 6th of the same year.
For winning the show I was promised; A 1-shot comic “written by Stan Lee”, an appearance in a SciFi Channel movie (I was not promised a Defuser movie as many people think) and an action figure by Shocker Toys.
By the time the show finally aired, the powers that be had over 4 months to at least begin creation and delivery of my prizes.
I began doing the convention circuit for 2 reasons; one was to promote The Defuser and second was to raise money for Scare for a CURE. I never intended to benefit financially from the show or the aftermath.
The question that continually popped up at the shows was, “Hey where’s your comic and action figure?”
Feedback, season ones winner, gave me some great advice that I failed to follow. He told me to immediately start getting on NBC and Darkhorse about the comic and other prizes. I, in my ignorance, assumed that since prizes were promised, that they would be delivered. I would not consider myself naïve, but I do tend to rely on the inherent “goodness” of people. Do unto others as you might say.
By September of 2008, a full year after the finale, and over 16 months since I actually won, I had received none of the prizes and only the most cursory and canned of responses basically stating that the check was in the mail.
A ray of hope broke through when later that month I was contacted that a movie was coming up and it might be THE movie I was to be in. That experience ALMOST makes up for the rest of this story as I had an incredible time in Bulgaria filming “Lightning Strikes” with Kevin Sorbo. (Check my other blogs for those stories)
In January of this year, I finally started getting some answers about the comic and oddly, it seems that once the process started, it only took about 3 months to do my comic. Even this probably would never have happened had it not been for someone I befriended at the Chicago Con in 2008; David Campiti, owner Glass House Graphics. David has been in the industry for many years and was instrumental in giving me accurate information about the process and current status of my comic, which, at the time was NIL.
In April of 2008, my comic was released, 2 YEARS since I had won the show.
It should be noted however that it was not written by Stan Lee, as he himself promised on the show. It seems that the lack of a season 3 eliminated the need for doing a comic at all.
My ability to use the comic to raise money for charity was incredibly diminished if not completely void.
Now, as it has been for the last 2.5 years, I’m told for literally the 6th or 7th time that the action figure is just months away.
Months away???
It’s been that since 2007! At what point do I end my patient ways? I’ve spoken to the owners of Shocker Toys several times on the phone, in email and face to face as I did this weekend.
I am always hesitant to call someone a liar but they are either that or simply not very good at their job. I get the same answer each time I speak to them. I simply don’t buy it. And instead of getting a very cool, detailed custom action figure, if it ever does show up, it will just be a different paint job on one of their existing figures.
Is it time to bring up the “L” word? (lawyer) What is the price of not delivering on a prize that was announced to great promotion nation wide? (If not world wide)
What would adequate compensation be for not keeping your word regarding a show that was supposed to epitomize the values of being a hero?
I don’t know. I really don’t know.
I do know that my patience is at an end and my frustration is getting old.
If anyone from NBCU or Scifi is listening, let’s start with $10,000 donated to Scare for a CURE and all rights for The Defuser transferred to me.
In April of 2007 I won the show, of course this didn’t air until the last episode on Sept. 6th of the same year.
For winning the show I was promised; A 1-shot comic “written by Stan Lee”, an appearance in a SciFi Channel movie (I was not promised a Defuser movie as many people think) and an action figure by Shocker Toys.
By the time the show finally aired, the powers that be had over 4 months to at least begin creation and delivery of my prizes.
I began doing the convention circuit for 2 reasons; one was to promote The Defuser and second was to raise money for Scare for a CURE. I never intended to benefit financially from the show or the aftermath.
The question that continually popped up at the shows was, “Hey where’s your comic and action figure?”
Feedback, season ones winner, gave me some great advice that I failed to follow. He told me to immediately start getting on NBC and Darkhorse about the comic and other prizes. I, in my ignorance, assumed that since prizes were promised, that they would be delivered. I would not consider myself naïve, but I do tend to rely on the inherent “goodness” of people. Do unto others as you might say.
By September of 2008, a full year after the finale, and over 16 months since I actually won, I had received none of the prizes and only the most cursory and canned of responses basically stating that the check was in the mail.
A ray of hope broke through when later that month I was contacted that a movie was coming up and it might be THE movie I was to be in. That experience ALMOST makes up for the rest of this story as I had an incredible time in Bulgaria filming “Lightning Strikes” with Kevin Sorbo. (Check my other blogs for those stories)
In January of this year, I finally started getting some answers about the comic and oddly, it seems that once the process started, it only took about 3 months to do my comic. Even this probably would never have happened had it not been for someone I befriended at the Chicago Con in 2008; David Campiti, owner Glass House Graphics. David has been in the industry for many years and was instrumental in giving me accurate information about the process and current status of my comic, which, at the time was NIL.
In April of 2008, my comic was released, 2 YEARS since I had won the show.
It should be noted however that it was not written by Stan Lee, as he himself promised on the show. It seems that the lack of a season 3 eliminated the need for doing a comic at all.
My ability to use the comic to raise money for charity was incredibly diminished if not completely void.
Now, as it has been for the last 2.5 years, I’m told for literally the 6th or 7th time that the action figure is just months away.
Months away???
It’s been that since 2007! At what point do I end my patient ways? I’ve spoken to the owners of Shocker Toys several times on the phone, in email and face to face as I did this weekend.
I am always hesitant to call someone a liar but they are either that or simply not very good at their job. I get the same answer each time I speak to them. I simply don’t buy it. And instead of getting a very cool, detailed custom action figure, if it ever does show up, it will just be a different paint job on one of their existing figures.
Is it time to bring up the “L” word? (lawyer) What is the price of not delivering on a prize that was announced to great promotion nation wide? (If not world wide)
What would adequate compensation be for not keeping your word regarding a show that was supposed to epitomize the values of being a hero?
I don’t know. I really don’t know.
I do know that my patience is at an end and my frustration is getting old.
If anyone from NBCU or Scifi is listening, let’s start with $10,000 donated to Scare for a CURE and all rights for The Defuser transferred to me.
posted by The Defuser at
6:26 AM
6 Comments:
I'm extremly disappointed with Mr Lieber. A good friend of mine said it best. "He put you and everyone else up in front of the world and judged you on your actions to see if you qualified as a hero". Matt gave a very touching speech in Season 1 how he had inspired him after his own father died. There are many more of us who found our directions from the pages of the books we read as kids. We were inspired. I look at what we've all accomplished and down over the last 2 1/2 years. I do thank him for all the friendships and my new superhero family. Without the show, I wouldn't have you guys. And you've all had such a profound impact in my life. But this is just a major letdown. The man who helped teach us right from wrong and how to reach deep inside ourselves for others and to hold to our word, breaking promises.
Jarret, he not only let you down. He let everyone down. The fans of the show, the kids we've met along the way, the other auditioners and the rest of the cast.
How terribly disappointing and shameful to think of all of us as nothing but a nelson rating or a profit.
-Mix
Actually I do agree with Mix
Mr.Stanley Martin Lieber Has been a disappointment in all of this.
As well as owners of Shocker Toys.
You deserve all rights for The Defuser.
I don't blame you for wanting to retire the Defuser then you could still go as your self to cons and have some real fun and not be chained to a table all daY.
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You know how you said that your comic book was not written by Stan Lee? Well, guess what? The Special 25th Aniversary Issue (#300)of "The Amazing Spider-Man" which came out in May 1988 and other comics like it wearn't written by Stan Lee either! This one was written by David Michelinie, so don't feel alone. Everyone likes you including me. Stan probably got extremely busy for these past 2 years and unfortunately just simply didn't have the time to write it. I don't think he intentionally meant to lie to you. Nobody is perfect and everyone is flawed and makes mistakes...even Stan Lee. Yes, I do think he should have let you know and not left you in the dark at the same time. I don't really know. It's just my guess. Please don't give up on the Defuser! I'm sure there will be more comic books about you (The Defuser) written by Stan Lee to make up for it.
Your Fan: Stuart
PS Do you know when the Sci-Fi movie that you talked about "Lighting Strikes" is supposed to premier on the Sci-Fi channel?
I have found a mistake in your comic book. On the inside cover page it says "Special thanks to Jerrett (instead of Jarrett) "The Defuser" Crippen"
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