Artist Claims Cartoon Company Is Cashing In On Her Creation

A Brooklyn-based artist, 32-year-old Kelly Denato of Park Slope, is suing an animated cartoon studio in the city. The Animation Collective, Inc. and three other defendants are named in her suit, which alleges she is owed royalties for designing a character who has since become the namesake of a Cartoon Network show, Ellen's Acres. Denato says they have all profited from the cartoon, yet have denied the artist her contractual share of the royalties. She is allegedly supposed to receive 25% of all revenues from book sales, merchandising, animated motion pictures and television shows.

Denato told the Wall Street Journal she signed the contract in 2002, and at the time Animation Collective "flat out said, 'You shouldn't have been given that contract—it was a mistake,'" and tried to get her to renegotiate it, giving her less of a cut. Since that time, Denato has only received $9K, and is claiming the company has broken their contract with her. Ah, we always knew there was a dark side to the cartoon industry.

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By Jen Carlson in News on July 26, 2010 4:45 PM

Comments [rss]

Harlemist

As a past employee of Animation Collective I think there's probably another side to this story that isn't being told. I know that in my many years working there they always kept their promises to me and everyone else working there. AC is a good place to work and in my experience they would never try to screw anyone out of anything.

joshuadog

would you ?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703995104575389361083051240.html?mod=WSJ_NY_MIDDLETopStories

Kate Black

I hope she gets everything she's owed.

It's infuriating that companies think it's okay to screw freelancers and artists out of payment.

julienne

good for her. I hope she gets a huge payout.

Kelles

I don't know why but I think you should drop a giant anvil on their collective heads and yell "BOINGGGG!"

Peter

+1

Peter

inklake

RabbiLaFunque

Slow news day. Talentless hipster whining about royalties for drawing a picture a 2 year old could have drawn.

Victrola

What is it about this story that offends you?

Is it because she's an artist? You've applied the term "hipster" as some sort of insult. Are artists somehow less worthy of payment for their work than others?

Is it because she's suing for what is contractually due to her?

Or is it because this story was run at all?

I'm honestly curious.

robingee

blah blah hipster blah blah art sucks.

Could YOU draw it? Probably not.

jpeditor

Whatsa' matter, copyright is too big a concept for you?

amg2000

Maybe a two year old could have drawn it (although I doubt it), but a two year old DIDN'T draw it. Kelly Denato did, and signed a contract with Animation Collective for the use of it. So she deserves her contractual share of the money.

theboneranger

don't mind the riff raff. dey don't use dey nogginz 2 good.

ForrestWhitaker

Cool man. You see that thing you made over there? I'm gonna take that, and not give you anything.

OH, it hurts doesn't it?

puppets

As an animator in NYC I can say I'm not surprised - Animation Collective is about as seedy a company as they come. I've steered clear of that place my entire career.

puppets

As an animator in NYC I can say that Animation Collective is about as seedy a company as they come. I've steered clear of that place my entire career.