The Trouble with Hiveworks: an Open Letter
It's been a long ten years and I finally get to talk publicly about what happened behind closed doors.
Please take the time to read this letter linked above and please avoid working with these people. You are more valuable than an opportunity for people like them to use you as cash cow for your work.
Three years ago, I was approached by many artists at Hiveworks asking if their mistreatment was normal. That their feelings of horrible self worth within the company was really just a 'them' problem. Turns out, it was unfortunately normal in that we ALL felt that way. Stolen funds, reworked projects without permission, favouritism, opportunity sabotage- These were the common occruances over at Hive. Artists felt used, ignored, and walked all over to pay Hives bills and ego. People didn't know what to do. I helped co-found the guild in response to so many artists feeling this way, and we slowly gathered together to make a better Hive. Yeah, that's right- we thought we could help change and save the company if we all colaborated, hurt set aside and transparency deeply needed. Unfortunately, that wasn't in the cards. We spent 3 years going back and forth with staff to understand the debt, the mistreatment, the empty promises only to realise that the staff who was left to deal with the mess (because the CEO and COO went hands off or left) couldn't fix what was destroyed.
Hiveworks was supposed to be a beacon for webcomickers. It was supposed to be an indie opportunity to flourish in the small ways we can. But it became yet another example of a greedy publisher who saw an opportunity to take and take and take. It was also a vanity project for Isa and Xel too. They wanted the prestige of working in 'publishing' but didn't care a lick about the artists who brought readers in. If you were someone she thought was an artistic threat, Isa would go out of her way to humble you and put you in your place. That happened Many MANY times to me and my fellow creators. Not only was Hive using our work, it also would remind us how worthless we were in the same breath. Everything felt like some sort of competition, and Isa and Xel made sure artists didn't talk to ecahother about it too. So many instances of the two of them going around gossiping in public about 'the real story' when it came to their mismanagment and inability to handle their job. They would use someone else as a scape goat and pretend they did all they could. It was highschool stuff.
As for my particular case, I was the bane of their existance apparently. I was rumoured to be out for Isas job because artists would go to me for support and she hated that. I was apparently trying to ruin things because I saw those cracks. Squeaky wheel and all that. I took the risks I did, i didn't care about being 'everyone's friend' or missed out on 'the connections' because I didn't want to play that game. Artists were feeling used, stolen from, and neglected. I spoke up, and many others started to feel safe to do so too. The more we shared stories (and man, there are HORROR stories) the more we realised that the inner workings of Hive were more tangled than we thought. Our years of organising lead us to approach the cartoonist co-op for extra help. We tried our best to do what we could for Hive to survive.
After we were hit with the 'actually we're in a quarter of a million in debt' and they wanted us to help financially (while owing artists and staff money) it was the curtain call for Hive as a company. Isa left the sinking ship previously to avoid responsibility, and Xel ghosted the rest of us. All of this is to say that these kinds of people who promise the world with your work and take advantage are such a common and frustrating thing in not only comics, but all creative avenues. And speaking up and against them is the only way to make these cycles stop.
Please support the artists who were affected by this. Please spread the word and speak up against people who use artists like this. Hiveworks is an example in a sea of greedy people who want our work to inflate their ego. Don't let them forget we can bite back, and without us, THEY are nothing.
For anyone who is curious why I bailed out of Hiveworks, please read this.
My particular experience is pretty mild comparatively, but it mattered very much to me, and I hold grudges. I'll put this under a cut because it's long.