I was working on a comic project of someone named Dheeraj Vermasoes, written by R.W. Miller. I'm drawing pages 18 - 28, and the project's supposedly a paying project, with contract sheet digitally signed by both parties, stating that he will pay me an agreed page rate once every five pages done and turn in. But Dheeraj suddenly went incommunicado since Wednesday, May 14th, 2008, while I am already sent him the preview pics of those pages done. I'm not sure what's wrong with him or what he's currently being through that made him went incommunicado, but he's not as responsive as he did before the first five pages I was being assigned to, done. Dead not-responsive at all. When I asked him about the payment for those completed five pages, no response at all. I checked my email and the bulkmail section as well everyday since then, and I find nothing.

Well, I guess I'm saluting myself a congratulations on my very first "bully" gig. It's a good thing what he get were only those low res files of those pages. Speaking of disappointment, I am very disappointed, yes. Why? Because I am in the very urgent need of the money, and because of it I worked those pages half a day each. Means that I completed two pages per day, without working on anything else. I was speeding my working speed up from my normal schedule, to that speed level, so that I can complete and deliver those pages faster, and get the money faster as well.

True, I was asking him to send me the payment for the completed first two pages, and I even willing to bear the money transfer fees. (Payment schedule is two weeks for five completed pages listed in the signed contract sheet, but when I chatted w/ Dheeraj and asking if I can get some payment within a week for completed five sequential pages, he stated that he's willing to pay for every five pages completed and turn in. Money transfer fees should be bore by the client, according to the signed contract sheet as well. But since I really need the money for urgent matter real fast, I'm willing to even pay the money transfer fees.) And yet in the end the big boss suddenly missing, whether intentionally or vice versa. Not even a brief explanations prior his disappearance. And I ended up being unpaid.

So do I get myself some loss on my side? Well, it depends on what we are talking about.

Speaking about the completed artworks, well ..., not really. I still have the original pages and I haven't let the hi-res files out to him. Unless he had someone with a very sharp eyes who can ink over the low-res printed pages, it will not be considered a loss. But talking about resources and time frame, I do received some loss on them. Instead working on this project of no-where-to-be-found-in-the-end person, I could be doing other paying project or commission orders, and make some money by then.

I was kind of hang on to the project, to pay most of my monthly bills. And now, everything's wrecked because of this. I even borrowing money from a friend of mine, just to send those preview pics to Dheeraj, and now it's already overdue. And still, he hasn't even replied to any of my previous email messages sent to him. One more lesson to be learnt: Be sure to be more careful with whom you are dealing with, even with someone who has a very convincing contract sheet ready. But most of it, just be careful when you're about to be dealing with someone named Dheeraj Vermasoes, or Dheeraj Verma, or whoever he is.

Well, thanks for reading this long rant anyway. (And yes, I am ranting!).