According to The Hollywood Reporter, an artist who has worked with Megadeth on multiple projects says he hasn't been paid for hundreds of hours of work and still owns the copyright to the art.
The report states that the cover of Megadeth’s latest album, The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! has drawn a lawsuit from an artist who says he hasn’t received pay or credit for his work.
New York-based illustrator and designer Brent Elliott White says he has “created artwork and characters over time for Megadeth that have become an integral part of the band’s identity” and was contacted about this album in early 2020. They didn’t sign a written contract at the time, according to the complaint, and the concept phase involved multiple revisions and edits and hundreds of hours of work.
By April 2021 the band had chosen a concept for the cover for The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! and asked White to create art for an EP release. More than a year later, in June 2022, White says the band’s manager Bob Johnsen asked him for additional renderings of the artwork for stage decorations for an upcoming tour. That’s when White sent a text to Johnsen noting that he didn’t have a contract and hadn’t been paid, saying, “I know album release time is hectic but I have to mention that any send off, including album art, is contingent on compensation and contract. So we’re going to have to sort that out soon.”
According to the complaint, Johnson’s response was that “‘No one intended to not have this papered by now’ and he ‘would bring it up the right way.'”
Read the full report, and view the complaint, at The Hollywood Reporter.
Megadeth will perform live at the legendary Budokan arena in Tokyo, Japan for a special global livestream event on February 27. A video trailer for the event can be found below.
Fans will receive virtual VIP access to the band pre-show, with an exclusive behind-the-scenes video capturing their trip through Japan, all leading into the band’s first-ever live performance at the world-famous Budokan Arena.
The show will then be re-broadcast three times, so fans around the world can watch at a time suitable for them. Thereafter, the whole performance will be available to watch on-demand for another 48 hours, as follows:
• Live Show: 8pm JST / 11am GMT / 6am EST
• Rebroadcast #1: 7pm GMT / 8pm CET
• Rebroadcast #2: 8pm EST
• Rebroadcast #3: 8pm PST
• On Demand Opens: Monday 27 February 11.30pm PST / 02.30am EST* / 07.30am GMT* (Tuesday 28 February).
• On Demand Closes: Wednesday 1 March at 11.30pm PST / 02.30am EST / 07.30am GMT* (*Thursday 2 March).
Ticketholders will get access to the livestream, all re-broadcasts, and to on-demand replays. Fans can buy tickets and watch all broadcasts and on-demand replays from anywhere around the world, EXCEPT Japan.
For fans in Japan, ‘They Only Come Out at Night’ is only accessible via Wowow.
Exclusive livestream merchandise is available to pre-order with tickets, during the livestream, and during the on-demand period. Livestream tickets are on sale now, here.
