Up until recently my artwork was up on Novablade Studios website. In fact you'll see that a piece of my art is still on the lovely splash page. I didn't really leave it there by choice. I just don't have the ability to remove it as I did all the other work of mine.
Things did not go very civil between my ex and I and he has literally done everything he can to vindictively tear me down including take away my art from me. I was stupid. I just wanted away from him. I had no money, no lawyer, no support from anyone and he legally walked all over me with his attorney. I had no idea what I was really giving up at the time. If I knew now what I knew then I would have stood up for myself more.
In the divorce contract NovaBlade was his. To make a long story short... what I THOUGHT it said was that all my art was mine and his was his and any joint projects we would need each other's permission to do anything with. That's what I thought, at least.
We had a webcomic that featured two characters--one he created and I specifically created far BEFORE the webcomic was ever put into thought. I decided I wanted to do a solo project with her and I called my ex to let him know what I wanted to do, trying to show some courtesy. But I was only greeted with cold hostility telling me I wasn't allowed to use the character or any LIKENESS of the character without permission and we would have to discuss this further. Of course, being the passionate artist I was about my work I blew my top. He continued to gaslight me as if I was unreasonable and cut off communication despite the fact that we both have a child together.
I simply gave up on having to kiss his ass to use any of my work and simply let 20+ years of my hard work, artistic creativity, blood, sweat, tears, and dreams go. This is all about control. It always has been. I refuse to give him any power over me. Not like this. I deserve better for all the energy I put into NovaBlade. I deserve better as an artist. But I swallowed the jar of broken glass, cried a lot, and let go. I feel like I lost children. Oh, wait... I did. Almost. Thankfully I still maintain contact with my son and he can never take that away from me.
I can do better. I know I can. But for years this has creatively damaged me and I still have trouble getting back my creativity. It has crippled me. Every time I sit in front of a paper with pencil I draw a blank, my anxiety and depression creep up, I want to cry.
For the past 3-4 years my artwork was up on the NovaBlade site. About 90% of the work on there was mine. It upset me seeing it up there as if it was a carrot dangling on a stick to mock me. "Haha! Here's your work. But now it's MY work. I'm taking credit for it too! You can't do anything about it." I texted my ex several weeks ago to remove all of my art off the site but he didn't even have the decency to send a dickish response. So, without giving a shit I figured out my old password to the site and removed what I could. I switched it off the lovely template I put time and care into designing and changed it to the default. I didn't deface it. I kept his small amount of solo work up on the site.
It looks so empty and unloved. That still breaks my heart... but I am done with NovaBlade. Do not go there to support me. Do not buy any of my artwork from him.
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