I think our relationship with Epic had run its natural course, and it happened to coincide with the fulfillment of our contract. We decided not to resign with them.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
After 'Psychonauts,' we could have laid off half our team so that we'd have more money and time to sign 'Brutal Legend.' But doing so would have meant breaking up a team that had just learned how to work well together. And what message would that have sent to our employees? It would say that we're not loyal to them, and that we don't care.
It took a long time to get out of my contract. The producers thought I was negotiating for more money.
With many comic strips, knowing when to quit isn't a problem: The syndicate editors simply cancel a feature that is losing papers.
So we believed that strategic alliances and partnerships were critical, and we did that for five years.
I'm struggling with what is epic. People decided I was epic - if by epic, do you mean a big, heavy book? 'David Copperfield' is a big book - is it epic? Amount of time covered, length, drama, or story - that's the real appeal - if the story is long you have a better chance of becoming more connected.
No, I did not offer to resign for a second.
We very much regret that our merger with Sprint was not allowed to proceed.
I quit after my seven-year contract with Universal was up. I quit for 33 years.
In April of 1976, Epic Records was flying out to sign us when I tripped over a light case after a gig and broke my arm. We called the next morning and said, 'Don't go to the airport - Bun E. broke his arm.' They thought Mercury or someone was trying to sign us, so they offered us, like, $25,000 more on top of the deal.
An epic is not made by piecing together a set of heroic lays, adjusting their discrepancies and making them into a continuous narrative.