Paul Frank vs. Paul Frank

I found this sad story via Boing Boing, it seems there is a feud between designer Paul Frank and the company that bears his name. The designer is no longer part of the $40 million empire built on his cute animal drawings:

The Artist Formerly Known as Paul Frank

“Depending on whom you ask, late last year Frank either quit or was forced out of the company he co-founded with Oswald, the C.E.O., and Heuser, the president. To Frank’s defenders, it’s as if Walt Disney had been separated from his eponymous empire. That’s because Frank created his own Mickey Mouse in Julius, the widemouthed monkey that adorns a substantial portion of the products sold by the company.”

…after reading this it would make me think twice before buying another Paul Frank Industries product.