I personally would not relinquish the rights to my artwork ever. You are right, if your artwork goes up in value and popularity, you could then make the money your original art is really worth. I would talk to a lawyer before signing the contract.
You can talk to the publisher about a percentage deal if they won't budge and you don't want to do the work with no future compensation coming in. It sounds like you aren't real pleased with the money they are offering you. Without knowing how detailed and the number of characters you are expected to create, I can't say it is a fair deal or not. Figure out how long it's going to take you, and then, make sure you are getting fair compensation. At least, try to make minimum wage this time, but, only if you get to keep the art rights.
I personally would not relinquish the rights to my artwork ever. You are right, if your artwork goes up in value and popularity, you could then make the money your original art is really worth. I would talk to a lawyer before signing the contract.
You can talk to the publisher about a percentage deal if they won't budge and you don't want to do the work with no future compensation coming in. It sounds like you aren't real pleased with the money they are offering you. Without knowing how detailed and the number of characters you are expected to create, I can't say it is a fair deal or not. Figure out how long it's going to take you, and then, make sure you are getting fair compensation. At least, try to make minimum wage this time, but, only if you get to keep the art rights.