New FuMP Song

[filkertom]

This one will require a small around of background. Very short form: There's this guy, Rob Granito, who has for awhile now apparently traced other comic artists' work and passed it off as his own. Also padded his resume a lot. Last month, it all blew up in his face.

Thus.

Comments

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

Heh, very good. You have a talent to come up with such snappy lyrics so fast.

Out of curiosity, do you know which Mark Waid is, "comics' leading leftwing socialist hippiefreak" or "comics' leading rightwing Nazi"? I know of Waid and have enjoyed his work, I'm curious which he is.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

The former, last I checked. I'm a huge fan of his work, particularly his run on Fantastic Four with the late Mike Wieringo.

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

I'm a DC man so for me it was Flash and Kingdom Come. But I read his run on the FF as well; some superb writing there. Thanks!

[stevemb.livejournal.com]

I've been following Irredeemable and Incorruptible (two titles set in a world where a Superman-level hero totally loses it and things proceed to go straight to hell in a handbasket).

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

I didn't know about those two titles until I looked Waid up on wikipedia after reading Tom's post, about twelve hours ago.

Okay, that does it. Two more comics to investigate and read! Thanks for the prompt!

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Oh man, that's right. Kingdom Come. What an effing story. If they ever try to adapt it, I want it to be three hours long, and animated by the team doing the promos for DC Universe Online.

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

Kingdom Come was *brilliant*, wasn't it? Waid is the sort of author - that was the sort of story - which ties in decades of comics history, that makes one *proud* to be a comics enthusiast, that makes the genre stand up as fair dinkum literature, if you know what I mean.

If they ever try to adapt it, I want it to be three hours long, and animated by the team doing the promos for DC Universe Online.

Darn, wouldn't that be excellent.

I've watched that first DC Universe Online promo - which I only knew about because of your post about it - several times. We *need* that mob to do a full comics movie!!

[alverant.livejournal.com]

I haven't really been into comics for a while (and haven't really paid attention to artists), but this was a good song. Padding your resume always comes back to haunt you. Plagurism is at least a civil offense and I hope he has to return all the money he made from it.

[kilbia.livejournal.com]

Banned from comic conventions, eh?

Granito starts ripping off anime in 3.. 2.. 1....

[jannyblue.livejournal.com]

This is the first I've heard of it, so it's not "old news" to me.

Huh. Well, that would explain why I never saw him working on his "custom" commissioned sketches at his table during cons... even the artists who routinely take too many commissions *coughCraigcough* are working on at least a few of their owed drawings... when they're not busy shilling their work, of course. ;-)

I wonder what art he traced and edited to make the "custom" piece I have from him...

[purpleranger.livejournal.com]

What is the character? That might give us a place to start narrowing down the list of suspects.

[jannyblue.livejournal.com]

It's a "superhero-ified" version one of my RPG characters, so likely not... umm... traceable that way.

My thought is that she's probably a traced-over re-color of someone with modifications for equipment and clothing style/color. (the character had a rather unique "weapon" and style of dress)

With all the changes, it's possible mine actually falls under "fair use" because it's got to be markedly different from the original, whatever it was.

I'm just annoyed I gave him money for an "original" piece that was just a modified copy of someone else's work. (Hell, even I can minorly modify and re-color a pre-existing drawing.)

[purpleranger.livejournal.com]

I read the article to which Tom linked. If the illustrations are any indication of this person's "talent," I find it hard to believe that he could modify anything enough to qualify it under fair use.

And I think you have every right to be annoyed.

[chaotic-nipple.livejournal.com]

So, basically, Greg Land, only slightly more blatant.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

... basically. Although Land has some talent.

[purpleranger.livejournal.com]

So who is Greg Land? I have apparently been fortunate enough to have never encountered him.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Here are some examples (http://jimsmash.blogspot.com/2008/02/more-greg-land-ripoffs.html) of Mr. Land's work. The most famous, and egregious, one is the bottom pair, where he "borrowed" from a Pam Anderson picture to paint Satana. There's also a version out there of The Black Widow.

[chaotic-nipple.livejournal.com]

Professional comic artist who uses photo references and other artist's work to a rather ridiculous degree. Has been known to trace soft-core porn pictures and then just draw costumes on them. At least he admits it, though.

[purpleranger.livejournal.com]

This rather stretches the definition of "professional," doesn't it?

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

If he's getting paid for it, it's "professional". Everything else is detail, including whether it's professional creation or professional... referencing.

[purpleranger.livejournal.com]

So we could call this Granito guy a professional plagiarist?

[stevemb.livejournal.com]

I wonder if "John Shields" (http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/03/28/rob-granito-scam-artist/#aolc=Ak_Yfw) will show up on this thread....

[marsdejahthoris.livejournal.com]

I always loved "Take a Letter, Maria," just because the tune was so catchy. this is even BETTER. Bravo. :)

[ravenclaw-eric.livejournal.com]

This is the first I've heard about this; thanks for the heads-up, Tom! After I was here, I went around and Googled this idiot's name, and I was frankly rather shocked at what I found. This guy's not even that good an artist, and a lot of his claims should have sent up big red flags (like working on Calvin and Hobbes, very much in particular) a long time ago.

I hope he gets sued down to his component atoms.

[insane-ian.livejournal.com]

I was a fan of this issue of The Gutters taking the piss out of him...

http://www.the-gutters.com/comic/123-lar-desouza

[shockwave77598.livejournal.com]

First I've heard of him also. Then again, I'm not tuned into comics like I once was.

[kengr]

"Never anger a Bard. For they are not at all subtle, and your name scans to Greensleeves..."

Alternately, "Boy, I'm gonna make you *famous*..." (where "famous" is said in a manner that means "Pond scum will avoid you")