Fanart stuff

[trecomics]

I've been sick with a fever and away from the internet for the last few days, but from what I'm reading on Twitter, fanart was brought up during the Nick Simmons comic controversy. I'm baffled even why it was brought up. I caught up at Simon Jone's blog on the matter. He brings a class act to the subject and the following comments are broad enough

Comments

[100_series]

This is why I find the OFP sort of backwards in logic, lol. They can make a living off fan art, but if you dare display any of their work online, YOU BURN. But you know, in Rome do as Romans do. They have their own idea of what is acceptable, and I'll abide by that as long as I am dealing with them.

I do sell above the cost for fanart products, but not enough to make a lot of money. I want to make enough to cover the cost of the table and my time and effort in addition to the base materials, but not so much to where I'm reaping in cash on someone else's character license. I follow the con's guidelines. If I can break even, that's a miracle. What I really will make any money off of is selling my books and analog works. I support cons that put limitations on the number of fanart prints you can sell, I think that is fair.

I think it's interesting how Japan and America have different views on what is acceptable because of how their comic cultures have developed. I like that Japanese companies are open to their fans' work, where as American ones will slap you with a lawsuit lol. However, the Japanese are a bit over-eager about plagiarism.

This Nick Simmons thing is just awful though, lol. "People make money on fan art all the time!" is no defense for practically tracing someone's art and sticking it in your own professionally published series.

[cetriya]

dont know too, that people keep forgetting that in japan, doujins are expensive to print and charge for cheap. Even if they bring a lot of copies they are lucky to break even.

another thing, those doujin resellers bother me to no end.

[trecomics]

Forgive my stupidity, but what's OFP? (´；ω；｀)

I think there's nothing wrong with pricing high enough to try to break even with con expenses, and reading recent prices for tables, I really don't blame people! I'm still hung up on guilt, but talking to a few people, I think I can try to let go some of that guilt so not to be $100s in the hole.

Americans (minus Disney) seem ok about their licenses as much, as long as you're not bootlegging and making a living. But we have the stigma of hungry lawyers looking for any excuse to sue or protect their company. I know I feel that in the back of my mind. (lol)

The Japanese comic industry has examples of comickers who were caught tracing from other comics and having all their work removed, to superstars who've done the same and have a new season of their anime series coming out. I think it depends how the author/publisher will handle it.

I can see why some folks are using this tracing thing to show the irony of fans stealing. But fanwork culture is completely different, and is not something Japan does alone, even though we probably think they handle it best. (lol) I ignored the whole thing until fanart was brought up, and then bwa? Suddenly we're all THIEVES in copyright and fan culture. It's bullshit. Just because a few people WILL practically steal selling, doesn't mean all of us do. /end rant^^;