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NEWS: Rising Star Finalist Accused of Plagiarism


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Yamamaya



Joined: 20 Mar 2006
Posts: 3
PostPosted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 12:44 am Reply with quote
I wouldn’t say that this manga has been plagiarized because I think that plagiarism has to do more with the content and story than anything else. I probably don’t need to remind anyone but when images are used without permission that’s a copyright infringement. If the panels from the Samurai manga had been directly cut and pasted, clearly that would be a violation of copyrights. Because they are so close to the original images they referenced, there could still be a case for that however. Does any remember the stink that was made over “Anastasia” because the style for the characters looked too much like Disney? I think that as long as you’re not claiming to be the original artist, copying someone’s style isn’t against the law. What is, is reproducing images that are not of your own creation without permission.

Also, this isn’t the first time something questionable has happened in the RSOM contest. In the first contest, a winner based their story off of “the Little Match Girl” which obviously wasn’t their own story. However, in the title the artist did say, “Based off of Hans Christian Anderson’s story A Little Match Girl” so maybe that makes it ok….? For all I know none of his stories are copyrighted but I thought you needed permission to use other people’s stories like that.

I digress, my point is that since the Samurai story appears to be original I don’t think it would fall under a claim of plagiarism. If anything it would infringe on the copyrights of the Blade artist.

Either way, I don’t think the artist of this manga is worthy to be a ROSM finalist and should not have made it to the top 20; relying that much on other people’s art as reference is artistically immature and only proves that that artist is not ready to enter the ranks as a mangaka. Not to mention it really annoys existing fans of the genre who are the potential buyers of your work.

Next time Hendra, learn to draw from your own skill and vision. Don’t rely on previous manga masters to do the work for you. Take some life drawing classes and build up your skill before you make another mistake like this.
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Danno



Joined: 19 Feb 2003
Posts: 15
PostPosted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 3:02 am Reply with quote
Wow, quoting that http://www.omgcomics.com/Rob_Liefeld_tribute.htm site...

"The left eye on a character will be closer to the nose then the right. ALWAYS."

That's so accurate it's scary. I never noticed that before, but now that it's pointed out I can't stop seeing it. I didn't think it possible, but Rob's art actually looks worse to me now!
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puck



Joined: 21 Mar 2006
Posts: 2
PostPosted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 4:16 am Reply with quote
Yamamaya wrote:
I wouldn’t say that this manga has been plagiarized because I think that plagiarism has to do more with the content and story than anything else. I probably don’t need to remind anyone but when images are used without permission that’s a copyright infringement. [...] Does any remember the stink that was made over “Anastasia” because the style for the characters looked too much like Disney?

Also, this isn’t the first time something questionable has happened in the RSOM contest. In the first contest, a winner based their story off of “the Little Match Girl” which obviously wasn’t their own story. However, in the title the artist did say, “Based off of Hans Christian Anderson’s story A Little Match Girl” so maybe that makes it ok….? For all I know none of his stories are copyrighted but I thought you needed permission to use other people’s stories like that.

I digress, my point is that since the Samurai story appears to be original I don’t think it would fall under a claim of plagiarism. If anything it would infringe on the copyrights of the Blade artist.


"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

pla·gia·rize : 1) to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own : 2) use (another's production) without crediting the source : 3) to commit literary theft : 4) present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source

So indeed, Samurai Zombie falls into all definitions of plagiarism. It is also copyright infringement. The two are not exclusive.

Samurai Zombie rips off the story of BotI as well. This negates a large portion of your (faulty) reasoning. Perhaps you should read both materials.

Anastasia was reminicent of Disney style because it was animated by ex-Disney animators.

There was no such thing as a copyright in the time of the Grimms Brothers. Even if there were, copyrights are meant to have a limited use (70 yrs) before the work becomes public domain and can be used by anyone. It is perfectly legal to retell a classic fable.
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littlegreenwolf



Joined: 10 Aug 2002
Posts: 4796
Location: Seattle, WA
PostPosted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 9:41 am Reply with quote
Puck already explained it. In art you can't just trace someone's work and put it off as your own. It's very hard in art to plagiarize a peice of artwork, but they managed to do it. If I traced a whole single page and just altered a couple details and then tried turning it in to my class as an assignment, I'd probably be kicked out of my school. If I got it published, I'd probably get sued.
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jgreen



Joined: 14 Mar 2005
Posts: 1325
Location: St. Louis, MO
PostPosted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 9:47 am Reply with quote
littlegreenwolf wrote:
*Cringes* Oww. Now before he/she had a slight chance of getting away with freehand, but some of those look like tracings. I don't know what was wrong with Hendra Wahjudi, but that there just completly ruined their reputation. If they're still looking for a career in comics, better for them to change their name now. I mean seriously, I can understand using an existing comic for refrence to style and composition of frames, but tracing a whole freaking page and just altering a few details is not what a developing comic artist should do. Use your freaking imagination like any other artist, or you won't develop.


He/she didn't trace the entire page. That BotI "page" is made up of images from multiple issues of the book. Wahjudi did swipe every image on that page, but they didn't all come from the same page of BotI so at least it took a *little* effort.

Danno wrote:
That's so accurate it's scary. I never noticed that before, but now that it's pointed out I can't stop seeing it. I didn't think it possible, but Rob's art actually looks worse to me now!


Oh, god, I don't even want to look to verify this....his art is bad enough to me as it is....
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Agent Wax



Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 23
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 2:51 am Reply with quote
jgreen wrote:
Quote:
He/she didn't trace the entire page. That BotI "page" is made up of images from multiple issues of the book. Wahjudi did swipe every image on that page, but they didn't all come from the same page of BotI so at least it took a *little* effort.


http://images.comicbookresources.com/litg/overlay01.jpg
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shadow_guyver



Joined: 14 Jul 2004
Posts: 307
Location: Tokyo, Japan
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 3:02 am Reply with quote
Agent Wax, the BotI part of that overlay is a composite of scans from various pages in the manga. That is what jgreen was saying.
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jgreen



Joined: 14 Mar 2005
Posts: 1325
Location: St. Louis, MO
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 10:49 am Reply with quote
shadow_guyver wrote:
Agent Wax, the BotI part of that overlay is a composite of scans from various pages in the manga. That is what jgreen was saying.


Exactly. The artist didn't steal an entire page of BotI, they just stole all the images they used to make that page from various parts of BotI.

Considering how far and wide the artist had to dig to find all those images, it's a wonder why they didn't just give up and learn how to draw...it'd probably be easier. Very Happy
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Jadress



Joined: 08 Oct 2003
Posts: 807
Location: Seattle. It purdy and nerdy!
PostPosted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 12:39 am Reply with quote
By the way, you actually CAN get in trouble for copying an artistic style. A teacher at my school who teaches a class about the business of being an artist was a long time artist rep and head of an illustration studio and she told us how lots of clients would ask for artwork in a specific style, in one case, the style of all those "NAILS!" Nail salon type pics. Apparently, one of the artists in her studio got in trouble for mimicing that style (better than the original artist could do it, according to my teacher) and the family of that original artist tried to sue. It ended up costing a few thousand dollars to settle the case and save the studio artist's butt (who had only been following the wishes of the client in the first place).

To comment on the original topic.. Samurai Zombie.. how shameful.
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Cave



Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 80
PostPosted: Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:25 pm Reply with quote
jgreen wrote:
People whose artistic skills are so underdeveloped that they have to steal all of their content, copying from other sources in order to produce anything, are quite simply bad artists. If you have to reference 6 different pages of someone else's comic in order to trace out one page of yours, you need to be practicing, not trying to get published, because you really aren't ready for the game yet.


Very, very well said!

I'm joining in a bit late, but I can't help but add in some of my opinion here.

Shame on you all that are saying this isn't plagarism. This is absolutely, down-right, the WORST plagarism I have ever seen. Being in art college (Graphic Design major) if this were to be shown during a simple critique, you'd be KICKED OUT of the school - NO questions asked. Plagarism is not flattery and it is not to be taken lightly. It can follow you for the rest of your life. From this, I can say that the artist's reputation will most certainly be affected and I hope Tokyopop never accepts a submission from him again. The proof is beyond undeniable.

I had to say something... plagarism is just one of the worst things. If the artist needed poses THAT badly, get a camera (even a disposable one if that's all they could afford) and/or a loyal friend, take pictures/draw off of them. Not that hard.

This is such a kick-in-the-nuts for others who did not copy and entered that particular RSoM contest and didn't win. *ahem*I did enter and didn't win. I feel insulted that this is one of the entries I had to lose to.
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