CREDITING FANART
Posted: August 4, 2009 Filed under: Uncategorized 20 Comments »
CREDITS TO: (click and look at bottom left corner)
Two posts in a single day? NO WAI!!
And both are metablogging posts? Wow, this has to be a dream! Or a nightmare…
So while I was busy going about my business these past two days, the aniblogosphere has gotten incensed over the issue of crediting artists for their amazing fanart. And I’m probably the only one who disagrees. And I have a snowball’s chance in the aniblogosphere’s flames to make my point into any form of a rational argument, so I’m just going to try and make this post as short as possible (or else I might have even more ragers on my back – not that I need any more after I said that Bakemonogatari and GTO suck).
So let’s start out with what I wrote on Gargron’s post:
I disagree 100%. Well, 95% or so.
I’ve written more than a few guides for various MMOs that I’ve now quit and forgot about until this post came up. As an ex-guide writer, I didn’t care if people plagiarized my guides. As long as people got the info., I didn’t care what happened to my guides.
Likewise, as a blogger, I don’t care if people quote me without saying that I said it. It’s kind of weird seeing some of the stuff I’ve typed on ~five forums, three blogs of mine, and various other places show up in odd places, but I like the fact that people are using my words to make a point, pretend to be as smart as me, etc. instead of raging over the fact that I wasn’t properly credited.
And finally, I link these feelings back to art. Though it may take quite a bit of time to draw a piece of artwork, the important thing is to get it out there and have people admire it, not to lengthen your e-peen by having people link back to/credit you. I know this might be a horrible analogy, but I’ve actually seen some of my MS Paint creations in the weirdest places, and I don’t care, as long as people are laughing at how stupid/awesome they are.
tl;dr I’m trying to make myself look as knowledgable in the subject as possible so people don’t go down the route of idiotic arguments and say “Well, you’re not an artist, so how would you know?” (to which I would obviously retort “NEITHER ARE YOU” or simply “NO U”).
There have already been a few posts on how Japanese artists could improve their game instead of waiting for us stupid Americans/other country-bloggers to credit them. (tl;dr) Take a hint from this guy and put your name on your work instead of getting angry that trolls at 4chan are *gasp* BLATANTLY POSTING WORK WITHOUT CREDITING THE ARTIST! [scream here]
Surprise, surprise, I don't know the source of this picture.
But I think the problem lies with the purpose of fanart itself. If the art is good, then people will naturally ask “SAUCE?” But if it’s bad, then nobody cares. If it’s really bad and there’s a giant watermark on it, and the watermark leads to a site in english, then expect to get some kind of flames.
If an artist truly thinks that he or she has the skills to stand out, then he or she should put his or her name on his or her (this is getting a bit cumbersome) works. But if he or she sucks, then he or she complains. And thus the “FOREIGNERS SUCK” rule was born. Oh wait, I meant the OFP.
I’m not particularly fond of being called a “stealer,” but hey, if I find an incredible piece of artwork, I’m going to put it on my blog and spread word that there’s one amazing anonymous (whether intentional or not) artist out there who can draw things I can’t even begin to dream of. Eventually, somebody’s going to find the sauce and everybody will be happy. Why hold back on posting a piece of artwork just because you don’t know the sauce? I don’t particularly understand, and when I don’t understand, I call it stupid. Maybe I should make the IBPP. Ignorant Blog Post Protection.
first!
*I meant 159th…
You bastard, you didn’t credit that Gravatar! I’ll have you arrested under the OFP!
Y’know, I’ve been thinking of drawing my own Yotsuba fanart, but I just don’t have the skills yet. Yotsuba is very hard to draw… I know it sounds strange, but it’s the truth!
(and btw, it’s not like my Gravatar is “fanart”. Azuma drew it himself… so it’s okay to use it… right? I mean, people are pissed cause others aren’t giving credit to “fanartist”, right, RIGHT?!?! LIEK, SO WE DON’T HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT WHEN WE’RE USING THE ORIGINAL CREATOR’S ARTWORK, DAY-SHOW?!? DAY-SHOW?!?)
I’d think that Yotsuba’s hair would be hard to draw. I mean, how does it connect on the back?! D:<
And also, YOU IGNORANT FOOL. You're supposed to credit every picture you have!
My Gravatar comes from a piece of art straight out of J.C. Staff's adaptation of Toaru Majutsu no Index!
This is getting ridculous. I’m up for credit, but when they demand too much, I’m out. NO AVATAR CREDIT NO BLOG CREDIT NO W/E CREDIT ZOMGOSH
Yeah yeah, but take a seat over here first. Where did your avatar come from?
/trollage
The crediting fanart shitstorm is blowing by, and it smells pretty damn bad.
I WILL NOT CREDIT MY AVATAR’S IMAGE.
Because I drew it myself.Because I’m protected by the IBPP.Getting a little defiant there, are we?
Actually, I, too, drew my avatar. In fact, all the pictures on this blog were drawn by me.
Psst, NEW TACTIC: pretend to be the original artist until you get the sauce. Then laugh it off and say you knew it all along.
P.S.: Stupid American!!
I should have probably admitted from the beginning that I’m not American…
Agreed. I’m all for respecting intellectual property and all that, but this is going a bit too far. I mean, yeah we should give others credit if we use their work, but if we can’t even find out who did it…
Seriously, if they want credit for their work, then they should at least put their name on it or something…
As long as people aren’t claiming they drew the “stolen” fanart, I don’t see why artists are so dicklicked over this nonexistent problem.
Not that any of that is going around here.
[…] Legality aside, it’s a question of common courtesy and manners. Regardless of your thoughts concerning your own work, be it your own fanart, writing, quotes, coding, or whatever, […]
[…] to see a lot of discussion from spicy to dull regarding the use of fanarts. Here, here, here, here and etcetara. There has been a lot of discussion lately that I’ve been meaning to ask… […]
Ugh.
You’re kinda again changing my opinion (oh lords, everbody seems to be able to do that with just a few arguments, but well, I’m not that rageous about this matter either).
But then again, there’s one point I can’t agree with: Your comparsion to a guide is not working for artworks. When you (theoretically) write episodes summaries it’s not the same when you write a book. And that’s the only one comparsion possible. Both books and artworks, no matter fan- or original, are what you put your soul in. (I know that sounds awkward but that is so). When somebody quotes an episodic summary without crediting, it’s true you won’t argue about it, but when somebody quotes your book without crediting, will you stay calm?
And it’s not about e-pen’s or something like that (I myself don’t exactly know what it means but I can imagine), it’s just about what a person has done in their life. It’s a bit more important, don’t you think?
This post is an excuse to post Eureka art. You should feel baaaaaaaad!
[…] – ? – ism (right now it’s Eurekaism […]
You linked Gofu’s art, love that artist. ^^
I’ve made several blog posts featuring Gofu’s art, which in a way might seem disrespectful since the artist’s site ask not to reproduce images, but I always advertise Gofu’s site and all the thumbnails lead to the art post on Gofu’s site themselves.
My goal there was only to spread love and admiration for that great art.
If done in that way, is that really wrong? ^^;;
Might have to do a post on this myself too cause many seem to have lost track of what it all should be about, love for anime and its art.
did you watch Pocket Full of Rainbows yet? What’s your opinion on that?