I've read the first chapter of Double K. I think it's an enjoyable comic with good art. But it's entire hook is that it's using characters from an existing franchise in an alternate universe setting. It's not even parody, it's fan-fiction.
Accepting money for that seems dirty to me. Like, why not just put your creative energies towards creating something completely new, if you want to make it your day job?
Goatmon, thank you for linking that. I had no idea that post existed and my life is better having read the line " It is like my dick's Rambo and fuckin' is the Vietnam War."
Well, I mean. What about Doujinshis? Lots of people make money on fan-works. You could say that modern sherlock adaptations are fan-works.
Not a big fan of Doujinshis for basically that exact reason. I know, we live in such a rabidly consumerist culture that it can seem greedy to say "No! Everything must be new and fresh and something I've never seen before!" But when you use someone else's characters in your own commercial work, not only is it legally dubious (usually just flat out illegal), you're also not doing the leg-work yourself. You're exploiting character dynamics and a universe that another artist built. They're the ones who labored for countless hours to create that work, and hone it, and distill it into the characters and plots and worlds that you fell in love with. And you can pay homage to those stories by writing spinoff works, but when you start to sell it, no matter how much you poured your own energies into that work, they aren't your characters. You don't own them, and you have no right to make money off of them.
Because really, even if your work is compelling in its own right, the vast majority of your readership will have discovered it through a Harry Potter/Naruto/Homestuck fan community, or a Google search, or from a friend who did one of the above. No matter what, you're piggy-backing on someone else's work.
(I personally think Sherlock is fine. The original author is dead, it's all legally above board, etc. There's a sort of natural statute of limitations there.)
What I would have done if I were John DoubleK is have gone the route of Gigi DG. Her parody comics were pretty damn popular in their own right, and she built up a significant readership with those. Instead of just saying "Hey, donate money and I'll keep making these!", she funneled those readers into Cucumber Quest, an original story with original characters that she has sole ownership over. Sure it took longer and it was more work, but with her most recent Kickstarter alone, she's managed to leverage that reputation into a career that she will never, ever have to defend from angry people on the internet who hate fun and are named Fugitive. (Also, she'll never lose sleep over the fear that tomorrow she'll be slapped with a cease and desist.)
Sherlock is actually still owned by the Arthur Conan Doyle Literary Estate and to use him or most of the characters from Conan Doyle's books you still have to pay a licensing fee.
The stories themselves are in public domain, though.
Yeah I honestly don't know how I feel about it, I mean. I love fanfics. I think writing fanfiction is a great thing, and drawing fancomics are great too. I don't know how I feel about selling fanworks when the IP owner hasn't said yay or nay. A lot of conventions now have expressly banned selling stuff like prints of fanart. Which, I mean. I don't know. I've bought prints of fanart. I have a print of Becky Dreistadts Totoro painting pinned up right next to me.
Yeah I honestly don't know how I feel about it, I mean. I love fanfics. I think writing fanfiction is a great thing, and drawing fancomics are great too. I don't know how I feel about selling fanworks when the IP owner hasn't said yay or nay. A lot of conventions now have expressly banned selling stuff like prints of fanart. Which, I mean. I don't know. I've bought prints of fanart. I have a print of Becky Dreistadts Totoro painting pinned up right next to me.
Just. All sorts of mixed feelings.
Yeah, I've gradually become kind of a codger on the topic, even though I would absolutely buy a Becky Dreistadt Totoro print. But that's because I love Becky's art, and I would buy just about anything she printed, so in my mind it's a matter of "how important is it that Becky be allowed to sell this Totoro print over an original work?" The answer is, of course, that it's not at all important. She can still make the painting, but she has no shortage of other, original works that she could sell in its place, and just leave the fanart as exactly what it is: A fun little thing made purely out of passion for the original work.
From what I understand Double K stuff that is directly from TTGL IP is sold either at-loss or non-profit and the creator only takes a cut from products derived from original work, such as shot glasses with "MAX B.A.C." on them.
Yeah, but I bought it cause its totoro (It's actually catbus) and it gives me fond memories. Even though I also have another print by her that's of just an original painting, it's not the one I have pinned up. I've bought little fanmade ironman-captain america keyfobs and pins cause they're cute (And because marvel doesn't offer anything like them officially). I'm not sure that person sells anything not related to fandom that I'd buy. I just made a post saying how I wanted to buy one of Reapersuns tshirts from redbubble and that is totally all sherlock/doctor who stuff. And she's also involved in a sherlock fanbook that I totally want.
On one hand, I'm opposed to selling fandom stuff because the IP owner doesn't profit. On the other hand, I want that stuff, and if the IP owner hasn't said No and doesn't seem to care and or likes it...
This will be the third post where we've started with Yeah.
I've been reading this review of LICD, and it has some pretty interesting information in it.
Apparently LICD has had 3 artists in it's lifetime, and the first quit out of disgust.
This is a good and well written review. I hate LICD. I was sickened when I saw his line at C2E2 this year. Hell his line was bigger than JJs
I've been looking over that site, it's really quite good. I've started following a few new webcomics from information gathered there.
Yeah I'm digging these reviews. His two part on CTRL+ALT+DEL has lead me to the information that Buckly tired to sue a high schooler who used his characters in a school project and thought it would be cool to show it to him.
From what I understand Double K stuff that is directly from TTGL IP is sold either at-loss or non-profit and the creator only takes a cut from products derived from original work, such as shot glasses with "MAX B.A.C." on them.
Oops! I actually didn't see that, and makes it all less shady (though there does seem to be some amount of "I need some extra money to pay bills while I get all of this stuff put together" but whatevs)
But it's still like, man, it would just be so much simpler to monetize something you own, wholly and completely.
@Kochi It's a sticky issue. It's such a fine line between homage and exploitation, too. That might be why I've adopted my stance. It's so easy and it makes me feel righteous.
I have never even tried to read Moon Over June. I just decided to try.
There is a three some. Ok, try another arc. First comic I clicked, they are seeing how far they can squirt.
I'm done here.
But it's still like, man, it would just be so much simpler to monetize something you own, wholly and completely.
Make something you can monetize and I can buy. Thanks.
edit: i want your stuff in my grubby hands
wait no that sounds wrong
um
um...
Well I'm currently doing concept art and assets for two games that are on track to not be vaporware, so potentially someday you will get to grubhandle my stuff in a fully interactive environment.
But it's still like, man, it would just be so much simpler to monetize something you own, wholly and completely.
Make something you can monetize and I can buy. Thanks.
edit: i want your stuff in my grubby hands
wait no that sounds wrong
um
um...
Well I'm currently doing concept art and assets for two games that are on track to not be vaporware, so potentially someday you will get to grubhandle my stuff in a fully interactive environment.
Oh yeah! Grats on that by the way. See. Look at this. We never talk in the AC. But here, Fug, my friend, we are buds. Friendly armpunch.
Posts
That's fairly impressive for a fan comic.
I guess I'm glad he's getting paid to do what he loves?
Accepting money for that seems dirty to me. Like, why not just put your creative energies towards creating something completely new, if you want to make it your day job?
edit: I mean as far as the feeling dirty about it and the why not create something entirely new. I'm sure it's like, totally illegal.
Tiny Kitten Teeth
http://handj.thewebcomic.com/
Apparently LICD has had 3 artists in it's lifetime, and the first quit out of disgust.
Strongly redolent of the Jeep sequences from Half Life 2
Easily the best part of the game for me, and some of the most atmospheric.
http://i.imgur.com/tAcFo.png
http://witnesstheabsurd.tumblr.com/
http://i.imgur.com/OPLlE.png
Commission me at http://tinyurl.com/cv3h2pl
!
Not a big fan of Doujinshis for basically that exact reason. I know, we live in such a rabidly consumerist culture that it can seem greedy to say "No! Everything must be new and fresh and something I've never seen before!" But when you use someone else's characters in your own commercial work, not only is it legally dubious (usually just flat out illegal), you're also not doing the leg-work yourself. You're exploiting character dynamics and a universe that another artist built. They're the ones who labored for countless hours to create that work, and hone it, and distill it into the characters and plots and worlds that you fell in love with. And you can pay homage to those stories by writing spinoff works, but when you start to sell it, no matter how much you poured your own energies into that work, they aren't your characters. You don't own them, and you have no right to make money off of them.
Because really, even if your work is compelling in its own right, the vast majority of your readership will have discovered it through a Harry Potter/Naruto/Homestuck fan community, or a Google search, or from a friend who did one of the above. No matter what, you're piggy-backing on someone else's work.
(I personally think Sherlock is fine. The original author is dead, it's all legally above board, etc. There's a sort of natural statute of limitations there.)
What I would have done if I were John DoubleK is have gone the route of Gigi DG. Her parody comics were pretty damn popular in their own right, and she built up a significant readership with those. Instead of just saying "Hey, donate money and I'll keep making these!", she funneled those readers into Cucumber Quest, an original story with original characters that she has sole ownership over. Sure it took longer and it was more work, but with her most recent Kickstarter alone, she's managed to leverage that reputation into a career that she will never, ever have to defend from angry people on the internet who hate fun and are named Fugitive. (Also, she'll never lose sleep over the fear that tomorrow she'll be slapped with a cease and desist.)
oh my gosh
the most shameless of ripoffs
Everyone loves Thor
And he's an original Avenger.
http://i.imgur.com/tAcFo.png
http://witnesstheabsurd.tumblr.com/
http://i.imgur.com/OPLlE.png
Commission me at http://tinyurl.com/cv3h2pl
!
The stories themselves are in public domain, though.
Just. All sorts of mixed feelings.
This is a good and well written review. I hate LICD. I was sickened when I saw his line at C2E2 this year. Hell his line was bigger than JJs
I've been looking over that site, it's really quite good. I've started following a few new webcomics from information gathered there.
Movie Comics
such outstanding, magnificent plagiarism
Yeah, I've gradually become kind of a codger on the topic, even though I would absolutely buy a Becky Dreistadt Totoro print. But that's because I love Becky's art, and I would buy just about anything she printed, so in my mind it's a matter of "how important is it that Becky be allowed to sell this Totoro print over an original work?" The answer is, of course, that it's not at all important. She can still make the painting, but she has no shortage of other, original works that she could sell in its place, and just leave the fanart as exactly what it is: A fun little thing made purely out of passion for the original work.
On one hand, I'm opposed to selling fandom stuff because the IP owner doesn't profit. On the other hand, I want that stuff, and if the IP owner hasn't said No and doesn't seem to care and or likes it...
This will be the third post where we've started with Yeah.
The best.
Moon Over June faces (NSFW)
Yeah I'm digging these reviews. His two part on CTRL+ALT+DEL has lead me to the information that Buckly tired to sue a high schooler who used his characters in a school project and thought it would be cool to show it to him.
Stay classy Buckly
Oops! I actually didn't see that, and makes it all less shady (though there does seem to be some amount of "I need some extra money to pay bills while I get all of this stuff put together" but whatevs)
But it's still like, man, it would just be so much simpler to monetize something you own, wholly and completely.
@Kochi It's a sticky issue. It's such a fine line between homage and exploitation, too. That might be why I've adopted my stance. It's so easy and it makes me feel righteous.
I don't think this style suits the genre very well.
Make something you can monetize and I can buy. Thanks.
edit: i want your stuff in my grubby hands
wait no that sounds wrong
um
um...
There is a three some. Ok, try another arc. First comic I clicked, they are seeing how far they can squirt.
I'm done here.
Well I'm currently doing concept art and assets for two games that are on track to not be vaporware, so potentially someday you will get to grubhandle my stuff in a fully interactive environment.
Ass for the ass throne
Oh yeah! Grats on that by the way. See. Look at this. We never talk in the AC. But here, Fug, my friend, we are buds. Friendly armpunch.
keep your hands to yourselves
I don't like you art-types touching each other
weirds me out