ichabod1799 - Tumblr blog

[ichabod1799]

Rob Cantor's Shia LaBeouf by ichabod1799

[ichabod1799]

Believe In Your Strengths by ichabod1799

[ichabod1799]

I Found My Illustrations Stolen and Sold Across The Internet

So I was scrolling through my phone on YouTube Sunday morning - part of my weekend routine. When I see a video that grabbed my attention. "The Babadook Explained." Though it wasn't the title that grabbed my attention. It was the thumbnail they used. An illustration of the Babadook. An image I'm all too familiar with, right down to every single ink drop. I have it framed in my hallway, I walk past it everyday. I made it. 

(Top: My Babadook Poster illustration.   Bottom: Youtube Film Comics Explained Babadook Video Explained Thumbnail) I didn't mind them using it at first. I was a little flattered. I clicked on the video and scrolled through the description. That was then when I felt disheartened. No credit to the artist. Though credit was given to the music used in the video. Just not the illustration used in the thumbnail. I did leave a comment saying they probably should give the artist a credit. But I have yet to hear back.

It's not the first time it has happened and I have seen it a fair amount of times. Sometimes I get a message out of the blue asking if they could use my image in a post. I always say yes as long as credit is given. It’s a simple thing you can do that really helps out a lot. For me you don't even need to ask, just go share it around and credit. 

However it's a problem if they start profiting off it. 

After the Babadook video I got curious and did some internet investigation (thank you reverse image search) and I was quite shocked to see a lot of my stuff was being sold across various websites. 

Though this is also not the first time this has happened. Last year in a Buffy Facebook group I'm in, one of the members shared a print they purchased off Etsy. A certain element of that looked way too familiar. 

(Left: The piece found on Etsy.   Right: My Buffy poster illustration) 

I could tell it was heavily inspired by my piece, the colour scheme and the quote (however they did add the full quote which I'll give kudos to, works better). But also the actual scythe illustration was cut out copy of the one I drew on my poster design. I drew that scythe vector myself. And gave it a couple of my own stylised additions that were very evident on the copy too. That and with some of the flaws in the copy are too exact to be a coincidence.

For example, these stylistic gaps along the edges and the handle.

(Left: Buffy Scythe prop replica for comparison.   Middle: Copied piece on Etsy.   Right: My Buffy Scythe poster illustration. Comparing my style differences from the prop but my different style design elements are also in the copy)

And the mess of this clamp thing which has a few flaws the exact same in the copy. 

(left: Copied piece found on Etsy.   Right: My Buffy Poster Illustration.)

By the time I found it the seller (AandZ Design) had already sold out.

I left a comment on the Facebook thread how that was a stolen piece and was met with a lot of hateful remarks; that it was rude to say that, that they looked nothing alike etc. Yeah right, the comparisons speak for themselves.

But of course with fan art you're powerless to do anything about it. I don’t even know what to do about it. I messaged the seller and again no response back.

For the record sake, I created that Buffy Poster in March on 2014. (You can see the DA listing here) I have no record of when AandZ Design listed that piece on Etsy. But it was shared on Facebook in May of 2018.  

However it did motivate me to reopen my etsy shop and start selling prints of my Buffy poster. So buyers who like it can by a legitimate signed print.  

https://www.etsy.com/shop/mttwood  

Anyway back to today with the research to see what else was stolen; I found this Babadook design on Society6.

Look familiar again?

(Above: Very Familiar Babadook Illustration being sold on Society6 )

I messaged Society6… and you guessed it. Still no response.

I then found my Evanescence Lost In Paradise poster on another site being sold as a phone cover. This was from a website in Turkey. I messaged them and they took it down in less than 5 minutes with an apology. So good work to them.  

I found my Majora's Mask Consumed illustration also being sold as phone covers on another website. But at least they left the watermark on it. Lol.

(Top: My Zelda Consumed Illustration.   Bottom: The phone cover being sold on Aliexpress)  

However I do have this available as a phone cover on my Redbubble page and society 6

https://www.redbubble.com/people/mttwood/shop

https://society6.com/mttcreative

That way you can actually support the artist who made it. And it’s a high print quality that's not going to be printed  pixelated. I'd image all the stolen ones would have printed poorly as I never upload a full 300dpi image to be shown on the web. The images would have been stolen off here on DA or Pintrest and those are all 72dpi which you couldn't print at a decent size.  

Then some further digging and I came across my Penny Dreadful cover illustration being sold on a T-Shirt.

(Top: My Penny Dreadful Cover illustration. Bottom: My Penny Dreadful Cover stolen and being sold on TeeHow)

I did this as part of the Penny Dreadful fan art contest a few years ago to design a comic book cover. Though I didn't win (due to not being a U.S citizen), I did make it into finales, to which I pulled out. But I guess this image is also partly owned by ShowTime because of that contest. I've received many requests to sell this on a tshirt but I don’t have the rights to even do that. I tried and redbubble wasn’t having any of that. So I was quite annoyed to find this website TeeHow selling it on Tshirts.  

I tried to message them also but the email address listed on their own site doesn't even work. All my emails bounced back.

But that's not the last of it. I also found my Penny Dreadful illustration being sold on stickers on Aliexpress.

(Above: My Penny Dreadful illustration stolen and being sold as part of a sticker set on AliExpress.)

And this copywriter who decided to use it as part of his portfolio for whatever reason. And without credit.

(Above: My Penny Dreadful illustration being used on Nick Sheptak's portfolio without credit)

At that point I kind of had enough.

I use to say when stuff like this happens, you're making waves. Someone has noticed you. They like your stuff enough to copy it. There’s a little sense of pride but when they're profiting off it and you can't and you don’t even receive so much as a credit. It feels very discouraging to even continue.

And because it's fanart I don't even know what rights I even have to begin with. It's just a muddled area.

I should go and do more originals, but truth be sold, fan art sells. It pays the bills. It gets noticed. And I was born to be graphic artists - my painting teacher would always say. I just don't have many original concepts these days.

I've always been more than happy to share my stuff with you guys. I loved making wallpapers for you to use for free. But please don't steal it just to profit of my hard work. A lot of my stuff is created in the late hours of the night/early hours of the morning.

And if you're going to use my stuff for any thumbnails or anything (that shouldn't be profit driven) please give a credit. It's the least you can do.

And I'm sure this has happened to a lot of other artists as well. If so, how did you feel? What did you do?  

If you like to know what platforms I do sell on, here's a list

Etsy (www.etsy.com/shop/mttwood)

Displate (https://displate.com/ichabod1799)

RedBubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/mttwood/shop)

Society6 (https://society6.com/mttcreative)  

[ichabod1799]

Sabrina: Pandora's Box by ichabod1799

[ichabod1799]

Sabrina Poster: The Witches Are Coming by ichabod1799

[ichabod1799]

Feeling cute. Might start some witchy drama later... Idk #sabrina #chillingadventuresofsabrina #drawing #sketch #traditionalart #feelingcute https://www.instagram.com/p/BwbiD8THFVy/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=wa8ul5h5c5hy

[ichabod1799]

This bad boy sold out at supanova. Not to worry though metal prints are available on displate (displate.com/ichabod1799). Order today and get free shipping. More paper print stock will be available in June. Message to preorder. #artistalley #zelda #legendofzelda #majorasmask #darkart #spooky #displate #displates #illustration https://www.instagram.com/p/BwVu9xZnchf/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=c1o408to0z7y

[ichabod1799]

Throw back to 2011 (I think it was) war of the worlds piece I did for a Sci-Fi exhibition. Pencil watercolour digital. My dad use to play this record for us as kids when we went to bed. Gave me nightmares. Maybe that's what started this horror curiosity. #waroftheworlds #artistsoninstagram #alien https://www.instagram.com/p/BvWLvmtFZQd/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=yj6ri0h7pyir

[ichabod1799]

Happy to announce that I’ll be at the artist alley at Melbourne Supanova 2019 from April 5th - 7th at the Melbourne Showgrounds. I’ll be set up at table 156 where I’ll have a large selection of prints, bookmarks, cards and merch available for purchase. So, if you’re going to Supanova drop by and say Hi. And if you weren’t now you have a reason to. There’s also the opportunity to win a cool prize. See you there. www.mttwood.com www.instagram.com/mttwoodart/ www.supanova.com.au https://www.instagram.com/p/BvTK1x1Fw35/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1e2xxbn1t1fc9

[ichabod1799]

No strings attached.

[ichabod1799]

Teen Titans Go! To The Movies (2018)

[ichabod1799]

i don’t mean to sound fake deep but the reason 2018 felt so long was because we’re being fed what’s trending at such a rapid rate that we literally can’t remember half of the shit that even happened anymore. “Black Panther came out in February!” Marvel releases so many movies a year that we completely forget about the last movie as soon as a new one comes out and it repeats in a vicious cycle. “Tide Pods/Ugandan Knuckles was in January!” The life span of memes have been rapidly declining for years and it’s gotten to the point where the average lifespan of a meme is about 2 weeks and then the next thing gets popular and then that lasts for 2 weeks and it just keeps going. We’re literally losing our sense of time because of our rapid consumption of media and pop culture.

[ichabod1799]

This Saturday the 15th I'll be doing one more stall at the @frankstonmakers market. Set up along young street Frankston. I have some new prints and some exciting new items such as mugs, notebook sets, apparel and cards which will make great holiday gifts. There will also be an awesome raffle prize and gift wrapping available. So if you're in Frankston come by and say Hi. Buy things to support local or just hang out. Hope to see you there. (at Frankston, Victoria) https://www.instagram.com/p/BrRV2cAl_ZC/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=d1vx6vtdiobs

[ichabod1799]

Ichabod 2002 - 2018 Last Friday morning on the 23rd of November I lost my best friend of 16 years. He was an early birthday present. Adopted from the RSPCA Adoption Centre, and named after my obsession with Sleepy Hollow. Though he had the nick name “trouble maker” from the get-go. For 16 years he was a cat full of personality. My fondest memories were the school mornings. Walking to the bus stop and hearing his bell as he’d follow me all the way there. Then on the way home he'd be there greeting me half way down the street. Whenever we'd take the dog for a walk he'd be following us too chasing off any other loose dogs along the way. When he was young, he’d show up covered in dog slobber. Our Golden Retriever Angus at the time use to try and carry him around in his mouth. He wasn’t stand-offish like other cats. Ichabod was full of affection, love and was always playful. He never wanted to be left alone. Constantly under our feet always wanting a cuddle - then try to nibble on your earlobe. Late at night he'd trying to play with our feet while we slept. Run across the piano keys startling you after a night of horror movie binge. Or just get in the way of the computer, TV, piano or whatever else occupied your attention away from him. He was one of my first canvas paintings I painted. We move 5 times with him and he never ran away once. He was accustomed to the family and not the house. In his final years though he got very sick with cancer. He held on for such a long time, not showing any signs of pain despite the rapid weight loss. The vet called him the “miracle cat” for still being able to keep going on after the last few years. Until that Friday morning when the day came, we had always thought it would in the back of our minds. We already had one cat previously in 2003, Fluffy, who had a stroke and needed to be put down. That day came again this time for Ichabod. As sad as it is, I also feel a sense of relief, that I don’t need to worry about him anymore. And that I’m glad he got the chance to go peacefully and not tragically. I will miss his company. Always there to greet us at the front door. His slow blinks and headbutts. And his earlobe nibbles. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqy93HDFk9r/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=3na2q59h5eqy

[ichabod1799]

Afternoon paint session. It's been a long time since I touched any acrylics. I need to get back into practice. Really I was procrastinating. I'm suppose to be packing for Queensland. I saw a tutorial for how to paint lightening digitally and wondered if I could do the same process traditionally. Short anwser: no I can't. Pretty much ended up having to paint it backwards. Acrylic on board. #acrylicpainting #storm #thunder #traditionalpainting #acrylic #blue https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp6XbqAFfOr/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1o5vek2zoi2kn

[ichabod1799]

I’ve finally managed to make a vine compilation short enough that Tumblr will let me post it!

[ichabod1799]

N U N   R A V E