Hey, Im sorry I abandoned your request I've been burned out with school. Im thinking about getting back to it in a more friendly time. But I do ask a question that I want your opinion on. So first of all… wtf?? Mr. Puzzles is getting his own show away from SMG4?? Is it bad that Id prefer for Mr. Puzzles story to just end there… I mean, it's an interesting character but there are some things in concerned about. Like, he IS a plagiarized design in spite of my intrigue for SMG4's plot. Thats the reason why I cancelled this animation I was working on last year. I wanted your thoughts 😓
Just a small statement about The Situation because apparently some people in the SMG4 following have got it into their heads that I'm going to sue Glitch/ZAMination for as much money as I can, which is untrue now and has never been the case. Initially all I wanted was an apology and for them to call off the hatemail. If they had acted by now, that would have been all. Due to their incredibly poor treatment of me, through their continued and complete silence, that has changed.
My sole ambition, now, is to get them to change the design Mr Puzzle's screen. In an ideal world I would also like them remove the 'drips', and change the angles of the dials if possible.
That's it.
Nothing else. Nothing that would change the rig. Nothing that changes the story. I do not want money, and I do not want to cancel their show.
If Justice for Artists need to ask for an amount of money to cover their expenses, that's their business, but I have never been asking for money. Anyone who has been saying that is lying, and you can check all of my previous statements to correlate the truth of that.
Hey, if someone sends you this on Tumblr- ignore it. Some person/bot commented on a work of mine (and as I'm typing this another bot commented a similar thing today). It's an obvious scam, and the text contained is very contradictory upon reading.
"Due to the nature of the majority of the report types, *the user will not be notified of these claims*"
"It is recommended that the reported user contact an (<- grammar error) Certified Dispute Staff within 24 hours"
I understand and empathize with people who may have fell for this scam, it is very much displayed dubiously. The "imminency" that is phrased is putting faulty pressures onto a victim. If you see a trusted (or otherwise active) account post similar behaviors, *they have likely been hacked*.
This is a disgusting and dangerous act, and be sure to read and take in everything from the internet with caution!
Don't trust this shit. If any botters are reading this, piss off.
😭😭The screen Im drawing this on is smaller than the palm of my hand. Itd be cool if this game could make the canvas UI bigger or able to expand it itself. Also deadlock study.
A common annoying take I've seen around the SMG4/Modmad controversy that I want to take a second to debunk is:
"We should be focusing on the harassment Mod is receiving instead of trying to accuse SMG4 of plagiarism!"
(Or really anyone that tries to support Mod whilst also denying the fact that Mr. Puzzles and RGB look incredibly similar.)
Because, yeah, the harassment and death threats Mod is receiving from SMG4 fans is objectively the worst part of this whole situation. I do get the impression that Mod would have never said anything about Mr. Puzzles or cared that the designs were similar if she was never harassed in the first place. However, now that this situation has started and she has spoken about it, I think both her and her fans have the right to be mad about the plagiarism. We can, and in my opinion, have to, talk about both. This take acts as if the harassment Mod is receiving and the likelihood of SMG4 plagiarizing her work are two entirely separate things and we can just talk about one and not the other when that really isn't the case.
I am not going to sugar coat it, the harassment Mod has received is a direct consequence of SMG4 plagiarizing RGB's design. The reason people are attacking her is because Mr. Puzzles looks similar to RGB. To my knowledge, Mod has not received harassment due to existence of other, more popular TV heads that look similar but do not meet the criteria for plagiarism (such as Vox). It is likely that none of this would have happened if SMG4 had not plagiarized her. Of course, we shouldn't blame SMG4 for the actions of their fans. Anything could gain a toxic fanbase at any time. However, we should at least still acknowledge the part they played in the situation, even if it is not full blame we should put on them. Plagiarism is an act of disrespect. Even if it isn't as severe and direct than death threats and harassment, they are both disrespect. I do not think that we should harass SMG4 or act as if they are personally responsible for everything their fans did, but we should hold them accountable for the fact that their act of disrespect set of other people's disrespect. It is impossible to talk about the harassment without talking about the plagiarism because the plagiarism is the root cause of the harassment.
2. Additionally, their plagiarism of RGB is likely why they have not responded to Modmad regarding the harassment, and thus, why they have not attempted to stop the harassment. If you accidentally made a character that looks similar to someone else's, and they were receiving harassment because of it, then any reasonable person would respond to that person and attempt to fix the situation! The only reason I can think of as to why they aren't responding is because they know that they are guilty and are trying to save their own ass. I genuinely cannot think of any reason why they would not be responding to Modmad if the similarities between RGB and Mr. Puzzles were legitimately a coincidence. Once again, you can't talk about the harassment but not talk about the plagiarism because the plagiarism is the reason SMG4 are ignoring the harassment.
3. And, on a more emotional note, this bullshit has been going on for so long that I think Mod has the right to be mad about more than one thing. Obviously we want SMG4 to make a public statement about the harassment, but at this point, if they just came out and said "oops my bad" and nothing else then I don't think that would really cut it. They still plagiarized her character and ignored her for years.
All in all, even though the harassment obviously is the worst part of this whole ordeal, we can't just talk about harassment. Talking about the plagiarism is not taking attention away from the harassment because the two are inextricably linked. It is very hard to talk about this situation without acknowledging the plagiarism because the story is incomplete with it. And although SMG4 cannot be held directly responsible for the actions of their fans, their plagiarism of Sarah Jolley is one of the major reasons the harassment started and why it has not yet ended, and they should be held accountable for that.
I have seen too many SMG4 fans claim to support Modmad by saying they condemn the harassment but then turn around and defend SMG4 the minute someone points out the plagiarism. And I am sorry but it just doesn't work that way. You can't claim to support Modmad whilst also defending SMG4. I am sorry, but it is easy to condemn a toxic anon. Since they are anonymous you don't have any prior attachment too them, and they are so obviously wrong that no one will disagree with you when you speak out against their actions. It takes someone with a bit of a backbone to condemn Glitch/SMG4, a company that people love. Don't get me wrong, speaking out against the harassment is obviously still good and I encourage it, but the harassment situation cannot be fully resolved until SMG4 is held accountable for their actions. If you truly care about Mod and don't like what is happening to her, then you shouldn't be defending SMG4.
TLDR: You can't just talk about the harassment because the harassment and the plagiarism are linked. You can't claim to support Mod whilst also not holding SMG4 accountable for how they hurt her.
Half my digital artwork is done in this torturous process.
From my phones apple screenshot markup tool sent to my school Chromebook. No tablet, only a touchpad. Kleki… let me lasso tool. 🥹
Working on some fan arts with this dumbest method currently as u see below.
Also check --> This <-- out!!! Especially since youre still reading this! That topic is way more important than whatever I'm working on right now! Thank you :^)
I feel bad with everything going on with mod's situation, please spread awareness and let's try to help mod the best we can.
I thought it best to try my hand at some fanart to maybe make you feel better...I hope you like it 👉👈
also my first time drawing any of these characters can you believe it? I've been reading this comic for years and I usually never draw fanart cause i'm scared it'll look bad but this turned out really well :')
I think a lot of people are missing the fact that what Mod wants is, most of all
COMMUNICATION.
The main thing Mod has always asked from Glitch/Zam was a statement in regards to the harrassment.
This has gotten to the point they contacted lawyers to try and get some sort of answer from the creators. Glitch/Zam should not keep quiet when it comes to situations like this where people livelihoods are on the line.
The plagerism allegations are backseat to the main issue that is harrassment, until proper communication has been established. They almost took THEIR LIFE because fans were sending them death threats.
REPEAT.
SOMEONE ALMOST COMMITTED SUICIDE.
Mod is so passionate about their 14 year old project, and they are just ONE person. They deserve support. They deserve communication. They deserve to be heard.
Thank you.
EDIT: I've sent an email to Glitch/Zam about the situation. If i recieve a reply, i'll show the answer.
The zenanimation seems to be aware of the situation.
"Moderation will not limit any talk that is related to the concerns with RGB/MR Puzzles since it's something that is on a lot of people's minds.
All we can say is just to try not to cause arguments here due to it because that will be handled.
And all we can suggest is to use the Email in ❓│zam-faq and be patient."
This quote is from one of the animators and mods from their server in a pinned post.
"Where can I contact ZAMination for business inquiries?
[email protected]"
The other quote is their mail from their Discord.
I hope something will happen from their side because a lot of people are talking about this, even a short YouTube video with a lot of views.
Keep your head above the water; it is very stormy right now, and keep yourself safe. ❤️
they could have had the decency to send me that message themselves. I haven't heard anything from anyone and the silence has been driving me to extremes. my suicidal ideation has come back with a vengeance and today I can't event draw the lux comic; that is the only thing that has been keeping me going. I'm so scared that I'm losing everything, and they're just sat there. saying nothing. like that's okay? like that's not hurting me, actively?
TL:DR I do not want to cancel the show, I don't want it to cancel me.
So I have been forced, basically, to make this statement as I am being asked about this character or 'introduced' to it (and the incoming new show) against my desires. I have deleted all previous posts about my encounters with this problem long ago for personal reasons that will be apparent, but people don't know about my situation and do deserve an explanation. I will keep this post short for my own mental health. This is the first time I have disclosed any of this information to the public, and it is hopefully the last. My silence has been a part of my uncomfortable situation, but it's clear the world won't let me try to just ignore it any longer, so it's full disclosure time.
1, Yes. I know about Mr Puzzles and his uncanny resemblance to RGB, my character from the on going comic The Property of Hate, who pre-exists Mr Puzzles by approximately ten years.
I did not, as a consequence, base RGB off Mr Puzzles...
2, I have received very violent and manipulative hate mail from fans of that character over the past few years due to this similarity, many threatening to slander me via cancel culture to discredit my own creations. The worst of these messages almost caused me to commit suicide which close friends can attest to (this period coincided with the death of my father which they used against me to full effect).
Since then the hatemail has been less frequent, but continues, and I am afraid it will pick up again with the advent of this new show.
3, I have contacted the smg4 management about these issues, to no avail. My first email was a request to tell their followers to cease sending me hatemail, which they did not attempt in any way. They have never responded to the large overlaps in terms of RGB's design, and when I finally sent them an email via a lawyer as a last resort (which cost me £4000) they did not respond. Please note that I did not ask for a cease and desist, I only wanted the hatemail to stop, and perhaps for them to alter Mr Puzzle's design very slightly to be a little less like RGB's. I even made this simple suggestion as an example:
Despite going out of my way (against the lawyer's wishes) to phrase the letter in a none-hostile manner, and offer them an alternative, they did not reply to this email at all.
I am a disabled indie cartoonist; I do not have the money to take further legal action, and in any case I do not want to. I hate conflict, and the emotional toll of sending that email alone was enough to make me miserable and exhausted for months. All I want is to be left alone, and for people to know that RGB was invented first. I cannot afford to do anything to protect myself or make anyone listen legally; this post is the most I can do, and it is the only post I intend to make about it.
that's it. that's the whole situation. please do not message me about the show, or the character, as both are very distressing to me: if you do I will either delete the message, or block you, depending on the angle. I have blocked all related tags, and I will unfollow if I see posts, so I am doing everything I can to take care of myself in a non-aggressive fashion. I have only made this statement so that people understand.
a small example of some of the hatemail (which was preserved only to be sent to the makers as evidence which, again, they did not respond to) below the readmore. read at your own discretion, it is unpleasant.
Thank you to everyone who has been sending such kind messages, I promise I really do read them all, even if I can't reply, but while these messages are wonderful (and really. I mean it. just the nicest and most heartfelt things I've ever seen) the sad fact is they don't change my situation. But you can change it. You can help me.
If you know my situation, if you want to help me, please write to Glitch Productions. They are the only people who can, and I believe, might, be able and willing to save me. SMG4 has ignored me, even through a legal letter. I have no hope that they will do otherwise, but Glitch are a different case and I think they just genuinely don't know I exist. I have sent them a message, to no reply, but more messages means more of a chance they will notice. IF you are on twitter please message that way, I closed my account there years ago, and please be polite: I am not asking for hate, even if I've received it.
Even a short message will help. I need numbers, I need voices. My own voice is being drowned out, but you can speak for me as well.
Thank you to everyone who has been sending such kind messages, I promise I really do read them all, even if I can't reply, but while these messages are wonderful (and really. I mean it. just the nicest and most heartfelt things I've ever seen) the sad fact is they don't change my situation. But you can change it. You can help me.
If you know my situation, if you want to help me, please write to Glitch Productions. They are the only people who can, and I believe, might, be able and willing to save me. SMG4 has ignored me, even through a legal letter. I have no hope that they will do otherwise, but Glitch are a different case and I think they just genuinely don't know I exist. I have sent them a message, to no reply, but more messages means more of a chance they will notice. IF you are on twitter please message that way, I closed my account there years ago, and please be polite: I am not asking for hate, even if I've received it.
Even a short message will help. I need numbers, I need voices. My own voice is being drowned out, but you can speak for me as well.
thank you for all the supportive messages re: that One Post yesterday, idk what to say. I can't reply to all of them (and anyway I want to keep them!) but it really means a lot to me. thank you for listening. I doubt smg4 will react to any of this considering they didn't even respond to a legal letter but if some people know what has happened/is happening that makes it better to endure.
This whole situation is dreading. As someone who grew up as a fan of SMG4 in early middle school and late middle school TPOH, the overlap between the two really fuckin sucks. I was a far amount conflicted in my later years of the recent "arcs" and later distanced myself from SMG4. I never really took SMG4 as something too serious in its narrative and the iteration of the newer videos was polarizing in my moral. I cant fathom your situation and the timing of my posts last week made my guilt run hard. I don't mean this halfhearted in anyway: I hope the best from you. Ive loved your works and illustrations and it has inspired me (and many, many others) in life. No matter how small, we're here for you, and our voices shall know no silence! I wish the best in spite of the overwhelming nature of the internet often hiding many problems like this. Im here for you, as parasocial as that might seem. I'll support and bring awareness as much as I can! You're amazing, and don't let anyone or anything deter you from that >:^)
TL:DR I do not want to cancel the show, I don't want it to cancel me.
So I have been forced, basically, to make this statement as I am being asked about this character or 'introduced' to it (and the incoming new show) against my desires. I have deleted all previous posts about my encounters with this problem long ago for personal reasons that will be apparent, but people don't know about my situation and do deserve an explanation. I will keep this post short for my own mental health. This is the first time I have disclosed any of this information to the public, and it is hopefully the last. My silence has been a part of my uncomfortable situation, but it's clear the world won't let me try to just ignore it any longer, so it's full disclosure time.
1, Yes. I know about Mr Puzzles and his uncanny resemblance to RGB, my character from the on going comic The Property of Hate, who pre-exists Mr Puzzles by approximately ten years.
I did not, as a consequence, base RGB off Mr Puzzles...
2, I have received very violent and manipulative hate mail from fans of that character over the past few years due to this similarity, many threatening to slander me via cancel culture to discredit my own creations. The worst of these messages almost caused me to commit suicide which close friends can attest to (this period coincided with the death of my father which they used against me to full effect).
Since then the hatemail has been less frequent, but continues, and I am afraid it will pick up again with the advent of this new show.
3, I have contacted the smg4 management about these issues, to no avail. My first email was a request to tell their followers to cease sending me hatemail, which they did not attempt in any way. They have never responded to the large overlaps in terms of RGB's design, and when I finally sent them an email via a lawyer as a last resort (which cost me £4000) they did not respond. Please note that I did not ask for a cease and desist, I only wanted the hatemail to stop, and perhaps for them to alter Mr Puzzle's design very slightly to be a little less like RGB's. I even made this simple suggestion as an example:
Despite going out of my way (against the lawyer's wishes) to phrase the letter in a none-hostile manner, and offer them an alternative, they did not reply to this email at all.
I am a disabled indie cartoonist; I do not have the money to take further legal action, and in any case I do not want to. I hate conflict, and the emotional toll of sending that email alone was enough to make me miserable and exhausted for months. All I want is to be left alone, and for people to know that RGB was invented first. I cannot afford to do anything to protect myself or make anyone listen legally; this post is the most I can do, and it is the only post I intend to make about it.
that's it. that's the whole situation. please do not message me about the show, or the character, as both are very distressing to me: if you do I will either delete the message, or block you, depending on the angle. I have blocked all related tags, and I will unfollow if I see posts, so I am doing everything I can to take care of myself in a non-aggressive fashion. I have only made this statement so that people understand.
a small example of some of the hatemail (which was preserved only to be sent to the makers as evidence which, again, they did not respond to) below the readmore. read at your own discretion, it is unpleasant.
