Hey! The name's Crow! I'm an Animation and Graphics college student in their mid 20s who tends to doodle when they should be focused on their assignments.
Linktree
Commissions
Etsy
#my art to see my artworks!
#spoilers is put on anything that came out within a week.
#Crow talks is my talking tag, and also what I tag my asks with.
β οΈ #Mature is for strong language, violence, drug use, nudity, flashing lights or imagery, suicide, or other traumatic themes. Block as necessary.
[ Mentioned Gunshow CEOS - @starteas ,@capracadaver ,@lapisdragon01 ,@clubbins ]
We know who might become most voted but- OH! the chance of a turn of events?!Absolute cinema.
Clubbins may be bringing dirt into this, but, little does he know, I have an entire Discord group chat of pinned comments that I could expose RIGHT. THIS. VERY. SECOND.
Evan, allegedly, eats babies, but Clubbins? He breaks roads. With no mercy.
[ Mentioned Gunshow CEOS - @starteas ,@capracadaver ,@lapisdragon01 ,@clubbins ]
We know who might become most voted but- OH! the chance of a turn of events?!Absolute cinema.
Something that confuses me abt the whole "why is indie animation dialog like that" discourse is that it's singles out animation specifically, seemingly excluding independent live action, video games, webcomics, older internet animations etc. Like, if you're gonna generalize something, at least generalize the WHOLE thingπ
EDIT: Found my thoughts, but those are entirely different industries that can't really be put on the same level, even if they are 'Indie', so yeah, thats why they get excluded because ur talking about MANY vastly different work paths
I had to look it up and genuinely didn't know it was a thing people even focused on for real as a 'discourse' LMAO
The reason I also see animation as the forefront is because People consume imagery and content at a never before seen speed (doom scrolling. We're all guilty of it), and most of the generation THAT GREW UP now, grew up with animated shows on tv. You can actually sit back and realize how many elderly would prefer more 'Live films' than an 'animated cartoons', vs the majority of the generation who show up for a cartoon.
The elderly in THEIR years had live shows as their growing experience!
OUR generation and the following, grow up watching cartoons on tv, animated fantasy creatures and talking cars!
We're gonna be more critical of 'how a cartoon presents itself' or animation, because we've consumed an INSANE amount of it growing up in the past 20-30 years, so we naturally want our comfort animated shows to grow up with us- to learn with us, but a show or series has target audiences, and indie animation and creators strongly believe 'It can be for ANYONE!'
The reality of it is: Marketing will say it's for everyone, but you as a creator NEED TO KNOW your target audience. Because trying to please everyone will disconnect EVERYONE at some point from the show, and that can be pretty upsetting when you DON'T expect it!
(Long yap under readmore)
But TLDR: I like art and animating cartoons, fork found in kitchen if I get critical of fellow writing/storytelling but also supportive?
But Animation itself is a category of storytelling. You don't have the same pacing as video games or comics:
Video games: You need to have skill and time to look around a game for lore, fast reaction time, button combos, replaying the game multiple times for the perfect score, and especially since its indie, you'll generally be paying for it
Comics: Depends at the pace you read, the updates (if theres been a few months between chapters, no audio, motions might not be properly conveyed, or it can only be conveyed in comic and not in animation
Animation (Episodes/movies): You have everything in 1 episode, you have visuals, or if you can't see, you have auditory, you just need an internet connection and a screen, it has a preset pace for you, it just- IS the product.
so two categories that have 'go at your own pace' vs 'this is the pace and you WILL like it'
A lot of games have mixed reviews for pacing because a lot of people play at different speeds or read and understand speech at different speeds.
AND THATS ONLY THE VERY, VERY TIP OF THE ICEBERG SUMMARY
I cannot stress just how many layers this has, Indie Animation is only *part* of the image, but it can stand on its own just as every other subject can.
It's personal preference and comfort, and if 90% of the population prefers animation, then 90% of people like animation, i dunno how else to break it to ya DHSHBJCSDBHJ
When you, as a creator WILLINGLY AND OPENLY 'fight against the grain', then in that very same breath, you understand how LITTLE support that realistically gives you, and that if you WANT to become the front image of change, then you need to work for it and give a reason for people to be invested in what you have to say, comic, game, animation, all of it!
I find it kinda funny that my first introduction to you was seeing your Rockstar Mr Puzzles au, since it was the first time I saw your art and also the thing that made me realize that I definitely have a thing for twinks
Anyways do with that info what you will
HAHA god I have this obsession with the rockstar/heavy metal era, I LOVE hearing heavy metal/rock covers or music in general, and I'm glad a lot of people love the edgy vibes too EHAHHA
I am writing to you because something's been bothering me for a little while...
I first known you for your Ninjago AU and your Garmadon fanarts. I thought and I still think this is one of the most beautiful and cute way to draw him. I loved it so much that I decided to take some inspiration to draw him in my own art style (cuz I'm an artist to :3) !
But here is the thing :
I've been struggling to find the good haircut for him... and the only one that satisfied me was the one you gave him...
Also, I was planning to post Ninjago (including Garmadon) art on my blog, but...
I thought people would probably notice that I took inspiration from you !
I don't want them to think I stole your design to make it mine... I don't want and I don't mean any drama or controversy...
It's just that... the hairstyle you gave him is feels so logical because he's old, but not that old cuz he's a half oni/dragon and stuff. It's also so satisfying to look at and it make me wanna pat his head (don't think he would allow it tho) !
So, yeah, I really love the way you draw him...
If you wish so, I can send you my design by message so we could figure out if its copying or not ! No pressure ofc.
Also, I asked you a question on your side blog Taijitu game, and I don't think you saw it. I don't blame you for being inactive on it, everyone gets bored of things overtime. If you aren't into Ninjago anymore, that's totally fine !
That is all I wanted to say, feel free to respond anytime !
Have a super wonderful day !!β¨β¨π
Cococat, a fellow artist
Oh dude take the design and have fun with it!! Copy it line for line, or craft it BETTER than I ever did!!
I took a bit of time studying the show's hairstyles, seeing how other artists drew it, then incorporated it as close to how I personally saw it in attempts to bridge that gap!
If people harass you, PLEASE heed my previous posts warnings, and take note/names/receipts of those who attack you, remove anonymous if you must for a while, and reach out to me! Or even link to this post as a disclaimer LOL
I CAN'T guarantee there won't be the one guy whose gonna compare, only in a perfect world would that be possible, and I CAN'T guarantee I'd always be available for help with how my lives been going through MAJOR changes, but if there is a time I can help possibly report and block these people if it came down to it, I'd try my best to do so and help create a space that is for you to enjoy and thrive in!
I would love nothing more than for you to have fun with the design! To tell your own stories or make them better!! I think we should be supporting each other as artists first and foremost, pushing to really make a difference!
Stay honest to yourself and where you've had inspiration if you've HAD specific inspiration, but make it yours too! :) I've had my fun then! Now it's for you to go out there and make some friends like I had!!
-Sincerely, a veteran Fan Artist (who thrives on arts of their faves, its free food)
(Long yap wall under readmore!)
Side talk for the Taijitu-blog and game:
I went through a really rough patch, nuking a bunch of my old posts (including artworks/replies to asks) from older days, struggling with things that are very personal to me, and a lot of the stuff I deleted I lost to USB corruption so I have NO easy way to recover those doodles, but a part of me still wants to keep it that way (I can't stop people from reposting their fave old pieces! Lord knows I saved a lot of artworks from artists who disappeared off the internet or long since moved on)
I've grown a lot since! Art and person wise, I can be proud of how far I've come along and that fellow artists like you still love it! ;w;
I haven't watched the show in so long (last i was watching, the episodes were still coming out for the Oni arc, and I was locked in for Garmadon content tbh LMAO), I JUST found out there was a comic or something about Garmadon, I may one day casually read back on it or rewatch stuff! Fixations come and goes a lot!
I should make one of those giant sketch pieces of all my faves/comfort characters growing up... (spoilers: its all villains or edgelords)
I DID step away & leave the taijitu-blog, that was during my rough patch, I think? My memory is fuzzy, but I am VERY sorry for not having seen the ask any sooner, and glad you did forward one to my main! π₯Ί
Do feel free to also forward asks here on my main blog/social platform! I might not always answer/see/remember every single one, same with DM's, but there's marginally a better chances of me seeing it here!
This text is heavy. If you need a moment to step back, please do so. Do not force yourself to read it if it gets too much for you. Take your time and actually internalize what I am saying here if you're able to. My intention is not to cause you panic or harm, but to explain my original point of view further. I'm explaining this, because I don't think anyone else will.
Any and all important links will have a copy of relatability as a screenshot under "Keep Reading" at the bottom of this message for safe keeping if the links become invalid.
Why I warned you of your hiatus message sounding like you were keeping your comic hostage, was because whether or not you meant it, you used a Hostage Marketing Tactics.
You use your Heightened Emotions as you explain you're placing TPOH on hiatus against your wishes.
You place Urgency and Pressure to SMG4's crew by mentioning you've contacted them legally in a public setting, yet not gotten a response back from them in private. (So, they had to make a public response back, which they did, and you ignored it.)
Your choice of timing with this issue 2-3 year old issue, has given SMG4's and ZAMination's Limited Time To Prepare an answer for you in private because you used Mr. Puzzles re-invigorated soar in the search history to spread this message of plagiarism. (Did you ever get a confirmation that SMG4/their lawyer were even served your message through legal means in the first place? Did your lawyer send your message to the right person to begin with? When did you originally send this request of contact through your lawyer? You're leaving this notion too open for it not to be taken maliciously. It wasn't our beeswax until you brought it out in public.)
You explain of SMG4's fans vicious hate mails that you've gotten, as a Threat. (You didn't deserve the hate. Yet you keep your Tumblr Asks Anonymity open, meaning you haven't done the bare minimum to protect yourself from those haters, since anyone hating you off anon, you could've immediately blocked and be over with them.)
Not only are you "punishing" your fans, but also plunging SMG4's / ZAMination's / Mr. Puzzles fans into confusion and doubt as you adamantly declare that Mr. Puzzles is a plagiarized version of The Property of Hate's RGB. (Multiple Stakeholders.)
You fear that Mr. Puzzles is going to cancel you, even when you claim you don't try to cancel him. (Fear of Reputational Damage.)
You're also pressuring Outside Audiences to Influence Outcomes because you're asking from your community for help to get a hold of someone in SMG4's crew.
And why am I now addressing this publicly? Because instead of answering to my Tumblr Ask privatively and tell me I'm wrong, you blocked me (which was fair), and publicly announced that "one individual" (me) had contacted you in "extremely bad faith", thus creating a single new villain to yourself. And with that gaining more sympathy from those around you for your statement of plagiarism.
So fine, make me your villain. But I'll still be your ally, even if you don't want nor believe me. Because even when people support you and your creative work, it doesn't mean they will blindly agree with everything you say. There are those like me, who WILL call you out when you've stepped over a line that will cause harm not just to you, but to others as well. Which you have done with your firm plagiarism statement.
You left no room for "if's and or but's" with your statement. You spoke like it was the truth when in reality, things weren't as you thought. And instead of listening to my advice (which you have every right not to do), and thinking of this plagiarism issue as a "great minds think alike", you have effectively caused harm to SMG4's & ZAMination's brandings since this can be taken as a case of slander in the court of law.
"Sometimes it's hard to see what is true when you think you know what is true." - The Property of Hate, Freeze Frame: Page 636. (This page has lived rent free in my mind ever since this plagiarism drama started.)
I can understand your fear of getting cancelled due to being the smaller creator in this drama... But has anyone actually called this to action in public, or has it all been a large volume of private/anonymity messages?
Because this ISN'T a public call to action to cancel you either. This is a warning from a creator to another. SMG4 & ZAMinations are chill folk thankfully. If you apologize for your firm plagiarism statement, you will probably be forgiven by them, if they even choose to do anything further about your statement in the first place.
All that I've seen myself has been the communities, even those outside of our own, wish you nothing but strength and safety. And I've wished that too, no matter how I've spoken of this situation. I simply didn't agree with your plagiarism statement. You and your creations are loved. You have people behind you to support you. You can stop, and take a breather to relax. No one is actually chasing you off the internet or telling you to completely cancel TPoH, even if you fear that.
Also, the reason why I drew RBG and Mr. Puzzles to look like one another, wasn't to mock either of them. It was to showcase what a truly plagiarized versions of either of them should've looked like, for the claim to hold any actual water in a court setting, had Mod or SMG4 escalated the situation there after Mod's initial attempt of contact to SMG4 and his crew. Details in difference matter far greatly in these cases, because they are the factor that showcase the percentage of the actual similarities in the whole designs. Smallest of details matter, be it their story, their personalities, quirks or powers. Yet the communities were asked to ignore them and simply pay attention to things that were vaguely similar.
You can not own a CONCEPT. RGB's most basic concept is an Object Head that leans to their object's quirks + Old Suit-Style. That's it. His powers are his flare, but Mr. Puzzles doesn't share those. He has his own sets of powers. Had the community (and Mod), taken a moment to actually read RGB's Wiki and Mr. Puzzles Wiki, this plagiarism mess might've not even started.
Please, for those who took their time to read this all as well, DO NOT SEND HATE TO MOD, SMG4, ZAM OR ANYONE ELSE MENTIONED IN THIS POST.
As I mentioned, Mod has me blocked, so unless they unblock me or someone they trust shows them this post, they most likely won't see it. I am NOT asking you to share this to Modmad though, since they most likely are not mentally in a good headspace to properly read it. If this drama dies quietly, that's fine by me.
But I do not want fellow fans of either The Property of Hate's RGB or SMG4/ZAMination's Mr. Puzzles to feel like they need to stop supporting one another's creator or creation because someone made an error. That's part of being a human, a person, an individual. So if you wish to share this to your fellow community members, please feel free to do so.
Please be kind to one another, and stay hydrated.
The Property of Hate's hiatus note:
Hostage Marketing Tactics:
SMG4's Public statement, made by Cube (FM54321) over on Twitter:
i mean, TECHNICALLY it was addressed, but it was very obviously low-effort and half-assed and.. well, they took AGES to get to that, but IMMEDIATELY spoke in regards to tadc releasing in theaters (congrats on that, btw!! :D) which is.. EXTREMELY suspicious tbh???
also, what most left out of the drama was, the creator of rgb got HARRASSMENT for this despite being the original. death threats and everything. this coincided with their fathers death, they almost took their own life..
so, since someones life was on the line because of this situation, i realllly dont think a vague and indirect address is the way to go about this tbh,,
they didnt even email modmad directly!! isnt that kiinda messed up?? modmad is THE only one who is negatively affected by this.. so it feels less like responsibility and more like "damage control" ..
we also do nottt have any ACTUAL PROOF that this was merely a coincidence sooo.. yeahh.. were only going off of word alone which is very very silly :/
i just wanted to ask if you knew about this!! i find it very upsetting that the company attached to tadc is complacent in this, im not mad at you btw!! you had nothing to do with this!! but i thought hey, maybe since you have a lot of power here and in the company, you could maybe signal boost a bit? or even try to reach out from inside or smth? idk.. anything helps tho!! tysmm <3<3
hey so i literally know nothing about this situation, i'm not at all involved with the smg4 side of things-- (and i don't "work for glitch", i am a freelance contractor for glitch)
but if this person truly sent a legal letter, as someone from a family of lawyers, i can tell you that that basically ties the hands of everyone involved from just reaching out or making a statement willy-nilly
i'd give some grace to the people in this situation for not saying anything, and i'd take their silence or "complacence" as you put it with a grain of salt. they might not be at liberty to say or do anything without potential legal reprecussions (or at least the fear of them)
putting pressure on them to just make a random public response or to go around the legal pitfalls and contact this person directly might be seriously straining people who have to be quiet
again, i'm not involved, so i don't know for sure. but that's where my brain immediately goes as someone with a family that works in the legal system
ahh i see. thank you for the response. this is all just really distressing for me, i do hope they address this soon! still though, i find it odd they can address the theater thing but not the situation,,
like i said above, i suspect the reason glitch can publicly explain their reasoning for the theater release's timeline but smg4/glitch cannot talk about this is because this is a legal matter (if a legal letter was truly sent), which means anything they say online or in DMs to this person out of turn could be used against them in a litigious way
i know it's not 100% definitively the reason and i'm just guessing, but i think there's a very strong possibility i'm correct, so i don't think it's "odd" at all that they're addressing one and not the other
i also highly, highly recommend that you don't do what you did with me and post "evidence" of you sending asks like this in order to pressure people to respond. they legally might not be able to and that could be really, really stressful for someone who's not me and who's actually involved in the situation. they might never be able to "address" the situation the way you want them to. their hands might literally be tied and they're being put between a rock and a hard place here-- we as the general public literally have no idea what's going on behind the scenes
howdy. there's a really bad person liking your art. their name is mrpuzzlesonlywife. they are extremely transphobic and have sent doxxing and rape threats to a minor. i suggest blocking them.
I've got them blocked and reported, I also encourage others to do so. It's rare I share anything targeting people- and I do NOT encourage sending them hate- (since from the looks of it, the account really was just made as a way for them to attack without real repercussions. They literally have nothing else on their blog original other than the hate. It's just fueling them to 'snap back' when they receive any direct messages/inbox = a really awful internet troll), but given how easy it was to scroll through their blog and interactions, everyone can just see for themselves for what they are.
Some people just really have no lives.
I do wish the best for the victim. I'd say do keep track of any incredibly doxxing information (fact-checked), to file a police report if it becomes possible. :(
EDIT: Just went to look up the blog, I believe the mass reports did manage to take the account down! I do hope that's the case!
But rq, something I HAVE noticed as of late AND saw on THEIR blog/how people reacted:
I REALLY doubt its the last we'd hear of such a case, but seriously: Don't 'snap back' with worst comments/asks/statements (especially out of anger in the moment), PROPER callout posts aren't counted in there (unless there's literally little evidence that tracks for me to act). It's spreading awareness and giving a serious heads up of a situation with hard fact/documented evidence. Be concise, be smart, and be mature about your approach, because it matters too when you involve yourself.
'Trolls' like that WANT YOU to lash back on their same level directly, either through DM's or inbox; and they had next to NOTHING on their blog but hate, so it becomes obvious its a burner account.
They can freely send out the SHITTIEST things, keep their 'anonymity', and HOPE that people get angry and act back, and THAT would give them more than enough reason to get away with a lot of things if they can 'prove they're also receiving hate'.
In other words: ur getting ragebaited and falling for it, while actually damaging yourself rather than them. And they Know It.
Bite back your own need to say something snarky, worst, or even BOTHERING to educate them like a religious aunt at a thanksgiving table, they never intended to change the moment they started. Instead, let them incriminate themselves, gather what you can, and spread proper awareness so they can reap what they sow! (I'm glad a lot of people and mutuals did so! I'm proud as it's the right thing to do <3)
But also do put more of your focus on actually creating a safe space for victim! By showing you are well kept together, you think carefully and show how serious you take this, you are CREATING that space for them, and also providing *them* a voice. Those posts aren't for yourself, but *for* them *through* you.
howdy. there's a really bad person liking your art. their name is mrpuzzlesonlywife. they are extremely transphobic and have sent doxxing and rape threats to a minor. i suggest blocking them.
I've got them blocked and reported, I also encourage others to do so. It's rare I share anything targeting people- and I do NOT encourage sending them hate- (since from the looks of it, the account really was just made as a way for them to attack without real repercussions. They literally have nothing else on their blog original other than the hate. It's just fueling them to 'snap back' when they receive any direct messages/inbox = a really awful internet troll), but given how easy it was to scroll through their blog and interactions, everyone can just see for themselves for what they are.
Some people just really have no lives.
I do wish the best for the victim. I'd say do keep track of any incredibly doxxing information (fact-checked), to file a police report if it becomes possible. :(
Not sure if this is a odd thing to ask but, Do you feel comfortable w people using ur art to make merch ? not to sell but for personal use
SELLING MY WORKS of ANY KIND is a HARD NO.
-unless we talk about commissioning me to MAKE merch or 'merchable' content, from there we gauge an additional fee for me to give the rights to the work entirely for a fair price, or make a continuous profit off of engagement, in even a small increments! (Kinda what sponsorships do, investments for the long run)
That and I tend to make a LOT of fanart, so that would cause not only the seller issues for IP and getting reported and possibly SUED, it would cause ME issues if people are not careful (always research fanwork reselling rules & laws amongst companies and places you live at)
PERSONAL USE is perfectly fine AND encouraged, actually!
I could go over a thousand reasons why It's a struggle for me to sell (NOW more than ever being in Canada, knowing most of my clients are USA based, import fees are a BITCH), but I also understand from a clients POV what keeps ME from being able to support a lot of creators I wanna, which is often times the shipping fees.
I HAVE a cricut, I HAVE a printer, I HAVE a lot of tools to do very simple shipping to avoid most of the insane fees! but the moment I try to make keychains or the like, I KNOW theres people out there who'd just want the 1 keychain and feel bad they can't afford it because its almost 30-40$ TOTAL to receive it because I can't send it in a letter even if I TRIED!
If people are willing to pay to receive like keychains/accessories through ex: vograce or your local printing shops, by all means get creative!! Keep me in the loop!! I'd LOVE to see what merch people can come up with for my stuff!!
I love people making buttons and stickers out of my stuff!! Or even prints for their walls!! I see pics and even if I don't get like a direct shoutout cuz theres so many works, I point at my screen and show it to the besties like 'LOOK!! LOOK PEOPLE PRINTED IT!! THEY LOVED ITTT'
If I can print and cut my own stickers for my mug at home, I can at LEAST allow that same courtesy back. It actually weirdly encourages me to make more 'complete' content because I always think I coulda made better for yall but it warms my heart to see people do what I wish I could of had growing up, some stuff I even used to do!! (Boy did I trace or recreate Scourge art a lot...)
But I will say...
... if people want to see more 'merchable content' on my blog or in general (for personal use/ordering for yourself) with Gunshow or literally any of my faves, I actually wouldn't be too opposed to seeing some inbox requests!! I won't do stuff that just doesn't interest me at all, but in that case you are free to approach me what a commission for that would be like!
Otherwise, I'm super down to make more merch concepts and pieces where people can just have fun printing at home or ordering for themselves!!
What I could do is put under future readmores/threads/etc. A .psd file, layers separated (drawing is mostly flattened to avoid theft/abuse) for layered keychains or standees or whatever, also separate PNG's for direct saving/printing, and add concept art of what its meant to look like!
I think more content with accurate sizing/coloration for at home/personal merch would interest me!
Yes
No
Other (DM/Inbox/Comments)
Voting ended onApr 18
Yall can give your 2 cents and inform me on this much better if this sounds like something you'd like!! <3
Random LONG AS FUCK rant reblog because I realize a lot of people won't agree, or some might but its separate and somewhat related to this DCHDSH
HERE'S THE REBLOG!! (totally forgot to grab that last text sdbhhd)
I love yapping and expanding my knowledge with everyone either through comments or DM's! (Inbox is chill but I can't do an Anon conversation through my blog or short critiques, that's WAY too many posts, have some mercy on my homies and other followers bro π)
I actually have so many merch ideas yall have NO IDEA how many separate rough files I have
But companies like Redbubble- (I forgot the name of the latest company making merch for artist, but this is the example i have) have a limit to their merch options and they generally have strings attached in SOME way.
I find them pretty high priced (and you'd pay for shipping anyways?) for something I KNOW can be and IS made much cheaper. I do not diss quality!! But I dunno, if I'm paying my minimum wage to receive a small merch item, I'd hope as FUCK a lot of the funds goes to the artist, or at least that shi is tough as STEEL
I could get an electric toothbrush at that price- BDCSBHDSHBJ
I generally support the high price demand for the artists WORK and concepting of the charm: It's a luxury item/toy!
But on sites like those, you only get a small percent back if you want to keep it affordable (shipping varies but it might still suck for people abroad, you know?) And YOU provide the art and placement for the designs, conceptualizing, rough to finish.
Costs for the tools, materials, and shipping is a whole other ball game I had the joy of messing with before, but for any artists to make any income from the mass-prod sites, the artist has to upsell a certain amount when the base price is already like 10$-15$ Generally? If the artist upsells TOO much too, then the company will nab more funds out out of it so no matter what you are generally locked at one 10-15% return? out of 10 bucks, you'd earn less than 2$ per sale
You could argue its because the company does all the work, even buying the shipping boxes, but a lot of companies get company discounts vs the small independent artist, and (ex:) Vograce literally does the same with the exception that you provide the files and you receive everything to resell at your own price, with a lot of low moq (Minimum Order Quantity), allowing for even PERSONAL purchases. My main concern would be the shipping/import fees at that point, talking with an agent for it- but yknow, it kinda puts in perspective just HOW MUCH gets pocketed in certain companies? Doesn't really *feel* like the we're saving or supporting the directly artists as much, despite it being what they promote?
MIGHT BE A SHIT HOT TAKE, I'm so down to hear any research people do on the subject, its just something I've noticed
also while its cool and all to sell on those sites, there is a MAJOR IP issue with them that I remember encountering back in my earlier Undertale days:
Mass Production.
For anyone who remembers, there was a time Toby Fox had made a statement back in 2016 regarding fan merch.
By going with a company who can LIMITLESSLY create ON DEMAND the works you sent it, it becomes a Mass Produced Item. And THAT is grounds to getting sued for character copyright/content farming, even if you drew fan work.
... but I still had my ninjago posters be reported as copyright on there though lol I made like a Garmadon poster, sold from home, everything
I *do* wish to see some changes to this 'system', though. Because with are when it comes to shipping, tariffs, import fees, NEW fees (I've noticed some environmental fees from amazon despite having prime as a student, fair but also what's the point of paying a subscription to cover those fees only to stack like MAD) flying out, going to cons,
Its not to say the mass production is bad in *idea* if you think of it being much more pro-fandom than it advertises, the concept is LITERALLY THERE
But no company can actually sell pokemon, or tadc, or undertale, or anything else like it. thems the BIGGEST STRINGS ATTACHED DEAL I CAN SEE FOR AN ARTIST. (You are the scapegoat if you get reported & legal action is taken)
But a lot of people abuse the system and get greedy. It's to be expected. It's how a companies & scammers make a living- and they ruin it for everyone by also giving a bad rap to ACTUAL fan artists.
If there were changes or upgrades I could suggest, it COULD be:
% goes to the Creator of the indie show/company for royalties
Company has both ORIGINAL CREATIONS tabs and MULTI-FANDOM tabs (Think of fangamer but you can browse more small time artists)
Convention level merch: keychains, standees, small pillows, glow in the dark stickers, prints, plus a LOT more customization if you can talk with the team directly!
Every Fandom on the site has its own set of rules and guidelines to sell by contacting the original creator directly, settling a deal on what artists can sell for mass-prod with them (ie: creator gets a percent for every sale, no NSFW of certain characters/spaces unless its a mature show like helluva/hazbin, things like that)
Client view: You support both your artist and show!! You can order directly, cheaper in general because you could bundle multi fandom items
Seller view: Application process to become a seller, sending a portfolio for actual review. +merch ideas and seeing if you are able to follow rules and regulations per fandom (like a convention)
Per posting review before going live
Scam, AI generator/feeding, theft get weeded out while doing the interviews, but a report system that actually IP BLOCKS the person from reaching the website be nice
(BONUS) If you could ALSO sell on it from home LIKE etsy, then you could toggle a 'ship from home' option and pay only the site hosting fees, and mix your shop between homemade and mass-prod, using the website as Does-It-All-Online-Store, instead of separating into 2-3 different stores for its features! (It would double-whammy help for the original creators to host their own official merch on! You get everything in one place!!)
Its basically current merch artist sites but combine em all into one, with additional rules and fairness to support everyone. Those websites that allow you to sell without the hassle of going through etsy/self-hosted store are NOT fandom friendly- or even FANART friendly. You have to be VERY careful selling on them
But they're great for small time artist who do only like- OC's and stuff! 'Original Non-Copyrighted Materials and characters'
I wouldn't be able to sell wpnz and puzzles in an armory piece or even as a slight ship, I mean i could TRY but the chances of my ass getting sniped is Very Likely SDHBCDSBHJSJH
Bleh, massive rant aside, and I can only hope to get more merch to buy either official, or at least make some for myself!
Not sure if this is a odd thing to ask but, Do you feel comfortable w people using ur art to make merch ? not to sell but for personal use
SELLING MY WORKS of ANY KIND is a HARD NO.
-unless we talk about commissioning me to MAKE merch or 'merchable' content, from there we gauge an additional fee for me to give the rights to the work entirely for a fair price, or make a continuous profit off of engagement, in even a small increments! (Kinda what sponsorships do, investments for the long run)
That and I tend to make a LOT of fanart, so that would cause not only the seller issues for IP and getting reported and possibly SUED, it would cause ME issues if people are not careful (always research fanwork reselling rules & laws amongst companies and places you live at)
PERSONAL USE is perfectly fine AND encouraged, actually!
I could go over a thousand reasons why It's a struggle for me to sell (NOW more than ever being in Canada, knowing most of my clients are USA based, import fees are a BITCH), but I also understand from a clients POV what keeps ME from being able to support a lot of creators I wanna, which is often times the shipping fees.
I HAVE a cricut, I HAVE a printer, I HAVE a lot of tools to do very simple shipping to avoid most of the insane fees! but the moment I try to make keychains or the like, I KNOW theres people out there who'd just want the 1 keychain and feel bad they can't afford it because its almost 30-40$ TOTAL to receive it because I can't send it in a letter even if I TRIED!
If people are willing to pay to receive like keychains/accessories through ex: vograce or your local printing shops, by all means get creative!! Keep me in the loop!! I'd LOVE to see what merch people can come up with for my stuff!!
I love people making buttons and stickers out of my stuff!! Or even prints for their walls!! I see pics and even if I don't get like a direct shoutout cuz theres so many works, I point at my screen and show it to the besties like 'LOOK!! LOOK PEOPLE PRINTED IT!! THEY LOVED ITTT'
If I can print and cut my own stickers for my mug at home, I can at LEAST allow that same courtesy back. It actually weirdly encourages me to make more 'complete' content because I always think I coulda made better for yall but it warms my heart to see people do what I wish I could of had growing up, some stuff I even used to do!! (Boy did I trace or recreate Scourge art a lot...)
But I will say...
... if people want to see more 'merchable content' on my blog or in general (for personal use/ordering for yourself) with Gunshow or literally any of my faves, I actually wouldn't be too opposed to seeing some inbox requests!! I won't do stuff that just doesn't interest me at all, but in that case you are free to approach me what a commission for that would be like!
Otherwise, I'm super down to make more merch concepts and pieces where people can just have fun printing at home or ordering for themselves!!
What I could do is put under future readmores/threads/etc. A .psd file, layers separated (drawing is mostly flattened to avoid theft/abuse) for layered keychains or standees or whatever, also separate PNG's for direct saving/printing, and add concept art of what its meant to look like!
I think more content with accurate sizing/coloration for at home/personal merch would interest me!
Yes
No
Other (DM/Inbox/Comments)
Voting ended onApr 18
Yall can give your 2 cents and inform me on this much better if this sounds like something you'd like!! <3
Random LONG AS FUCK rant reblog because I realize a lot of people won't agree, or some might but its separate and somewhat related to this DCHDSH
