I think about this too and here’ some observations and thoughts.
Sakimichan benefits from promotions. Promotions she doesn’t have to do or pay for because of the use of famous characters. People spread her art socially for free. In a way it’s amazing. It’s cheap promotions with lots of bang.
The problem lies in WHO gets to draw copyright characters and build a business around it. I’ve had my share of people claim I shouldn’t be allowed to make any content that I charge for that is based on copyrighted characters while those same people wear “hilarious” Mario fan art shirts. The part that concerns me the most is that “SOME” people are allowed to do this and other don’t and seeing as DISNEY is very litigious when it comes to its ownership you have to ask yourself if this is going to cause headaches down the road as OTHER people adopt the same model. I wouldn’t blame anyone for doing so but at some point the hammer is going to come down and it will only come down on SOME people not everyone so it becomes this weird grey promotional zone.
In the end if you are a professional artist your job is to draw for a living. Getting your name out there is easily done with fanart and that’s just the reality of it. IF you have the money to buy adds then do it but the reality is you owe it to your self and your business to cater to desires and wants of your fans and customers and you can only make those if you connect with them. Fanart will connect with people and that’s just how it is.
This brings up the whole moral issue of selling out but let me say this. There are few things you enjoy daily that isn’t someone selling out. Movies, books, comics, cartoons. All a series of people “selling out”. It doesn’t diminish those things, it’s just made them more widely accessible.
It’s hard enough to try and make a name out there with your content fighting for the same audience that will gladly just sort through your art through content aggregators and never think of you again, there’s no reason to go hard mode here. Think of fanart and r34 as your “promotion” work. Think of it as running around plastering your name on telephone poles and handing out business cards at a art showing. Its your responsibility to get your shit out there and this is genuinely the best way to do it.
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