1.17.2008

Here we go again...

Here's a unique level of dirty politics - abusing art:
In case you missed the latest news, you can read here on MSNBC how a well-known McCain 'hater' (possibly others) is using a flier sent to more than 80 newspapers in South Carolina to send a negative message about the beliefs and history of Senator John McCain, a Republican presidential candidate. A few of you might also recognize the art. It is a drawing that I completed while passing time at Sea World in 2005, posted on(and eventually taken directly from) THIS blog back in 2006:
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This is a clear violation of copyright. The image was chopped up and used without my concent, while the only changes are the re-tracing of the linework, minimal distortion in the eyes, and the cropping of the jowls to cut the size of the jaw and neck:



It's amazing how some individuals assume they can steal artwork and misrepresent someone with their dirty message. A mildly edited EXACT version of my drawing, stolen right here from my blog and used for negative political campaigning. It's quite sad.



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20 comments:

Kevin Williams said...

Wow, that's the exact drawing. I can't believe it!

Anonymous said...

Jowls removed and appears to have been slightly altered with one photoshop filter.

Monty Rohde

Ryan Wood said...

Sheesh, not again man! They didn't even bother to flip the image to hide their thievery. I hope you catch 'em.

Piotr said...

wow thats horrible, such untalented pigs out there

Jon Laing said...

Did you say this piece was legally copyrighted? If so, are you going to take any legal action or since it's a small organization, you'll let it go.

Marco Bucci said...

man. I have never seen an artist get ripped off more than you. And that's a compliment. If I find the guy, I'll deliver him alive.

Nelson Santos said...

Unbelievable right after the previous post you get that! What a life. there is no more honour in this world.

Everybody's gotta be in a Gang said...

Sorry to see that, Joe. That sucks.
No one had done that to me (that I know of), but when I was first getting started- I had a couple of caricatures printed in the Asbury Park Press (around 1992), and then didn't get anything from them after that at all. They had a staff illustrator who had been there for years, so they wanted to give him the work, and all the subsequent illustrations he did were more and more like mine- not exact rip-offs, but obviously trying to do my style. What could I do? Nothing.

Anonymous said...

I'm wondering how you feel about the "copying" of art by another artist to learn technique and simply for practice.
No resale whatsoever or claiming that the art is theirs.

Nate said...

maybe he thinks the cheeks were too big,









F#$%in hacks

Unknown said...

in a clumsy sad way there is a compliment in there...
Just too sad they don't respect you and themselves....

GUAICO said...

HEY JOE,,,

ES TOTALMENTE DOLOROSO VER ALGUNA DE TUS OBRAS PUBLICADA EN ALGUN MEDIO DESCONOCIDO PARA TI...

!!!DEMANDALOS!!!!!!!

SALUDOS Y EXITOS
GUAICO

Joe Bluhm said...

D- I think practicing through reproductions or copying is a great way to learn and improve. I have done it myself, but it stays in my sketchbook. I see no problem with that.

Gon said...

It´s amazing how this guys steal someone´s art work, and use it for their own purpose..
Loved the picture on the bottom, of you next to your Freddy Mercury, I can imagine your thought: "Gotta ya!"

INK AND DESTROY said...

Yo... I saw that flyer on the Daily Show! Bummer! Someone needs to be punished! I finna cut somebody!

bog_art said...

I can't believe there are people who do this kind of stuff.. I could say they used a kind of photoshop filter on it.. f**** them!!..

David Cowles said...

Joe

Yikes! Bad enough that they're ripping you off, but to use it in a smear campaign has gotta really be rubbing some salt in it. Who woulda thought that politics could sink any lower.

Dave

Scott Fertig said...

It's amazing how some individuals assume they can steal artwork and misrepresent someone with their dirty message. A mildly edited EXACT version of your drawing, stolen right here from your blog and used for negative political campaigning. It's quite sad. Next thing you know they'll be stealing your words too!

jmborot said...

Hello,
long time I didn't see your blog, and waouh, 2008 is beginning in a strange way. I remember that 3 years ago, I saw many caricatures of you, J. Seiler and Ferguson in Paris (near Beaubourg) and quite often, I see some sketches of you on blogs or websites.
It's a big problem.

Joe Bluhm said...

Thanks for all of the support. For those sending me comments about plagiarizing photographs (yes, I did NOT publish them here), you should know that an artistic interpretation, painting, drawing, or fair-use exaggeration of a photograph is not plagiarism, especially when the image is a photograph used for reportage.

So learn your stuff, guy. :)