Art Theft Has Always Been Bad, But I Feel Like The Way Tiktok Promotes Remixing Other Peoples Content

Art theft has always been bad, but I feel like the way tiktok promotes remixing other people’s content into “your own” has ESPECIALLY proliferated the idea that, if something is on the internet, it’s anyone’s to take.

like. My friend just found these comments on a tiktok someone made of their comic:

This is why I don’t allow reposts. Because even if I give one person permission, even if they credit me and do everything I ask, you never know who is going to steal it from them.

So here’s your reminder:

If you see fanart or a fancomic you like, you ABSOLUTELY MAY NOT share it without checking if it’s ok first.

IF YOU RUN A FAN ACCOUNT. I’M LOOKING AT YOU. YOU’RE NOT HELPING ‘EXPOSE’ ARTISTS BY POSTING STOLEN ART YOU’RE JUST BEING SELFISH AND DISRESPECTFUL. @‘ING ME ON INSTAGRAM ISN’T GOING TO FIX THE FACT THAT YOU DIDN’T ASK PERMISSION

THIS GOES FOR TRANSLATIONS. I UNDERSTAND WANTING TO MAKE A COMIC MORE ACCESSIBLE TO YOUR LANGUAGE, BUT IT’S STILL A CONCERN THAT IT WILL GET STOLEN FROM YOU (and I KNOW some people don’t ACTUALLY care about it being more accessible, because I’ve asked people to reblog my original post with a translated transcription and they threw a fit because they obviously just wanted the views for their own page)

Comic dubbers are also not exempt from needing to ask for permission. I know there’s a lot of editing and you are technically producing new content, but jfc you still need to ASK TO USE SOMEONE’S ART. ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE MONETIZING YOUR PAGE.

I also DO NOT CARE if your pinterest page is “just for your personal reference” STOP UPLOADING ARTWORK AS ORIGINAL POSTS. IF YOU MUST PIN ART, JUST POST THE LINK!!!! I die a little inside every time someone says they saw one of my comics on pinterest and had a hard time finding my actual post.

Why is it important that artists stay credited? Well, I for one, am about to start my junior year of my BFA, and I won’t be able to work my part-time job anymore. My art is going to be only source of income. Every time someone reposts my art without credit, that’s more people that won’t find the link to my store. That’s potential job recruiters that won’t find my portfolio. That’s work that I’ve done that someone else is getting activity for, potentially even making money off of.

Please, PLEASE be aware of art theft. Point it out when you see it. Please understand most artists see it as offensive and disrespectful and are not flattered by it.

You are going to regret this, snake with a hat. Brace your eyeballs.

So I was a moron when I was a kid and I had this really, REALLY terrible story that I wanted to turn into a comic. So each year I’d try but I’d only get a couple pages in.

so now I have several copies of the boring exposition of the exact same story floating around my house, just different levels of quality.

CSP WONT STOP CRASHING

I used to be the BIGGEST dragon nerd I have ever known

these are dated 3-4 years back, which is weird because I couldn’t do anything of this scale or skill level now. (Imagine being motivated) I can’t believe I got Tui to sign them too. She’s too nice

there’s another but it’s probably buried in a stack of papers.

you asked for it. I shall deliver. I will probably never live this down

cue dark and edgy backstory. My handwriting was (and still is) actual garbage

My sister decided she was gonna use this paper to practice her handwriting.

Wait a minute…

good shoe.

she goes to school (for some reason) and HOLD ON IS THAT SASUKE UCHIHA FROM FAMOUS ANIME/MANGA NARUTO?!?!1?!1?1!?1!1?1!1!!!?!1!?11!? HE TRIPPED HER

This is literally the funniest thing right to me right now. I was so excited to draw the aliens. Every year I tried, I never got to the aliens. 10 year old me got burned out and abandoned ship. I even tried making sachiko a stick figure to cut down on the time, but i still wouldn’t make it.

Then the next year, I’d be like “yknow what would be a good idea? If I tried that comic again”.

and then I did.

So I think the plot of this story was, sachiko loses her mother and forgets who she is. Every day is filled with nothing but emptiness. Then she meets this boy(??) who she hates and… I straight up forget what I was supposed to do after that.

i think they uncover a secret alien conspiracy theory where the government is in cahoots with the aliens. The aliens are trying to colonize earth, and the politicians are letting them as long as they get paid super rare metals from asteroids. NotSasuke™️ Is just some random boy she happens to meet, he doesn’t have any important backstory. But I know sachiko gets a cool cyber katana, they kill the aliens and all is good.

also, they’re enemies to lovers (ofc).

it’s nice to see how far I’ve come. (I flatter myself) I have also learned not to steal popular characters from various manga and put them in my own stories. (Even if I change their name)

So I was a moron when I was a kid and I had this really, REALLY terrible story that I wanted to turn into a comic. So each year I’d try but I’d only get a couple pages in.

so now I have several copies of the boring exposition of the exact same story floating around my house, just different levels of quality.

They went through mitosis