Nick Simmons is as big a douche as dad, Gene

[orator]

So Nick Simmons, son of the god of thunder himself, has drawn/written a comic called Incarnate and I think 2 or so issues have been published so far. Then there's this Japanese comic called Bleach that is mega popular in Japan and fairly popular in the states. Turns out Nick plagiarized the shit out of it.

(black and white is Bleach, the color one is Nick's)















This would all be kind of funny and sad in itself, but he's also threatening legal action against people who accuse him of plagiarism.

"Listen everyone... you're all digging your own graves posting on this forum. Facebook is looking into suspending this page and issuing any warnings for slander against me. I can't make this any clearer... I DID NOT STEAL OTHER PEOPLE'S WORK!! I may have appropriated some styles, but I did not steal. My work is full... of homages to everyone in my medium - not theft! You guys are just a bunch of mean spirited mouth-breathers - except all my fans on here who have rightfully supported me. I will ask Facebook not to press any charges against you if you give me a sincere apology here in this thread. Please do so. Facebook keeps all your IP addresses and info... so they will suspend your account if I do not receive proper apologies."

"Okay.. now looking at some of these photo comparisons, I can see why a few people are up-in-arms. I can tell you right now these are all purely coincidences. I never even heard of Bleach! Who would name a comic after laundry detergent? When I channel my energy when drawing my book sometimes I can pull stuff in that I never seen before. It's like i'm possessed when I start thinking and drawing. Perhaps I just got on the same wave length that all artists share. My dad just called and said I have a real case against all this slander. If Facebook doesn't give into my demands soon there's going to be hell to pay. Now, I have to damage control on another site - more people being mislead. Now I have to deal with this and my book's deadline. I'm not sure how I can think and draw under all this pressure."

"I have no idea how people are saying my comic looks like that bleach magma. My book is in color and the other is not. My book reads left to right... the other reads right to left. Besides some vague similarities, they're nothing alike. I put my heart and soul into my book - great story and awesome characters... yet people are trying to pull me down. And NO... I didn't trace or copy other peoples work. Most of these photos are starting to look like photoshop manipulations to make me look bad. You can't trust everything you see on the Internet."

more here

http://community.livejournal.com/bleachness/446299.html

[orator]

Also, he keeps calling Bleach a "magma", pretending he doesn't know comics in Japan are called manga.

[NJL]

I've heard of 'Bleach' I have never read a comic book in my life.

[JonFromMaplewood]

Interesting article in the New York Times today about how younger artists growing up in the internet era do not understand  - or willfully ignore - the concept of plagiarism:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/weekinreview/28kennedy.html?scp=2&sq=james%20joyce&st=cse

[Martin]

Interesting article in the New York Times today about how younger artists growing up in the internet era do not understand  - or willfully ignore - the concept of plagiarism:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/weekinreview/28kennedy.html?scp=2&sq=james%20joyce&st=cse

Before I even clicked that link I knew it was about Helene Hegemann. The Euro papers have been writing a lot about her recently. I find it a very interesting proposition - that the young generation "does not compute" these matters. Looking forward (or do I, really?) to more discussions about this as there will inevitably be more examples of this down the road.

@orator: Excellent thread, thanks for posting. Love the quotes - the spoiled brat tone of them, the mention of his dad, 'magma', etc - and the photo at the end there is just perfect. Of course that's what he fucking looks like.

[daveB from Oakland]

Also, he keeps calling Bleach a "magma", pretending he doesn't know comics in Japan are called manga.

Or maybe he's just a dummy. But "magma" would make a great Wusterism.

"... hold on a second there, Thundergod Junior! Are youse talkin' bout a Japanese comet boot? Or are youse talkin' bout 'nem French prog-rockers from the '70s??"


   
        ... and why's that volcano giving me the finger?

[JonFromMaplewood]

Before I even clicked that link I knew it was about Helene Hegemann. The Euro papers have been writing a lot about her recently. I find it a very interesting proposition - that the young generation "does not compute" these matters.

I am sure the younger generation compute the concept of plagiarism (I am not making too sweeping a generalization, am I?  .  It ain't hard to understand.  I think all of the subjects of the article are making an intentional point...the same timeless point as Girl Talk, Marcel Duchamp, and, of course, Nick Simmons.

[Reeleyes]

Really though, how could he not be a douche?

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

He is a douche, and I'm a knee-jerk copyleft guy.  But my favorite douchiness indicator is not the plagiarism, but all that hilarious "pressing charges" with Facebook stuff.  Here come the Facebook police!

Aside from the Simmonses, though, the "I don't get that I'm plagiarizing" thing is utter bullshit.  What that NYT article misses is that deliberate pastiche like David Shields' new book, or that Jonathan Lethem article in Harper's, or Negativland albums, or Chuck Mee's plays, or even the work of DJ Spooky (who is kind of a charlatan) or Girl Talk (who doesn't really hold up to more than one listen, IMO) always acknowledges its sources.  Whether one likes that sort of thing or not (and I don't always), the people who make it actually expend effort and use aesthetic judgment, etc., just like any other artist.  Lumping that kind of thing in with opportunistic scam artists trying to pass others' work off as their own does a disservice to real, legitimate arguments for copyright reform.

Not to mention that the piece smacks of stupid Generation Y hysteria, like the articles that say kids today need constant praise in the workplace, or are always sexting and having rainbow parties, or whatever.  Young people aren't morons, or at least they're no more moronic than their elders.  Having an iPhone doesn't make you suddenly forget what plagiarism is.

[buffcoat]

The Facebook comments read like a parody - are we sure that it's not one?

[slipperyslope]

Haha @ "I'll tell facebook not to charge you"


Alright, Mr. Lord of the Internet.

What a joke.

[DoodleJump!]

That picture on the bottom just makes me want to punch him.

[Joe Rogaine]

He always seemed like the polar opposite of his dad on that reality show, he came of really shy.

[JonFromMaplewood]

He is a douche, and I'm a knee-jerk copyleft guy.  But my favorite douchiness indicator is not the plagiarism, but all that hilarious "pressing charges" with Facebook stuff.  Here come the Facebook police!

Aside from the Simmonses, though, the "I don't get that I'm plagiarizing" thing is utter bullshit.  What that NYT article misses is that deliberate pastiche like David Shields' new book, or that Jonathan Lethem article in Harper's, or Negativland albums, or Chuck Mee's plays, or even the work of DJ Spooky (who is kind of a charlatan) or Girl Talk (who doesn't really hold up to more than one listen, IMO) always acknowledges its sources.  Whether one likes that sort of thing or not (and I don't always), the people who make it actually expend effort and use aesthetic judgment, etc., just like any other artist.  Lumping that kind of thing in with opportunistic scam artists trying to pass others' work off as their own does a disservice to real, legitimate arguments for copyright reform.

Not to mention that the piece smacks of stupid Generation Y hysteria, like the articles that say kids today need constant praise in the workplace, or are always sexting and having rainbow parties, or whatever.  Young people aren't morons, or at least they're no more moronic than their elders.  Having an iPhone doesn't make you suddenly forget what plagiarism is.

Spot on.  If you asked Negativland if they lifted from U2, they would say "Of course."  They would NOT respond "We've never even heard of U2!  Our dads just called and said we have a real case against all this slander."

[Martin]

Although, that would be kind of funny.