[BDG] Dawning Star on Temporary Hold Due to Artist Issues

[Justin D. Jacobson]

Unfortunately, I just found out that some of the artwork proferred by Gary Simpson for Dawning Star was derivative of and unattributed to another artist, which Mr. Simpson passed off as his own. In short, plagarism.

First, I would like to offer my deepest apologies to Travis Charest, the artist whose work was lifted. I can assure you that I was unaware of the error. I consider plagarism to be the single biggest transgression that can be committed against an artist, and if there is anything I can do to personally remedy the matter, please contact me directly at justin[at]bluedevilgames[dot]com.

Second, this will necessarily result in a minor delay in the release of Dawning Star. I am in the process of contracting with another artist at this time, and I should have something to announce very shortly.

Third, it is my greatest hope that this occurrence will not cast a black cloud over the project. Specifically, Mr. Simpson's misstep should not reflect poorly on the other Dawning Star contributors, who have the utmost integrity: Lee Hammock, Chad Barr, and Robert Grady. They are all skilled writers and good people, and they deserve your support.

Fourth, any publisher who is considering using Mr. Simpson for freelance work should feel free to contact me directly to discuss the matter.

 

[Cergorach]

Before you start nailing someone to the wall, could you maybe show something called proof? btw. i am not Gary Simpson, but saying really nasty things about someone and threathening someone's livelihood is very serious business in my (not so) humble opinion. Especially when done one a very active community site...

[edit]
Maybe you could show the artwork that G. Simpson suposedly plagarized and the artwork that it was plagarized from?
[/edit]

 

[blobsticks]

Hey Cergorach,

This has already been hashed out on 2 forums....

HERE

and

HERE

Alot of people have seen the work that he has apparently now taken down since the discovery... myself included.

 

[Justin D. Jacobson]

Before you start nailing someone to the wall, could you maybe show something called proof? btw. i am not Gary Simpson, but saying really nasty things about someone and threathening someone's livelihood is very serious business in my (not so) humble opinion. Especially when done one a very active community site...

[edit]
Maybe you could show the artwork that G. Simpson suposedly plagarized and the artwork that it was plagarized from?
[/edit]

First, I think it would be difficult to characterize my initial post as "nailing someone to the wall." It was not my intention to air Mr. Simpson's dirty laundry in public but to provide information regarding my product. I attempted to do so in the least confrontational way possible.

Second, I cannot show you the artwork he produced for us because it constitutes a copyright violation. I won't continue to distribute it, even if it's for the sake of demonstrating the problem. For one thing, it's not fair to the artist whose work was lifted. I can point you to the following web pages, which demonstrate the fine artwork from which the work was lifted:

Web Page 1

Web page 2

If you haven't seen copies of the Dawning Star preview or other places in which the offending art was used, you'll just have to take my word for the fact that there is no question about the offense. I suspect others who have seen the offending art can also chime in and confirm.

Finally, I have no intention of proving or resolving the issue on these boards. It will be resolved where it should be, in a court of law.

 

[Cergorach]

*shrug*
I would say that all the consumer needs to know is that the product is delayed, if someone asked one could say that there where issues with an artist.
This is more confrontational then i'm used to on this board (atleast from a publisher), and without the original images to compare, i can't say this is very usefull information...

 

[HellHound]

Considering the issue at hand, I think it is appropriate that it be aired. I agree it is confrontational, but the fact is that many of Justin's contemporaries and fellow small press publishers post here, and this is something that everyone should be aware of.

 

[hellbender]

*shrug*
I would say that all the consumer needs to know is that the product is delayed, if someone asked one could say that there where issues with an artist.
This is more confrontational then i'm used to on this board (atleast from a publisher), and without the original images to compare, i can't say this is very usefull information...

There are more people watching these forums than just consumers, thus it is very important that word gets out anytime something like this happens. This Gary Simpson posted to ConceptArt, showcasing someone else's work as his own. How that is not relative to this forum is bewildering. There would have been more images to compare if he hadn't realized he was had right away and pulled the images from his website. More confrontational than you are used to? A thief needs to be exposed, and others that might hire him need to know why.

 

[Cergorach]

There are more people watching these forums than just consumers, thus it is very important that word gets out anytime something like this happens. This Gary Simpson posted to ConceptArt, showcasing someone else's work as his own. How that is not relative to this forum is bewildering. There would have been more images to compare if he hadn't realized he was had right away and pulled the images from his website. More confrontational than you are used to? A thief needs to be exposed, and others that might hire him need to know why.

This is the whole reason why i'm not happy with the above post, claims are made, but there's no material made available to back the claim up. I hated it when SCO did it, i hate it when a rpg publisher does it. Especially when people that are calling someone thief are not the person that claims some one is doing something wrong in the first place or the person the is claimed to be doing something wrong.

Personally i find the black cloud not that someone is supposedly doing something wrong, rather that there are claims made that are not transperent.

 

[Justin D. Jacobson]

This is the whole reason why i'm not happy with the above post, claims are made, but there's no material made available to back the claim up. I hated it when SCO did it, i hate it when a rpg publisher does it. Especially when people that are calling someone thief are not the person that claims some one is doing something wrong in the first place or the person the is claimed to be doing something wrong.

Personally i find the black cloud not that someone is supposedly doing something wrong, rather that there are claims made that are not transperent.

Again, I didn't post to appease the salacious curiosity of the public. I posted to notify people about the status of my project and provide information to fellow publishers. A publisher has already contacted me off-list, and I've provided him with a full accounting. But I won't air the dirty laundry in public. Sorry.

 

[Cergorach]

But I won't air the dirty laundry in public. Sorry.

But you already have, complete with names, just minus proof.