No, Ultramodern5 did not rip off Outgunned's cover.

[Dias Ex Machina]

Several (like seven and counting) backers of the new Outgunned RPG have accused Dias Ex Machina of ripping off this image from Outgunned's cover...

...with our Tiefling image from Ultramodern5.

This is despite our image being made in 2019 and both of ours being inspired by John Wick 2.

Just to be clear, I am not accusing them of ripping us off. I know this is just a coincidence as our artists simply had the same idea.

 

[GreyLord]

So, if I understand what you are stating, you both were "inspired" by someone else's image?

You copied someone else's image?

So, you are innocent of copying one person's image, because you posted another person's image you copied?

Is this correct?

As long as it was with permission I suppose that's okay.

If not, I'm rather puzzled why you would even bother saying you didn't do one because you did the other one. Or is it a way to accuse the others of also using someone else's image as well?

I will say the artwork looks nice regardless of what the reasons are.

 

[Bardic Dave]

So, if I understand what you are stating, you both were "inspired" by someone else's image?

You copied someone else's image?

So, you are innocent of copying one person's image, because you posted another person's image you copied?

Is this correct?

As long as it was with permission I suppose that's okay.

If not, I'm rather puzzled why you would even bother saying you didn't do one because you did the other one. Or is it a way to accuse the others of also using someone else's image as well?

I will say the artwork looks nice regardless of what the reasons are.

Seems you're being needlessly hostile, unless you have some skin in this game? Anyway, I think you've completely missed the point.

I think most people would agree it's acceptable when an artist adopts an artistic style or concept from mass-media pop-culture, particularly if it's done in a tongue-in-cheek parody or homage style, particularly when the artist is fairly small-time, and particularly when the artist makes no attempt to claim the concept or style is original.

What's not acceptable however, is when one artist blatantly steals the work of another artist and passes it off as their own.

The original poster has identified a situation in which they might be accused of the latter, when in fact it's a case of two different artists independently doing the former.

Does that clear things up for you?

 

[Dire Bare]

Several (like seven and counting) backers of the new Outgunned RPG have accused Dias Ex Machina of ripping off this image from Outgunned's cover...

View attachment 284938

...with our Tiefling image from Ultramodern5.

View attachment 284939

This is despite our image being made in 2019 and both of ours being inspired by John Wick 2.

View attachment 284940

Just to be clear, I am not accusing them of ripping us off. I know this is just a coincidence as our artists simply had the same idea.

Ah, try not to worry about what seven idiots are saying on the interwebs.

 

[Dire Bare]

So, if I understand what you are stating, you both were "inspired" by someone else's image?

You copied someone else's image?

So, you are innocent of copying one person's image, because you posted another person's image you copied?

Is this correct?

As long as it was with permission I suppose that's okay.

If not, I'm rather puzzled why you would even bother saying you didn't do one because you did the other one. Or is it a way to accuse the others of also using someone else's image as well?

I will say the artwork looks nice regardless of what the reasons are.

Neither image copies the John Wick photo, both are inspired by and pay homage to it. There is a difference.

OP isn't trying to claim that the new Outgunned RPG is ripping anybody off at all. They are just expressing frustration that a few idiots backing the new game are claiming UltraModern5 is ripping off the newer game's artwork. Despite UltraModern5 being the older game by a significant number of years.

 

[Reef]

Although to be fair, seeing them together, it almost looks like the tiefling one was painted over the Wick one. The hands are all practically identical. I bet you could overlay them and they’d match up. The first image, although obviously sharing inspiration, at least looks like it was an original construction.

 

[GreyLord]

Seems you're being needlessly hostile, unless you have some skin in this game? Anyway, I think you've completely missed the point.

I think most people would agree it's acceptable when an artist adopts an artistic style or concept from mass-media pop-culture, particularly if it's done in a tongue-in-cheek parody or homage style, particularly when the artist is fairly small-time, and particularly when the artist makes no attempt to claim the concept or style is original.

What's not acceptable however, is when one artist blatantly steals the work of another artist.

The original poster has identified a situation in which they might be accused of the latter, when in fact it's a case of two different artists independently doing the former.

Does that clear things up for you?

Is it okay?

If it is THAT similar in appearance?

Neither image copies the John Wick photo, both are inspired by and pay homage to it. There is a difference.

OP isn't trying to claim that the new Outgunned RPG is ripping anybody off at all. They are just expressing frustration that a few idiots backing the new game are claiming UltraModern5 is ripping off the newer game's artwork. Despite UltraModern5 being the older game by a significant number of years.

I see that point, but both actually look like they directly ripped off the John Wick image...not inspired, or paying homage to it...directly ripped it off.

There IS a difference, I agree.

IF the original artists doesn't mind, it's fine.

Are they even aware of this "homage" though. Would it be something they would be "okay" with. Would they be upset that you copied them or would they feel complemented?

If the above answers can't be given...is it really right that you take the art that someone else did and basically copy it by pasting on different colors and a different face?

I don't have anything of my own in this, so it's not something that impacts me. However, if one is seen as a rip off of the other, I don't see why suddenly it is okay to do it to another image UNLESS there was consent given.

John Wick 2 is pretty recent.

Did the John Wick image take it's "inspiration" from another poster perhaps already? What is the original "inspiration"

Surely, there HAS to be something of artists protections when it comes to art. It isn't how popular or the size of it in the moment, just because someone has made an image that was worth 60 million doesn't mean it's less protected than someone who made an image for a book they published. Or is it that there IS no protection for art at all (something seems off with that idea)?

I'm thinking there is some sort of protection or copyright that goes with art that an artists or studio makes.

If there are, saying you directly ripped off an artists image regardless doesn't seem the most apt.

HOWEVER...for all I know the OP actually HAD the consent and full support of the original artist(s) who made the John Wick image (or whatever it is inspired from).

So, my post wasn't accusing, but asking questions...because the way they framed it seems puzzling to me.

 

[Umbran]

Is it okay?

If it is THAT similar in appearance?

Honestly, in the end, that's for the owner of the original image, and maybe a court, to decide.

If the question is about rights, then it is their right to call foul, not anyone else's. Especially when the owner is probably a major motion picture studio with more cash and lawyers than many municipalities.

 

[Bill Zebub]

Although to be fair, seeing them together, it almost looks like the tiefling one was painted over the Wick one. The hands are all practically identical. I bet you could overlay them and they’d match up. The first image, although obviously sharing inspiration, at least looks like it was an original construction.

Yeah, that seems to be spot on.

 

[Bardic Dave]

Although to be fair, seeing them together, it almost looks like the tiefling one was painted over the Wick one. The hands are all practically identical. I bet you could overlay them and they’d match up. The first image, although obviously sharing inspiration, at least looks like it was an original construction.

I'm not sure why that matters. If it's a clear homage to John Wick (which this is; I recognized that immediately when I saw it), keeping the same construction makes sense. No one is trying to pass this off as an original concept.

Also, John Wick didn't invent this concept, though they might be the first to put it on promotional material. With two minutes of googling, I was able to find several images of an isolated protagonist facing the camera, surrounded by faceless hostiles brandishing weapons, which predate the John Wick image.