Magic: The Gathering has stunning card art. Each card has a unique feel to it. Independent artists carefully craft each card, giving each one a different flavor. However, there is a potential scandal brewing from the latest set. An artist is accusing another artist from the latest set of plagiarism.
Magic: The Gathering Artist Accused Of Plagiarism
The accusation is against artist Fay Dalton. The card in question is one from the Murders at Karlow Manor precon commander decks, Trouble in Pairs. The accuser is longtime artist Donato Giancola, who claims that the art was pulled from his Cyberpunk 2020: Ravengers novel. He had this to say about the art.
“Wow. Nearly speechless, but not speechless enough not to contact a lawyer. Copyright infringement. What were you thinking Wizards of the Coast? To be clear, there are exacting details in the neck, arms, background, and hand which show clear copied structures from my art. Copied and pasted. This is not about ‘similarities’, this is about direct copying.”
Wizards of the Coast is currently looking into the situation. It would not be the first time they have had a scandal like this. However, this one seems pretty suspicious.
Magic: The Gathering Images
Here is the side-by-side of the images. If you look closely, there are definitely minor differences. However, the resemblance is uncanny. The posture, the look, and pretty much everything else is an exact match. Being inspired by something is one thing, but this seems to be copied and pasted with minor adjustments. The artist flipped the image, hoping people wouldn’t notice but to no avail.
Wizards of the Coast has a decision to make. Magic: The Gathering is their biggest moneymaker, and they need independent artists to make their engine run. If artists think their work can be plagiarized, they may shy away from producing content for the popular game.
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