http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:Prodiga-diNero&section=today deviantART RSS for by:Prodiga-diNero en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:02:44 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/27831260/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/27831260/ Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:01:34 PDT [link] in a couple of weeks, so if there's anything you've had your eye on, it might be a good idea to pick it up before the end of the month. If you have a particular image that you'd like to see remain available as a print, drop me a comment on the deviation page for that image.

As always, thanks for watching...

]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/27819140/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/27819140/ Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:43:35 PDT


and available here: [link]

hope you enjoy...


]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/26856574/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/26856574/ Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:00:37 PDT
please forgive, & thanks for bearing with....

]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/25693391/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/25693391/ Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:14:23 PDT

hello....
keep my partner & me in your kind thoughts if it occurs to you. we've both had some health scares of late, with my nightmare coming to a fairly decent conclusion (at least for now) & hers just starting. we're having our fill of CT scans & the like, so i'm taking this rainy afternoon for a little fun.

]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/23862258/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/23862258/ Tue, 24 Mar 2009 08:05:04 PDT
thanks for checking in.

]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/22483495/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/22483495/ Fri, 09 Jan 2009 07:48:36 PST

I'm reposting this from ConceptArt.org:
Original here:[link]




Registry Forum FAQ

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a place for you to make your very own thread, with all your works. When you upload images to conceptart.org directly, using the attachment manager, you are able to choose categories, sub-categories, genre, and media for your works. You also choose your searchable copyright information and are easily found on the new viewer with a click of a button. [link]

This registry forum is being added to the viewer as we speak. If you already have all your images up on conceptart.org, you will not need a thread here, unless you want all images in one place.

Here is the info on why...and what we are doing.

In an effort to give back and to begin to take on bigger challenges as a community, ConceptArt.Org has been quietly working to solve the pending Orphan Bill (see [link] for more information on what we are up against and what we desperately are creating solutions for).

This summer we helped send thousands of emails to the members of the US House and Senate to stop this bill. What did we get in return? Canned email form letters thanking us for sharing our views. The bill drafts went the House and Senate anyway. The artists, professionals, and creative organizations who were trying to protect artist rights were ignored by our government completely. Realizing that even a hundred thousand signatures wont stop the copyright bill, at least that is how it looks from here, I got to thinking what we have to do to solve the problems right here at home.

Artists having to pay to be in searchable registries is problem number one. I believe this will be left to the private companies based on my research into who is supporting this horrible bill and what businesses are opening up. I went in and checked the domain registry to search to see if people were buying the domains (registermyart.com, artregistry.com, etc..etc...) and every one I searched was gone. This was the red flag that began the real push to solve what we are dealing with. The corporate sharks are already preparing to feed it seems.

Since the business world reads the laws and tries to capitalize on the loopholes, it is obvious to me that this would happen. Money is already flowing that direction. My guess is the art registries will launch as soon as the law passes or shortly thereafter, unless some miracle happens. Smart buggers. Imagine the photographers who take five hundred images a day or more...ugh. Artists cannot pay for this service...at least those I know who produce quantities of work...and none should have to.

Anyway, that problem is now solved in low tech fashion here: [link] ConceptArt.Org has created a search system for locating art and artists, essentially cutting off the paid registry industry before they can even get off the ground. Click the images and find the original thread. Click the artist name and contact them directly. This also keeps these readying companies from acting as middlemen, between the searcher and the artist who they wish to hire. There is no room for that in our business.

I designed and we rebuilt all our databases and set up conceptart.org servers to handle up to 200 terabytes of secure storage. This service is entirely free and is a gift to the community from ConceptArt.Org. It is also... ]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/22274805/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/22274805/ Tue, 30 Dec 2008 07:37:31 PST

I just received this from [link]- Obama's transition web site. Please know that Rick Warren is not only bigoted toward the GLBT community. He has called a woman's right to choose "the equivalent of the Holocaust"-- which is conveniently hypocritical, considering he has told the Jewish community that they will not enter paradise unless they accept Jesus Christ as their saviour. He asserts that women must be obedient to their husbands, and that those who do not repent of their sins and bow to his particular brand of religious doctrine will be destroyed on the day of reconning. For more info, check out the Rachel Maddow piece here-[link]

Haven't we kissed these asses enough already???

Please forward, post, etc. THANKS


Hello,

We wanted to let you know that the first round of voting for the Ideas for Change in America competition will end this Wednesday, December 31 at midnight Pacific Time.

The idea you have voted for, "Remove Rick Warren from the inauguration.," is currently in 16th place in the Gay Rights category, and needs 601 more votes to qualify for the final round.

If you think this idea deserves the attention of the Obama Administration, you can help increase its chances of reaching the final round by emailing the following link to friends and encourage them to vote:

[link]

You may also want to try posting the link on Facebook or your blog to raise further awareness.

If you have any questions, please let us know. Also note that the final round of voting, which will include the top 3 ideas in each category, will begin next Monday and end just before the Presidential Inauguration in mid-January.

Best of luck!

- The Change.org Team



Support The Stockyard... buy my prints: [link]


*Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/22068742/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/22068742/ Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:29:29 PST

I am old enough to remember how civil and and delicately phrased the public discussions were over the anti-miscegenation laws in the Virginia of my youth, and the tut-tutting of the religious over the ungodly mongrels that came from such sinful unions. I came to Pittsburgh in part because there seemed to be a greater compassion for simple human dignity in the political stands taken by elected officials.

There comes a time when each of us, if we have any moral character, reaches a place from which we cannot back down. I have come to mine.

I can’t accede to the invitation to Rick Warren to give the inaugural invocation without protest. He has called the relationship I have had for a decade and a half the equivalent of the crime of pedophilia. I have shared my life with someone; shared the final illnesses and deaths of parents; endured the taunts of neighbors old and young; looked into the eyes of this person as we realized together that we could not stay in our home as we cleaned up the stones that had been thrown at our windows in our nice, Democratic Pittsburgh neighborhood because of who we are.

More and more the work of medical scientists (remember them? they brought us the Polio vaccine and stuff like that) has shown that our orientation is innately given to us. I know my heart was given its compass by my Creator, and it is time for me to stand and say that the One who made me and those near and dear to me did not make garbage-- or mere political fodder-- just because the handiwork differs from the usual product.

We have always been the ones on the fragile fringes, clinging together as time and again our interests were sold out “for the greater good”. There is a legend that the Stonewall riots were started when a drag queen, grieving over the death of Judy Garland, refused that one last time to be roughed up, humiliated and shoved into a paddy wagon—saying through her streaked mascara “I’m not in the mood” as she slugged a New York vice cop. We’ve been kicked around just a little too much lately, and if you think we don’t have the courage of our angry tears, consider a slender man in high heels and a stuffed bra picking a fight with a police squad. To paraphrase e.e. cummings: there is some shit we will not eat.

We are tired of being the meat that gets thrown to the guard dogs so that others can get past the gate. We are God’s children. We are fearfully and wonderfully made, and we are worth more than that.

*Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/20967712/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/20967712/ Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:44:23 PDT

sorry for not getting back to my friends here. been working like a crazy woman, and these days i'm glad to have it.

back soon-- luv ya





Support The Stockyard... buy my prints: [link]


]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/20618132/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/20618132/ Tue, 23 Sep 2008 06:40:04 PDT

for those who did not know:




Kaleikonos was the ID used by Jean-Michel Servais, a retired aerospace software engineer who spent the last few months of his too-brief life diving into the swirling waters of dA and fractal/3D with all his creative energy and joy. He represents the best of what this site has to offer.

you are much misssed already.





an angel of encouragement, may your wings lift you safely to the stars....








Support The Stockyard... buy my prints: [link]


http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/20436949/ Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:55:37 PDT


SEPT 6 French Magazine Telerama Sounds Orphan Works Warning
Main basse sur les images "orphelines" by Olivier Pascal-Moussellard. In this article, initiated by artist Etienne Delessert, the popular French magazine notes that 60 organizations oppose the controversial US bill and warns that it threatens to harm international artists as well "if they don't wake up." In opposition to the bill, it quotes Brad Holland and Dr. Ted Feder, President of the Artists Rights Society, which represents the estates of Matisse, Picasso, Chagall and tens of thousands of others. It also quotes Stefan Biberfeld, legal director of Corbis Europe, noting that stock agencies such as Getty and Corbis will benefit from passage of the legislation because it will allow them to market orphaned work without fear of being "intimidated" by copyright owners. The article is in French.


"LE FIL ARTS ET SCÈNES- Menace sur les droits d'auteur : une loi américaine veut rendre libre l'usage des photos, tableaux ou dessins dont on ne connaît pas l'auteur. A qui profite-t-elle ?"

"Simple question de bon sens, disent les uns. Hold-up légal, rétorquent les autres. Légal, car perpétré par les deputés et sénateurs américains, téléguidés en coulisse par les géants d'Internet. L'objet du casse ? Les droits d'auteur des peintres, dessinateurs et photographes américains, mais peut-être aussi ceux de leurs collègues étrangers s'ils ne se réveillent pas."

TRANSLATION: "Threat to artists' copyrights: A U.S. law would free up the exploitation of photos, paintings, and illustrations whose creators cannot be located. Who profits?

Some maintain that "It's a simple question of common sense". Others retort that "It's legal highway robbery." Legal, because the law is being perpetrated by U.S. Congressmen and Senators remotely controlled by internet giants operating behind the scenes. The target of this break-in: the copyrights of American painters, photographers and illustrators, but perhaps also of their foreign colleagues if they don't wake up in time."



Read the full article: [link]

For ongoing developments, go to the Illustrators' Partnership Orphan Works blog: [link]

Take Action: Don't Let Congress Orphan Our Work
E-mail your Senators and Representatives with one click. Go to:
[link]

This Capwiz site is open to professional creators and any member of the image-making public.
Sample letters have been provided. International artists will find a special link, with a sample letter and instructions as to whom to write. Two minutes is all it takes to write Congress and defend full copyright protection for creators.

<... ]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19637954/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19637954/ Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:53:19 PDT


Cross-posted from




"This gallery [link] will be updated every few days with new faves from my prodiga-dinero account.

My hope is to create a resource for dA artists looking for a collection of some of the best manip, reference and general resource goodies available from across the spectrum of gift-givers on the site. It will be somewhat personal, because—while I generally collect any piece of beautiful stock I run across-- I find a lot of the images while I look for resources for my own pieces. For that reason, you will find strings of particular subjects run together—if they are what you have in mind, it will be a gold-mine for you. Also, your idea of a particular category my differ from mine, so look around… for example, I have a number of formal garden images in my architecture collection, because they struck me as being predominantly “designed”.

If you see an image here that looks close to what you want, use it to link to the artist who made it; chances are that you can find something even more to your liking.

I will start making a general list of stock and resource artists collected in the stockyard gallery in the next few weeks, posted in this [the stockyard] journal alphabetically. Once I sell enough of my prints [link] that I can afford a subscription, I’ll start following stockers from here, and will post “feature” journals with thumbnails."



Support The Stockyard... buy my prints: [link] *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19586929/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19586929/ Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:46:52 PDT


hello-

i finally realized that the only way to get my stock faves under control was to create a new account just to handle them, hence:



it will no doubt take several weeks to get this up & running, & i'm delighted to hear suggestions in the meantime. i do know i'll be running features, subdividing galleries, etc. etc.-- but i'd love to know how it might help both the great number of stock artists i follow (who will gradually be transferred over to the stockyard account), as well as artists who use dA resources.



]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19559330/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19559330/ Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:02:00 PDT


the stockers are back online...


respect all stock artists for they give you good things you probably don't deserve--
but unrestricted stockers deserve unconditional love...



]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19535614/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19535614/ Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:19:01 PDT


I sincerely hope that this will be fixed ASAP. Given the controversy over copyright that has gotten all of us a bit on edge-- this kind of screw-up is really not cool even a little bit.

copied/pasted from 's journal:
ANNOYED


I know I've spoken to the GDs about this, but its incredibly annoying to have DA claim my stock is public domain when its most definitely not.

So until the statement in the i drop down box here - [link] is changed to be either the same as the resources one or has the "public domain" statement removed I've taken down all my stock and won't be posting the new stuff which quite frankly rocks.

You may think this is somewhat petty, and probably nobody else really gives a crap, but I do, and if I ever had to take somebody to court regarding terms of use violations for commercial use of my model stock I have absolutely no leg to stand on because any defence lawyer can use this to say I knew I was posting work to a site which clearly endorsed free use for any purpose, and considering how many problems we have with people misusing our stock having DA accidentally stick its foot in its mouth really doesn't help the situation.

Stock is part of the resources gallery, therefore they should have the same or similar information statement.
My stock is NOT public domain - my copyright has NOT expired nor is my stock land owned by the government.

public domain
–noun Law.
1. the status of a literary work or an invention whose copyright or patent has expired or that never had such protection.
2. land owned by the government.

So yer. Annoyed. Doesn't take much these days but honestly its a sodding sentence, what does it take to get it changed to protect us not lay us out in the open to copyright abuse?

Yes I know the staff are busy, yes I know things take time, but this has been a problem for 4 years now, and I've asked several times in the past for it to be altered. It wasn't such an issue since it only used to show up when submitting work and hitting the "gallery information" in the category section, but now its in full view and can be read by anybody coming onto the site members or not, it needs changing.

Did I mention that my new stock is yummy? Sorry though its not getting posted til this is changed. Maybe somebody can support us for a change and get this altered.



's comment:
you have to hover over the 'i' in the circle after 'stock images' to read the information... it can't be cut & pasted.
given some of the opinions expressed by dA senior members a... ]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19460277/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19460277/ Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:00:50 PDT


Where to start-

If I had to pick just one place within dA to find my stock artists, it would be here: [link]

This is ‘s regularly-updated list of ‘unrestricted use’ stock artists. I would suggest watching him, if only to be able to receive notice of changes in the list.
You will note that this list has no thumbnails to give you an idea of what each stocker does—and—importantly—it tells you to check the stocker’s rules on his or her own page before assuming you can use it without any restrictions. You will usually find this information in the artist’s journal, although it is sometimes posted with the individual image.

Another deviant to watch is for this great newsletter [link] that keeps you up to date on great new stock and dA changes.

has a wonderful journal entry here: [link]
that breaks down stock artists by type of image. Unfortunately, this journal doesn’t categorize the stockers by usage rules at all—which can be frustrating if you want to use work for anything other than purely personal images only posted on dA. There can be few things more disheartening than finding a page full of exquisite stock art with no posted rules and a deviant owner who has been inactive for several years.

If you aren’t sure whether a given image in a deviant’s gallery is stock or not (and ALWAYS check), look on the image page at the upper left, underneath the title, where you will see something like this: Resources>Stock Images>Nature (or other category). If it doesn’t start out saying “Resources” you CAN’T use it— period—unless the artist gives you very specific individual written permission.

Many artists want a ‘credit me’ attribution, which follows a kind of unofficial dA etiquette. See my example here:



I show my credits at the bottom of the description like this:
horns: [link]

http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19458467/ Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:02:47 PDT






]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19387641/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19387641/ Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:54:27 PDT

FROM THE ILLUSTRATORS' PARTNERSHIP

We've had word that the House Judiciary Committee may mark-up the Orphan Works Bill this week. This is the session where Committee Members will propose, accept and reject amendments to H.R. 5889. After markup, the bill could be reported out of the House Committee and go to the floor for a vote.

We've submitted several critical amendments for consideration: These would limit the scope of the bill to affect only true orphaned work. Unless such amendments are adopted, we believe the bill should not be reported out until its impact on small businesses can be determined. Here's our summary of the issues at stake in the House version of this bill:

Q What is the Orphan Works Act?
A: A proposed amendment to copyright law that would impose a radically new business model on the licensing of copyrighted work.

Q: How would it do that?
A: It would force all creators to digitize their life's work and hand it over to privately-owned commercial databases or see it exposed to widespread infringement by anyone, for any purpose, however commercial or distasteful.

Q: How would it hurt me if I didn't register my work?
A: The bill would let infringers rely on for-profit registries to search for your work. If your work is not in the databases, it's a potential "orphan."

Q: What about my unpublished work?
A: The bill would apply to any work, from professional paintings to family snapshots, home videos, etc., including published and unpublished work and any work ever placed on the internet.

Q: How would these databases work?
A: No one has yet unveiled a business plan, but we suspect they'd operate like stock houses, promoting themselves as one-stop shopping centers for licensing art. If you've registered your work with them, they'll probably charge you maintenance fees and commissions for clearing your work. If you're a publisher or art director, they'll probably charge you search fees. If you're an infringer, they'll probably charge you a search fee and issue orphan certificates for any unregistered work you'd like to infringe. We assume different registries may have different terms, and any start-up terms will of course be subject to change.

Q: How will the bill affect the market for commissioned work?
A: It will be a gold mine for opportunists, favoring giant image banks over working artists. Some companies will probably sell access to orphans as royalty-free work -- or they'll harvest orphans and bundle them for sale as clip art. Other companies can harvest orphans, alter them slightly to make "derivative works" and register the derivatives as their own copyrighted product. Freelancers would then be forced to compete against their own lost art - and that of their colleagues - for the new commissions they need to make a living.

Q: But the bill's sponsors say the bill is just a small adjustment to copyright law.
A: No, it's actually a reversal of copyright law. It presumes that the public is entitled to use your work as a primary right and that it's your legal obligation to make your work available.

Q: But isn't the House bill an improvement over the Senate version?
A: Only for those who intend to operate commercial databases. These registries will exist to make money. To make money, they'll have to do a lively business in clearing work for infringements. That means making their databases infringer-friendly.

Q: But isn't the House bill better because it requires an infringer to file a Notice of Use, documenting their intent to infringe?
A: The House bill creates a very low threshold for infringers to meet. They'd only have to file a text description (not the image itself) of the work they want to infringe, plus information about their search and any ownership information they've found.

Q: But won't that let artists consult the archive to see if their work has been infringed?
A: No, as currently written, the Notice of Use is a dark archive, which means you won't have access to it. If someone infringes your work... ]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19332853/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19332853/ Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:35:42 PDT is now available as a print.


gift of the week:

is also available as a print here: [link]

enjoy




]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19249103/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19249103/ Mon, 07 Jul 2008 07:29:43 PDT
[link]

(cyberpunk scifi martial arts yummy gumbo)




gift of the week:


enjoy




]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19199123/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19199123/ Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:21:47 PDT who sent me the films that inspired this. much more fun being sick when you can go through a stack of stuff you were wanting to watch but couldn't make the time.



enjoy




]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19183909/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19183909/ Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:35:15 PDT

enjoy.




]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19005174/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/19005174/ Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:08:11 PDT
particular thanks to for noticing that i haven't been around all that much lately-- and checking in with me.

i'm not generally keen on posting health news in my journal, but, unfortunately this may be a longterm issue that will probably throw the occasional crowbar in the works. i had thought i had a bad lung infection, which has turned out to be a significant ramping up of my previously mild asthma. i'm pretty sick, and have a piss-poor energy level-- so if i disappear every now and then, that's probably why.

thanks, as always, to my watchers and assorted fans. you guys make it worth the work when the going is hard.

namaste.




]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/18622206/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/18622206/ Mon, 02 Jun 2008 06:42:24 PDT [link]







]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/18547438/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/18547438/ Wed, 28 May 2008 16:52:26 PDT
we have a wedding in the family coming up in a bit over a week & it seems like life is revolving around a particular shade of fuchsia satin... i will not elaborate. i will only say that although i deeply desire to live to see the chance to marry my partner of 13 years, i am very glad that this particular wedding is not mine.

i am doing my best to slip away & catch up on things when i can-






]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/18237260/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/18237260/ Fri, 09 May 2008 05:21:32 PDT
POSTED WITHOUT COMMENT

For our International Friends and Colleagues

by The Illustrators' Partnership


To: Non U.S. Visual Artists
For our International Friends and Colleagues

Below is a sample letter that you may edit to personalize.

We recommend that you send copies to the four U.S. agencies listed below. Faxing is recommended. (Postal mail can be delayed 2 - 3 weeks due to off-site security screening prior to arrival on Capitol Hill.)

We also urge you to contact your government and urge intervention. Please help spread the word by forwarding this information to every artist that you know. Thank you.


SAMPLE LETTER FOR INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS



Dear _____________________,

I'm writing to urge you to oppose the U.S. Orphan Works Bills, H.R. 5889 and S. 2913, introduced into the House and Senate on April 24, 2008. These bills would amend Chapter 5 of Title 17, United States Code, (Copyright law) by adding “§ 514. Limitation on remedies in cases involving orphan works.” This new limitation on remedies will be imposed on any copyrighted work wherever the infringer can successfully claim an orphan works defense, whether legitimate or adjudicated by courts to be conclusive.

The Orphan Works Act defines an “orphan work” as any copyrighted work whose author any infringer says he is unable to locate by means of a “reasonably diligent search.” The infringer himself will be allowed to determine when he has met this imprecise test. The infringer would be free to ignore the rights of the author and use the work for any purpose, including commercial usage. This is a radical departure from existing international copyright law and conventions, as well as normal business practices.

These bills will have a disproportionate impact on visual artists because pictures are commonly published without credit lines or because credit lines can be removed by others. This is especially true of art published in the Internet Age. And since unmarked pictures cannot be sourced or dated, works by artists like me – who live and work outside the U.S. - will be just as vulnerable to infringement as the work of American artists.

Because visual art is so vulnerable to orphaning, there is only one way to match an unmarked image to its author: by relying on image-recognition databases. The Copyright Office has stated that with the passage of these bills, such registries will be “indispensable,” and they have stipulated that the registries must be created in the private sector and run as commercial, for-profit ventures.

Forcing artists to rely on any form of registry to protect their work is a violation of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. This law forbids any member country to impose registration on a rights holder as as a condition of protecting his copyright. See Berne. Article 5(2) “The enjoyment and the exercise of these rights shall not be subject to any formality.” But forcing international artists to rely on commercial registries in order to to protect their work from infringement - made legal by a law unique to the United States - is deeply troubling.

There are many reasons why international law forbids coerced registration. Before such registries can be meaningful, all the billions of images currently protected by copyright must first be entered into them with authorship information intact. That means that millions of pictures from around the world which go unmatched will be orphaned, even if the artists are alive, working and managing their copyrights. This would even be true of images registered in the databases, but which go unmatched because of computer errors.

There is no limit on the number of these registries or the prices they would charge. The burden of paying for digitization and depositing the digitized copy with the private registry would fall entirely on the artists. Most professional artists have created thousands – or tens of thousands - of drawings, sketches, photos and paintings. This includes both published and unpublished work. The costs of paying to have all these works digitized and registered would be beyond their ability. Yet the Copyright Office has stated explicitly that failure of the artist to meet this nightmarish bureaucratic burden would result in his work being automatically “orphaned” and subject to legal infringement.

Presumably the Copyright Office and Congress expects non U.S. artist like me to register all their past and future art with the new hypothetical U.S. databases, or see my work exposed to commercial infringement under U.S. law.

These bills will create mas... ]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/18209315/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/18209315/ Wed, 07 May 2008 09:44:31 PDT
Take Action: Don't Let Congress Orphan Our Work


We’ve set up an online site for visual artists to e-mail their Senators and Representatives with one click.


This site is open to professional artists, photographers and any member of the image-making public.


We’ve provided sample letters from individuals representing different sectors of the visual arts.


If you’re opposed to the Orphan Works act, this site is yours to use.


For international artists and our colleagues overseas, we’ve provided a special link, with a sample letter and instructions as to whom to write.




2 minutes is all it takes to write Congress and protect your copyright:


[link]


Please forward this message to every artist you know.


If you received our mail as a forwarded message, and wish to be added to our mailing list, email us at: illustratorspartnership@cnymail.com
Place "Add Name" in the subject line, and provide your name and the email address you want used in the message area.
___________________________________________________________________________




]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/18128442/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/18128442/ Fri, 02 May 2008 05:55:40 PDT ) said 'whatever makes you happy' and one ( ) said 'whatever challenges you the most'.

actually, my lawyerish answer is again 'they aren't necessarily mutually exclusive'... i think i'll try working with manips in combination with some 3D work, but keeping more to a theme. i haven't done any extensive themed series in a while. the death of the child i wrote about last week has yet to fully sink in, but images are rising up in response to it-- some of them unexpected.

that journal & initial images came to the attention of a fairly new club on dA, , and i was invited to join. i accepted, although it wouldn't usually be the kind that i would seek out-- i'm taking it 'on faith' as it were. it is the first dA club i've participated in, although i don't expect it to be the last.

i will be working on a concept for the new series, and, no doubt, struggling with new software versions for a bit-- but even if nothing shows up here for a little while, i'm on the job.






]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/18121142/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/18121142/ Thu, 01 May 2008 16:59:34 PDT (posted without comment)

You are cordially invited to attend an important industry-wide event


Don’t Let Congress Orphan Your Work
An open forum to oppose the Orphan Works Act of 2008
Tuesday, May 6 6:00 PM
The Society of Illustrators
128 East 63rd Street

New York, NY 10065
Admission will be free


The Orphan Works Act of 2008 will endanger the rights of anyone who creates intellectual property.


It will expose your art to commercial infringement. It will include work from professional paintings to family snapshots. It will include published and unpublished work. It will include any image that resides or has ever resided on the internet. It will force you to register every picture you do with privately-held commercial registries. It will make all unregistered works potential orphans.


This radical change to U.S. copyright law will shift the burden of diligence from infringers to rights holders. It is wrong to give infringers the right to make money from your property without your knowledge or consent. You should not have to pay businessmen to keep the work you’ve created.


The Orphan Works Act is an assault on national and international copyright laws. It’s an assault on the property and privacy rights embodied in them.


Illustrators, photographers, fine artists: let’s come together and act to keep Congress from orphaning our work.

This event will be webcast live.
Panelists at this forum will include:


- Brad Holland Hall of Fame artist who has testified against the Orphan Works Act of 2006 in both the House and Senate
- Cynthia Turner Award-winning medical artist who has collaborated in written testimony to both the House and Senate
- Constance Evans Photographer, painter and Executive Director of Advertising Photographers of America
- Terry Brown Director Emeritus of the Society of Illustrators, currently Director of the American Society of Illustrators Partnership
- Others to be announced


To learn more about the Orphan Works Bill, listen to the interview with Brad Holland:


mp3 version: [link]
YouTube version: [link]


For additional background on Orphan Works, go to the IPA Orphan Works Resource Page for Artists
[link]


If you received our mail as a forwarded message, and wish to be added to our mailing list, email us at: illustratorspartnership@cnymail.com
Place "Add Name" in the subject line, and provide your name and the email address you want used in the message area.

]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/18021365/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/18021365/ Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:32:07 PDT
This [link] will take you to the Illustrators Partnership page which has links to both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate versions of the proposed Orphan Works legislation. You can also enter your email address there, which will get you on the list to receive updates directly.

]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/17988347/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/17988347/ Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:29:59 PDT

Update: here is a link to the community farewell... you can maybe see from it what a great kid he was-- [link]

Wedneday, April 23, 2008
Pittsburgh, PA

Kholen Germany is going to be buried today; he was a good kid—a really good kid. He was shot in the shoulder with a high-powered pistol because he was “in the wrong place at the wrong time” cleaning up at a clothing store 6 blocks from my home. He died at one of the finest children’s hospitals in the world; they couldn’t put him back together the way they have done even with many Iraqi children sent here from the war zone.

Every time I think of the terror and pain he must have been in in those hours before he died, I lose it. I have lived in this neighborhood for 8 years now, and I love it—the diversity, the convenience, the wonderful, affordable old houses—but there is an invisible boundary, moving inexorably toward the street where Kholen was shot. I live on one side of the gentrification; Kholen lived on the other.

Our paths crossed by way of the school he attended, 2 blocks from me. He would have been among the many kids I waited for at the crossing as I drove out in the morning. I would have passed his artwork taped up in the hall as I went to vote these last few years. I voted yesterday. I cast my ballot for the man from Chicago in the hope that he can bring another possibility into the lives of kids like Kholen, and like the kids who killed him.

I have other stuff to write about, less important stuff; I’ll put them up a bit later, when I can think better about clever and beautiful things. If you've already read this as an artist's comment to the images, thanks.


]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/17891540/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/17891540/ Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:13:30 PDT
POLL: [link]
PLEASE RESPOND With your preference on whether to continue with these journals.
THANKS

The major element lacking in the Orphan Works controversy has been intelligent discourse—and some of the worst offenders have been those who are presenting themselves as the level heads that rise above all this mindless panic. Simply declaring the worst of the hysterical wailing bullshit & then yelling SHUT UP a la O’Reilly doesn’t settle the issue.

I’ve worked in both statutory and civil case law, for a state legislature and the firm of a former governor. I was hired for my aptitude in logic and language, and my skill at parsing and deconstructing legalese. I’m not a lawyer or politician, but I’ve done their hard work for them. I’m going to post a series of journals that I hope will give anyone interested in the subject some insights.

I got on the Illustrator's Partnership email list to get information on the progress of the Orphan Works legislation. This email was sent in response to the growing controversy over the bill and activism in opposition to it. I am reproducing the entire text of the email without comment:

FROM THE ILLUSTRATORS’ PARTNERSHIP


Orphan Works: No Myth


We’ve seen “Six Misconceptions About Orphan Works” circulating on the Internet. It’s a well-reasoned piece, but has one problem. The author cites current copyright law to “debunk” concerns about an amendment that would change the law she cites.


How would the proposed amendment change the law? We’ll get to that and other questions in a minute. But first, let’s answer the broader charge that news of an Orphan Works bill is just “an internet myth.”


Q: There is no Orphan Works bill before Congress – one was introduced in 2006, but it was never voted on.
A: Correct. The last bill died in Congress because of intense opposition from illustrators, photographers, fine artists, and textile designers. The Illustrators' Partnership testified against it in both the House and Senate. [link]


Q: So if the bill is dead, why warn everybody about it now?
A: Because a new bill is due out momentarily. According to Andrew Noyes of the National Journal:


“Legislation aimed at reworking a portion of U.S. copyright law dealing with ‘orphan works’... will likely be a priority for the panel headed by House Judiciary Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property Subcommittee Chairman Howard Berman, D-Calif., in the spring...


“American Library Association copyright specialist Carrie Russell said her members are ‘excited about having orphan works legislation’ move this session,’” adding: “the House effort is ‘so close to being a done deal that we're on the edge of our seats.’" -Intellectual Property -Progress Seen on Developing 'Orphan Works' Legislation, by Andrew Noyes © National Journal Group, Inc. 02-21-2008


Q: But if there isn’t a new bill yet, how can we know what’s going to be in it?
A: Our information indicates the new bill will be basically the same as the old one. According to the Copyright Clearance Center:
“Subcommittee chairman Howard Berman made it quite clear that he intends to introduce new orphan works legislation shortly... It is likely the new bill will look very similar to The Orphan Works Act of 2006.”[link]


Q: But if it’s due out shortly, why not wait until it’s been introduced before we oppose it?
A: To quote from the Copyright Clearance Center:
“Since this is an election year, and re-election campaigns will be in full swing by late summer, new orphan works legislation will probably be fast-tracked to reach the floor of the House by mid-May”. [link]
Since that would give us only a month to notify artists, we decided to start now.


Q: Do we have any direct corroboration for these press reports?
A: Since the last bill died, we’ve met with:


- Chairman Berman
- Attorneys from the Copyright Office
- Representatives of the House and Senate Subcommittees
- A lobbyist for Getty and Corbis. (Getty and Corbis oppose the bill, but are negotiating for favorable concessions.)


Q: Where did we get the idea that the Copyright Office wants to impose for-profit registries?
A: That proposal has been there f... ]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/17847460/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/17847460/ Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:55:39 PDT
The major element lacking in the Orphan Works controversy has been intelligent discourse—and some of the worst offenders have been those who are presenting themselves as the level heads that rise above all this mindless panic. Simply declaring the worst of the hysterical wailing bullshit & then yelling SHUT UP a la O’Reilly doesn’t settle the issue.

I’ve worked in both statutory and civil case law, for a state legislature and the firm of a former governor. I was hired for my aptitude in logic and language, and my skill at parsing and deconstructing legalese. I’m not a lawyer or politician, but I’ve done their hard work for them. I’m going to post a series of journals that I hope will give anyone interested in the subject some insights.

The Arguments-

Hothead version:
OMG—anyone will be able to steal any artwork anytime with no penalties—we’re all doomed!
vs
There’s absolutely nothing to worry about, you pathetic Chicken Little.

Cooler Headed version:
It looks like there’s a distinct possibility we’re going to be forced into paying fees to private companies to protect our full rights, and our work that has already made its way into the wider web without very particular markings would be lost to us.
vs
As long as you’ve put your information onto your work, it should still be safe. There are plenty of penalties in this legislation that would make stealing very unattractive.

My take—both of the cooler-headed arguments are substantially correct. They are not mutually exclusive. What it looks like to me is a drift backwards toward pre-1976 copyright law—and yes, I’m old enough to remember it in a professional context. The crux of what would be lost is the assumption that a given work is copyrighted unless there is evidence to the contrary. The burden of proof appears to be put back on the creator to provide evidence of ownership.


The Documents-

Those cited frequently:

[link]
Mark Simon’s Animation World Magazine article of April 10th, which started the whole firestorm. I’ve seen it called “inflammatory”—I would call it alarmist. It describes the worst-case scenario in very emotional terms. Unfortunately, that’s usually what it takes to get artsy types off their asses. Anyone around here read scholarly legal journals? Show of hands… anyone… Bueller??

[link]
Statement by the Register of Copyrights before the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property (Judiciary Committee, US House of Reps.)
“The ‘Orphan Works’ Problem and Proposed Legislation”

The “ problem” described herein is the difficulty in getting legal use of unattributed works found legitimately by 3rd parties.
The important thing to bear in mind about this document is that it is testimony in support of a legal position—an argument made under oath—and, as such, it must be scrutinized very carefully. It is not legislation in itself. It is troubling to me that it contains many references to “ private sector” solutions to the “ problem”; many uses of the word “ fees”; and, among other, more subtle assertions, the following:

“…, the prospect of orphan works legislation may motivate some owners to participate more actively in the copyright system by making themselves available… we are aware of several private sector companies working on tools and services that could help alleviate the orphan works problem by matching users to owners. On December 8, 2007, the Copyright Office organized a briefing and showcase of technology for Congressional staff.4 At the briefing, companies highlighted image recognition, fingerprinting, watermarking, audio recognition and/or licensing features, and discussed their efforts to develop business models and standards, including database control, security, population fees, and allocation of user fees or subscriptions. We are confident that the marketplace offers, and will continue to offer, an array of databases and search technologies that will result in more choices for the copyright owner and more aids for the prospective user. This is a process that is already underway but, certainly, an orphan works amendment would provide additional incentives for copyright owners and database companies to work together…”

This should give fair-minded folk at least a little pause. If you think the US Government has your best interest in mind any and every time it says it does, the President has a war to sell you. I will devote an entire journal to a more in-depth parsing of this document.

http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/17810711/ Sat, 12 Apr 2008 09:54:47 PDT

OK-- here's what I've found in the meantime:

as far as I'm concerned,
[link] by gives the fullest, most evenhanded discussion.
[link] presents an 'everyone stay calm' POV, that is perhaps a bit overly sanguine, but does provide a source link:
[link] from the US copyright office (why i feel suspicious of my government, i can't say)
a comment to that journal by
provides this link:
[link] from ASMP
in this interesting exchange between & :
3 hours 23 minutes ago
All right, it's all well and good that people have to search for your copyright, and that only orphaned works are available for use by anyone, but it seems that you are overlooking the main point, which is that to be registered, you will now have to pay a private company for the registration.

Meaning unless you wish your work to be an orphaned work as soon as you put down your pencil, you will have to pay one or more private registry companies for the registration.

This very much favours big companies, and shits on the struggling artists.

And also, how long before these private companies will only register certain types of art?

Any website that wants to use visa as a payment method now are no longer allowed by visa to show certain kinds of images.

It's not a far stretch to imagine that the same thing will happen with these private registries.

I am sure a lot of fetish photography artists would be dissapointed...

Money should not control art.

----------
1 hour 53 minutes ago
The actual congressional session, along with the actual bill, don't mention anything about private company registration. Mark Simon brought that up without citing a source, along with many other things he cited without proper identification as to where they came from.

This article from the ASMP explains everything that happened: [link]

And you can find the actual congress session notes here: [link]

--
------------
Alright I looked....

For starters, there is no 'actual' bill yet, just an announcement that it will be mostly like the last bill.

So either way, we can't be sure what it will look like yet. You might be right that it is nothing, and I might be right that it is something.

However. If you research both sides of the story, you will find that some of the big players involved in creating this bill are also the people who would be making much money on setting up a private registration company.

These people will try to shape the bill to suit their needs, and untill it is written, we can't be sure that you will not have to pay private companies to be allowed to own your own work.

I don't understand why you are so eager to drop the subject before it is finished.

The issue for me is not whether or not I can sue people for using my artwork, but whether or not I will own it without having to pay Bill Gates for it first.

Check out Peter Jaszi who is authoring the bill and look at his views on ownership of artwork, find out who is involved and at what levels. Don't just trust the first official notice that comes out and say everything will be fine.

Don't let this one... ]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/17807931/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/17807931/ Sat, 12 Apr 2008 06:42:02 PDT

I rarely do this, but this issue needs to be out into the community ASAP. Please spread the word. There are changes to copyright law being debated in the United States and UK legislative bodies that would severely impact artists' ability to protect their rights to their own work.

Please read at least one of these:
off dA-
[link]


dA articles
[link] by
[link] by

AND THEN SIGN THIS PETITION:


[link]

]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/17650229/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/17650229/ Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:49:40 PDT

first off- most happy to see april 1st pass into history. i can think of a number of deviants who deserve a not necessarily entirely pleasant smack on the bum.

now for something only partially different (jose will know what i'm talking about), i find myself sharing not only a sunsign, but also passage into the 'establishment' of dA -those 5000 views- with . i have no doubt he will shortly surpass me, if he hasn't done so already.

special notes are also due to my first watcher & favorite conversationalist -- just because this seems to be a good time. also to the occasional, but always welcome visits of ... thanks to all for your quiet support.

i wish i had more time to figure out how to use some of the gorgeous css templates i've collected lately. has some of the most beautiful i've seen-- & as soon as i get a bit more caught up with my illustration work, it's going to be my first indulgence to get one of them set up.

the f-xsis chronicles are available on ... and also as a chronologically correct gallery here: [link] -- although i find that i often have to go back & re-set the order. please forgive if, when you visit, it has slipped out again. this extremely annoying effect seems to afflict all my paginated comix galleries, & if anyone has a solution, please send it along-- i'll share it wherever i can.

i haven't posted 'serpent in a steel garden' [link] to comicslist yet, since i haven't had the time to devote to her recently. she has my faithful love, but -for now- not my physical attention. a sad case of digital lesbian bed-death that will be remedied with plentiful affection once the first installment of the chronicles is released.

likewise, i've picked up a bunch more daz goodies that are still in virtual mothballs... so many rosebuds... so little time.

selene

]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/17622567/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/17622567/ Tue, 01 Apr 2008 06:14:46 PDT



]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/17405649/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/17405649/ Wed, 19 Mar 2008 05:38:35 PDT




]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/17391096/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/17391096/ Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:24:10 PDT

The F-Xsis Chronicles are now listed. Serpent in a Steel Garden should follow soon.

]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/17350509/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/17350509/ Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:41:03 PDT





[link] et seq


check it out!

]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/17108654/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/17108654/ Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:31:39 PST


]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/16911267/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/16911267/ Sat, 16 Feb 2008 08:58:42 PST
for now, check this out:



]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/16325805/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/16325805/ Wed, 09 Jan 2008 06:30:27 PST
]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/16072870/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/16072870/ Mon, 24 Dec 2007 08:32:49 PST best of the season! i'm just stopping in, & i see how amazingly backed up i am here. a quick vacation leaves much neglected dA.

please forgive me if you have left anything for me to respond to in the last few days. i'll try to pick up the threads after the new year!

]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/15532926/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/15532926/ Fri, 16 Nov 2007 11:46:47 PST
cheers--

]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/15128421/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/15128421/ Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:09:56 PDT
]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/14698314/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/14698314/ Wed, 19 Sep 2007 08:25:19 PDT for [link]

i'm posting several early-version pages from chapter 4 of the FXsis Chronicles, just to keep things fresh on the gallery front page while i work on something more personal.

please forgive the early-version lettering. this is a pre-color stage of the work. it's gone to the back burner, and that gives me a bit more chance to sit back & look it over. colored versions of 4 of the pages a little later in the chapter can be found starting here [link] and clicking back.

i had been planning to do a set of aces for the blue ruin tarot in celebration of 1000 views... with the recent response to the cards, it's a definite.

thanks to all!

]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/14588448/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/14588448/ Tue, 11 Sep 2007 11:17:48 PDT
Just a quick diversion while I get back to the real, smudgy-fingers drawing board.

]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/14410546/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/14410546/ Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:06:50 PDT
]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/14108134/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/14108134/ Fri, 10 Aug 2007 16:12:47 PDT
]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/13683048/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/13683048/ Tue, 10 Jul 2007 10:56:26 PDT [link] .... thanks for checking in.

]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/13530144/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/13530144/ Thu, 28 Jun 2007 19:39:18 PDT
]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/13485591/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/13485591/ Mon, 25 Jun 2007 13:02:02 PDT
]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/13326555/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/13326555/ Wed, 13 Jun 2007 07:51:27 PDT (update: did finally extract a check, which hopefully will be good-- but they managed to 'lose' one of my large first proof prints. ouch.)

my collaborator on the posters is making the corporate presentation at h-d headquarters on wednesday the 20th. i'm keeping my eyes on that one to balance out the dismal karma playing out at home in steeltown.

]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/12751607/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/12751607/ Fri, 27 Apr 2007 06:57:51 PDT
A couple of years ago I was invited to participate in an exhibit of artwork at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Bondeno, Italy. When the catalog was released (in Italian) I eagerly turned to the paragraph on my work, and saw that I was described as the lush-sounding “prodiga di nero inchioestra”—which the official MSN translator mellifluously converts to “squanderer of black ink”. Somehow, it seemed appropriate as an alter-ego.

]]> *Prodiga-diNero http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/12745548/ http://Prodiga-diNero.deviantart.com/journal/12745548/ Thu, 26 Apr 2007 17:14:43 PDT


This Pittsburgh set comic will, I hope, generate enough interest to be an ongoing series. It will remain a monochrome publication, as the noir look is part of its identity. The style is “love child of Raymond Chandler and Anne Rice meets Hothead Paisan.” There’s a debt owed to Clive Barker and the Candyman, too. The vampire Ess is summoned, and the form she takes when she strikes is defined by the ‘victim’ who calls her… and this infinite variety is the only thing that keeps age (of many centuries) from staling her.

The technique here is more standardized and cinematic than that of the FXsis work. As with that, the inked images are scanned and then digitally toned, but each page background is a computer rendered ‘establishing shot’, with the brush-inked characters floating in frames over it. The dialog is hand lettered in Photoshop using a stylus/tablet input device, and then placed in computer generated speech balloons that vary according to the identity and mood of the speaker.

The 30-odd page comic will be released in perfect-bound zine format sometime in late spring or summer.



Page one- a “Dr. Caligari’s Cabinet” of a nightmarish staircase, with atmospheric poem overlaid. Hopefully, the reader will deduce its author shortly. The frames roughly reproduce a 35mm format.

Page two. Strigoiaca (or stregoiaca) —a Romanian vampire/witch. Both spellings are used, but the ‘i’ in the first syllable is more arcane, and therefore preferable to our so far anonymous ritualist. Oakland student housing charm, although with a better view than most. The city is seen from the Carson St./West End approach. Note the Pitt notebook cover.

Page three. Minuet of hunters and hunted, with roles mutable and mutual…baited webs intersecting. Researching this nightscope got me onto some strange internet places. ‘Ess’ while recognizable from the earlier Fxsis Chronicles character, is developed further here. I am pretty free in ‘painting’ over and outside her inked lines— giving her her metaphorical glow. Her bike is still the lily-gilded VRSCR.

Page four. Ess gets a rude shock at Southside Works (she still clings to a European aristocrat’s romanticism about ruins and an American populist’s sentimentality toward rugged individualism—so the vestiges of Pittsburgh goth are dear to her heart). She takes the Hotmetal Bridge out and the Smithfield back in her huge (undepicted) loop around the city, searching for her favorite haunts. Note that the inkwork has been reversed in frame 1—changed to strengthen the composition.

Page five. This vampire walks into a bar… (cognoscenti will recognize Donny’s Place on Herron as her ‘oasis of character’). Our three hunters converge, the youngest not yet showing her face, but revealing a ‘Silence of the Lambs’ tribute in the form of a Death’s Head moth tattoo. The night watchman rides a true loyalist’s bike—the Hunter’s Prayer is a Native American tradition that honors the prey and asks its forgiveness. Ess would have been prepared to like him.

Page six. This page presented a serious layout challenge to convey some fairly subtle dynamics at play. Our student is very young and trying to make a bravely sophisticated impression, but she’s also smart, self-aware and genuinely daring. Ess is weary, wary (note the left eye in frame 2) and jaded, but her appetite has been whetted in spite of herself. The bloody bandage is the true attractant behind the overly dramatic summoning ritual. The inks owe a good bit to Frank Miller.

]]> *Prodiga-diNero