28Sep/0638
“Real recognize real.”
Mike Giant calls out Billabong
as taken from fecalface
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Billabong:
M.Giant
(Updated thats to Aaron)
Giant writes:
"I don't care to sue Billabong. My drawings and paintings have been copied for years, by lots of different people and companies. Day of the Dead stuff is nothing new, but you can tell they traced a skull in my book. Whatever. "Real recognize real."
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September 28th, 2006 - 03:26
you guys are delusional.
September 28th, 2006 - 03:44
A skull is a skull is a skull is a skull.
Get over it, not even close.
September 28th, 2006 - 03:56
Uhh… No…
September 28th, 2006 - 04:18
Hey back up- did you even read the text?
Like I was saying I don’t have the book to show the original, so I put in a similar pic I found on the net.
I’m sure someone at Billabong would have a copy, Right?
If so please post a link…
September 28th, 2006 - 07:48
i got a pic of a similar skull…what email should i send it to?
September 28th, 2006 - 08:15
[email protected]
September 28th, 2006 - 09:18
thats skull is common design in tattoo flashs, its like a swallow, mosts tatt guys have a version.
September 28th, 2006 - 09:32
September 28th, 2006 - 23:48
pic sent, tell me if you would like a clearer one
September 29th, 2006 - 00:14
Thanks for the pic- looks fine.
September 29th, 2006 - 22:38
This doesn’t surprise me. I used to work for an action sports company that would pay for trips to both L.A. and N.Y. On these trips the designers would purchase shirts and other clothing. Many of the patterns and graphics were then scanned into a computer and changed just enough to sell. I watched this happen all the time. They would also purchase clipart books from local bookstores that provide a CD with hundreds of images. A large number of the graphics used in action sports are copied or stolen. The sad part is that many of the designers know this but because of time and pressure they feel that there is no other choice.
The intro to this website sums it up nicely.
September 30th, 2006 - 03:57
When l first saw all the ‘billabong’ mexican skull graphic’s l thought Giant had done them, that’s how much they jacked his style.
There is no doubt this is a trace. Giant never said he was the one that came up with the Day of the dead skull’s or anything.
September 30th, 2006 - 05:28
In response to Anonymous’ comment: “They would also purchase clipart books from local bookstores that provide a CD with hundreds of images.”
Um… what is wrong with this? These are open source images distributed explicitly for this usage.
It’s a mistake disparage designers for using clip art. Not all designers are illustrators. Not all illustrations are fantastic. Not all of them are original either. It’s pretty silly to hire an engraver to create an imitation of an iconic engraving of a skull when the one you want is Dover clip art. When I’ve used clip art in the past, it’s because I want that classic, familiar, clip art look and not because of time or budget restraints. (I actually work closely with a fantastic illustrator who constantly offers to make original art for me, and more often than not I opt for clip art because she simply has too much flavor!)
That said, Mike Giant is a fantastic illustrator and a creative mind. I know this firsthand. His artistry surpasses his ability to beautifully render skulls, which is probably why he doesn’t seem too upset over this blatant thievery. While they may have stolen something, they didn’t take much.
October 10th, 2006 - 00:29
yeah,
he doesn’t seem too upset because he’s doing theft too:
look how he bite this series of works from dr lakra:
giant’s “fine art”
http://www.mikegiant.com/fineart.php?id=1&page=1&pic=18
and dr. lakra idea (dated 2003)
http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/dr_lakra.htm
October 10th, 2006 - 06:16
OZMO: you are tripping.
that’s like saying some is biting Taki 183 every time someone tags something. who hasn’t drawn tats on chicks in mags. Hitlers soldiers used to draw little moes on posters. Your not bitting them every time you do that are you?
You have got the wrong idea about this site.
you can’t own a method
October 20th, 2006 - 23:47
ive also seen a billabong shirt,
with mike giant “Snakes” coming out of a poorly photoshopped skull, you can tell its from Giant Himself, as you all know he has a particular style with the snakes…
you can spot his snakes from a mile away.
October 26th, 2006 - 17:50
Regardless, that is a badass shirt.
October 31st, 2006 - 10:12
ya its the same skull. they re-designed the elements on the face, flash is flash, but it’s the difference of style..example: between ed hardy, or sailer jerry creating a rose…they’d be different styles, same subject, definately not exactly the same..
this is a rip of a drawn skull. any designer will know. and ozmo, it’s outta context. Rone is right,
it’s not the same thing.
December 5th, 2006 - 22:56
OZMO:
The works you showed that were done by Dr. Lakra were dated 2003. Mike Giant, in his book Manifestations, has similar illustrations dating back to the late 1990s. I know him personally, he is a good friend, and a partner, and he had Sharpie illustrations on chicks for years and years. NOT to say he was the first, but he sure as fuck did it before 2003.
January 3rd, 2007 - 01:21
Such an obvious bite, blind if you dont see it. As is alot of work I see that was ‘inspired’ from Mikes originals. I was there when he noticed billabongs snake and skulls design, that was bitten from the juxtapoz magazine cover as well. Lil buggers, if you bite it dont claim it as yours. make it obvious
April 14th, 2007 - 00:50
Its a skull. It so obviously wasn’t coppeid. I Could get 5 other images and claim he copied to begin with.
April 14th, 2007 - 09:23
Clearly, this shirt is a rip-off if Giant’s design… but Giant himself shouldn’t be getting off scott free, here. He clearly co-opted his design from Mexican ‘Dia de los muertos’ folk art. Giant’s design is fantastic, but let’s not judge Billabong for doing the same thing Giant did. Even so, two designer/illustrators, drawing from the same pool of inspiration could easily come up with a very similar design (again this is clearly not the case here…).
April 17th, 2007 - 01:22
its not the skull thats a bite, its the exact flowers and the cursive at the top with the same stle of shade in the nose and exact colors, i have seen alot of giant biters but he stays innovative, and should be flattered, if it was me i would try and sue the shit outta them
May 9th, 2007 - 23:00
I own that shirt
I’m a graphic designer myself and do a lot of stuff for T-shirts. I’m asked to do billabong style stuff all the time etc..
it looks pretty obvious they used your skull and traced it and made minor changes to the way it’s decorated.
June 21st, 2007 - 17:07
kinda thing suck´s !!
MIKE MF GIANT RULES, GIVE HIM SOME RESPECT….
July 4th, 2007 - 21:20
tao de parabens ai mano
soh paranoico pela billabong
MY LIFE BILLABONG!!
August 7th, 2007 - 08:36
Well, I’m an in-house designer for a big company but I consider myself a good enough to deisgner have enough integrity and respect to NOT blatantly rip someone elses work off.
That said (hypocritical time) if you realy dig something and wanna create that look and style then I’d straight up do some research on who does that kinda stuff the best and see what they do to make it look awesome. I wouldn’t blatantly trace the whole thing and literally alter a few small details, I’d take the general idea and create my own styled take on it.
August 11th, 2007 - 17:31
Give me a break. If you google day of the dead skulls you see this image repeated everywhere. It is older than you and your comapny…. You are not an original design and if you think you are maybe you are the ones that need to check themselves.
September 17th, 2007 - 05:52
What we all need to do as designer’s is stop crying about the big companies knocking off artist and learn to respect each other as designer’s and illustrators. Artist have borrowed from each other since the beginning of time. I also have this shirt, the person who did this needs to have more integrety as an artist.. It’s cool to emulate, not to copy. The 20% rule is bullshit. It only takes a little more time to be creative. I have 8 years of experience designing and illustrating tee’s. Don’t trace dingbats.
October 24th, 2007 - 15:30
Pal very little paintings and drawings are original ideas or images, there just interpretations of other things seen, this style of skull u have here is just that as well, befor you many have dabbled with it going all the way back to mexican tribal art.. so guess what bad luck, ” your ” idea was taken. Unfortunatly business ethics and general morals don’t mix sorry dude… Instead of building a website about it why dont you focus more on original art and then u might not have something as easy to copy.
February 20th, 2008 - 08:01
if you cannot see that this ia a 100% bite, i am scared for the world. look at the shape of the head! and thats just the start. it is the exact same.
styleeeeeeee
May 5th, 2008 - 02:27
I had a guy bring me the shirt to get tattooed, I got online and went straight for mike giant’s stuff…It’s painfully obvious, but at least billabong bit off something with some real taste, rather than the rest of their clothes…
January 26th, 2009 - 21:08
Love the advice. Thank you.
October 3rd, 2009 - 03:40
Mike Giant has two items that seem like rips to me: http://www.mikegiant.com/fineart.php?id=1&page=3 Is it fine art to copy the cover art for Iron Maiden’s album ‘Killers’?
And this : http://streetanatomy.com/2009/07/26/greetings-from-san-francisco/#respond The 4th image down looks too much like the old Powell / Bones skate logo.
January 30th, 2010 - 17:00
Let me say first that I totally dig Mike Giant, bu his conversations about who ripped off who is lame and unnecessary. If anyone took the time to look at his web site ou can see that he is usuing and selling old skateboard designs and even looney toon cartoons. I don’t think that this makes him an artistic joke and should be remembered when someone does the same thing to him.
May 3rd, 2012 - 17:46
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May 22nd, 2012 - 07:11
These comments crack me up. First of all, Giant is a tattoo/ graffiti artist and that itself is very trade like. Guess what? Customers bring in art to be transcribed faithfully. Therefor Looney Tunes. Its called flash. Same situation with the illustration work he does. His own company creates tshirts that are obviously using Mike’s aesthetic without his input on certain designs. And guess what. Like billabongs ripoffs they SUCK. I would love a Mike Giant tattoo, but not a tattoo of his art. So fuck biters. Artists make their money by being authentic and unimitatable.
August 25th, 2012 - 09:45
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