1.22.2011

BEST. EMAIL. EVER.

Actual email I recieved...

"After stumbling upon your work in an Abduzeedo article, I found your style both engaging and curiously familiar. Being an art student myself, I appreciated the attention to light and shadow, cubist influences, geometric elements and half-realistic half-cartoony figures that seemed fresh and interesting, until I realized I'd seen these exact styles before in the pages of Hellboy, Superman/Batman, and Dare Detectives. Your shameless plagiarization of great pop artists such as Mike Mignola, Ed McMcGuinness and Ben Caldwell (along with many others, I'm sure) is a travesty. While I accept the fact that many iconic artists' styles (e.g Jack Kirby) become assumed into a sort of cultural melting pot, which other artists freely draw from, your "art" is downright replication, bringing nothing novel or of worth to the table. In fact, even your subject matter is mere parody constituted of pop-culture references. I am truly disappointed that you are able to make money off what should be considered stolen art."

In completely unrelated news, please enjoy this picture and have a great weekend!

41 comments:

7christian said...

Saw your stuff on Abduzeedo. Love it. I will now be following your blog.

P.S. That (e-mail) guy's an idiot.

Anonymous said...

Holy shit, what a moron.

Matthew Datchuk said...

Wow, just wow.

Ras Yeti said...

That dude is the mayor of baloney troll town. Your stuff gives my eyes a new kind of boner I never had before.

Nate Bellegarde said...

If thats the kind of guy whose power of observation and critical thinking skills force him to base any solid assertion on connections and similarities that are tenuous at best, then you can be thankful to not count him among your fans.

CasinoGrande said...

Haters gonna hate.

You need to go on War Rocket Ajax for Chris Sims' "Big Ups to All My Haters" segment.
That e-mail borders on legendary.

Steven Sanders said...

I think someone needs a hug.

Biggletron said...

Why are you guys being so mean? Art students always know what they're talking about.

Sean Mack! said...

What they seem to not understand that people are inspired by other artists. Hell, if he's an artist himself he should understand that most. It's all about how you put inspirations to help create your own unique style.

Or he might just need that good ol' hug and blankie in his life. Who knows. Someone stepped on his toe before he saw your art.

EZ Goodnight said...

Yeah, have to go with the consensus here. A complete idiot.

Curt Merlo said...

Its only a matter of time before he realizes he is just a knock off of some lesser know artist. What are they teaching those kids at Pretentious High? Work looks great Dan

jashar said...

It's always the worst art students who think that having influences is a bad thing.

Anonymous said...

"great pop artists such ... Ed McMcGuinness"


Hahahahaha...! just made my day.

Adam said...

fuck that guy

BTillustration said...

I have to admit that kids got some cojones for a student. Thanks for sharing.

Harper said...

Thanks for the laugh...
Great work, Dan!

ocularinvasion said...

Knowing a few art movements and comic artists doesn't automatically lend credence to whatever B.S. sequence of words you happen to string together.

Forget that guy. I've been a big fan of your work for years :)

elmelgares said...

But ...
you do not copy the style of Bill Sienkiewicz?
I'm leaving this blog forever!

Unknown said...

Can we get a whole week of douchebag-themed sketches out of this??

Please?

Or maybe just a week of sketches using the characters of he artists you are "ripping off?" I'd love to see more Hipp Hellboy.

Bradford said...

haha- that's pretty awesome.

The only thing better- is your response. I hope you really are able to blow it off. I was actually in total agreement with him up to a point- and then he lost me. I do find your work visually refreshing and original. In fact, I usually show it to other people as one of several sites I like to go to for an artistic pick-me-up. Even among the overwhelming number of blogs, websites, DA pages- your work stands out. Your work is stylish and clever- you seem to present most of your blog work with a wink and a smile. Your humorous stuff is genuinely funny. Honestly, I sometimes reference your stuff as "Hipp style" in my sketchbooks- when I'm leaving notes to myself on personal projects- when going for a certain aesthetic. Also, it blows me away how much work you are able to crank out- you obviously have a very efficient style and/or one hell of a work ethic.

So, what I'm saying is- keep up the great work man. For every one of those guys there are a hundred more of the rest of us.

cheers,
-B

Craig Collins said...

Bwaaa Ha Ha. What a fud! I imagine he's composing similar misanthropic emails to other artists as we speak...

Kudos to you Dan, for blowing this off in such a funny and classy manner.

artikid said...

I'm feeling sorry for that guy.
Envy is such an ugly thing.
Keep up the good work Mr. Hipp, I really loved Gyakushu!

shane oakley said...

what?
artists grow in a vacuum?
mike mignola came from another planet where people don't need no inspiration or muse or mentor or guide or any visual input to help nurture their own abilities?

mignola isn't eternally in debt to jack kirby or alex toth?
the whole damn comic biz isn't made up of guys who grew up learning from their idols?

student needs to get real, get laid, and shut the fuck up.

dan, your stuff has it's own vibe; it oozes energy and style, i for one hope more get hip to hipp.

sardonyx said...

I would feel flattered for being compared to Mike Mignola. ;)

T-Bolt said...

Man, wahat a D-Bag. Would love to see some of his "art"

MWPete said...

What a banker.
Your work stands on its own

Steev said...

People are so stupid...

http://thunderbolt.canalblog.com/

Tim A Odland said...

This guy has no clue. There is no artist out there that hasn't been influenced by those before him. making a comment like that just shows how he has no idea what he's talking about. Don't sweat it Dan Hipp! Keep doing your thing. Your mesh of style is quite unique!

Tim A Odland said...

Ha! This guy has no clue. There is absolutely no artist out there that hasn't been influenced by other artists. making a comment like that just shows how he has no idea what he's talking about. Don't sweat it Dan Hipp! Keep doing your thing. Your mesh of style is quite unique!

DAN HIPP said...

Thanks so much to everyone for the comments, they're greatly appreciated, and YOU are awesome!

You've done a finer job of articulating my thoughts than I could have hoped to (beyond that picture). Thanks again, and have a great week, now back to the show...

dnwilliams said...

Wow, the ignorance is hard to fathom.

Funny pic.

Jim Gibbons said...

Haters gonna hate, Dan! Fuck'em. Keep up the good work, sir!

Oscar Padilla said...

I always thought you just aped Rob Leifeld. Wow, I was way off. Thanks noble art-student for clearing that up.

James said...

The idea that you could somehow "plagiarize" artists as diverse as Mike Mignola, Ed McMcGuinness and Ben Caldwell simultaneously is so face-smashingly nonsensical that I may erupt. That's the very definition of synthesis, dumb-dumb, get outta here.

You're the real deal, Hipp. This kid's a boil.

Ratty_D said...

'Bad artists copy, good artists steal.'-Picasso
Loved your work for YEARS! Love the innocence and fun that is so absent amongst your peers. You do the best zombies, hands down! Gyakushu blew my mind (and eyes) and anxiously awaiting your other big projects you've teased us all with. You da man Mr.Hipp!!!

ANDY KUHN said...

Dan,

I think it's a travesty that i have been able to make a living (such as it is) off of ideas i have clearly appropriated from your stolen ideas. To rectify this injustice a sizable donation will be made in your name to The Kuhn-Fund. It's a non profit charitable organization dedicated to making sure certain cartoonists have enough top ramen to make it through the winter.
This guys email has really opened my eyes. While I will continue to steal your ideas, I can no longer see my way clear to feeling good about it. I say this not as an apology, but in the hopes that you will hurry up and post more good ideas. I'm running low.
Good day, sir!

andy kuhn
CEO The Kuhn-Fund

Anonymous said...

Even if you did steal your "style" from Ben Caldwell (you didn't), SO WHAT? You didn't steal his art directly.

And quite frankly, if Caldwell didn't want people drawing in his style, he wouldn't have put out a How To Draw book. :P

Unknown said...

Amazing job, greetings from Peru. That mail was pure envy.

Craig Zablo said...

I am way late to this, but, "Man. Really?" Your art is like a breath of fresh air. I love all kinds of art but to take you to task like he did was just dumb... and so off the mark.

Rick Lucey said...

Let me round it out to 40!;) I just found your blog via Super Punch and your art kicks much f@#king ass!!!
Okay now rock on! Not that you haven't I see you keep very busy. Now I feel like a major slacker. Well back to the board!

ハンサム Maytorena said...

"In fact, even your subject matter is mere parody constituted of pop-culture references".

Well, duh... that's what post-modernism is all about.