I'm a celebrity O.ó

[oloriel]

As you probably know, I'm posting my better and even my worse bits of fanart (or even non-fanart) on dA.
A few years back, just when I'd returned from Japan, I made a Karuta game for Tengwar. That was fun and exciting and a lot of work, and I was actually quite content with the way they turned out. Of course, I couldn't be certain that my Quenya translations were actually correct or at least plausible [/mythbuster], so, when I uploaded the whole load, complete with all my background thoughts, ramblings and linguistic considerations, I also added a line about "If you discover errors in the Tengwar or Quenya, drop me a line".
That was in *dun dun dun* 2009.

Fast-forward to one week ago. I get a message on dA by a very nice, very enthusiastic person. She's discovered my Tengwar Karuta and absolutely loves that project. She's shared it with those among her facebook friends (uh-oh!) who are Quenya-savvy and might be able to say something about it, but meanwhile, would I mind joining the Language discussion thread on The One Ring.com (no, not .net) so we could discuss it further.

... yes, actually I would mind. WHAT ARE YOU DOING WOMAN THAT WAS THREE YEARS AGO LIFE HAS BEEN GOING ON. I mean, seriously.

A couple of days later, one of the Quenya-savvy friends sends me a note on dA. She's likewise charming and enthusiastic and eager to check my Tengwar transcriptions if I send her the Quenya sentences in Roman script, although maybe it's more sensible to wait until the Quenya has been checked? [indeed], and dA is messing with her computer so The One Ring.com would really be easier.

At that point, I'm ready to give in, because now all these nice people are interested in helping with a project THAT HAS BEEN CONCLUDED THREE YEARS AGO BUT NEVER MIND and I'd feel cruel if I just said "Yeah, no, you're too late". I mean, three years ago I had wished for that sort of response. Didn't get it. Now I got it. Now I don't want it. Awwwwkward.

Anyway, so I messaged back and said "Ok, thank you for your offer of help, I have to admit that this isn't currently high on my priority list so it may take me a lot of time to do anything about this, but sure, let's get started".

At this point, apparently, the scope of the project has been broadened a little; a third interested person pops up and goes "Yay yay, I'm super-excited, I hope we can spread this all over the fandom and go viral and actually have people playing this all over the world [yes, that was sort of my hope BACK IN EFFING TWENTY-O-NINE], and I've already looked for alternative pictures we can use [um?] and I've e-mailed the first page of Karuta to Simon Tolkien because I'm so excited!"

Um. Um. AAAAAH.
You do not mail fanworks to Simon Tolkien.
I repeat, you do not mail fanworks to Simon Tolkien.
Not your own, and CERTAINLY not somebody else's, because we all know that the Estate is sort of trigger-happy and has well-paid lawyers and I DO NOT WANT TO BE IN SIMON TOLKIEN'S MAILBOX HELP HELP HELP.
I mean, seriously, in what world is that person living? Certainly not mine.
Of course, realistically, the chance that Simon Tolkien is actually going to look at that mail is slim. It'll probably languish in his spam folder for a week before being automatically deleted, and that's that. But you never know! Do I want to get a CoD letter because some over-enthusiastic person sent a mail to Simon Tolkien? No, dammit! What's wrong with you people, can't you at least bloody ASK first?

Along similar lines, all those alternative pictures are, of course, other people's works of (fan-)art.
For starters, I do not actually WANT to replace my pictures. Yes, they're in my semi-skilled fairytale watercolour style and OF COURSE there are better pieces of art out there, but look, I actually LIKE them that way. (For once I am happy with my art, damn you!) On MY set of cards, I WANT my art. I think they go well together, and they're consistent. Use my text and make your own cards with whatever art you want, go ahead, but don't expect me to go ahead and replace my stuff with somebody else's. I mean, that actually was quite a bit of work. Took me months. And now I'm apparently expected to go "Oh yeah, that person did a MUCH better Turin than I did, let's use that!"
HAHAHA, no.
(Actually, I hate some of the artwork he proposed we used. I'm sorry, but I just very rarely enjoy digital art and/or photomanips - there are very, very few people who can pull it off in a way that doesn't look cheesy, synthetic and just wrong to me, and even they don't always succeed, and the ones he picked? NOT among those I am capable of liking. My teeth hurt when I look at them. Literally. And yes, I used 'literally' on purpose here, I know what it means, dammit.)
Besides, DUDE, copyright? All those other artists probably didn't allow you to use their pics for my (MY!!!) project. (Did he even ask? I doubt it!) It's one thing to "borrow" someone's art for little gifs or something, but on this scale, particularly if you want it to go viral? AHAHAH, no. NO NO.
And finally, I QUESTION YOUR ARTISTIC TASTE. I mean, even allowing for de gustibus, surely it looks better when all the cards are done in the same style, even if it's mine, than when each card looks differently, some are traditional watercolours, some are digital art, some are photomanips, some are modern graphics, some are very realistic, some are very stylised --- THEY ARE ALL VERY DIFFERENT. Ever heard of "corporate identity"? It works for card games, too.

In conclusion, what have I gotten myself into? Or rather, what are THEY getting me into? *flails*
Whatever it is, get me outta there!

Comments

[barbardin.livejournal.com]

*Luft zufächel*
Jösses!!!
Sagst du ihnen mal deutlich die Meinung? Gerade so zum Thema Copyright etc... Und ja, ich finde es auch ziemlich frech, DEINE Bilder zu nehmen und dann alles austauschen zu wollen. Und du sollst das dann auch noch toll finden? Ähhh I don't think so.
Gut, dass du sonst ja überhaupt nichts zu tun hast, ne.

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Ich hab's jetzt auf diplomatische Weise versucht. Wenn sie das nicht checken, dann muss ich wohl unhöflich werden. ;P Das Blöde ist ja, dass ich mich trotz allem irgendwo gebauchpinselt gefühlt habe. Aber beim "Bilder austauschen" hört der Spaß dann doch auf.

(Ich weiß auch gar nicht, wie hilfreich mir die Quenya-Hilfe sein wird, ganz ehrlich. Ich hab das vom Deutschen über das Lateinische in Quenya übersetzt. Wenn man DAS dann jetzt ins Englische überträgt, KANN dabei eigentlich nur Mist bei rumkommen, das ist also leider ÜBERHAUPT nicht repräsentativ... zumal ich intoleranter Weise ohnehin skeptisch bin, ob englische Muttersprachler (wobei, eine von den Mädels ist Französin) überhaupt mit Grammatik umgehen können. Klar kann man alles lernen, aber das MUSS man dann halt auch. Ist ja jetzt nicht so, als hätte sich irgendeine bekannte Quenya-Koryphäe gemeldet - nur Leute, die offenbar in ihrem Forum als Koryphäe gelten. Das will nix heißen - bei uns im LARP-Forum gelte ich auch als Quenya-Profi... :P)

Gnah.

[jokergirl.livejournal.com]

Knowing somebody who did mail fanwork to the Tolkien foundation, all you can expect back is a form letter "we do not accept fan work, thank you very much". So don't worry.

But seriously... wow. I can understand that you're annoyed. Kill them with fire!

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Oh good, I'll hope for that outcome then!

The thing is, they (or that guy in particular) come across as so young and ignorant and excited that I can't even really be angry. He has since apologised for running away with everything, so I hope it was a glitch out of enthusiasm and won't happen again in a hurry.

[jokergirl.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it sounds like a typical teen thing but still, it's just so frustrating. *sigh*
I'm aware that this is the internet and basically anything on it is treated as clipart by pretty much anyone (present company excluded), but at least don't mess with other people's things, is that too much to ask?

[satismagic.livejournal.com]

O.M.G.

*hugs*

I don't know what to say. I'm baffled at the ignorant enthusiasm and horrified and laughing at the same time. I'm so sorry. I hope it all comes to nothing, and that you manage to put your foot down about your cards!

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Actually, that's my reaction as well - half laughing, half facepalming. They (he in particular!) come across as so enthusiastic and ignorant and... almost child-like! I did list my complaints (in a somewhat more coherent and diplomatic way) in an e-mail to the group, and he replied at once and apologized for running off with everything and reassured me that nothing would be done without my permission etc.. So yeah. I guess for now I'll assume the best?

[http://users.livejournal.com/macalla_/]

Zur Sicherheit würd ich denen eine E-mail schreiben mit all dem, was du hier jetzt reingesetzt hast.
Dann kannst du (SOLLTE es wirklich ernst werden mit irgendwelchen Klagen oder sowas) zumindest beweisen, dass du nichts damit zu tun hattest bzw. dich beizeiten dagegen ausgesprochen hast. Du hast das Ganze lediglich als interessantes Linguistik-Problem innerhalb des Fandoms gesehen.

[fallingtowers.livejournal.com]

Seconded!

Das klingt nach einem vernünftigen Vorschlag...

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Ja, das hab ich als erstes gemacht (nur etwas diplomatischer und mit weniger Großbuchstaben ;)). Er hat sich auch sofort entschuldigt, und er wirkt so enthusiastisch und... JUNG!... dass ich ihm nicht mal böse sein kann.

Außer, es gibt wirklich noch Probleme! :P

[samtyr.livejournal.com]

Oh good grief! That is just.. just... so not cool. At all. Especially for someone to send another person's work to The Estate. ::winces:: So far I have been lucky but being in certain areas of fandom is a definite worry at times. I hope nothing serious will happen.

*hugs*

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Yeah, honestly. I just hope jokergirl's experience will prove right!

[nelyo-russandol.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't worry about the Tolkien Estate, they have much bigger fish to fry. But I'd be annoyed like hell about the absolute lack of... so many things. As you say, someone may use the odd GIF for a little fandon post in private ** I hang my head in shame for doing it ** but to "go viral" without your consent, and without any regard for taste, mix'n'matching to their personal (and dubious) preferences? No way.

I'd just tell them they're way out of line before they keep bumbling along misusing YOUR stuff, which is lovely, btw.

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

But they always go after the little fish! ;_;

They're actually so enthusiastic and eager that I can't really be angry with them for their lack of... all those things. I also suspect that the guy mostly responsible for my moments of WTF and ARGH today is very young - at least he comes across as pretty young.

I did write an e-mail in which I worded my above complaints somewhat more diplomatically, and he apologised right away for running off with everything. So I guess there's hope. As long as The Estate (TM) keeps off our backs. :P

[elfscribe5.livejournal.com]

Oh god, I completely understand your pain here. There's a lot of people out there who just don't think. Let's hope that the Tolkien Estate simply ignores it. I think they only get concerned if money is involved. As far as three years ago, it just goes to show the weird life of the internet. Hope it gets sorted out.

[hhimring]

I have no idea how to play Karuta, but I love those cards. And I mean your versions, definitely. No swapping of images for me, please!
And Simon Tolkien must surely be used to ignoring most sorts of enthusiastic mail by now? (But why, oh why would you send that kind of mail to a lawyer?!!)

[chili-das-schaf.livejournal.com]

The same reason why somebody thought he could go a) publish a Harry Potter lexicon b) without asking permission and c) go to court with all of that.

Because fans have a RIGHT TO DO EVERYTHING THEY WANT!!!

[shadowbrides.livejournal.com]

Oh my god, that sounds like panic attack material.

And I can just picture what kind of photomanips you mean. *cringe*

[chili-das-schaf.livejournal.com]

Gawd how awful.

I'd really just write a mail in the tone of: "sorry, I am very busy ATM, I am not interested in working out this idea any further. If you want to pull it off, please credit me for the idea. I assume you asked any other artist for their permission to use their works for the game and that you are aware that such a game cannot be published without copyright conflicts."

Slam that door shut before some monsters come crawling out. I sometimes get the impression that some people in fandom really do not know any personal boundaries, seriously.