Dceased #4 variant cover cosplay shenanigans

[jetengine]

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2019/07...RlRQVtouRXpZGI

So for those not clicking the link, Arthur Suydam is doing some variant covers for Dceased. That's normal right ? Especially one homaging The Killing Joke one of DCs best selling books. Except its not. Its a photo of an uncredited, unpaid cosplayer (A guy by the nane of Harleys Joker) with a filter thrown over it. Oh and the skull is from google. Now if Dynamite (a much smaller company) can accredit and pay the Cosplayers whom model for their covers surely DC can ?

[Red obin]

Here is Suydam's reply:

'Hi Guys .

One of my friends sent this to me in an email so guess, I'll comment on this once.

The assignment was to do parodies of famous DC Covers, so we picked the great Bolland cover to parody.

The Joker homage piece is a fully painted homage illustration, not a photo. No filters were employed in the painting process. Numerous pieces of reference were used for the piece, including some homage photos out there, used as art reference for the gloves, suit and folds in the fabric, etc. We are all doing homages to the same pieces and all images are owned by the copyright holders, not the artists or anyone else.

Historically speaking of reference use, camera-luci, opaque projector, photos, models, pantograph, clip art, tablets, light boxes, etc. etc. are used with reference, Caravaggio, Vermeer, Rockwell-- realistic pros all use these legit tools of the trade for their work . Reference isn't swiping.

No need to comment on it further on my end.

Best,
Arthur'

[jetengine]

Here is Suydam's reply:

'Hi Guys .

One of my friends sent this to me in an email so guess, I'll comment on this once.

The assignment was to do parodies of famous DC Covers, so we picked the great Bolland cover to parody.

The Joker homage piece is a fully painted homage illustration, not a photo. No filters were employed in the painting process. Numerous pieces of reference were used for the piece, including some homage photos out there, used as art reference for the gloves, suit and folds in the fabric, etc. We are all doing homages to the same pieces and all images are owned by the copyright holders, not the artists or anyone else.

Historically speaking of reference use, camera-luci, opaque projector, photos, models, pantograph, clip art, tablets, light boxes, etc. etc. are used with reference, Caravaggio, Vermeer, Rockwell-- realistic pros all use these legit tools of the trade for their work . Reference isn't swiping.

No need to comment on it further on my end.

Best,
Arthur'

I mean he can say that, but the picture is so damn accurate I have a hard time believing him.