Swipe File: Nick Simmons vs Bleach - Radical Comics Respond

[Emperor]

Yes, I believe when Incarnate was first announced it was called "Incarnate (Skullduggery)" but clearly the Irony Police made him drop that bit of the title. It was presumably initially at IDW because that also publishes the titles from the Simmons Comics Group, so it'd have been a natural fit.

It is interesting to read why it wasn't run by them:

NRAMA: From what I hear, Incarnate was originally titled Skullduggery and to be published by a different company. What led to the change in title and publisher?

Simmons: Well, first off, the art simply wasn't good enough. The people at IDW must have had the patience of saints to deal with the chicken scratch I turned in to them. My art was messy and juvenile. Amateur at best. I'm nowhere near pro now, to be sure, but I'm miles beyond what i used to be, especially in character design and overall neatness. And, with the help of Nam Kim and his team, the book has really turned into something I can be proud of.

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/080905-Incarnate.html

If you look at the samples in that first link the art is very different, I actually think it shows some promise and with time and practice he could have gone somewhere with that (and he could have started a writing career without drawing his own work) it just seems in an attempt to get the art up to standard he took too many short cuts.

My sentiments exactly. I know a few Radical folks, and they do not deserve what that kid has done. Hopefully this will play a role in less celebrities groundlessly receiving book deals, and instead more earnest creators who do their own hard work themselves.

The sad thing is it always stuck out amongst their publications anyway, the others were high quality, usually fully-painted work from known and respected creators, whereas this seems to have been a very different beast (and I can't see them even considering it if there hadn't been a minor celebrity angle). Of course, that also meant they were out of their area of expertise with this, so they ended up missing what was obvious to a manga fan. It was just the true scale became clear when a few issues were out, so it could have been caught earlier in-house avoiding this public embarrassment.

[Hollow]

Plagiarism is pretty low anyway, but why someone would attempt to use such a high profile source just baffles me...

He's at least not alone: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eden_no_hana

[Superfist]

Look, he probably didn't intend any maliciousness or have some snakey con-man thing going on. This is a young man who made a bad judgement call (which is what you do at that age). And though it's fair, and he needs to take the consequences of his actions, it's still kind of sad. I would imagine no one is raking him over the hot coals for this more than he is. If he's not, then getting in trouble over a comic book is going to be the least of that kid's problems as he gets older.

[Emperor]

Look, he probably didn't intend any maliciousness or have some snakey con-man thing going on. This is a young man who made a bad judgement call (which is what you do at that age). And though it's fair, and he needs to take the consequences of his actions, it's still kind of sad. I would imagine no one is raking him over the hot coals for this more than he is. If he's not, then getting in trouble over a comic book is going to be the least of that kid's problems as he gets older.

Indeed, I don't think there is much schadenfreude over this one, it is more toe-curling embarrassment really. I can see how it happened and it seems one of those dangers of growing up in public, I'm sure a lot of people have copied art when they started out (I know I did in art class at school!!) but they have usually moved on from that by the time they are in the public spotlight and can lock their early efforts away in a drawer.

Still I'd steer clear of the Bleach fans for a while.

[Superfist]

Still I'd steer clear of the Bleach fans for a while.

No worries, I was doing that long before this situation happened.

I KID!!! Don't go getting all mad, Bleach fans.

[TommyBSC400]

I bought this when it came out and I enjoyed it very much. Now that this happened I'm pissed since the 3 issue mini that's been released is like 25% of the planned story and now it might never be finished if Nick can't come up with his own shit.

[Evan Meadow]

Somehow I suspect Nick knew this moment was coming at some point. Or someone did at A&E.

I remember reading one of the plot synopsis of a particular episode of "Family Jewels" was about Nick struggling to finish the comic book. And they made it sound like it was going to be a focal point of that episode.

Well when they aired it no mention of the comic was ever made (or much sign of Nick that episode if I remember correctly).

Wonder if someone realized what he was doing then, told Gene, and Gene had all that stuff cut out of the episode?

[JoshAdams]

I have a few choice words for Nick Simmons.

[Emperor]

There is a facebook group with a sizeable membership:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Callin...50099569020063

It appears there was a fake Nick Simmons in there stirring people up. Not helpful.

No worries, I was doing that long before this situation happened.

I KID!!! Don't go getting all mad, Bleach fans.

I meant Simmons - I suspect you're safe

I bought this when it came out and I enjoyed it very much. Now that this happened I'm pissed since the 3 issue mini that's been released is like 25% of the planned story and now it might never be finished if Nick can't come up with his own shit.

Ahhhhhh I just thought it was a self-contained mini-series, if it was planned to be part of a larger set of stories that might explain why they are being very specific about halting production (as the hardcover isn't due until May).

Look on the bright side, the controversy might make your three copies a real investment.

[_OM_]

I have a few choice words for Nick Simmons.

...Nonono! No wussing out here, Josh! We're family, and you've got to share it with us, choice word for choice word!