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05/23/2007: "Bocetos: del cariño del autor a la subasta en inet"

Respeto mucho a Stan Sakai, autor de la imprescindible serie USAGI YOGIMBO que a tantos he recomendado y enganchado ;-), por ser un autor muy accesible y próximo a sus fans. Es dificil en el mundo de los garabatos encontrar gente de esta generosidad y que no se crea que es Miguel Angel por publicar cuatro brazos desformados en el periódico de su instituto. Por eso, cuando recibo una noticia como la que os anexo a continuación, no puedo más que reproducirla y denunciar la malversación que hace el especulador de un dibujo gratis, hecho durante una convención o una sesión de firmas en una libreria por el mero hecho de satisfacer a los incondicionales del autor. Sakai come de esto y cuando quiere comercializar su obra lo hace por los cauces apropiados para garantizar su autenticidad y calidad. Aunque alguien pueda estar en su derecho de desprenderse de los "regalos" que pueda recibir, me parece bastante rastrero traficar con algo que un autor hace para ti como un regalo personal.

Conseguirán que se corten hasta las sesiones de bocetos de los autores y se limiten a firmar como peleles.

UYD Members,

Many of you out there are aware of a growing problem in the Usagi Yojimbo original art market appearing on eBay. Sellers profiteering off of Stan Sakai's generosity by attempting to sell convention sketches that Stan did for free as gifts for fans. The Dojo has been keeping it's eye on the activities of online comic book retailers and other exploiters of Stan's work, and have been trying to increase the awareness of these unscrupulous activities. While not illegal, requesting a free sketch from Stan at conventions with the sole purpose of auctioning it off on eBay is a rude and insulting gesture to him and his fans. Stan himself, realizing the problem, began personalizing his free sketches to deter these individuals from their activities, but this has not stopped them.

Even now, just days after Motor City Comic Con, where Stan did many free sketches for fans, these "art scalpers" have since posted their auctions, often at high starting prices to guarantee a hefty profit. Some have even resorted to defacing the art by attempting to hide the personalization that Stan does in order to twhart these activities in the first place. Here's an example of one such case:

http://cgi.ebay.com/stan-sakai-original-art-usagi-yojimbo_W0QQ itemZ330122485809QQihZ014QQcategoryZ972QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

In the sketch in the auction above, the personalization was sketched out as "grass". Says Stan: "It looks like this one was altered with that 'pigma india ink' to cover up the personalization. The grass doesn't even look like mine. I guess this isn't really a counterfeit--just half a counterfeit. For the record, what I was using at Motor City was the Uniball Vision fine and micro points." The alteration of this sketch and nondisclosure by the seller is actually in violation of eBay policy and has been reported. This is a case of pure deception.

The same seller, comicman182, did something similar to a free sketch by Sergio Aragones of Groo. Says Stan: "Here is one by Sergio, but the top of the drawing, where the person's name in the thought balloon would be, is cropped off. It is from the same seller as mine."

http://cgi.ebay.com/groo-ariginal-art-by-Sergio-Aragones_ W0QQitemZ330122489428QQihZ014QQcategoryZ972QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Other sellers, like thecomicmonster, have resorted to packaging these free sketches with other Usagi merchandise.

http://cgi.ebay.com/USAGI-YOJIMBO-ORIGINAL-ART-BOOK-PROMO-STAN
-SAKAI_W0QQitemZ250118098788QQihZ015QQcategoryZ972QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Comicmonster is a long time scalper of free sketches and he, along with others in the sketchhound community, have made a lot of money off of Stan's generosity.

Here are just some of their ended auctions:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250104685294&ssPageName
=ADME:B:SS:US:1

http://cgi.ebay.com/STAN-SAKAI-USAGI-YOJIMBO-ORIGINAL-ART-SKETCH-NICE_W0QQitemZ130101404875QQihZ003QQcategoryZ3986QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

On behalf of Mr. Sakai, we at the Usagi Yojimbo Dojo urge you to not bid on such items. Please join us in battling these exploiters of not only Stan's work, but others in the comic book industry.

It's gotten to the point where Stan has at one time considered not doing free sketches anymore. For more info and to discuss, check out these posts at the UY DojoBoard:

http://usagiyojimbo.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2951&postdays=0&
postorder=asc&start=0

Thank You,

The Usagi Yojimbo Dojo