Allegations of Matthew Christopher Nelson intellectual property theft
It has come to my attention that Matthew Christopher Nelson is the subject of allegations of intellectual property theft.These concerns have come to my attention in relation to this earlier interview with Mr. Nelson:
https://sumikosaulson.com/2012/12/13/interview-with-matthew-christopher-nelson-creator-of-the-grove/
In response to the concerns other artist have bought to my page, I am including links to the blogs that discuss these allegations here:
- Side by side comparison of MCN images and those he is accused of infringing upon
- Post about MCN’s alleged intellectual property theft on Tumblr
- Link to MCN’s old cached Kickstarter project (subject of some of these allegations
I removed the still from the comic from my blog. I have also approved all of the related comments regarding these allegations. I have received a request to just delete the interview, but I think it is important for the readers of my blogs to be able to see these comments. I don’t want to delete the interview because I would just delete the comments with it. Instead, I am linking to the information provided in the comments regarding these allegations.
Here are another series of links from the comment section regarding these allegations:
“His deviantart, linked above by Amita also shows all of the photos, AND artwork that he has stolen, filtered, and reposted as his own. For example:
http://artistmattnelson.deviantart.com/art/Fyre-and-Ice-426143470 was stolen from
http://artgerm.deviantart.com/art/Korra-Aura-313531425http://artistmattnelson.deviantart.com/art/Rise-and-Shine-428956951 was stolen from
http://polymer-people.deviantart.com/art/dolls-by-Nadiia-94781391“
As a journalist, it is my first inclination to report on both sides of this story, but it seems that not everyone things this is a good idea. Some people would just like to have me delete the interview and sweep everything under the rug.
I am being threatened with a lawsuit for even bringing this information to my readers:
“I am so angry I will see him in court and if u don’t pull this interview off I will also see u in court too! Or you should at least make a new one showing what a crook he is! – Connie D’Angelo”
I am confused and confounded as to why I would be receiving such threats for electing to report on the allegations instead of just blindly deleting the interview and wiping away any controversy or comments that accompany it. I do not wish to delete all of the comments and controversy (which would automatically occur if I were to delete the interview), because I think it is important for people to be able to read the comments, know about the controversy, and I think amending the interview so people can see the links to the sites and blogs with the allegations is fair and just.
I don’t think it would be fair or just to just delete everything and sweep everything under the rug just because I am being pressured to do so.
However, I don’t have any problem revising the interview to show all of the complaints against Matthew Christopher Nelson. That is what I intend to do, and what I will do.
UPDATE:
Lucy Newman put together some side by sides of his edits with her original photographs (which are all up on deviant art; geekisthecolour.deviantart.com);
http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu27/dieux-faux/stolen01_zpsd173b341.jpg
http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu27/dieux-faux/stolen02_zps586c2df0.jpg
http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu27/dieux-faux/stolen03_zps02bf8daf.jpg
Sumiko Saulson 
Thank you for reporting on the situation! I’m really sorry that people are even giving YOU trouble, just because you won’t take down the last article (I also think it’s better to leave it up, at least for the comments and for the update at the top) I really appreciate the support you’re showing for the artists. Along with ball-jointed dolls (which were the main target of the image “borrowing”) he has also taken images of action figures and official artwork from fantasy book covers and Pathfinder books. This whole thing saddens me, really.
I have been reading the blog links and one of them says he took art from a mainstream book cover. People are understandably upset but thank you for recognizing that I had no idea of these allegations when I interviewed Matthew Christopher Nelson about a year ago.
You should not be receiving these threats. You are innocent and was lied to by this person.
Those whose work was stolen are in an emotional state at the moment, and rightly so.
Thank you for your patience during this and for adding the truth at the top of the original interview.
I agree with you – it is totally understandable that people would be upset about this, especially when it’s their artwork involved.
Thank you for reporting on this! I am sorry some people are wrongly directing their anger at you when it should all go towards him.
It’s not your fault. Sorry people are being rude to you, that is terrible. I appreciate that you are following up about this.
To add to the allegations, someone discovered prior art from his ALREADY PUBLISHED comic, The Grove #1.
Cover: https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t1/393746_303652893097655_2059849855_n.jpg
Original: http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/screenshots/Infamous2/Infamous2Media/swamp_color_final.jpg
It’s a screenshot from the game Infamous.
Art from in the comic: https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t31/893322_302624843200460_1112681673_o.jpg
Original: http://my-art-gallery.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/sci-fi/Swamp.jpg
The original is a copyrighted digital painting by Tony Hayes.
MCN has already profited off of the work of others. It’s very depressing.
A screenshot from the game Infamous? Wow that is bold… have you guys told the game developer?
After notifying the company that sells the grove comic they said the follow
“We at Smash Comix have no affiliation with the Grove. The Grove was printed by WTF for the artist. When it came time to renew the old contracts with the new ownership (Smash Entertainment) we decided to part ways creatively. Thank you for your kind warning. It is much appreciated. We do our best to keep a creative brand with new and exciting artists. Integrity and unique ideas are paramount here! Once again, we thank you. SPK”
Just wanting to update you if anyone is wondering about this
I picked up on this guy a while ago when he was posting filtered photos to a Facebook group. I was surprised by how many people defended his reprehensible actions back then.
Every now and again I track him down and try to notify the artists he has most recently plagiarized.
Until today, I never saw any other sites calling him out (it has been about 6 months since my last sweep). I am really, really glad to see this here and I think you absolutely are doing the right thing in keeping the original interview available.
People need to see that this kind of crime can be committed by a loving father, a guy who seems really nice.
Thank you.