Artist Adam Ellis Shows Shot-For-Shot Proof That Film Plagiarized His Comic
Image via IMDb
With his comics being widely enjoyed around the world, cartoonist Adam Ellis is no stranger to having his work traced over or stolen.
But his most surreal and dismal experience could have been when producers took his ideas and spun them into an entire short film that ended up being aired at film festivals.
The film, Keratin, premiered on independent film-focused site Directors Notes last month, and upon making the discovery, Ellis shared evidence of his correspondences with UK-based studio Backbone Films, as well as side-by-side imagery of his 2018 comic and stills from Keratin.
This film is a fully plagiarized, shot-for-shot remake of my comic. The filmmakers didn't ask me for permission to adapt my work. They didn't even notify me they were doing so until the film had already been released and was winning awards at film festivals. https://t.co/4mW9w7ObSf pic.twitter.com/ew5d7I0BY7
— Adam ElIis (@moby_dickhead) February 1, 2021
“This film is a fully plagiarized, shot-for-shot remake of my comic,” the artist proclaimed on Twitter. “The filmmakers didn’t ask me for permission to adapt my work. They didn’t even notify me they were doing so until the film had already been released and was winning awards at film festivals.”
Ellis, who often portrays himself in his work, said this comic is particularly personal to him, and “maybe the most personal comic I’ve ever made.”
He explained, “I drew it shortly after I left my day job because of disputes over ownership of my personal work. The comic is about self-care, reinvention, and personal growth.”
The cartoonist told Newsweek that the filmmakers haven’t responded to him since October, when he denied them permission to release the film. “And even if they had contacted me beforehand, I wouldn’t have given consent since the work is very personal to me,” he added.
According to the artist, film festivals have reached out to him to confirm that they will not broadcast Keratin.
Backbone Films has also taken down all mentions of Keratin, along with its own online presence.
Directors Notes, which had spoken to Backbone Films directors Andrew Butler and James Wilson about the short feature, has also removed its interview.
During the interview, the directors mentioned that Keratin was “inspired by a short online cartoon we saw which we developed further,” but did not name the artist. However, they quoted films The Witch, The Lighthouse and The Road as their muses for the concept.
A new statement by Directors Notes reads, “[We are] regretful to have used our platform to help promote the film. Had the full facts of its genesis been made clear to us at the time, [we] would have declined to run the interview.”
The website concluded, “While we had no reason to believe that Keratin was an uncredited reproduction, we unreservedly support Ellis’ right to challenge the unauthorized exploitation of his work.”
Newsweek reported that Ellis has no current plans to take legal action against the independent film studio. “I don’t think it would ultimately lead anywhere, but we’ll see what happens,” the artist shared with the news outlets. “Mostly I just want the film to be pulled. The story is personal to me and I’m protective of it!”
The comic they stole is deeply personal to me, maybe the most personal comic I've ever made. I drew it shortly after I left my day job because of disputes over ownership of my personal work. The comic is about self-care, reinvention, and personal growth.
— Adam ElIis (@moby_dickhead) February 1, 2021
[via Newsweek, cover image via IMDb]
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