When Coldstone Stole Cartoonist Adam Ellis’ Work, He Clapped Back And Made Them Pay Up
Coldstone stole cartoonist Adam Ellis’ work
If you’ve spent any time online in the past five years, you’ve probably seen Adam Ellis’ comics. Because with his vibrant digital drawings depicting the absurdity of modern life, Ellis has cultivated a strong social media fanbase. But recently, a large national company thought they could get away with stealing Ellis’ work wholesale. And that’s just fodder for a satirist like him. So when corporate ice cream giant Coldstone stepped in and swiped Ellis’ work, the cartoonist mobilized his impressive fanbase and put the creamery on blast for a serious case of blatant art theft.Adam Ellis
Even if you don’t know Adam Ellis by face, you know him by his distinctive cartoons that have gone viral hundreds of times over. Recently, Ellis’ profile has heightened significantly along with his social media presence thanks to his captivating “Dear David” saga. With over 1 million followers on both Twitter and Instagram, Ellis has successfully transitioned from a successful cartoonist to a viral celebrity.
WTF
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Recently, Ellis discovered that ice cream giant Coldstone had stolen his art for promotional purposes.
“Hey @coldstone @coldstoneindia let me know where to send an invoice for illegally tracing my art to promote your ice cream,” captioned Ellis in an Instagram post dedicated to putting the corporation on blast. “Thanks!”
On Second Thought
Soon after the initial Instagram call-out, Ellis took to Twitter to revise his demands. “It appears you stole and traced a bunch of my art for a large campagin,” tweeted Ellis alongside a side-by-side comparison of his work and the advertisement. “Normally, I’d send an invoice to license my work, but in this case I’m asking you to make a donation to Inner City Arts to help underserved kids.
Thanks.”
If You’re Going To Steal…
Within minutes, Ellis’ Twitter followers were quick to point out that while Coldstone was UNDENIABLY guilty of the offense, they didn’t even manage to trace the original work correctly. I mean, it’s kind of a no-brainer, right?
If you’re going to go to the trouble of tracing someone else’s cartoon, at least make sure it’s done correctly and doesn’t look like a five-year-old’s attempt to color within the lines.