Bizarro is brought to you today by TV Listing For The Ages.
I wrote this cartoon one day after hearing for the umpteenth time that yet another web site was featuring a cartoon of mine with the signature, copyright, and URL info removed. 
Sometimes people even change my wording to suit their needs. One site seems to be routinely taking my cartoons, removing the legal info from it, then replacing my dialogue with the same words, but in Helvetica font. Huh?
The stupid thing is that I actually don’t mind people using my cartoons to entertain each other on the Interwebs. As long as they’re not using them for commercial purposes, and not altering my words or images, I’m cool with it. I just wish they’d stop removing my signature and URL. I’m unclear as to why they even bother doing that, to be honest.
Here’s a sampling of one of my most stolen images and just a few of the versions I found with a cursory Google search. (Sigh)
My original:
Some imposters:
And then there are these Photoshop versions of my gag in another form. It is very flattering that an idea of mine has become a meme but I do hate the fact that I’m not credited in the vast majority of them. Oh well. Modern life.
Hey Dan. Have you had a talk with your lawyers? You might be sitting on a lot of money by going after these idiots. It’s one thing if it’s someone having a discussion and using your work to enhance the point they’re trying to make – quite another to remove your name and URL in order to come off looking they’re original. I don’t know if I could be as graceful as you are about it.
I agree! They deserve to be sued, esp the ones who do it on a regular basis.
Beware of the Streisand effect.
Lol… I LOVE THE ALL CAPS VERSION AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11!
THANK YOU for your warped sense of humor – your cartoons just make my day with every post! I was particularly disturbed with your link today where you state that you have problems with plagiarism, although, with the lack of ethics these days, I am not surprised. As a librarian, it really ticks me off when this happens – I teach undergraduate engineers about information literacy skills as well as about ethics, particularly plagiarism. I will also mention that cartoons are literally stolen – I emphasize text or image stealing for their reports but haven’t mentioned cartoons – until now. It always amazing what some people will do – without realizing that if they can find it, others can find it too AND fail them for it! OK, I’ll get off my high horse & simply express how your humor enlightens readers! I look forward to your entries! THANKS!
Norma Godavari in Winnipeg (or “Winterpeg” today – with a heat wave today so it’s only -14 or -21 with the wind chill. Yeeehaw!)
Hey, Dan. They want to give the impression they are being original and always finding new and different things to impress their followers with. Leaving the Bizarro stamp on there will also get people to go to your page to check out your stuff instead of forcing them to keep scrolling Jerk’s page. I don’t know how dumb they think their followers are. I always look for some dynamite, pie, and k2 after I read your new stuff. There are a ton of people out there that DO represent for you. It’s through those people that I found your bizarrocomics.com in the first place. Sorry some people suck. Keep up the awesome work, man! Love Love Love it!
Steal my comics, remove my name, strip away all traces of my authorship, but for the love of pancakes, DO NOT replace my text with Comic Sans. Daggers to the heart.
Why would they replace your joke with the same joke in another font? Astonishing…
If its a bad font, that’s almost funny in itself.
I lost count of how many versions of your Mayan calendar cartoon I saw around the beginning of the year 2012.
Yes! That one was widely used and sometimes changed.
Dummy up some lawyer-like stationery and inform each of these plagiarists they owe you a computer.
Hope you get powered up again soon. Are you roaming coffee shops asking to borrow machines? Or have you bought a new super duper model that automatically draws your images for you ( in 4-D).
I’m working on my previous, out-of-date computer. Which is a real pain in the ass. I’m alarmed at how much I depend on this machine these days!
Good grief. People have NO sense of propriety an longer. It’s truly astonishing.
yes, but they did not remove the eyeball…
I’ve seen your cat diary all over the internet, too.
I’m an admin at a website that deals with a lot of this – people come in and steal content wholesale, in order to set up competing websites. Our owner got his lawyers to write up a threatening letter, and we just send a copy whenever we find out about it. Almost everyone takes our content down as soon as they hear from us – astonishingly, most of them didn’t realize there was anything wrong with what they were doing. They think that everything on the internet is free and has no owner. We’ve never gone so far as to sue anyone – it’s probably not worth the trouble. And, like you, if they wanted to use our stuff by linking to our website, or giving us full credit, we’d have no problem with it. It’s the “Hey, I’ll use your work to make money for myself, what’s the problem with that?” attitude that rankles.
Next time sign your name right on one of the characters like a big belly tattoo. Like on Lion since he is in the middle and couldn’t get cropped out like the Tin Man could.
Ha! I’ve actually thought of that but with all the Photoshop wizards out there these days, it would still be blanked out. :^}
This sucks. Everyone of them should be sued to the point where you can retire in unreasonable luxury. Argh.
P.S.
Someday.
Please don’t retire any time soon!
You make me laugh. So I follow you on the interwebs. When I spot your artwork on any news feed, and I do not see you credited anywhere, I make the effort always to give you credit and to show a link to your site and your cartoons. Sometimes I even link to your books on the subjects, Pirates, and cowboys come to mind. If it is deleted by the jerkweed thieves, I do not know later, But I do make the effort on Your behalf!
Thanks! Much appreciated!
Now, if these people copy today’s cartoon about internet ethics, that would be ironic.
And they will.
Stealing your shit is the sincerest form of flattery, I guess. Fuck ‘um.
I am an artist too, I just deal with it.
Even my best joke was stolen..”My 401K went 404, wealth not found.” I said that after my job at Sega in San Francisco ended. SEGA!
I’ve called people on it before when seeing this done. One then altered her post to give you proper credit. I’m always pleased when they use them unaltered. I then comment, “Bizarro by Dan Piraro is my favorite comic.”
Thanks, Bill!
The King was in the counting-room, counting out his money
The Queen was in the parlor, eating bread and honey
Dan was in the studio, working at his easel
Someone was stealing cartoons, that dirty, thieving weasel
When someone takes your brain child, it’s akin to kidnapping; and indeed it is criminal.
Thanks, Foye. You’re an excellent Jazz Pickle Poet Laureate!
Honestly, I can’t understand what good comes from passing off someone else’s work as your own. If I have to copy someone’s logo for a sign that I’m painting, that’s one thing…I usually gag a little while I’m doing it because with the advent of the computer and graphics programs, there is some unbelievably bad design out there. Fulfillment comes from work that is well thought out then executed…which is what should happen to some of these @ssholes. Love your work.
was talking about Bobby McFerrin’s version of Oz today & found this link. unbelievable. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8tHm0SSz8k
it was on my mind because this morning i heard a wonderful interview with Bobby, (on the OnBeing show). http://www.onbeing.org/program/catching-song-bobby-mcferrin/249
Love Bobby McFerrin! Thanks for the link.
I’ve had two encounters with Bobby McFerrin (the first time when I worked for a TV station; we taped a show he did with Chick Corea). The second time we even sang a tune together after his concert (I love his music!). He’s a man of great charisma and inner peace. Very pleasant, but I wouldn’t touch the subject of religion around him …
Very cool story! What happens when you discuss religion with him?
Bobby will sing about the Lord whenever you start bringing up your atheist reasonings … (How come atheists don’t have songs like these?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9fzWq-d8jU
Thanks for that “inspirational” moment, Michael. :^}
I’m impressed that your humor is so right on, sometimes, that people actually want to steal them. I have my moments, but no one’s every stolen a joke of mine. <3
It’s simultaneously frustrating and flattering. :^}
It’s really sad, especially when you consider that all that they had to do was ask. That’s what I did on my blog and you said okay and I’m still really grateful for that. That simple lesson taught volumes (not that I’m a habitual content-stealer (I’m not) but it really made it real for me).
Dan, I see your comics everyday on facebook from one person or another. It’s always bothered me, but didn’t know what to do. I think I’ll take the commmenter Bill Cunningham’s approach. Thanks for all your work. You have entertained me with your creativitiy since the beginning.
Thanks, Jeff!
Dear Dan,
Sorry if this question has been asked a thousand times but have your cartoons been translated into other languages? I’d die for the opportunity to translate some of your animal rights ones into French and use them in our campaigns here in France. Maybe this has already been done.
Diana, technically ignorant and somewhat behind-the-play senior citizen
My cartoons have been translated from time to time into various languages but there is no one place to find them. If you want to use some of my animal cartoons for not-for-profit, animal rights campaigns, feel free.
A thousand thanks.
Diana