Animation Source Forums

E-mail a virus to the thief to corrupt all their PC files. .

I totally agree with you..even tho I don't draw..it would just bug me so much..especially if they stole a pic from you and said it was theirs..and they get all these nice comments like 'Oh that's great! I can tell you spent a long time on it'..it just really bugs me..and it also bugs me that you can't really do anything about it..but yeah enough of what bugs me..

Oh yeah and I wanted to ask you if I could use like 1 or 2 of your pictures, just to colour again on Paint shop pro, because I need practice on it, but I promise I wont post them anywhere, because this is the only site I go on where you can send in art..and people will know if I sent it..

but yeah..that's all I can say..so buh bye for now..

DW

Lol, I don't think I ave ever posted someone elses art, because I am not into "theivory", lol

Oh. My. God. You PWN, cat! <3 That was the best rant on the planet. You tell those farking biatches who's boss! xD

Another thing that bothers me that I see some of on Balto Source are pictures of traced sreenshots from the movies. Okay, y'all, people will not think you drew that. Atleast I don't seem to be fooled when someone grabs a screenshot from the site, takes it into Paint, colors all over it and claims it as their own. If they want to learn how to draw, that's not the way to do it. Take an art class and get a nice drawing program.

This was a brilliant idea and I really hope people stop stealing your art and the other great artwork on Balto Source and other sites.

if they won't listen, use my technique... HARRASSMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's what Cat's talking about. MySpace user's are being 'harrassed' by us. But we're the real victims!

You're 200% right, Cat! People should stop stealing art. I will never steal your art coz unlike some bad ppl I am not an art thief. I gather inspiration
from you and whatnot but I have my own style and characters. People should stop stealing your art and get a life .
P.S I'm not saying this because I'm secretly an art thief cos I'm not.

Ha Har! You tell 'em Cat! Come to think of it this would be a good time to implament my "fry the art theif's computer" program. Every time some B-tard tries to steal some art...FWIZAP! bye bye birdy! heh heh heh
myes myes perfect myes...

Folks,

I have read through the five pages of this thread. And I will offer my response. I am a member of this forum too, and have been visiting Balto Source longer than that. I maintain a friendly demeanor with Steet and some of the authors who have posted on Balto Source, and some fans.

However, I know that what I am going to say here is going to get bashed. Because it's a counter-opinion. And I have already seen how counter-opinions are treated in this PARTICULAR forum. So I suppose I should expect that, even though this post is worded thoughtfully, and intelligently, I'm going to get a lot of hostile, infantile bashing for it. Whatever. I can deal with that. It will just prove my point.

A couple of months ago, I posted a thread here with the intent of trying to both inform as well as seek resolution. I came in humility and peace, trying to be a resource to help resolve this problem of art *ahem* "theft". I tried to be reasonable, and offered my agreement that anyone who took artwork from the site, without asking permission, is wrong. Unfortunately, MOST of the responses I encountered were not only generally hostile or argumentative, but unreasonably hostile to MySpacers in general. Now, I DO have a role-playing profile on MySpace...and it is for Balto (and I do one for Togo). I do so because there is an active role-playing community on MySpace, whether or not anyone here can accept that. And it is NO different than a role-playing community on any other forum on the internet (including this one). And it is populated by people of all ages and backgrounds. And, just like HERE, there are good people, BAD people and people who really just don't stand out either way. Of course, after I tried to reason the matter out, Greykitty threw a stinger at me and then locked my thread to prevent any further response. That was neither sophisticated, mature, nor fair.

But, for some inexplicable reason, people here HATE MySpacers. I understand the frustration over *ahem* "stolen" artwork, but when it moves beyond that point it is childish.

A perfect example of that would be the obvious hypocrisy evident in this thread. I have seen post after post trashing not only those MySpacers who have *ahem* "stolen" artwork, but MySpacers and MySpace in general. I have seen talk of them being liars and far worse. That they deserve whatever smack down is thrown their way by vengeful individuals such as Cat. The hypocrisy comes into play when one views the childish talk of what tactics to use to resolve this problem. Ooooh yes...we've already seen the excuse that "we tried to be nice, and use legitimate channels, but it didn't work!" No, what has been in evidence on MySpace is nothing but attacks aimed at MySpacers...by "spies" (as noted here). I find it ironic that some of you can imply or assert (here or elsewhere) that people on MySpace have no life and are wasting their time on MySpace, yet there are a few HERE who have taken the time to create false profiles simply to troll around looking for the teenagers who *ahem* stole artwork. That's pathetic.

Now...I have also seen the profanity-laden messages that Cat has sent to some people. I have seen the brutal and childish tactics of the "tortured artist" and her friends. And I have seen the hypocrisy in evidence here. And I threw a stinger through the person who has a "Count Balto" trolling profile on MySpace (for the aforementioned purpose), at Cat. I even temporarily threw a piece of artwork of hers back up on my own page (in anger) just to show her what sort of immaturity is in evidence by her and her cohorts. She will not comprehend it. Of that I am certain. Still, I took it back down after thinking through it. I said taking artwork was wrong, and I stand by it. However, now she's brought some real trouble on herself. I wanted to be an ally...to help (ALL of you). But she's only succeeded in making an enemy of me, and in infuriating and alienating the MySpacers (who are NOT some unorganized collection of idiotic teenagers and young adults). And she's said, through her "Count Balto" friend, that I'm going to "get a fight"...since I "...started it" (that's laughable).

The fact remains that she has VERY little chance of forcing or threatening anyone into taking any art off their pages. Or of getting anyone to do the work for her. What's done appears to be done. And, because of her brutal tactics (including some ridiculous threats to at least one individual that she has a way of seeing what's on his hard drive by the simple fact that an e-mail was exchanged...LOL. A simple firewall could prevent that even if it WERE possible for her to do so). So now Cat styles herself something of a hacker. She can try and use the court system to force her issues. However, the kind of threat she laid even to just that one person could bring her all manner of trouble in a court of law. And, sadly for her, it's in print...with her e-mail address on it. Tsk. Not a smart move. In fact, it was pretty stupid.

Glass houses, people. Some of you are no better than the teenagers who took the artwork without permission, no matter what you may think (and, clearly, you do).

So now we'll see. I already expect a lot of infantile and hostile responses to this. Because many of you have demonstrated that you cannot discuss something rationally or fairly. And at least ONE moderator has demonstrated that she cannot be fair and equitable. (I wonder how long it will be before my post is removed by that person, because it doesn't agree with everyone else.) A person only has equal time on this forum, apparently, if he or she fully agrees with the majority, and the moderators themselves. And that's a ***** shame.

I see your point Cat, but I see Steet and Balto Seppala's point.

Mm. Now that was certainly an intellectual response (note the heavy sarcasm, folks?). And it's typical for this forum. Yet, I have many friends who are members of Balto Source, and I have been a positive contributor. But I am sick of you self-absorbed idiots who think it's all about YOU, and are whining about how you've been damaged some way by what some of the teenagers on MySpace have done. I haven't stolen any art. I had a piece of Cat's up, that I removed the moment I was asked to. Someone else, as I have said before, sent it along to me, and it STILL had Cat's signature on it. So back off.

I did NOT start this. I came here, to this particular section of the forums, hoping to try and help resolve the problem, NOT to cause it. You idiots who have been trolling about on MySpace were doing so BEFORE my first post. I mentioned that with regard to the girl representing Kiona (the character itself, incidentally, while never officially named by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, is definitely NOT Cat's creation, as someone suggested in this thread. She MAY have given the character the name which is now commonly-used by fans, or she may not have. But the original character, in puppy form, belongs to Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment).

For your information, you mental infant, there are people on other internet forums using the artwork found here...and likely, without permission. It is not just MySpacers. And it is NOT all MySpace role-players who are doing so. So think before you spout off inaccurate information. And fabrications. And grow the hell up already.

Oh, and incidentally? It's not up to you and the malcontents to decide whether I stay here or go. My argument is with a select few idiots here. Not the entire community on Balto Source, or the owner (Steet). You have already seen that there are some, in this community, who have understood what I have been trying to accomplish (including "Balto Sis"...and thank you to her for seeing the forest for the trees!), and know me for the decent person I am and have TRIED to be. The fact is, you malcontents have already made up your minds, and sunk to petty, infantile, aggressive bullying and threats. And that makes you weak, it makes you cowardly, and it makes you pathetic.

As to a "war", I won't burden this forum with it. Steet doesn't need that, and neither do the other readers. Nor does MySpace or its members. You want a war, then you come and find me online, and we'll take it into private e-mail and see how far it goes. You've got NOTHING on me, and truthfully, I've got little on you (for now). But I've got one beautiful thing on Cat that could make this become as ugly as she or you want it to. So I suggest you take the smart path, and just back the hell off.

Thanks for understanding. To an extent, I see Cat's point too. She and the other artists have EVERY RIGHT to be upset that people have lifted their art without first asking (though I understand SOME of the artists, who post here and in other forums on the internet, don't mind at all. So every artist has a different attitude on this issue. But there are possessive, hot-headed jerks, and there are people who want to share their talent for all, without expectations of having their fragile egos stroked.) But I take issue with her tactics, and I despise her for them. And anyone who acts in such an aggressive, infantile and disingenuous way.

And in that respect, and ONLY that respect, I fight the stupidity that has been happening here. JUST as I have tried to reason, in the past, with MySpacers who have taken art without permission, and asked them (sometimes repeatedly) to remove the art from their pages, so as to give the hotheads no excuse, and nothing to carry on about.

In reality, there have been so many people who have talked up Balto Source, on MySpace and elsewhere, even when they have taken graphics you may have created, Steet (which is still wrong), that it is sort of "payment" when you think about it. I don't know how many hits on your site you get day-by-day, but I know that your site is more the talk of the Balto role-player and wolf role-player communities even than Fluke's Ice Cave (which is another EXCELLENT site!).

You do a lot of hard work here, that goes insufficiently appreciated. You deserve much more credit than you have been given. But I can tell you that I have sung your praises on MySpace and elsewhere, and I have never stolen anything you've created, or that the artists have. And if I have come by stuff through other MySpacers and/or Balto fans, and found out the originator had a problem with that (which, really, has only been one case...one of Cat's works), I took it off immediately, with apologies. Still, people like Cat have such a BURR up their nether regions lately, that even apologies seem ineffective. Of course, I've never heard from Cat herself. Only from her few minions who have been trolling about on MySpace, doing the dirty work.

Sorry to add that. But it's getting ugly out there. How this shames not only the good nature of the Balto cartoons, but also the real Balto, the real Togo, the real Fritz, and the other heroes (human and canine) of the real Great Serum Run of 1925. And the blame is not just one-sided...yes, SOME MySpacers deserve some of the blame too. And so do the people here who are laying threats and bullying and trashing MySpacers...even the ones who have done NOTHING WRONG (or perhaps didn't realize that they were).