Rick Bradford

I've been going through a bit of a rough period for a while. If I owe you a message, a letter or anything else, I'm sorry about that.

I don't expect to be on social media much for a while but will be back at some point.

I'm okay, just working to get out from under the mountain.

Thanks, everybody.

COCHLEA & EUSTACHIA GN - Volume 2 COCHLEA & EUSTACHIA - Volume 2Paperback · 196 pages8” × 12”For Mature ReadersPrinted by Chrome Fetus ComixAll contents by Hans RickheitI began work on this book in 2014, not expecting it would take el...

Out now from @hansrickheit.bsky.social

Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics seeks Reviewers This academic title covers all aspects of the graphic novel, comic strip and comic book

downthetubes.net/journal-of-g...

Joe’s Comix by The Hutchinson Bros. coming to Phoenix Productions I formally announced it over at FANzine Live on YouTube earlier this week, but let’s make sure to commemorate it here: Phoenix Productions is THRILLED to present the collected works of Joe an…

Good @phnxprodscomics.bsky.social post for some background on the Hutchinson Bros. And here's a peek at an incomplete list of their publications from the '80s:

poopsheetfoundation.com/index.php/co...

YouTube video by FANzine Live FANzine Live - Classic Zines/Phoenix Spotlight - Joe's Comix by The Hutchinson Brothers

Good news for fans of Joe Hutchinson/Anthrax Press!

Since you don't want to hear "Stop using it because of unethical mistreatment of artists and vast waste of resources", I'm not sure what else there is to say. If that isn't enough then I don't know what to tell you.

My priorities are with artists. Yes, I'm "frustrated" about artists being abused in this manner. I've addressed priorities and solutions. The first step for anybody, of course, is to find a reason to care.

It'll go away if people stop using it. Capitalism.

Did I scold somebody?

The reality is most people don't understand the ethical issues with gen AI. So bringing it to their attention is the first step. But there are also many lawsuits currently in motion and that's probably going to be the ultimate solution.

Imagine publishers taking anything they like from online and publishing it for profit. It's essentially the same thing except they get to hide who they're stealing from.

Obviously, "copyright free" libraries are irrelevant. The vast majority of the internet is not copyright free.

Most artists aren't happy with every work they have online being used to bastardize new content for the financial benefit of billionaires and corporations who profit from the theft. Most artists need that income themselves.

In theory, yes. But the reality is that it needs a tremendous amount of data to do what it does. Most (all?) artists would never have enough of their own art to make it work.

But Gen AI 100% pulls from art scraped without permission or compensation. Always. That's literally the reason it can work.

But I didn't say anything about blackballing, only that I wish they wouldn't use it.

The work was stolen from artists regardless. The tremendous resource usage (water) happens regardless. Apart from serious ethical issues, the problem is that it perpetuates wholesale theft from artists. All for the benefit of billionaires and corporations.

In the NYT, here are the two reports directly beneath the news of two Guardsmen being shot: Trump agents deporting the spouses of citizens and Trump agents arresting folks without warrants. Don’t tell me Trump and his aides aren’t trying to incite violence to justify martial law.

I cannot stop laughing. This is so indicative of what's wrong with these AI people and how they view art
He ran into a wall where the "make art" button wasn't satisfying because it wasn't actually making good enough art, and instead of trying new things he just requests a stronger button

Their optimism/self-loathing is cute.

Me too!

Major @cccilla.bsky.social restock hitting the Domino shop within the week…

Some things never change.

One can hope. But I sure wish more people would leave AI out of their self-expression.

Aw shucks!

I feel like it's time to bring back RSS feed readers (which still exist) for blogs and forums.

YouTube video by FANzine Live FANzine Live - Classic Zines - Nerve 7

A Thanksgiving feast of creativity...a sampler of a couple of the most independent of cartoonists! Everything from twisted humor to the most gorgeous Lovecraftian illustration, all in today's FANzine Live Classic Zines video from 1987.

WATCH: youtu.be/m8XayjEiGQ8

Canada Post releases stamps to celebrate country’s Graphic Novelists Canada Post has just launched its second set of limited edition stamps celebrating the country's contribution to the world of graphic novels

Canada Post releases stamps to celebrate country’s Graphic Novelists

Canada Post has just launched its second set of limited edition stamps celebrating the country's contribution to the world of graphic novels

Won't somebody think of the billionaires — I mean, economy?

Detailed colour drawing of a pink tree with cloud like sheep grazing and a creature wearing a red gown and round yellow helmet with a nuclear symbol on it tending them. Floating yellow creatures are in the air.

Pink Forest panel from a comic I’m working on. #comics #manga #comicbooks #illustration #sciencefiction #graphicnovel #protomurk

"But only if you've got nine lives..."