Comments on: The Argyle Sweater – Scott Hilburn and Gary Larson

By: Pissed...

Pissed... — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 23:25:40 +0000

I’m pretty pissed. I bought a daily calendar today, thinking it was a Far Side, by Gary Larson calendar. I saw the pic on the cover, grabbed it, got it home and opened it—-and then I saw the name of the “artist”. WTF?! This is a blatant Far Side ripoff. I can’t return it, b/c I opened it. Now I’m stuck with a plagiarism-by-day calendar…

By: Just Some Guy

Just Some Guy — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:10:33 +0000

Thanks for the free content Tom. Just because you took the time to type it up, doesn’t mean it should belong to you, so I will be passing it off as my own work. Oh and I am making a pretty sweat dime on it since I am selling to to a syndicated service.

So what if you had some ideas, I mean, no one own’s gravity, so that will surely justify my plagiarism and profit of your work. Thanks!

By: Just Some Guy

Just Some Guy — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:09:16 +0000

So what if you had some ideas, I mean, no one own’s gravity, so that will surely justify my plagerism and profit of your work. Thanks!

By: Topper

Topper — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:40:51 +0000

According to Wikipedia, in copyright law there’s a concept referred to as the idea–expression dichotomy, which limits the scope of copyright protection by differentiating an idea from the expression or manifestation of that idea.
In 1954 the U.S. Supreme Court stated that “Unlike a patent, a copyright gives no exclusive right to the art disclosed; protection is given only to the EXPRESSION of the idea—not the idea itself.”
So it seems to me that the people who say Hilburn is not ripping off Larson’s slant on what’s funny are right up to a point, but in terms of how he expresses his humor, it seems pretty clear that he’s appropriated more than a little of his form of expression from Larson, and that’s protected. Anyone familiar with The Far Side will, on first inspection, assume, as I did, that it’s Larson’s work, not because of the humor, but the artwork, which is not merely derivative, but slavishly imitative.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 01:09:55 +0000

I googled this Scott hillburn after seeing the calendar at the register of a convenience store.
I lived and breathed Larson until he quit. it’s was painful to lose him. I based my “sustainable agriculture” thesis presentation on THERE’S A HAIR IN MY DIRT.
I will go buy this calendar and pretend it is Gary.
because I am an addict. it will not be a stretch to imagine Larson is working again.
I am comparing the experience to purchasing a knock-off of a fine perfume at riteaid because the
original brand is not available locally.
shameful in certain circles but I’m a junkie and I think it’s soooo obviously larsonesque I can’t look away. Larson isn’t dead. he was probably turned on to this work before it ever went to print.
let it ride.

By: Son of a Mitch

Son of a Mitch — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 22:45:11 +0000

Why are you blasting everyone criticizing Hilburn, don’t they have a right to their opinion? I’m sure you don’t like it because you’re Scott’s friend, so of course you’re going to defend him! The fact of the matter is his strip is too similar to the Far Side. As the other comments have suggested he could at least add something significantly new to his genre- that’s what great artists do. But instead he is simply covering ground that’s been covered already. Sure, he can come up with funny jokes, but so can my uncle Tony. The context of the jokes, the presentation, art and themes are all directly derivative of The Far Side. Pablo Picasso once said that a great artist takes something great from previous artists and adds something to it. Scott just takes from previous artists and adds his name to it.
He’s not unique, but his cartoon will stand on it’s own….inescapably directly under Gary Larson’s shadow.
Hmmm…”goober knuckleheads”…..really, Mitch?

By: thedezineboy

thedezineboy — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:05:47 +0000

If you read The Far Side during the late ’80s – ’90s then you know Larson. If you can’t make the CLEAR connection between these two strips then you are either in DENIAL or BLIND. Focusing on microscopic dissimilarities is ludicrous and evidence toward either your mental state or visual impairment.

By: mescatraz33

mescatraz33 — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:37:29 +0000

The problem isn’t just the fact that the jokes are similar, the problem is the fact that he is essentially ripping off Larson’s art style. The art styles of the two comics go beyond “Similar” into a realm I call “Really really fucking similar.”

By: Mitch Mitchell

Mitch Mitchell — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:13:29 +0000

Hey all you nitpickin’, whiney, “I’m intelligent because I can wax philly about cartoons”, goober knuckleheads:
I know Scott Hilburn, worked with him, ate with him, even helped him move once (well, maybe I got out of that one..) but anyway…I know him and he’s NOT Larson! He’s actually funner (sic) than Larson! I grew up comically high on Larson – had all his books, watched his bio on E!, even tried to draw his characters, but guess what? HE AIN’T DOIN’ IT ANYMORE! He quit, retired, great for him! Scott is truly a funny, creative, wonderful guy and his stuff is FUNNY! Belly-laugh funny! Get off the Larson comparison – it’s rubbish! Have you noticed that every piece of art used for commercial signage, print, etc. has Andy Warhol’s influence? He redesigned design! Does that stop great artists/designers from plying their trade? Of course not – they take it and move forward, but you can still see the influences of the great masters – no matter what field we discuss. Scott’s art does take, borrow, and even steal from Larson, but his humor is unique and stands on it’s own. He’s bent – always has been – but he makes us laugh. You all need to laugh a little more – start by laughing at yourselves…Hilburn is. Keep it up, Scotty – laughter is good medicine.

By: Bill in NJ

Bill in NJ — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 22:09:27 +0000

If this is Gary, the world seems a little easier to take since the Far Side left us. I bought this calender thinking it was a “pen name” for Gary. It never once occurred to me that this was actually someone else with the same exact drawing skills and humor/wit as Gary. Could that be why there are so many similarities? Just look at the comic for April 1st this year(2011). If that’s not Gary, I truly don’t know what is.

Either way, I still get a chuckle each day which makes the day a little more bearable. Thanks Gary!