Star Wars Plagarism?

SAMAS · Post by **SAMAS** » 2008-01-02 09:51am

Apparently so.

From a Spacebattles thread, somebody found an image that's supposed to have depicted an ancient battle on Coruscant, but something is very wrong with the picture. See if you can guess what it is:

I don't know if it's been pointed out yet, but I had to mention it after seeing it.

Bounty · Post by **Bounty** » 2008-01-02 09:59am

Hey look, it's Lord of the Lightsabers!

I don't know if you can call it plagiarism, as both LoTR and this nonsense use generic medieval-ish armour. Not sure about the war elephant.

Darth Tanner · Post by **Darth Tanner** » 2008-01-02 10:00am

Ye I remember seeing this 'debate' on wookiepedia. I seriously doubt anyone at LucasArts would intentionally plagarise LotR so I'm guessing its just fan art, the jedi in the formation hardly fit in with the existing art style afterall.

I love the idea of a civilization that has the technology to build lightsabers and energy cannons for their elephants still using spear formations though. It would make a good ST episode.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2008-01-02 10:00am

You mean the battle line of Gondorian pikemen lifted straight out of the scene in RotK when the trolls burst in after Grond batters open the gate?

Noble Ire · Post by **Noble Ire** » 2008-01-02 10:05am

That's from the New Essential Chronology, all right. I'm still irritated that the author chose to perptuate the ridiculous technological setting of the Jedi vs. Sith comics for that particular piece of art, even though he probably didn't have any alternative.

In any event, one could certainly make a case that the image is heavily inspired by LotR, although I wouldn't call it out and out plagiarism. As Bounty points out, the helmets of the Gondorian infantry in RotK are fairly generic, and the similiarity between the Sith war beast in the background and a Mumak could easily be a coincidence.

Bounty · Post by **Bounty** » 2008-01-02 10:07am

Stravo wrote:You mean the battle line of Gondorian pikemen lifted straight out of the scene in RotK when the trolls burst in after Grond batters open the gate?

A picture confirms more than a thousand words.

I can't believe Lucasarts would be this stupid - that's a lawsuit just waiting to happen.

Bounty · Post by **Bounty** » 2008-01-02 10:20am

In any event, one could certainly make a case that the image is heavily inspired by LotR, although I wouldn't call it out and out plagiarism.

Keep reading through the SB thread. Look at the side-by-side comparisons. I was gicing it the benefit of the doubt too, at first, but once you see the evidence it becomes clear that this is textbook plagiarism. The artist took two LotR movie stills, ran them through a filter, Photoshopped in the Jedi and a Triceratops head and sent the result off to the printers.

Post by **Surlethe** » 2008-01-02 10:26am

Darth Tanner wrote:I love the idea of a civilization that has the technology to build lightsabers and energy cannons for their elephants still using spear formations though. It would make a good ST episode.

I don't. It's the most retarded thing I've seen. If they have the ability to generate energy to power some "energy cannon" or lightsabre, they have more than enough to make real guns.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2008-01-02 10:59am

So that's what Eru did with Ar-Pharazôn the Golden's invasion army. He teleported them to Star Wars...

Noble Ire wrote:In any event, one could certainly make a case that the image is heavily inspired by LotR, although I wouldn't call it out and out plagiarism. As Bounty points out, the helmets of the Gondorian infantry in RotK are fairly generic, and the similiarity between the Sith war beast in the background and a Mumak could easily be a coincidence.

It's more than just the helmets. The armour, shields, and greeves are exactly the same as those used by the Men of Gondor. I can also identify one of Theoden's retainers, the Men of Numenor (the guys with the two vertical wings on their helmets) from the second age, parts of the custom armour worn by Prince Isildur. They even have Gimli in there. The spears in the very foreground are those used by the Rohirrim, too. They've taken most of the overt identifying marks, EG, the White Tree of Gondor, off it, though they've still got the Minas-Tirith military workshops' roundels on the spears (and probably the swords, but I can't see those) because I'd guess the artist didn't know that's what they are...

Of course, I wouldn't sue, because I think it's, while silly, a mite amusing, but then, I'm not New Line.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2008-01-02 11:13am

This picture perfectly encapsulates what is wrong with the EU.

FA Xerrik · Post by **FA Xerrik** » 2008-01-02 11:16am

I'd always suspected that Middle-Earth was a planet of the Old Republic. The Wizards were really Force Adepts (or maybe some of the Lost 13) who had taken up stewardship of the backwater planet, having become inordinately fond of the friendly natives known as Hobbits. The various tribes of Men were truly colonists, and Gondor had fallen so far as a result of losing the ability to maintain their technology to a Galactic-level. The only remarkable remaining technology was a set of holographic communication devices, which would later become known as Palantir. The Ring, of course, is an artifact infused with the Dark Side of the Force, and Hobbits have a Toydarian-like resistance to the whole Control aspect of the Force. This image just furthers my theory, really. Middle-Earth must have been founded by one of the very earliest expeditions away from Coruscant, and so maintained the aesthetics of that age out of tradition.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2008-01-02 11:23am

They should have put Saurmans and Sauron's towers in, base-to-base, and called the big glowing eye an engine...

Bounty · Post by **Bounty** » 2008-01-02 11:25am

and called the big glowing eye an engine

Twin eye-on engine?

I wonder if the artist expected to get away with this. SW and LotR fandom overlap, you say? Their respective fans go over any piece of new material with a fine comb, you say?

Post by **Surlethe** » 2008-01-02 11:28am

Bounty wrote:
In any event, one could certainly make a case that the image is heavily inspired by LotR, although I wouldn't call it out and out plagiarism.
Keep reading through the SB thread. Look at the side-by-side comparisons. I was gicing it the benefit of the doubt too, at first, but once you see the evidence it becomes clear that this is textbook plagiarism. The artist took two LotR movie stills, ran them through a filter, Photoshopped in the Jedi and a Triceratops head and sent the result off to the printers.

I can't believe this is the state of the EU now. Not only does it have this imbecilic high fantasy right alongside high technology, it's published plagiarism. How much lower can the Star Wars franchise sink?

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2008-01-02 11:33am

Surlethe wrote: I can't believe this is the state of the EU now. Not only does it have this imbecilic high fantasy right alongside high technology, it's published plagiarism. How much lower can the Star Wars franchise sink?

They could always hire Supershadow onto their creative team if they wanted to sink lower.

Bounty · Post by **Bounty** » 2008-01-02 11:37am

General Zod wrote:
Surlethe wrote: I can't believe this is the state of the EU now. Not only does it have this imbecilic high fantasy right alongside high technology, it's published plagiarism. How much lower can the Star Wars franchise sink?
They could always hire Supershadow onto their creative team if they wanted to sink lower.

Whatever his faults, at least Supershadow makes the effort write his own crap.

white_rabbit · Post by **white_rabbit** » 2008-01-02 11:41am

Bounty wrote:
In any event, one could certainly make a case that the image is heavily inspired by LotR, although I wouldn't call it out and out plagiarism.
Keep reading through the SB thread. Look at the side-by-side comparisons. I was gicing it the benefit of the doubt too, at first, but once you see the evidence it becomes clear that this is textbook plagiarism. The artist took two LotR movie stills, ran them through a filter, Photoshopped in the Jedi and a Triceratops head and sent the result off to the printers.

I think there are also several LOTR movie characters, some from barely glimpsed segments and publicity footage, 'shopped in there, (gilgalad from LOTR weapons and armour ?) and the giant beasty is a mumakil.

whoever the credited artist is on that image is, or perhaps the editor who felt this was okay should be bloody thumped, this is well beyond homage territory, right into sheer bloody idleness and disdain.

then again, I suppose that might describe an awful lot of the EU.

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2008-01-02 11:42am

Come on guys use your imagination! This is obviously lightsaber defeating armor, with force-sensitives trained to battle Jedi as an elite guard. The pikes are energy pikes, and they have vibroblades. The triceratops are mounted by witches, and Prince Imrahil, Swan Prince of Dol Amroth stands tall with a lightsaber given to him by Mace Windu, a name born of an unholy union with a fearsome medieval weapon and the power of the elements!

Hahaha well I got to poke some fun, but my point is anybody who doesn't see Star Wars as part fantasy has his hands over his eyes. I have a minimal understanding of the EU, but people should not be surprised this stuff is rampant even if it wasn't plagarism (which it is, thanks for the laugh Bounty haha.) Bounty wasn't surprised, Noble wasn't surprised and I wasn't surprised so decrying the EU as something that's gone to shit recently seems wrong, since it seems to have always been like that.

The main problem is Jedi wanking. All this medival shit, the vibroblades, the warrior fighting and small armies, is because of Jedi wanking. It makes me wish even more Jedi had fried in the arena, near all of them, instead of Order 66. I point that Jedi were killed in the arena to friends, and they say they could've held off the blasters for fucking ever and the ones who died were not masters

.

Bounty · Post by **Bounty** » 2008-01-02 11:46am

(which it is, thanks for the laugh Bounty haha.)

Just to be clear, I only knew about this when it was posted by SAMAS, and the picture I linked to was made on SB. I'm just a spectator here.

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2008-01-02 11:53am

LMAO...if you're going to copy and paste, at least do it with some skill.

Hell, the Tricermumaphant looks like he ripped a photo, plastered the head kinda, missed the large ears and add a blast effect.

In the end, this is what is wrong with the EU. This level of uninspired drivel.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2008-01-02 12:16pm

I have the death penalty in twelve Provinces (of Japan)-Yojimbo

very bad part is that the scenes are almost perfectly framed identically

it's called inspiration dudes.

Noble Ire · Post by **Noble Ire** » 2008-01-02 12:26pm

Bounty wrote:
In any event, one could certainly make a case that the image is heavily inspired by LotR, although I wouldn't call it out and out plagiarism.
Keep reading through the SB thread. Look at the side-by-side comparisons. I was gicing it the benefit of the doubt too, at first, but once you see the evidence it becomes clear that this is textbook plagiarism. The artist took two LotR movie stills, ran them through a filter, Photoshopped in the Jedi and a Triceratops head and sent the result off to the printers.

You're quite right, I suppose. I guess I've still been holding onto a little bit of faith in the EU, despite all the crap its dredged up recently. I suppose I've been too optimistic.

The situation is still bizarre, though. Tommy Lee Edwards, the artist in question, seems to be a relatively well-known illustrator, and I find it hard to believe that he would risk what was probably a fairly lucrative contract (not to mention potential legal repercussions) on plagiarism, especially plagiarism of such a prominent and recent movie. At the same time, I doubt that LFL told him to do a copy-and-paste job for them, even if it is their fault for letting it get through to print. I can only guess that there was pressure on both parties from approaching deadlines or some other factor that pushed them to theft; they must have been relying on the company's clout to negate any potential legal consequences. Either no one from New Line has noticed yet, or they were right.

Warsie · Post by **Warsie** » 2008-01-02 01:59pm

VERY similar with the Lord of the Rings thing; I thought the OP was referring to the triceratops monster-thing being like a bug from Starship Troopers....there are some differences in armor though

[quote="Surlethe]
I can't believe this is the state of the EU now. Not only does it have this imbecilic high fantasy right alongside high technology, it's published plagiarism. How much lower can the Star Wars franchise sink?
[/quote]

I don't. It's the most retarded thing I've seen. If they have the ability to generate energy to power some "energy cannon" or lightsabre, they have more than enough to make real guns.

But Star Wars has always had a heavy influence of fantasy and mythology in its' stories

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2008-01-02 02:02pm

Surlethe wrote:
I can't believe this is the state of the EU now. Not only does it have this imbecilic high fantasy right alongside high technology, it's published plagiarism. How much lower can the Star Wars franchise sink?

Wait for the live action show. I'm sure we'll find out, unless they keep the EU assclowns out of it.

Battlehymn Republic · Post by **Battlehymn Republic** » 2008-01-02 02:07pm

Isn't Lucas helming it himself, though?