This has already been covered elsewhere, but just in case there’s somebody who follows the TAC blog, who doesn’t read Fleen, Something Awful or Journalista, well, here you go. It appears that one of those “up and coming” street-cred-arrific t-shirt artists and gallery darlings has ripped off the Keenspot comic Purple Pussy — and maybe other webcartoonists, too. Don’t expect this one to die down quietly — it shouldn’t, at any rate. I’m all for recontextualizing, “appropriating,” and fair use, but those things only work when a). the original is well-known enough to serve as a cultural landmark, and/or b). the copy provides commentary on the original, or allows us to see something about it — or about its subject — in a new light. Like Kathy Acker’s “Great Expectations,” say. Or Gary Larson doing the Mona Lisa as a weiner dog. This, on the other hand, appears to be simple thievery for the sake of monetary gain. Let’s all hope that Dave Kelly gets his day in court, and takes the guy down. That is all.

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