hmm...

it says forbidden

I can see it ok. They're definitely similar. But just in an underlying concept way.

yeah, the idea seems common enough that "rip off" wouldn't be my first instinct.

ugh

I'm so tired of these witch hunts

It's not a witch hunt. I saw the design and immediately thought of that comic. I think ripping off an underlying concept is as bad as ripping off visuals. At best, one could say the design was "adapted" from the comic, except without giving it any credit.

i can't see it.

yeah.. no one's ever done a comic about parallel universes before these two...

I agree that the ideas are the same, though I like Roz's version better. But the book is not terribly popular, right? Is it possible he thought it up independently?

Whatever you think, it's impolite to use such an accusory tone.

fatheed on Jun 30 '08 at 11:55am

Whatever you think, it's impolite to use such an accusory tone.

that's what I was thinking.

They're similar but i don't think it was ripped off.

Very Similar

fatheed: I've edited my post so that it begins with the words, "In my opinion".

I probably omitted to do so at first because the resemblance is so striking.

both IMO (

uh wtf?
anyway both are kinda dumb
but I see no physical resemblance or rip-off

I'd have to say the evidence is pretty damning, enough that Ms. Chast could sic the lawyers on Budi if she were so inclined.

wha wha

GUILTY AS CHARGED!!!

Aww, that's a shame.

In my opinion, this blog is essentially ripped off from this blog.

I got a 'forbidden' too.

This link might work:

Parallel Universes (book cover)

Roz Chast's book is from 1984. I'd be greatly surprised if this was the first 'parallel universes' cartoon.

I've seen cartoons like this before which is not the cartoon you posted. Maybe people just like the idea of parallel universes. Maybe sometimes the people who like them are also cartoonists. Call Ripley's! It's unbelievable!

ok, the idea probably came from this comic, he just added his own twist to it. it is on the verge of copying, but......

I have no trouble believing that two artists could come up with a similar idea based on the idea of parallel universes. anyway, concepts and ideas aren't covered by copyright law... otherwise no one would ever be able to make another movie featuring a great white shark again (a movie which itself was "ripped off" from Moby Dick, which in turn was... well, you get the idea).

FWIW, Chast's cartoon is one of my favorite cartoons ever, and I totally feel like she's being ripped off.

Man, I would love to have the original 'toon on a shirt. Maybe Threadless should contact Miz Chast.

Wow, that is the most blatant rip-off I've ever seen on Threadless.

I think that it's a mistake to assume that it was an intentional, malicious rip-off. The original post about it was also pretty rude.

That said, I like the Chast cartoon better. The threadless sub is still creative on its own merit, though.

it does kinda look like a rip-off =/

B-O

the funny thing is, neither of these comics are funny.

homage, not rip off.

Yeah, I think it is a rip-off. Maybe an unconscious one... sometimes you don't realize you got the idea from somewhere else until someone points it out. The original is a lot better though...

i can't believe that so many people are claiming rip. you chumps don't know what you're talking about.

I don't think it's a ripoff -- I've seen this idea before.
And we will see it again.
Plus budi's illo is sweeeet.

It looks like a really similar idea...I guess I just don't care that much

The concept used in the comic and the shirt is not a new one. It's a relatively old metaphysical concept about how people can exist in many forms in various possible worlds. I'm pretty sure there are no copy rights on such a general philosophical idea...as a philosophical nerd myself, I like the shirt!

I thought immediately of the Chast cartoon as well.
Her comic wasn't only in her book, either. It was run in the New Yorker as well.

In a parallel universe, the shirt ripped off the cartoonist.

FUCK

I mean the cartoonist ripped off the shirt.

FAIL

That was gold, too.

hahahaha

Yes, similar, but it's not such a stretch to think that 2 people could have come up with this idea. Actually, case in point, I was thinking of doing a design of a Victorian, Edward Gorey-style haunted house with glow-in-the-dark ghosts coming out of it. Someone just subbed that exact idea and did a great job of it. No doubt if I hadn't seen this and gone ahead with my design you'd be accusing me of plagarism. This kind of synchronicity happens all the time and it's good to give people the benefit of the doubt. Anyway, you can't copyright an idea, only the expression of an idea. I just ordered this shirt btw because I think it rocks.

i can't even see anything

This isn't the first time I've experienced this either. Let's face it, when you have a bunch of creative people all trying to think of cool ideas, this is bound to happen. So no one should do owl designs anymore? You get my point. That's where the expression of an idea becomes important, and to me this is a very different expression of a similar idea.

Thats just as bad as saying two people who drew a puppy in a space ship copied eachother. I see the similarities but it's more concept, which as others said isn't such a new one.

Based purely on the facts, I have to agree with the original poster (Claude).

Obviously people have explored the idea of parallel universes before, that’s a given, but these have so much more in common than their basic concept. Just think about the startling similarities: the same title (Parallel Universes), a grid of simple, hand-drawn cartoon panels, the title above each panel depicting the universe number, the same figure and collection of objects in each frame, changing slightly per universe, the clock, the table, etc.

Come on people... this is nothing like two guys drawing a haunted house. That said, I do like both versions. It's just that this one needs a credit/citation for Roz Chast.

okay
I must admit now -- that bothered me too a lil'
the panels and the universe #

This is like when Elaine came up with a comic that accidentally ripped off a Ziggy.