Stolen Tiki Designs?

The item in this auction features a tiki design that looks very familiar:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2375730409

Compare to:

http://www.tikifarm.com/images/products/mugs/pops/BA605Combo.jpg

I was just wondering if Tiki Farm or ChikiTiki gave their OK to use the image? Unauthorized copyright infringement is not cool.

[ Edited by: modmana on 2004-01-28 01:29 ]

You'll notice that the swizzle stick also features bigbro's moai that he has in his yard. Wow, I think Sven's moai might become even more famous than the ones on Easter Island!

I don't know about the copyrighting of the design, but just wanted to show another comparison:

Keigs20's Design

The Tiki Zone / Nels26 version
(because of direct-ebay linking the above 2 links may not work after April '04)

In the above links, the two are sort of similar but not exact in it's design. The two comparisons that ModMana shows is pretty damn exact, so personally if I were Danny (ChikiTiki), I'd be doing a little investigating.

Just my 2 coconuts worth.

This guy has copied me before. I carved a totem and said it was Witco inspired. It was my own design just had the Witco wood grain. A few weeks later he put on a totem that looked very much like mine. He also said it was Witco inspired. It was like he copied my carving and my auction. Kind of ticks me off. I sold this one on ebay about 4 months ago. I think he combined my two styles of shelves.

This is his shelf

[ Edited by: keigs20 on 2004-01-27 12:31 ]

Well keigs, there is one big difference between the two shelves... his kinda sucks.

That's so rude! I had someone do that with one of my websites. When I confronted them they denied what they did. I set traps on it specifically to catch them! It's frustrating.

As much as I actually like his work (and have bid on a few of his auctions) it seems that "TikiZone/Nels26" has been at the heart of a controversial copying thread before! https://tikicentral.com/viewtopic-new.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=2962&forum=1&start=0

The original picture has been deleted, but still exists on 'page 2' in Alnshely's graphic comparison. TikiZone/Nels26 is never mentioned by name in the thread, but back in the day when I used to get all posts as e-mails, all pictures would appear as URLs in the e-mail, and well, his name was spelled out clearly and unmistakably...

Buyer beware!

HAHAHA look at that guy's copy-shelf!

What a POS!

That's like the difference between an Old Orchids mug and these new "melted candle" lookin dynasty mugs from china or taiwan or whereever-the-f&*k

[ Edited by: fatuhiva on 2004-01-27 17:16 ]

Yeah, His does look like crap. Problem is some people might look at it and think Keigs stuff is geting sloppy. not good. Its too bad when people do that and like you said he's done it before and will again.)%^(%#)*%%

Wow! That shelf job is really lame, lets send that guy some mails to let him know how un-creative he is!

Regarding the fabric: Now I am not saying this to defend the art of the rip off, but in classic Polynesian Pop different Tiki establishments swiped Tiki art and ideas of each other a lot, case in point is the Don The Beachcomber menu copying the Covarrubias maps, only to have his Tahitian Cannibal Carvings swiped by Stephen Crane.

I bemusedly called this "The Chain of Transmission" (actually an esoteric trm from the Sufi tradition) of Polynesian Pop, and it continues to this day:

Because of the sparsely spread Tiki images in the last 20-30 years, the BOT has been "ripped off" many many times since it came out, case in point is the Tiki CD cover post in the main forum (Polle del Mar had the Moai mosaic out BEFORE my book, though!).
But I did not CREATE the art myself, and to me it all increases Tiki consciousness out there, so I support it. (Sometimes a credit would be nice though)

Acoutrements swiped Bosko designs for their coasters, Bahooka stole Mark Ryden's art...

And back in it's heyday, even Witco (again, Keigs, not to defend that Tiki Zone copy, blah!) was copied:
All the stuff in the Alibi in Portland is NOT Witco, but a good copy of the style. I still will show it in my book, because it shows how influential William Westenhaver's style was!

Imitation IS a form a flattery. It better be GOOD imitation though...

That's why we bought the fabric. I'm going to frame it! But no , I knew nothing about it, and I'm sure would have ran it by me. Does this mean I've finally made it?

[ Edited by: thechikitiki on 2004-01-28 00:56 ]

All the stuff in the Alibi in Portland is NOT Witco, but a good copy of the style.

Interesting! If someone asked, I would've asserted quite officiously that those are Witco. Bigbro, how did you uncover that fact - did they tell you, or was it your own knowledge of Witco?

-Randy

On 2004-01-28 13:13, aquarj wrote:
Bigbro, how did you uncover that fact - did they tell you, or was it your own knowledge of Witco?

-Randy

The Alibi did not know who made the decor or who Witco was (until the BOT).

I went to Portland to specifically shoot the Alibi for the Witco book BECAUSE I remembered it as a Witco temple. But since I had increased my knowledge of Witco's oeuvre ten-fold since I had been to the Alibi last, I looked at it again and it felt a little off. I did not recognize any of the Tikis' designs. The exception was the framed triple face known as "The Conversation", which I knew (only with color on it) from the Witco catalogue. So the maker must have had Witco knowledge. In the back of the frame I found a business card "Artistry in Wood- by Frank Hart".

The next discovery was a small stamp imprint on the Easter Island heads by the kitchen entrance that read "Gordon". When I asked Bill Westenhaver about it, he remembered that one or two guys that had worked for him did leave and tried their hand at his style, never becoming as successful as Witco itself.

So at first I was bummed, thinking
"I can't put that in the book" and that the Portland expedition was a failure, even though The Alibi was such a great place.
But then it dawned on me: The Hala Kahiki was unmatched as a Witco shrine anyway, I didn't need another place. Way better was an example of the influence of the style and re-interpretation by somebody else.

So with the help of Maxton, who was working at the now defunct Will Vinton Studios then, I got some lights and shot the Faux Witco environs of the fabulous Alibi, as further proof of the creative genius of William Westenhaver.

As a Portlander I'd sure like to see some of your pictures of The Alibi. Bigbro, I know I'll get my chance when your book comes out but any chance of a preview peek?

Sigh...I don't know how to post pix,...and I don't WANNA know, because I would never stop!
Nuff time spent here, gotta write book!

They are slides, anyway...but I gave some to Maxton as thanks, maybe he can post some, it's OK by me.

Sorry, I gave the slides to the owner of the Alibi, trying to butter him up for the Crawl (did't help). I was too broke at the time even to make prints. We'll all have to wait for the book I guess...