M.D. Boncher's Blog, page 11
January 17, 2023
We Were Forewarned This Was coming, & Other Thoughts
AI art continues to be a source of white hot contention in the art community. With the arrival of ChatGPT, even more fuel and oxidizers are being added to the fire. Corporations now see dollar signs in the smoke and the big players have started moving in.
“Trial for the Future” by M. D. BoncherAnd just as this happens, the lawsuits are beginning.
While Olivio is more hopeful than me on the out come, I can safely say I’m a bit disgusted at the the hyperbole in the lawsuit filing that I’ve seen and heard so far. To me it smacks of ambulance chaser lawyers looking for a big payday, and the three plaintiffs looking for some sort of “jackpot justice”. Both the lawyers and the plantiffs seem to be using each other to profit off of others and cut out some sort of fiefdom for themselves and those who are like-minded allies. Here is why I am less than hopeful:
It’s a long bitter watch, but you can see the philosophical underpinnings to their thinking that is a tad disturbing. Not sure they realize that’s not how the world works. Proko does a good job with it all in being a good host, but his guests… I’d not hire either of them for a commission on a dare because of their attitude, despite their obvious talent.
What rubs me raw about this is thanks to an incident that occurred shortly after Donald Trump became president.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4057004/Artists-tell-Ivanka-Trump-work-walls.html
This taught me a big lesson as an author ultimately. It’s been a bit of a bitter pill, but if you’re going to be a creative of any sort and put your work out in the public and need to be known by the public you want to support your passion, you have to accept this simple fact:
You cannot control who becomes a fan of your work. No matter what you think of them, be grateful for their appreciation of your work.
M.D. Boncher
This is a bitter bromide in my opinion. I’d be horrified to learn someone on par with Kim Jeong Un or Nancy Pelosi was a fan of my books because I stand against just about everything they are for (they may like puppies. I like puppies. Just sayin’ common interests might happen, that’s all). But if suddenly I got a letter saying someone like that really enjoyed my work and they found it provocative, I need to just say thank you, and move on. I have a fan willing to pay for my work, so I can keep doing it.
Even with my artwork, I must come to terms that the instant I put it out for another soul to see, someone will most likely copy it, either directly with their own skill, or with AI art. Perhaps they’ll just be influenced by it, or want to learn by copying my style of doing things. This is what’s been happening for millenia. Heck! This is how the masters taught students to draw. They used to dissect cadavers to learn how to draw muscles properly!
And like I said before, I’ve found my books on pirate websites all over the world selling it or giving it away. On one hand it’s insulting, but what’re you gonna do to shut down a pirate outfit in Camaroon using you for bait? Like they’re going to obey any threatening letter or cease and desist. I have to console myself with realizing that my Akiniwazisaga is able to act as a work of evangelism to people who would never have become paying fans anyway. Those buying it are the ones being hurt because those books are clearly not going to be without malware.
But this lawsuit, it’s just the next version of the PMRC hearings from 1985. I’m fairly certain it will end up just as badly for the plaintiffs. They will become laughing stocks and an embarassing cultural memory.
On a positive note, it WILL end up defining more of what AI can and can’t do when it comes to models. I think the plaintiffs, if they win will also screw themselves over as the models that come out may be forced to use a new definition of public domain work as well as creative commons. If in the process they don’t destroy the “fair use” principle that most of the plaintiffs I can almost guarantee enjoy to create their own works (If you use a photo reference you did not make and pay for from model to equipment to location… you’re using the fair use clause to create derivative/transformative works which ARE permitted), they will be fortunate.
I also worry that the corporations sniffing around to consume all open source software in an effort to own the world are waiting to see the outcome so they can find a loophole to buy up the software on the cheap, incorporate it into their own intellectual property and then do the terrible things at the worst edges of the plaintiff’s fever dreams. Disney is apparently already sniffing around to “help” the plaintiffs. You can’t imagine what a devil’s bargain that will probably be.
So, here we are. About to determine if entitlement junkies and ambulance chasers get a new host for their parasitical desires or if it will all be gobbled up by big data and hidden behind paywalls and corporate interests that then can purge the need for the artists and creatives they once were dependent on? Or will this become a new level of freedom of expression and productivity for creatives?
I dunno, but I’m not quite so hopeful. Then again, I’m no prophet and I’ve been wrong before.
Till next time, vaya con Dios.
“Future Court Observer” by M.D. Boncher
December 31, 2022
End of Year Look at AI Art
Face it, AI art is here to stay.
The problem is there’s lots of misinformation based on misunderstandings of what is copyright, intellectual property AND theft. Shad Brooks of Shadiversity fame has just put out a very thorough cross examination of the issue that I think anyone who’s feeling intimidated by the backlash again AI art needs to see.
For me, I’m moving forward with AI art because of both necessity of deadlines, lack of willing collaborators and upcoming projects. It’d be nice to work with artists, but let’s be honest, I’m not going to work with an artist who’s so embittered that they can’t recognize programs like Stable Diffusion for what they are: a tool that can make them even better artists.
But that’s enough of a rant for today.
Editing of “Lucid Reality”, book 2 of Tales From the Dream Nebula is progressing in its early stages. I’m starting the process on looking at making a GURPS conversion/sourcebook for TFDN too, including an introductory module. No, you won’t be able to play Winston or Billy Joe, but it will be related. These are all first steps towards prepping for a Shared Universe for other writers.
So when you get your copy and you love the setting, and are wanting to write your own tales for the Dream Nebula, that’s “coming soon”.
As always, I am still looking for a comic book artist who would be willing to collaborate in a conversion of TFDN into graphic novels as well. Just because I use AI art doesn’t mean I don’t want to work with artists. In fact, I’d prefer to have that issue taken off my plate so I can focus on other things.
Till next year… vaya con Dios everyone!
December 22, 2022
Steel City Con Aftermath
Convention 002by M.D. Boncher – (using Stable Diffusion)
I let my experience at Steel City Con ruminate for a few days. There was a lot to unpack from my author event at the Morgantown Mall to driving up to the chaos of Steel City Con in Monroeville PA. Mind you, I don’t have pictures to share. I’m just not a big picture taker. If I get some it’s a surprise to me too.
To me, the experienced was mixed, but for more extraneous reasons. I saw on the Steel City Con a comment that nailed my disquiet on the head. To paraphrase “You’ve outgrown your venue. That’s not a complaint. It’s a compliment.” That nailed it utterly. The venue is in a difficult place to access and has so little parking for an event of this size I ended up having to park over half a mile away. My wife insisted on bringing one of our folding camping chairs. Needless to say I argued against having her lugging that around, and she put her foot down.
Turns out it was a brilliant move. They had no place to sit except in the panel venue which just was packed to the gills at all times. So we had our own place to sit down from time to time. It also was an effective “walking cane” and plow and even an effective purse to some extent. Plus who needs to check a chair?
But yes, Steel City Con is so successful, they need a new venue with better access and much much more parking to make it much easier for everyone to get around both inside and out. This one thing seemed to hurt the event with many people as it dulled enthusiasm among many people on the way in.
Getting in was a little confusing as well with long long lines to see the celebs as expected, but being in a separate building brought back shades of my first Chicago Comicon in 1990 when Image comics came out and the chaos that infamous “tent” happened. (It got better but less… intimate? when they moved to the Rosemont Convention center in following years.)
Thankfully, we had pre-purchased our passes, and that allowed us to skip the line completely and get in with easy. The staff was excellent and did a great job wrangling all the nerds, geeks and dorks in their full regalia. The layout is a tangle, which made their job even more difficult and impressive they did as much and as well as they did. I have to give full credit to the staffer who had to play traffic com in the center of the facility by the food vendors and bathrooms that connected the two halves and keep people moving.
Ultimately, the trip was a success in that I went with the purpose of research on whether it’d be a good venue for me to start pushing to attend that con and others like it. There were 5 other authors there and I was able to talk to a few of them and get some outstanding information. So let me give them some thanks for their help and their opinions on going to such events, by spreading the word about them.
We met him at Big Lick Con and was a big reason why we started considering these options. That made it a great bonus to talk with him again. A font of knowledge with a great back catalogue. If you’re a fan of superheroes, dragons and weird stuff, definitely check him out. (His booth tends to have some fun extra merch if he is able to have his full selection there.)
I had a small fanboy moment when I ran across the booth of Ed Beard Jr. I knew his artwork from waaaay back when he was doing art for FASA and Shadowrun in the late 80’s and early 90’s when he started doing some early Magic: the Gathering cards. He had some of the best merch there. I really REALLY wish I could have afforded his wall tapestries! I mean they were amazing to see. Unfortunately I can’t see my art ending up that way because of the conversation we had on what it takes to produce, but something for the future if I start getting some fine art prints out. I so want to figure that out.
Brian Koscienski was a lot of fun to chat with and talk about the nature of cons for authors. Lots of good advice and a nice sized back catalog of books that may tickle your fancy. I had to bite and buy his 2 Sci Fi bounty hunter books. I like my SF comedy and it seems to tickle my fancy. You may be more into “Satan’s Petting Zoo”. The title just made me laugh and the concept might be just your cup o’ tea.
The only thing I really miss seeing was more comic book artists and writers from the industry. It’s something I missed from going to Chicagocon back in the 90’s. Then again, Steel City is more of a pop culture con. I was stunned to see the turnout for the WWE legend “The Undertaker”. That line was massive, even compared to the 4 hobbits from LOTR. So wrestling is a big thing still I guess. I sure didn’t know. Last time I paid much attention to ‘rasslin’ was I was in Jr. High and Baron Von Rashke was terrorizing opponents with… THE CLAWWWWW!!!!
In the end, going to the show revealed how much work it would be going to a bigger con not only for the expense of the booth and hotel and and and… It would also have a bigger price on my sanity. So we gotta build up to it, get some better ways to generate crafts and have an inventory to have enough for people at these events. A small craft show just doesn’t compare, and the hand crafts required would be far far greater than what we can produce. That means we will have to consider new merch that we can mass produce. All good things to get to know.
I know I missed some of the authors I spoke to (not sure if your cards got lost), so thanks for the advice and observations. It was a pleasure meeting you all.
To all those following along at home, make sure you keep watching my events page! There’s some changes coming very soon I’m happy to say. More in a separate post.
ALSO!
Dreams Within Dreams is now available for pre-order on Smashwords! Go and find it here! You’ll be soon able to order it through many other locations to from Barnes & Nobel to Kobo/Rakuten and more! The pocket/mass market paperback will be available for order in the near future too.
“Sly Winston” by M.D. Boncher (Stable Diffusion)
If you’re a blogger/vlogger and want to do a book review, hit me up. I’m currently setting up interviews, endorsements, reviews and am interested in discussing this with you.
Till next time, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Vaya Con Dios!
