Who is Japanese artist @028ton? Meet the talent behind 'Fairly OddParents' creator Butch Hartman's plagiarized art
Butch Hartman, the creator of cartoons like ‘Fairly Oddparents’ and ‘Danny Phantom’, has found himself on the negative side of social media after being accused of allegedly tracing fan art for money. Hartman is being accused of allegedly plagiarising art by a Japanese artist who reportedly goes by the name Otton.
On Saturday, February 20, 2021, Hartman posted a commissioned piece he drew of Mikasa Ackerman from ‘Attack on Titan’. Anyone can purchase a commissioned piece of artwork from Hartman on his official website for upwards of $200. After he posted the photo on his Twitter, several users instantly compared it to a 2018 drawing by a Japanese artist on Twitter (user id: @028ton).
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After Hartman posted the picture on his Twitter, user @028ton tweeted that he has “received a report that my fan art has been plagiarized. I checked the tweets and found many similarities to my work. In addition, there was a possibility that money was being made, so I am urgently altering you to this.”
I have received a report that my fan art has been plagiarized.
— オットン (@028ton) February 21, 2021
I checked the tweets and found many similarities to my work. In addition, there was a possibility that money was being made, so I am urgently alerting you to this.
↓ Continued
Who is @028ton aka Otton?
Twitter user @028ton or Otton – translated from his Pixiv account – is a Japanese artist who creates anime characters and posts them on his social media handle. The Twitter account (@028ton) has over 37,000 followers and posts drawings of anime characters from ‘Demon Slayer’ and ‘Pokemon’.
After several Twitter tagged him online, he tweeted, “I would like to express my deepest gratitude for the countless kind words, advice, follow-ups, RTs, and support from many people. We have taken the form of art from various perspectives, and we are still carefully examining how to respond appropriately.” He also released a side-by-side comparison of his work with Hartman's work on his social media account.
MIKASA ACKERMAN. To order a commission click: https://t.co/C7MMkj0fI4 pic.twitter.com/ikkB6c5c2g
— Butch Hartman (@realhartman) February 20, 2021
Following @028ton’s response, several people have slammed Hartman for allegedly copying someone else’s work. One user wrote: "they call him butch bc he butchers other ppl's art". Another wrote: "Butch Hartman has been eliminated and sent to the Dock of Shame for tracing art!" While another tweeted: "Not only did Butch Hartman plagiarize that Mikasa art by a Japanese artist, he's been called out about this before for plagiarizing art of a Danny Phantom character by a Deviantart artist, and lielly many before. On TOP of all that, he's also been very publicly transphobic."
Butch Hartman has been eliminated and sent to the Dock of Shame for tracing art! pic.twitter.com/KRMcjuG5WG
— Dock Of Shame (@FavDockOfShame) February 22, 2021
Not only did Butch Hartman plagiarize that Mikasa art by a Japanese artist, he's been called out about this before for plagiarizing art of a Danny Phantom character by a Deviantart artist, and lielly many before.
— Tiana @ Looking for Work! ( •̀ ω •́ )✧ (@tianaconyersart) February 22, 2021
On TOP of all that, he's also been very publicly transphobic.
As of now, there is no much information about @028ton that has been released online. Also, as of now, Hartman has also not released any official statement against the recent allegations.
Who is Butch Hartman?
Hartman, 56, is a famous animator, writer, YouTuber who is best known for creating ‘Danny Phantom’, ‘T.U.F.F. Puppy’ and ‘Bunsen Is a Beast’. Hartman’s biggest success came in 1997 when he created the 'Fairly OddParents’. The series originally started as a series of shorts but was quickly picked by Nickelodeon as a full-fledged series. The show premiered in 2001 and instantly became a hit among the younger audience.
Following the success of the 'Fairly OddParents’, Hartman was asked to create another show for Nickelodeon. Hartman then created ‘Danny Phantom’, animated action series following a teenage boy who becomes a human-ghost hybrid after an unpredictable portal opens up. The show received critical acclaim and is considered Hartman’s best show. In February 2018, he announced in a YouTube video that he had left Nickelodeon.
After leaving Nickelodeon, Hartman has found himself in the midst of controversies. In 2018, he was accused of minimizing mental health issues like suicide. In a controversial statement, he said, “Children's content on streaming services] is designed to shock, not uplift; as a result, kids today have no purpose, there's depression, there's suicide... corrupt social media and entertainment is a primary contributor to this crisis.”