'I'm in Shock': 'Black Silence' comic creator accuses Netflix for stealing ideas for '1899' series
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The creators of ‘DARK’ have come out with another enthralling that’s taking the entire world by storm in the form of ‘1899’. The series has opened to rave reviews and received universal acclaim for its storytelling and impeccable performances. On the other hand, the show is as mind-bending as the previous series ‘Dark’. However, it seems the series is now being accused of plagiarism by one of the leading comic book creators.
On November 20, a Brazilian creator named Mary Cagnin took to Twitter and claimed that Netflix has taken inspiration from her comic book, titled ‘Black Silence’, and plagiarized content from the aforementioned comic book. This is not the first time Netflix has been accused of profiting off of other people’s works without contacting them or compensating them. The recent accusations from the Brazilian creator are pretty serious and allege that the streaming platform used her work without even telling her.
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Cagnin called out the makers and the streaming platform for allegedly copying her work in the latest series. She tweeted, “I'M IN SHOCK. The day I found out that the 1899 series is just IDENTICAL to my comic Black Silence, published in 2016.” She then went on to start a thread where she posted various screenshots comparing her work to the storylines of the Netflix series.
ESTOU EM CHOQUE.
— Just Mary (@marycagnin) November 20, 2022
O dia que descobri que a série 1899 é simplesmente IDÊNTICO ao meu quadrinho Black Silence, publicado em 2016.
Segue o fio. pic.twitter.com/1deBicrBeQ
The creator noted that there are many similarities between the two and it all starts with the imagery of the black pyramids. The original tweets were in Portuguese and when we translated them to English to understand the issue.
“It's all there: The Black Pyramid. The deaths inside the ship/ship. The multinational crew. The apparently strange and unexplained things. The symbols in the eyes and when they appear. Codes written. The voices calling to them. Subtle plot details, such as the characters' personal dramas, including their mysterious deaths,” she wrote while leveling the allegations.
SPOILERS À FRENTE
— Just Mary (@marycagnin) November 20, 2022
Está tudo lá: A pirâmide negra. As mortes dentro do navio/nave. A tripulação multinacional. As coisas aparentemente estranhas e sem explicação. Os símbolos nos olhos e quando eles aparecem (+) pic.twitter.com/OKie5ci3Cq
However, it should be noted that ‘Black Silence’ is a short work, but still, she was able to notice the similarities between the two. The creator also noted that it’s quite easy to dilute the references to make the series, but the “essence” still remains there. Her tweet reads, “I've cried a lot. My dream has always been to be recognized for my work nationally and internationally. And to see such a thing happen really breaks my heart. We know that in Brazil we have few opportunities to show our work and be recognized for it.”
Já chorei horrores. Meu sonho sempre foi ser reconhecida pela meu trabalho nacionalmente e internacionalmente. E ver uma coisa dessas acontecendo realmente parte meu coração. Sabemos que no Brasil temos poucas oportunidades para mostrar nosso trabalho e ser reconhecido por ele. pic.twitter.com/FLoNbzTnUy
— Just Mary (@marycagnin) November 20, 2022
Cagnin went on to further explain how her work has been copied by Netflix. She wrote, “You must be wondering: how is this possible? Well, in 2017 I was invited by the Brazilian embassy to participate in the Gothenburg Book Fair, a very famous and influential international fair in Europe.” As of now, the creator of ‘Black Silence’ has made the comic book available online for reading and people can read the comic themselves to see what are the similarities between the two.
As we said above, this is not the first time Netflix has been accused of plagiarism. In 2017, a writer named Al Quarles Jr. sued Netflix after he claimed the film, titled ‘Burning Sands’, is based on a book that he wrote and has the same name. In his lawsuit, the writer noted that he has spent almost two decades writing 'Burning Sands’ and the streaming platform released a movie based on his work without giving him any credit. More recently, Netflix’s most-watched series ‘Squid Game’ was also accused of plagiarism.
Netflix hasn’t responded to these accusations and Cagnin hasn’t said if she’ll be taking any legal steps in near future. But the frequent accusations are denting the streamer’s credibility.
