This year has been a year of rapid progress in AI development, perhaps faster than anyone imagined. The manga industry has been quick to point out such cases. One last example before the end of the year, when cartoonist Sean Northridge accused AWA’s Ultimate Oz Universe: The Lost Lands of being “a combination of AI slop, traced photo references, and actual (mostly rushed) art.”
Ultimate Oz Universe: The Lost Lands is a new graphic novel co-written by Cullen Bunn and Larry King, with art by Mike Deodato Jr. and a foreword by Elton John. Northridge brought this complaint as a backer of the Ultimate Oz Kickstarter, posting a complaint to Bluesky stating that “AWA Studios actually raised 100,000 in Kickstarter Money and ran with it.”
Fans online have written up examples of “inconsistent character, location, and facial designs, as well as obvious AI rendering of buildings, trees, and foliage.” They question the integrity of the book and are asking for a refund.
When asked for comment by The Beat, Deodato Jr. said, “Ultimate OZ No AI-generated art is used in Universe. The artwork is created entirely by human artists using standard professional digital tools in the same way that comics have been created digitally for years. I’ve been drawing comics professionally for decades, and this project is no different. It’s all handmade work, guided by experience, storytelling, and artistic intent.”
AWA denied any rumors about AI in a separate statement.
“Interior art is entirely by Mike Deodato Jr. (coloring by Ive Svorsina)…No AI was used to create the art for Ultimate OZ Universe: The Lost Lands,” the publisher writes. “Mike is a veteran of the comics world and a world-renowned artist with decades of work to his name, and Ultimate OZ is very much in line with his undisputed style and approach to storytelling. We hired Mike for this project precisely because of his accomplishments and the skill he brings to the page. We’re extremely proud of Mike’s work on this book, and what the entire team has built together, and we hope our readers enjoy it.”
This isn’t the first time AWA has been criticized for its use of AI; earlier this year, AWA’s book Polis, by Mark Russell, featured AI-generated art in its concluding essay.
“While our partners at Futurific Studios wanted to explore new tools and artists for behind-the-scenes stories, we don’t use AI-generated art in the comic stories we publish. We employ the best creators in comics and will continue to do so,” said Nahuel Fanjul-Arguijo, AWA’s senior marketing director.
In this case, AWA apparently did not inform Russell of this, and the author only found out after the book hit the shelves.
“I am not working with any of these people. I have had no relationship with any of them, but today is the first I’m hearing about anything like this,” Russell posted in April.
There is no AI art in Russell’s story. Backmatter AI art is used to provide examples of theoretical projects that bring the world within the story to life. These are mockups, the same way architecture firms publish 3D renderings of buildings.
The resident Luddites here at The Beat are here to tell you that the problem is solved and that we live in a world where there is no general consensus about reality. With the rapid rise of AI, all works of art will be criticized by everyone, with no real end in sight. We, as fans and media professionals, need to heed these alarm bells.
Something like this:
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