This Really Steams My Clams

Once upon a time there was this painter named Yoshihiko Wada. He goes on to win awards and gain fame. He's quite good, you know. In the 70's he went to study in Italy where he met another artist named Alberto Sughi. Yoshihiko says he recieved much artistic influence from the man. Let's just look at how much "influence" he recieved.

This is a Sughi original.


This is a Wada picture.










Damn! Or how about this?
Sughi original











versus Wada...










That isn't all of them either. There are more! And you know what Wada says?
He says, "They are not plagerized. I didn't steal them." He says it, really. With a straight face too.

You know what his once good friend Sughi says? He says, "The man visited me every year, he complimented my work and took photographs of it. He stole them."

The only reason this was called to light was because of an anonymous tip. Who was it? Why are they anonymous? How much money has Wada-jerk made off these forgeries? How long will he go to jail? Am I overreacting?

I'm reminded of two years ago when the poetry/essay book that the lovely Nachi (Natsumi Abe) of Morning Musume released was discovered to be, well, not her work. She, or someone working for her, just went around and copied a bunch of stuff, published it, made a lot of dough. I don't believe she gave back any money or spent any time in jail. Apologized. Disappeared for a bit. All better.

Tomorrow something much less frustrating.