'Magic: The Gathering' Artist Jason Felix Accused of Stealing Fan Art
Wizards of the Coast has since suspended their working relationship.
Magic: The Gathering veteran artist Jason Felix — who has contributed more than 150 illustrations to the trading card game — has now been accused of stealing fan art for his latest work on the card Crux of Fate from Strixhaven: School of Mages.
In a video posted on Twitter, Kitt Lapena aka Scarypet revealed that Felix’s art largely overlapped with the artist’s own illustration from 2016 titled Nicol Bolas, with most of the dragon almost completely identical despite being slightly rotated. The card’s graphic even shares the same five-finger mistake with Lapena’s depiction, when Bolas actually only has four fingers.
Since the issue was raised by Lapena and various fans, Wizards of the Coast announced that it had suspended its working relationship with Felix until the matter has been properly solved.
“It has come to our attention that the card Crux of Fate from the Strixhaven: School of Mages Mystical Archive may overtly feature Magic: The Gathering fan art and the contracted artist did not receive permission for this incorporation,” the statement reads. “These actions do not reflect the values of Wizards, and, as a result, we will be suspending future work with Jason Felix until we have been able to bring this matter to successful conclusion.”
Should I be flattered?hehe.But seriously,#MtG has been a major influence that developed my love for making art. (and I’ve sent application/portfolio many times to WotC.) Now someone told me my art made it into a Card! Ironically,in a somewhat s̷t̷o̷l̷e̷n̷ way #MTGStrixhaven pic.twitter.com/1HvUXOgGZk
— 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚢𝚙𝚎𝚝 (@omgscarypet) March 28, 2021
In other trading card game news, another pristine Charizard card has sold for more than $300,000 USD.
