Guys sells pillows with pictures of cosplayers on them

[Kash Flagg]

Fascinating stuff.

One Cosplayer's reaction

Another article on it.

I've got to admit, I don't quite get the idea of dressing up as someone else for conventions, but it don't hurt me, so I don't care.

Those who don't want to click the link, basically some sleazy photographer takes pics of cosplayers and then puts them on pillows (with their asses on the back) to sell. He claims it's legal because they signed a release for "promotional purposes", but promotional material isn't to be sold...that's why they're promotional material.

Also some of the models are underage as well. This will probably be ugly.

[BorneAgain]

"Hmmm, these cosplayers are leered at, objectified, and harassed, but somehow I don't feel like they've been totally robbed of their personal dignity and privacy."

"Look we've already taken photos and put them on fetish sites, what more can we do?"

"Well, surely there's got to be something."

*a beat*

"Wait, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Creepy cosplayer pillows!"

[Hawk Hart]

Wait, his website lists her services as being mostly photography related but the woman in the first post seemed to disregard that. I'm not saying it's right but don't sign a contract if you don't know what you're getting yourself into and that's what seems to have happened.

[mcmahonfan85]

[Non Banjoble Tokens]

Well, there's a demand for these that's for sure. I can't tell you how many lonely honeys have been emailing me to get their own wonderfully soft and huggable pillow with a pic of me dressed as Batman on it.

By the by, you think this dude takes requests? I mean, I ask for a friend. Er, and just in case he does someone show him this pic. As I said, for a friend. Who's into that sort of thing.

[Glitch]

Technically what he's doing is legal but is so is a lot of unethical stuff. It's pretty f****ing obvious that this douchebag was being misleading, and just wanted a way to make a buck.
When you go to a convention and someone takes your pic, you usually expect your image to wind up on an online gallery or a book. Never do you actually assume your butt is gonna be on an physical aide for a guy to fap to. Plus he used the words "promotional material". This dick was fully aware that these girls would have not volunteered if he had said "products" or "pillow".

If it turns out some of these girls were underage, I hope he is sued into the ground. Scumbags like this are the type of people that have been exploiting the fandom recently and deserve the severest punishment by law.

[FinalGwen]

Nasty piece of work. Hopefully this will mean that he's not allowed to sell at any future conventions, eliminating 90% of his actual means of selling these things.

[Lazy peon]

Still less weird than pillows with anime characters on them.

[Glitch]

Jun 10, 2013 17:56:37 GMT -5 Lazy peon said:

Still less weird than pillows with anime characters on them.

In a way true. It's not that the pillows have people on them is what makes this wrong, it's the scumbag that did it without letting the girls know.
I mean, in japan they inflatable pillows with the image of a human girl, and with a hole in it to fit your fleshlight. Nothing wrong with that since the girls were obviously aware of the product they were going on.

[Deleted]

Jun 10, 2013 17:11:59 GMT -5 mcmahonfan85 said:

[Cyno]

Ugh, this slimeball was doing this at the local anime convention too. A-Next apparently shut down his booth, though.

Also this may not be entirely legal despite his claims otherwise. From the guy featured on the Superman pillow:

"I never signed any sort of release for any products or prints. I've only done photoshoots with 4 photographers and never in this suit. This pillow is a random convention candid from Dragon*Con."

The guy also claimed he only did it for 12x8 pillows but the pillows shown were clearly much larger than that. He's a liar and a scumbag.