ARTIST ROGER DEAN SUING DIRECTOR JAMES CAMERON OVER AVATAR FINALLY!!

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ARTIST ROGER DEAN SUING DIRECTOR JAMES CAMERON OVER AVATAR FINALLY!!

I was pleasantly surprised this morning when catching this headline on Fox News Online:

*British Album Cover Artist Sues James Cameron over 'Avatar'*

I get bad vibes with Cameron. I have for a while. Add to that his reputation for being a not very nice human being. Admirers of his work would approach him out in public and then get berated for daring to approach his personal space. Happens once and maybe it's a bad day. There is a string of these stories out there on the Internet. I can defend Cameron by saying no entertainer nor public figure is required to sign autographs and get photos taken of with anyone on the planet. If that's Cameron's demeanor then so be it. Not breaking any laws. No stories as of late. Maybe Cameron's approach with strangers has improved?

Years ago I read how the origins of Cameron's Terminator was questioned. On the movies credits it states he's a co-writer. In interviews he is stated as saying he had just one day gotten a vision of a metal endoskeleton emerging from flames. The stories birth. Surrounding himself with talent the idea became a reality. The rest they say is history. Not really. Look under "trivia" on the webpage for the B movie Terminator (1984) that is found on the website; Internet Movie Database (IMDb). There among cool facts about the movie you will also find this bit of nasty business:

"Science fiction author Harlan Ellison sued James Cameron, claiming that the film was plagiarized from the two The Outer Limits episodes that Ellison wrote, namely The Outer Limits: Soldier and The Outer Limits: Demon With A Glass Hand. The concept of "Skynet" could also have been borrowed from an Ellison short story called "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream." The suit was settled out of court and newer prints of the film acknowledge Ellison. Cameron has claimed that this settlement was forced upon him by the producers, which he has always resented."

Roger Dean, one of the best album cover artists ever, behind the futuristic artwork found on most Yes / Asia albums. Rick Wakeman an ex-keyboardist for Yes back in their glory days has just announced a big tour with Dean doing the set design. Also worth mentioning about Dean is he designed the first logo for Virgin Records. A nude woman in mirror image (twins) with a cool looking long-tailed serpent. It reads "Virgin" in font / style that if one is familiar with Dean, they will certainly recognize.

In the lawsuit filed yesterday, Mr Dean is asking for damages of one hundred and fifty million dollars -- he should be asking for more if you ask my opinion. The news story giving details as;

"The lawsuit claimed the film copied "floating mountains," "stone arches" and the antennae and markings on flying creatures."

Would you believe that yours truly has NOT seen Avatar yet? Those who know I like sci-fi films might be surprised. In the previews I concluded it reminded me TOO much of Roger Dean's work. I been a fan of his since the 1970's. Have several posters of his creations framed and hanging on our walls here in the house. Ends up I'm like one of the ONLY persons in all of AMERICA who had NOT seen this movie. I refused. Friends can back me up. We had the discussions. I'm glad I stuck to my guns, especially now that Dean has finely made public what I sensed the whole time since Avatar was released.

Jokes have been made speculating that when Cameron was a teenager that one thing he would love to do is smoke pot and listen to Yes records. IF true on how quizative he was in his youth, a detail I found while doing research and stumbling on an James Cameron Internet bio page, then my guess is he did what I did as a teenager; lit up, inhaled, put on headphones and while playing whatever Yes album, studied the albums content, inside and out.

For James Cameron to say aloud and in front of camera's that he was inspired by Roger Dean in the making of his MEGA HIT film Avatar, would correct what many (not Mr. Dean...he wants and should get damages) see as a wrong. Too bad as of yet the famous Hollywood film director NEVER said that. Explains the recent lawsuit brought on by Mister Dean. I'm looking forward to updating the story as things unfold.

Web Page Links

The Fox News Story:

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/06/27/british-album-cover-artist-sues-james-cameron-over-avatar/?intcmp=HPBucket

Roger Dean Official Facebook (where you can voice support)

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Roger-Dean-Official-Page/267978434150

Roger Dean Official Website

http://www.rogerdean.com/

Gary Brown
American Corespondent for Classic Rock Radio Dot EU