I’m a big supporter of Charles Hively’s initiatives and in particular 3×3 magazine. I think it’s great to encourage and reward new and exciting work and authentic visual voices. I’ve always enjoyed the articles and look forward to seeing new issues. When I received my latest issue I though “Oh good! Another article about the great Brian Cronin”. As everyone knows, Brian has for many years contributed gorgeous original thoughtful art to the culture. It has taken him years to developed his own personal visual vocabulary.
Well to my surprise I discovered that the article doesn’t celebrate Brian Cronin but rather his imitator Paul Blow.
Brian Cronin has influenced many artists over the years, but this goes far beyond that. I’m saddened to see that such an influential magazine would reward, in my opinion, such plagiarism.
For the real deal please visit http://www.briancronin.com
Anita Kunz's Weblog 
October 13, 2010 at 10:09 pm
Come on now world- Are there any original thinkers left?
October 27, 2010 at 9:14 am
Felt exactly the same way. Sadly, I have felt that way about much of the work in the two issues of 3×3 that I have seen. I could speak volumes on this if you got me at the right/wrong time.
November 9, 2010 at 9:22 pm
I’ve seen so many many artists (so called) who copy other people. This is the reason I sell my dolls in gift shops instead of online. So many tried to copycat. It is sad. I’ve actually had people ask me if I would sell them patterns????!!!! The nerve…haha.
June 8, 2011 at 6:14 am
Hi Anita… remember me? – hope so! London, ages ago…
Agree about the PB / BC comments and it’s good to see you saying it. Saddest thing in many ways is that as time passes younger illustrators (students et al) see PB as the originator; they don’t even look back as far as Brian…
Of course there’s a line of succession – Brian’s work carries forward aspects of Milton G’s, George Hardie’s, and the underrated Lynda Gray’s work. (And if you want to look back as far as Hokusai…) But the immediacy and directness of imitation is worrying, as is the fact that art directors happily commission it.
It all reminds me that the first article I ever published (in 1977) was called ‘Illustration as Incest’… Ho hum.
I’m writing more than drawing these days. Hope all is well with you.
Best, Rob Mason
June 8, 2011 at 8:25 am
Rob…so great to hear from you! I was always a huge fan of your work. Yes the field is disappointing these days. So much “appropriation” going on. I always teach students to try and be as authentic and original as possible, but then they see that in the actual professional world, it doesn’t apply. Sad
July 11, 2015 at 5:55 pm
Hi Anita, I met you some years ago at the Soc. of Illustrators (I’m a Mexican artist myself.) Recently I’ve been rediscovering the work of Brian Cronin (love his visual metaphors) and found this post in your blog. You mention above that somebody is imitating his style now and that’s no surprise. But I recall when I saw Brian’s work when he started in the early 90’s and he reminded me a lot of David Suter and Philipe Weisbecker’s work, like a combo of both. Brain later developed his own amazing style/vocabulary of course. Many artists tend to gravitate to big artists-planets but we all hope that they will get eventually stop being a satellite and become a planet by themselves. Have you read the book Steal Like An Artist? Very true indeed. Regards!