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TDanny

Please help contact Tamiya (Vintage Poster)

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Hi Guys,

The reason I'm writeing is to ask for some help contacting Tamiya head office. I wonder if anyone could help me because I just can't find a direct e-mail to them. 

I've been building and collecting Tamiya RC since ages and as I work as a graphic designer some weeks ago I came to the idea that it would be nice to draw some vintage style posters in my freetime. The first poster, with Vintage 4x4x4 monster theme is finished, you can check it in the attachment. These are not photo-manipulated posters, they are drawn from line-to-line with vectorised inking technic so there are more then 50 working hours in each one. I am planning to do some limited run prints and I want to ask for their permission as these posters would represent Tamiya models. Of course no Tamiya logo and it is stated that these are not official Tamiya licensed products just fan arts. My aim is to make a few hundred copies becouse thats the smallest amount that the printing house can handle in a nice A2 size matt finish. I do not want to get rich from these posters, I would be glad just to cover the printing costs from the copies.

Some other themes that I'm planning to do are: 3 Speed cars, Wheelie Machines, Vintage SRB's and some others...

I wrote some e-mail a week ago to Tamiya partners but no answer so far. If anybody could help me contact Tamiya I would be very thankful as I wont start printing anything without permission.

Thank you for your time,

Best regars,

Daniel

 

 

tamiya-4x4x4-poster3.jpg

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Not that it might help you but I did the old fashioned thing a while ago and wrote to them it took a bit time but they did respond although I don't think they grasped what I was asking I just got a big envelope full of promotional poster's etc😁!, Still although I didn't get a answer to a question I did get some cracking posters and stickers!!!

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Hi,

Tried these contacts, but no reply so far. Not a reply that they even got it...

As far as I know it is legal to use licenced things (cars, buildings, etc...) on artworks as far as they are my own creation and they are not represented as originaly licenced works. Beside that I don't want trouble with Tamiya so it's always better to ask...

I think these requests belong to tamiya head office but of course no contact to them at all. I hope that maybe somebody forwarded my mail to them and they are just sitting on it.

Just tought that somebody might have a direct contact here.

D.

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1 hour ago, TDanny said:

As far as I know it is legal to use licenced things (cars, buildings, etc...) on artworks as far as they are my own creation and they are not represented as originaly licenced works. Beside that I don't want trouble with Tamiya so it's always better to ask...

I'm no lawyer, and only speak from personal experience. I draw and sell car related T-shirt designs on websites like Zazzle. I've learned that you cannot have logos, emblems, or names. So, the "Clodbuster" writing could be an issue, as well as any of the decals on the trucks that are copies of Tamiya decals from the actual RC vehicles. If there are any manufacturer logos, such as a Ford or Chevrolet emblem, you cannot include that either. Other than that, they're monster truck designs that you created.

Where you print and sell them may also have different rules on what is allowed, so your current designs very well could be fine since there is no actual Tamiya logo on there.

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Yes you are absolutely right about the logos... But without those they'll loose their soul. Thats why I wanted to ask for permission.

As I mentioned, selling the posters is not my aim. I dont care about getting money from them at all. I do want to give them for those, who like it, friends, members, etc...

One option would be to print it on high format digital printer but the quality would be way worse than on real printing machines. But when you order from the printing company they only can handle at lest a few hundred copies couse starting the machine is more expensive then the prints themselves.

I don't start printing till I get permission so maybe I'll end up making only one for myself on digital printer. But when you work only for yourself you don't want to waste 50+ hours with a poster... and it would be nice continueing with the other themes.

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If you look at the repro decals thread in TamiyaClub News, I would say if you are going to be charging money for it, you will get a resounding "No." from Tamiya Inc, and possibly a Cease and Desist letter if you persue.

No harm in trying I suppose though, and your artwork is cool. I would prefer a more vintage flavour with the Clod though.

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I'd say berman is correct. The Tamiya man here used to be @JAnderson he works for the double-starred company. Perhaps if you try.

NICE poster by the way, you did a very good job with them! :)

 

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The only thing holding you back is the logos and writing. Why not just remove them completely? I don't think it'll lose its soul. Anybody that's into Vintage RC Monster trucks would recognize those 3 trucks without the logos.

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Thank you for the help guys. I looked more into it and found something which is the biggest problem with the logos I think. I made the cars in their box art form and as they are vintage machines there are logos on them that even Tamiya don't own anymore as the licence contract expired. So if I write for them they could say that: Ok, you can use our logos but you have to ask for permission for the expired logos one by one. I have to accept that the world just dosn't work this way.

I think I will sit back to the desk and re-work my poster without the decals, but I'll try to get intouch with JAnderson eighter.

 

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Wow a lot of work there. I take it as they're hand drawn, removing logos means, redrawing them at 50 hours each?! 

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Thank you Buggyjam,

I draw in vector format program (CorelDraw) wich is actually slower than hand drawing but easyer to modify as things like decals are on different layers. First I wanted to do serigraph printing and that is important to split all colors to different layers but thats horribly expensive even that I do know the person who makes it here. But I guess it will take some time to rework the cars. I have to figure out something or they will look just empty without the nice Tamiya graphics :) 

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