Artist Phillip Banks, the creator of the popular Chillguy character, has been accused of plagiarism. According to on-chain analysts, the original image was allegedly taken from a Thai publication dating back six years. The accusations sparked a heated discussion, but the meme’s creator dismissed them as “fake.”
Banks clarified that he rarely uses X and was surprised by the sudden suspicion surrounding his work. In his statement, he stressed that he doesn’t mind Chillguy’s use in magazine posts, but he does not approve of how his copyright is being treated.
Earlier, Banks posted that the Chillguy brand is privately owned and legally protected. He claimed that creating any tokens under that name violates his rights. However, at the time of writing, the post was unavailable.
Many users believe the plagiarism accusations are false. They see them as mere psychological manipulation, or “FUD” (fear, uncertainty, and doubt). One user, Plastic-Equal2019, conducted his own investigation and reached these conclusions:
- Someone posted a purported photo of a book on TikTok but provided no additional information.
- An AI detector indicates that the image might have been generated by an AI model.
- Using CivitAI, anyone can create an image resembling what is alleged to be the “original” Chillguy.
“There’s no name, no publication date, nothing to prove the supposed comic wasn’t printed recently. Considering how many new tokens have been created, it’s likely this rumor was spread to create chaos and lead to rug pulls,” said user Phoenix_Uprising1.
Launch of New Meme Tokens Amid Controversy
Rumors about potential plagiarism served as a catalyst for creating numerous new meme coins. One of them, RELAXBOY, launched immediately after the accusations surfaced. The token soared by 700% within hours, only to fall by 67% soon after.
Another token, OGCHILLGUY, was introduced as the “original Chillguy.” It caused a stir among “smart money”, climbing more than 5,000% within just an hour of launch. Profit-taking followed, but OGCHILLGUY remains in trending positions on Dexscreener.
TikTok once again played a key role in promoting these meme tokens. Short videos featuring Chillguy and its variations spread at incredible speed. The meme’s popularity in the app inspired the launch of yet another token — CHILLDOG, which also became a target of speculation.
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