Sorry No CNN Art Prints…

I have been getting endless inquiries as to if my key art for CNN’s “History of the Sitcom” docu-series will be available in a print. I’ve answered individually in comments and via emails and DMs, so I thought I’d best do a post with the information.

This work was done as a “work for hire” job for CNN, which means they own the rights to the image. I can only show it here on my website with their permission. I do not have the rights to reproduce the work. I did ask them for permission to make prints, but you must understand that they people I worked with on the project also do not own the rights. The rights are owned by WarnerMedia and in order to secure the rights to make a print the licensing request would need to go through about 50 layers of lawyers, and it would only take one to say “no” or to ask for a licensing fee that would require me to sell 5,000 prints to great even, so it’s just not feasible. I asked but was politely turned down. I also suggested to CNN that THEY make posters of it available, but that is very unlikely. If it ever happens, I’ll let you know.

That said, there’s nothing preventing me from creating an entirely new image celebrating sitcoms with all new caricatures. Well, the fact that I have a book to finish is preventing me from doing that, but after…?

BTW it’s been quite fun seeing variations of this image all over the place in the last week. Despite working for MAD magazine for 20 years, other major national publications, and doing art for movies and other media, I think it’s safe to say this piece has been seen by the most people of all the work I’ve done in my career. It’s certainly gotten a lot of comments. Thanks!