Actor and director Shia LaBeouf fired off a collection of Twitter missives early Tuesday morning, owning up to accusations that his new short film HowardCantour.com plagiarizes Daniel Clowes' 2007 comic Justin M. Damiano. The film was posted online on Monday.
"I f*cked up," LaBeouf wrote at the end of his six-tweet explanation (below).
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The allegations surfaced Monday night after Clowes, a veteran graphic novelist, discovered LaBeouf's 11-minute film about fictional film critic Howard Cantour, played by Jim Gaffigan.
Eric Reynolds of Fantagraphics, a publisher of comic books and graphic novels, is among those who noticed the film's dialogue and imagery looked and sounded eerily similar Clowes' comic, which is also about a film critic undergoing struggles. But LaBeouf did not credit Clowes or reference Justin M. Damiano in any manner.
On Twitter, Reynolds wrote that LaBeouf "must be delusional" and "WTF was [he] thinking?"
"What he should really do is between he and Clowes," Reynolds told Mashable via email on Tuesday. "But if it were up to me, I'd make him give out nothing but Daniel Clowes books — with apologies — for the holidays."
In his public apology on Twitter, LaBeouf admits Clowes' work served as inspiration for his short film, which is now password protected — though a trailer is still live here.
Copying isn't particularly creative work. Being inspired by someone else's idea to produce something new and different IS creative work.
— Shia LaBeouf (@thecampaignbook) December 17, 2013
In my excitement and naiveté as an amateur filmmaker, I got lost in the creative process and neglected to follow proper accreditation
— Shia LaBeouf (@thecampaignbook) December 17, 2013
Im embarrassed that I failed to credit @danielclowes for his original graphic novella Justin M. Damiano, which served as my inspiration
— Shia LaBeouf (@thecampaignbook) December 17, 2013
I was truly moved by his piece of work & I knew that it would make a poignant & relevant short. I apologize to all who assumed I wrote it.
— Shia LaBeouf (@thecampaignbook) December 17, 2013
@thecampaignbook No one "assumed" you wrote it. People believed you wrote it because you misled and lied by omission.
— Eric Reynolds (@earinc) December 17, 2013
@thecampaignbook Did the actors and production on your film know this was a Clowes adaptation?
— Eric Reynolds (@earinc) December 17, 2013
@thecampaignbook you owe everyone who worked on the film a copy of this, with an apology: http://t.co/F63S6lwkrR
— Eric Reynolds (@earinc) December 17, 2013
I deeply regret the manner in which these events have unfolded and want @danielclowes to know that I have a great respect for his work
— Shia LaBeouf (@thecampaignbook) December 17, 2013
I fucked up.
— Shia LaBeouf (@thecampaignbook) December 17, 2013
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Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images