An exclusive department store has offered a £10,000 donation to Chris Sievey's estate after using Frank Sidebottom-style dolls without permission.
Designers at the flagship Selfridges store on Oxford Street apologised and pledged the cash after they enraged friends and family of the late Chris Sievey by using Frank-style dolls in their Christmas window display.
Chris, the comedian behind papier-mache headed Frank, died in June aged 54 after a battle with cancer.
The Selfridges characters all have over-sized heads and eyes with cut-out segments identical to Frank's.
The store said the creations, by Selfridges designer Erin Thompson, aimed to 'awake the child within'.
But the Sievey family blasted bosses for failing to consult them before launching the displays. The issue has led to a storm of protest on internet blog sites and the social networking site Twitter.
Chris's partner Gemma Woods is said to be 'very upset' but is believed to have received an apology over the phone from the store.
Phil Jones, director of Manchester Food and Drink Festival and a close family friend who promoted Chris in the days of his punk band The Freshies, said he too had received an apology. He has been in contact with bosses at the store over legal issues and royalties.
Speaking on behalf of the family Mr Jones said: “A lot of Frank's fans are outraged and Gemma is very upset. Selfridges did not speak to anyone before launching this window exhibition.
“It would appear that Selfridges have done their Christmas window with imagery that is Frank. It is the eyes. It is Frank and that's for certain.
“They put it up but have not spoken to anyone from Chris's family or Gemma, his partner. I just think that it is completely out of order. They have used a dead person's imagery without any contact with his family.
Apologies
“I have spoken to their legal team and they are full of apologies.”
Writer Jon Ronson, one of Chris's close friends and a former manager, called the display 'horrendously callous'.
H said: “Chris has only just died and I think it is most unfair. Apparently there was a grandiose press release but no mention of Frank. It just seems callous to me to plagiarise someone who has just died. The displays are clearly modelled on Frank.
“There is no question about it. It comes across as a rip-off.”
The department store's 27 other festive window displays feature Sylvanian Family toys and Barbie and Ken dolls.
A spokesman for Selfridges said: “We were concerned to hear of the similarities between the heads on some of the mannequins in our new Christmas display and that of the Frank Sidebottom character created by Chris Sievey.
“After investigation we can see why some fans of Chris Sievey's character as well as some of the creator's friends and family have reacted so quickly to this feature of our current windows.
“We sincerely apologise if this has offended anyone and we have been keen to resolve matters quickly. Some of the comments we received have suggested that we contribute towards the cost of the statue of Frank Sidebottom, which is planned to be erected in the town of Timperley, where Chris Sievey lived.
“We have offered to give £10,000 to Chris Sievey's estate and for them to decide how to best use this donation.
“We will also ensure that a suitable acknowledgement is made to Mr Sievey's work in our window displays and in-store."
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im sure frank would have liked to have seen his alter ego in the window of this shop...what a great place to see him , they should be happy that his spirit lives on in manchester, however this greedy management will soon put people off using his persona, however is it because he died penniless. i think its tragic how this good natured icon of manchester is overshadowed by money and royalties...it beggers belief what people are like when people die, maybe if they or whoever they are managed him when he was alive then he may have died a rich man, god bless the character
Frank Sidebottom in stockings & suspenders? That image is going to frighten me for a good long while.
I think that Frank would have loved it.. Little Franks mum kept her figure well didn't she ?
Maybe people should check out the 30s cartoon image of Betty Boo. Seems to me a costly court action is looming here folks
Major Gaff!
Royalties a the heart of this
I wonder if they have accepted the apology turned down the 10k?
I doubt it.
basically, this top 'designer' has blatantly copies someone else's work and probably been paid top dollar for it.
selfridges you are rubbish. £10,000 is a small price to pay. up it to £50,000.
pah £10,000 thats just pocket change to the selfridges marketing department!
It's a lot easier to get forgiveness than permission...
Run with the idea, make some dough, wait till you get caught then say "regret" but never apologise..£ 10 grand that's one hours taking...
Very cheap of them...
Its not about the money, how insensitive are some people with comments to suggest such a thing. Its more about Chris's work, that he created over so many years, that someone could just presume now he is not here it is ok to use without permission. The displays are great and he would of loved them, but the outcome of all of this is that he will now be credited for his work, and thats what we, his family, are happy with.
Take the display down or change the heads and give them nowt. Frank has gone so why should others gain.
I wonder if Selfridges would accept a £10,000 donation if someone used their `image` or `brand` without permission.
I suspect they would be dragged through the high courts instead.
I actually saw them in the window and thought they were based on Betty Boop.
Seems rather petty to me
They look far more like they've been based on Betty Boop from the 1930s cartoon than Frank Sidebottom.
Over the years there have been loads of charcters in this style. Frank Sidebottom is certainly not an original creation.
If the family are going to start accusing people of stealing their creation, they might need to prepare themselves for challenges from others with a stronger prior claim to that style of caricature.
What an accolade, being in Selfridges christmas display, I´m not sure I understand the kerfuffle. Not money, surely?
Selfridges do something wrong, and we get criticized, bloody typical.
I'm deeply shocked at the amount of people who have commented on this item, criticizing Chris'/Frank's family and management,
it's hard enough that they have had someone very special taken from them, but then to have his work so shamelessly ripped off in such a way must be devastating.
Gemma Woods has been amazing through all of this, and has kept in contact with Frank's fans and supporters, keeping them involved all the way through.
it's no-one's business how much has been paid, or what they are going to do with the money, but it's great to hear they are donating some of it to charity,
Firstly i want to point out that i am not someone with anything against frank, i've been a fan for a long time and saw him off at his fantastic send off.
However i do want to ask if anyone else sees a similarity in the Selfridges use of franks image and Frank's own use of iconic imagery such as the Thunderbirds uniforms?
I also wonder if gemma woods would also be the person currently behind mr Sidebottom's twitter account?
It's worth pointing out that you and/or whoever is posting on twitter may need one or two lessons in public relations, you come across as angry, obnoxious, spiteful and rude.
Sadly none of the things people would like to remember the lovable Frank Sidebottom for.
selfridges use frank sidebottom to sell christmas without asking,how rude, some people rightly so kick up a bit of a fuss ,selfridges try to placate the situation by offering a reported 10k FEE to frank's estate.the damage has already been done,no amount of crawling by selfridges will change my opinion. selfridges are total bobins ,end of story .
The picture used is not the best to show the rip off; there are other models that are much more similar to Frank.
As for the models looking more like Betty Boop, Betty Boop has a tiny nose, a small mouth, many curls & eyes looking left or right. Frank has a long nose, a wide mouth, no curls (unless he is a teddy boy when he has one curl) and eyes looking central. In addition, Frank's eyes are blue and have a section missing to the right just like errrr... Selfridges display models.
i think folk here are missing the point it is not about money it is about respect you cant steal someone's image and use it like that selfridges should've known better than to trudge over someone 's memory causing his family friends and fans more pain!
the action taken by family and friends of chris sievey was never about money it was/is about the rights to what chris created. If people use frank's image then permission must be asked. If the work is based on franks likeness then permission has to be sought. If a big business tries to pass on their or their associates work as their own then action must be taken. frank himself guarded his creation to the max and his family are only doing the same. The 10k will help various causes and also help the family keep frank's work in the public eye...... this is not wrong its just about doing what's right, selfriges have jumped on people for alot less and demanded a higher price. for those people who are having a go at the people behind this action just take a good look at yourself and think what you would do if it were you..... and then climb back under your stone and shut up!
Did Frank ever get asked for ten grand when he copied Elvis Presley/Freddie Mercury/Morrissey/The Beatles/Thunderbirds/Paul McCartney/T.V adverts/The Fall etc.
I am a huge Frank fan and have been appalled at the way his image has now been tainted by money grabbers. This is out of order and really a terrible terrible move. Yes Selfridges were out of order doing this but they said sorry and offered the money. Frank wouldnt have even taken the money he would have gone down to Selfridges himself with a picket sign outside to draw media attention on him, he would have turned it round into a huge laugh and got some great publicity out of it - which is what this could have been. Sad.