[kj] More on the Johnny Depp/Dave Vanian "coincidence"

[B. Oliver Sheppard]

I did a more detailed comparison of Johnny Depp's upcoming "Sweeney 
Todd" character with Dave Vanian's stage persona, here:   


http://www.cultpunk.com/?p=217


There's even a comparison between The Damned's "Grimly Fiendish" video 
and the trailer for _Sweeney_Todd_ there.

Here's my advice for Vanian, though I'm not a lawyer: Mr. Vanian, your 
real name is David Letts, and you took on the stage name and persona of 
"Dave Vanian" when singing for The Damned. "Vanian" is a shortened form 
of Transyl-Vanian. Before Anne Rice wrote _Lestat_, about a vampire 
rocker, Vanian was already doing it. Thus, I think David Letts has some 
intellectual property stake in the character he created.

Having said that, just look at how closely Johnny Depp -- who played Ed 
Wood as Jon Lovitz; Willy Wonka as Michael Jackson; and Capt. Jack 
Sparrow as Kieth Richards -- has copied Vanian here. I'm ersonally tired 
of mainstream culture ripping off old punk stuff and none of the 
original folks ever getting credit or residuals of any kind. Vanian 
should ask for some cut of the Sweeney Todd revenue from DreamWorks, who 
are producing the movie.

Comparisons at URL above. Hard to write it off as coincidence, the more 
I look into it.

And I like Dave Vanian anyways. He deserves more due than he's gotten.

-Oliver