Started as a challenge mostly for himself, Jake Parker announced he would ink a new piece every day, calling it Inktober. Parker published his list of one-word prompts and invited those following his blog to join. The rules were simple. First, draw with ink. Second, post it. Third, tag it #inktober. And fourth, continue this until October 31st.
As Instagram and hashtags became increasingly popular in 2013 and 2014, the word about Inktober spread. It is easy to measure the output of an ink drawing daily, but at the heart of Inktober, artists are working towards self-improvement alongside one another. Growing into a worldwide event, 2015 and onwards many artists picked up their pens to create new pieces based on Parker’s daily prompts released September 1st. As Inktober developed, it raised two important questions of the art community.
With more and more people participating in the originally ink-based event, digital artists asked: what about our medium (digital), or paint? Parker started the challenge intending it only for bettering his art in his preferred medium, but admitted digital would suffice. Later, in 2019 Inktober artists attempting to sell their work from the challenge were contacted with “cease and desist” orders due to copyright issues. After the loud outcry of distress, Parker came forward explaining his legal team misunderstood his goal for trademarking the term “Inktober.”
But why did Parker decide to trademark Inktober so late in the game? Traditionally, Inktober has been a public event to showcase not only popular artists but independent artists. While Parker wanted to provide the community with opportunity to act creatively, he realized a hands-off approach could taint his brand’s name with things he does not condone such as racism, violence, and hatred. Now, artists are permitted to sell with “Inktober [Year Number]” as a subtitle and fans can purchase official Inktober merch by Jake Parker’s official Inktober company.
2020 would prove to be an even more difficult year for Jake Parker. His book Inktober: All Year Long was set to be released in September, but Alphonso Dunn accused him of plagiarizing in a Youtube video after the preview had been released. Intended as a how-to-book on inking and drawing, illustrations of the principles are remarkably similar to Dunn’s work, Pen and Ink Drawing: A Simple Guide. Parker’s defenders argue the basics of how to draw cannot be taught without some overlap. Parker responded in a tweet the next week clarifying he did not plagiarize anyone’s work and concurs with the common instructional basis of his book. Leading up to 2020’s Inktober celebration, there was dispute within the community as to whether or not they should participate or stand in solidarity with Dunn and his claims.
Dividing the community in two, some artists turned to Inktober alternatives. The general gist being the same: some kind of art once a day, throughout the entirety of October. Often, they would be based on themes such as gore, witches, and even original characters (OCs), as Goretober, Witchtober, and OCtober respectively. Other times options are not unlike Parker’s open-ended one-word prompts. Even in 2021, there has been no public resolution of the claims of plagiarism, but Parker’s book was published.
This year as the month changed from September to October, Instagram and Twitter feeds were flooded with art. As the challenge gained greater prominence in the creative community, not only were digital artists intrigued but some writers and video editors would use the idea of stretching their creative muscles daily by creating their own -tober challenge.
Scrolling back through the #Inktober2021 tag, it’s astounding to see the diversity and talent. You may notice that some of the characters or some of the styles are familiar. Due to the large population of fan-artists on participating platforms, artists draw inspiration from their favorite media such as books, shows, video games, and movies. With a single word prompt, it can be hard to think beyond one interpretation, but the variety of drawings demonstrate the imagination of creators.
Despite the rocky history of its creator, the celebration and widespread participation of Inktober hearkens back to Jake Parker’s original intention when he announced Inktober way back in 2009. Whether based on Parker’s official prompt list or another October challenge, the beauty of October is found in the massive spread of artists coming together to improve their craft. So, before you pack up your spooky October decor, consider giving some thought to Inktober.