So this is pretty weird.

According to Metal Insider, Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher recently posted the below photo along with the message “Leave it to The Gap to steal ideas for kid T-shirts… Seriously poor taste”:

The image on the right will be instantly recognizable to any metal fan as the cover of Judas Priest’s Screaming for Vengeance, which was created by Doug Johnson, while the image on the left is a boys’ shirt now being sold by The Gap. And I mean c’mon, it’s a CLEAR rip-off of the Vengeance cover. There’s no way it’s just a coincidence; at best, it might be a case of cryptomnesia (unconscious plagiarism). In any case, JP should collectively call their (presumably very expensive and very good) attorney, STAT — I’d say they’re entitled to a cut of whatever The Gap makes off this shirt, wouldn’t you?

-AR