Megadeth Sued Over 'The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead' Cover Art

Bruce Henne | 02-09-2023

(hennemusic) Megadeth are reportedly being sued by the artist who created the artwork for their latest album, "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!", over claims he hasn't received pay or credit for his work.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the legal action by New York-based illustrator and designer Brent Elliott White claims he has "created artwork and characters over time for Megadeth that have become an integral part of the band's identity" and was contacted about this album in early 2020; the two entities didn't sign a written contract at the time, according to the complaint, and the concept phase involved multiple revisions and edits and hundreds of hours of work.

By April 2021, the band had chosen a concept for the cover for their sixteenth studio record and asked White to create art for an EP release; more than a year later, the artist states that Megadeth's manager asked him for additional renderings of the artwork for stage decorations for an upcoming tour, and that led White to advise management that he didn't have a contract and hadn't been paid.

Megadeth released "The Sick, the Dying ... and the Dead!" in September of 2022.

White is suing Megadeth, UMG and others for copyright infringement and is asserting multiple claims under New York's Freelance Isn't Free Act; get more details here.