Disney Lorcana Artist 'Cancelled' and 'Blacklisted' Over Use of AI Artwork
The Disney Lorcana trading card game, a darling of collectors and Disney fans, has been rocked by a scandal that’s ignited fierce debate in the art community. James C. Mulligan, a veteran illustrator with a storied history of Disney theme park art, faced accusations of using generative AI for his Lorcana card contributions during Anime NYC 2025.
What began as a convention booth confrontation exploded into viral social media outrage, culminating in Disney blacklisting Mulligan after Ravensburger confirmed the allegations. As artists rally against AI’s growing presence, this incident underscores a deepening divide—especially as Disney embraces AI technology elsewhere in its empire.
Here's the TLDR...
The Incident: James C. Mulligan was accused at Anime NYC 2025 of using AI in Disney Lorcana card art, sparking denials, legal threats, and eventual confirmation.
Social Media Backlash: Twitter and Reddit users branded him a "scammer," with posts gaining thousands of interactions, fueling anti-AI sentiment.
Disney’s Response: Ravensburger’s Phie Green confirmed Mulligan’s AI use, leading to his blacklisting by Disney and removal from future projects.
Wider Context: Similar AI controversies hit FanExpo Canada, Dragon Con, and Galaxy Con in 2025, reflecting artists’ growing opposition despite Disney’s AI investments.
Lorcana’s Rise: The game’s popularity soars, with high-value cards and a 2025 World Championship cementing its TCG dominance.
What Is Disney Lorcana and Why Is It So Popular?
Disney Lorcana, launched in August 2023 by Ravensburger in collaboration with Disney, has become a juggernaut in the trading card game (TCG) market. Featuring iconic characters like Ariel from The Little Mermaid and Stitch from Lilo & Stitch, it blends accessible gameplay with collectible, hand-drawn art.
By September 2025, the game spans eight sets with over 1,800 cards, including Ursula’s Return and Shimmering Skies. Its Enchanted rarity cards, like Elsa – Spirit of Winter, fetch up to $870 on secondary markets, with booster box sales surging as supply stabilized in 2024.
The game’s first World Championship in June 2025 drew thousands, rivaling Pokémon TCG and Magic: The Gathering in scope. Its appeal lies in its family-friendly mechanics and vibrant artwork, which Ravensburger touts as “hand-drawn by human artists” to capture a “modern storybook feel.” However, this emphasis on human artistry has made the AI controversy particularly explosive.
The Timeline: How James C. Mulligan’s 'Cancellation' Unfolded
August 22, 2025 – Anime NYC Confrontation: At Anime NYC, Twitter user @Toon_Emu approached Mulligan’s booth (per BiC), where he was selling prints and leveraging his Lorcana credentials. When asked if he used generative AI, Mulligan denied it, calling accusations an “industry witch hunt to ruin people’s careers.” He showed Procreate layers on his tablet, suggesting manual work, but the background appeared copy-pasted, and he claimed no timelapse was saved—despite Procreate’s automatic recording. Rosy, the artist, later posted on Twitter that Mulligan “blatantly lied” and “scammed” their mother out of hundreds in prints. The post, which included images of Mulligan’s Lorcana cards (Flounder – Collector’s Companion, Transformed Chef – Castle Stove, White Rabbit – Royal Herald), went viral with over 5,700 likes.
August 23–25, 2025 – Social Media Escalation: Illustrator Kalliope (@Killjoyous_) amplified the accusation, calling Mulligan’s operation a “blatant SCAM” and noting prior complaints about his AI use. Mulligan responded via Instagram DMs, refusing to provide process videos and threatening legal action, which further inflamed the situation. A Reddit thread on r/Lorcana, posted by u/LunarianAngel, garnered 178 votes and 345 comments, accusing Mulligan of using the Lorcana brand to sell AI-generated prints fraudulently.
Late August 2025 – Ravensburger Investigation: Phie Green, a Ravensburger employee, responded via a locked Twitter account (relayed on Reddit), stating, “I actually work for the company that makes Disney Lorcana, so I will be bringing this up with my Creative Directors. We have a hard policy of no AI art in our games.” After consulting her director, she confirmed Mulligan’s work was “indeed AI,” and Disney had blacklisted him, limiting his contributions to just three cards across Ursula’s Return and Shimmering Skies.
Early September 2025 – Fallout: The r/Lorcana thread was deleted, with u/LunarianAngel citing “community safety” due to alleged harassment by Mulligan and his wife, who were reportedly threatening libel lawsuits on X. Mulligan’s personal website was cleared of content, and he has since gone silent online. Neither Disney nor Ravensburger issued further public statements.
This sequence—confrontation, viral outrage, official confirmation, and blacklisting—cemented Mulligan’s “cancellation” as some fans and artists boycotted his work.
Artists’ Backlash: The Anti-AI Movement Gains Steam
Mulligan’s incident reflects a broader revolt against AI in creative industries. Artists argue generative AI, trained on human work without consent, undermines their livelihoods. A 2025 Columbia Business School study found human art is perceived as more skillful and valuable than AI-generated pieces, fueling sentiment that AI is “soulless.” Online, the Human Intelligence art movement pushes back, with Reddit threads and X posts labeling AI a “Bad Art Machine” that risks job displacement.
High-profile creators like MrBeast have scaled back AI plans due to backlash, and tools like LightShed, which strip anti-AI protections, intensify fears of style theft. Ethical concerns dominate: a 2025 report lists 50 arguments against AI, including emotional manipulation and economic threats to artists. Still, some defend AI for enabling creativity among those with disabilities, though this does little to quell the outrage.
Disney’s AI Contradiction: Innovation vs. Artist Pushback
While Lorcana enforces a no-AI art policy, Disney is aggressively adopting AI elsewhere. The 2025 Disney Accelerator program includes AI startups like Animaj for animation and Haddy for 3D modeling. An AI task force targets cost reductions in film production (budgets often exceed $300 million), and Disney is exploring OpenAI partnerships. In theme parks, AI drives interactive droids, and the Disney Select AI Engine powers targeted advertising. A new division merges AI, gaming, and AR for “next-generation storytelling.”
Yet, Disney’s suing AI firms like Midjourney to protect characters like Spider-Man, highlighting a contradictory stance: embracing AI internally while cracking down externally. This duality frustrates artists, who see Disney as “hypocritical” for using AI in projects like Oogie Boogie Bash posters while enforcing strict rules elsewhere.
AI Controversies at Cons: FanExpo, Dragon Con, and Galaxy Con
FanExpo Canada 2025: Bell’s AI photo booth, trained on five artists’ work, sparked protests in Artist Alley for “competing” with human creators. Attendees called it “AI slop,” and police were involved.
Dragon Con 2025: Vendor Oriana Gertz was removed by police for selling AI art, violating the con’s no-AI policy after artist complaints. Social media celebrated it as a “win for real artists.”
Galaxy Con 2025: Organizers banned AI art across 20 shows, stating “creativity is vital” and enforcing strict policies after artist advocacy.
These incidents show conventions tightening rules to protect artists’ spaces amid rising tensions.
People Also Ask
What exactly happened to James C. Mulligan?
Accused of using AI in Lorcana art at Anime NYC 2025, Mulligan denied it but was confirmed to have used AI by Ravensburger, leading to his Disney blacklisting.
Why do artists oppose AI in 2025?
They cite job loss, unauthorized style replication, and devaluation of human skill, backed by studies showing preference for human art.
How big is Disney Lorcana in 2025?
Massive—top cards sell for nearly $900, and the World Championship drew global crowds, rivaling major TCGs.
Does Disney use AI despite the backlash?
Yes, in film production, park tech, and advertising, but it bans AI in Lorcana art, creating tension with artists.
What AI issues arose at recent cons?
FanExpo faced AI booth protests.
Dragon Con ejected an AI vendor.
Galaxy Con banned AI art entirely.
The Mulligan scandal is a flashpoint in the AI-versus-artist debate. As Disney pushes AI innovation, it risks alienating the creators who define its legacy. The next convention—or lawsuit—may decide the balance.
Hat Tip to MR. MILO for submitting this story.
Hat Tips
Bounding Into Comics: Disney Blacklists Artist James C Mulligan After Confirming He Used AI For 'Disney Lorcana' Card Art
Reddit r/Lorcana: An artist whose worked on Lorcana cards is being, seemingly rightfully, accused of AI art
Reddit r/Lorcana: Update: An employee of the team behind Lorcana confirmed...
X Posts: Threads from @Toon_Emu and @Killjoyous_ on Mulligan’s AI allegations
Columbia Business School: When Machines Mimic, but Don’t Create
Now Toronto: FAN EXPO criticized by Toronto attendees
The Express Tribune: Dragon Con removes vendor Oriana Gertz
Animation Magazine: GalaxyCon LLC Announces Sweeping AI Art Ban
Rare Candy: Collector’s Guide: The Top 5 Most Valuable Disney Lorcana Cards
Chip and Company: Disney Lorcana Announces Major News at Gen Con 2025
The Walt Disney Company: Disney Accelerator Announces Its 2025 Class
Compiled and edited by Ivy Adams for Pirates & Princesses.