Bethesda was recently involved in a bit of a dustup when an artist found his work in a July 4th-themed "Flag Waving Bundle" in the "Fallout 76" Atomic Shop. While not a problem in and of itself, it turned out that he did not authorize it.

The artist in question is Zach Finblock, creator of the fan film "Fallout: Nuka Break," about former Vault residents searching for "icy cold Nuka Cola" in the wastelands of eastern California. But he is also well known for featuring Vault Boy in various memes, and you can see images of them on FinFrock's Twitter feed, including my personal favorite, Vault Boy as Charlie Kelly, who is obsessed with Pepe Sylvia.

The meme is pretty well done and so beloved in the community that even if you don't follow Finfrock, you've probably seen it. I love 'Fallout 76' and someone on the art team seems to like my 'Fallout' meme." John Rush (director of "Fallout 76"), who should I talk to about this?" I know I don't own Vault Boy and all that, but you could have contacted me so that I could draw a newer, better version for the Atom Shop image." [Fortunately, the misunderstanding did not go unnoticed, as Rush immediately contacted Finblock. According to a DM between Finblock and Rush posted on the former's Twitter page, the mistake was apparently due to "a mix-up with an outside vendor." After this, Art was immediately removed from the Atomic Shop, and Rush further apologized for the issue.

But that was not the end of the story. In a subsequent DM, Rush offered Finfrock a contract for "artwork for today's message and bundled assets for future patches." The specifics are still unknown, but it's a nice way for Bethesda to close out this mystique.

"The door is open. Thanks to all of you who shared my first tweet." Can't wait to share as much as I can." When the dust settled, Finfrock reposted the tweet and asked, "So does this mean I'm officially a shill?" He added.

Finfrock's art and other Fallout projects, while not canon, are an integral part of Fallout; one of the most fascinating parts of Fallout 76 is its community, and to see its creators treated with the respect they deserve Bethesda should have paid enough attention before this issue arose, but it's nice to see Finfrock coming out the other side better.