The person mentioned in the article, comori22, is still on Twitter and is not a professional illustrator. The Chinese are only interested in the derivative works of famous IPs that he draws, and he himself is not well-known at all.

Why the demeaning tone? Fan works have been a Thing on the web for as long as it's existed.

Because with context, it reads like an Onion article.

"Local man changes toothpaste, signalling six more weeks before collapse of empire."