UPDATE: The whole story, as promised, is here.

A guy wants to open a 30s/40s-gangster-style bar in Fremont. He's been planning it for ages, but gets the inspiration for the name when he sees Jeremy Bert's artwork at McLeod Residence:

The guy decides to call the bar Nine Million Dollars in Unmarked Bills (it's opening June 18 in what was formerly the Triangle Lounge), and commissions his own neon sign with those words, ransom-note-like, but in a different style (upscale, glamorous, all white letters on a rusted-metal background).

On first glance, what's your impression: Does this guy owe the artist anything? What does it depend on for you?

(Remember when this happened with Jack Pierson and Barneys in 2006?)

I'll be back with more details.

Smaller update: Photo by Lele Barnett (she hadn't told me before!)