10 Best Comics Using Public Domain Characters; ScreenRant, February 1, 2023

GEORGE CHRYSOSTOMOU, ScreenRant; 10 Best Comics Using Public Domain Characters

"Many of the best comics in the world have used public domain characters at some point in their run. Indeed, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe launching into its fifth phase in 2023 there will likely be further examples of those out-of-copyright figures making their way from the page to the big and small screen. The benefit of using one of these figures is that mainstream audiences will immediately recognize them from previous projects, building in a sense of connection. But Marvel Comics isn't the only publisher to feature these universally beloved characters as part of their printed narratives over the years.

Some of the most well-known comic book companies, Image to DC Comics to Dynamite Entertainment, have all turned to familiar faces for a little boost in star power. Often these figures are brought into pre-existing comic lore to help build out the mythology of those particular universes, but it's also always fun to see a new interpretation of a pop culture figure, especially in the comic book medium. These examples always found worthwhile ways to include them within a significant narrative."

AI-Created Comic Has Been Deemed Ineligible for Copyright Protection; CBR, December 20, 2022

BRIAN CRONIN, CBR; AI-Created Comic Has Been Deemed Ineligible for Copyright Protection

"The United States Copyright Office (USCO) reversed an earlier decision to grant a copyright to a comic book that was created using "A.I. art," and announced that the copyright protection on the comic book will be revoked, stating that copyrighted works must be created by humans to gain official copyright protection. 

In September, Kris Kashtanova announced that they had received a U.S. copyright on his comic book, Zarya of the Dawn, a comic book inspired by their late grandmother that she created with the text-to-image engine Midjourney. Kashtanova referred to herself as a "prompt engineer" and explained at the time that she went to get the copyright so that she could “make a case that we do own copyright when we make something using AI.”"

"All of the Marvels": Author Douglas Wolk on the "biggest story ever told"; CBS News, May 1, 2022

CBS News; "All of the Marvels": Author Douglas Wolk on the "biggest story ever told"

"Since the Dawn of Time (technically, the 1960s, to be precise), a tale has been building: a single connected narrative involving thousands of characters, and millions of pages of comics. The Marvel Universe, says writer Douglas Wolk, contains the biggest story that has ever been told. "It all happens in the same setting," he said. "Stories that happened in 1961 or 1962 have consequences in comics that are coming out this week."

Wolk, a Marvel expert, patiently explained to correspondent Luke Burbank (a non-comic-book person) that Marvel might be the longest-running and most voluminous story told in human history … and it's all connected, meaning if The Hulk stubbed his toe back in 1979, Captain America could be dealing with the consequences in 2022.  

"All of those events are its history, its past, what it can draw on for this perpetually-evolving story," said Wolk. "Not just a continuous story going on for six decades, but the continuous story going on in many, many threads at once that can cross each other at any time.""

Neal Adams, Comic Book Artist Who Revitalized Batman and Fought for Creators’ Rights, Dies at 80; The Hollywood Reporter, April 29, 2022

Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter; Neal Adams, Comic Book Artist Who Revitalized Batman and Fought for Creators’ Rights, Dies at 80

"Adams also worked tirelessly to promote better working conditions and, radically at the time, creators’ rights, especially for their work. He early on recognized the value of creators and was a thorn in the side of publishers, demanding compensation for himself and others when their characters were adapted off the page.

He, along with Stan Lee, formed the Academy of Comic Book Arts, hoping to start a union that would fight for benefits and ownership on behalf of writers and artists. Lee wanted an organization that was more akin to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the two parted ways.

In the late ’70s, when a new federal work-for-hire law was being enshrined, Marvel and then editor-in-chief Jim Shooter distributed contracts that stated freelancers could not assert copyright over their creations. As detailed in Reisman’s 2021 Lee biography, True Believer, Adams sent around a copy of the contract, scrawling on top, “Do Not Sign This Contract! You Will Be Signing Your Life Away!” While it caused a ruckus and awareness, the effort didn’t have its intended effect as Marvel flexed its muscle and threatened anyone who tried to unionize with a drying up of the freelance well."

Kitty Pryde Owns the Trademark on the X-Men; Bleeding Cool, July 4, 2018

Rich Johnston, Bleeding Cool; Kitty Pryde Owns the Trademark on the X-Men

"The X-Men own their own trademark, at least as far as it goes to creating superhero teams known as the X-Men. Which does suggest they could have sued the likes of X-Force, X-Factor, or other knock-off teams if they had wanted. Also…

…it looks like the trademark was registered by Charles Xavier and passed to Kitty when he died. Now that he is back as X — will he want the trademark back too? Registration Wars coming to a summer event near you soon…"

Batman v Superman: the latest exercise in corporate fan fiction; Guardian, 12/9/15

Noah Berlatsky, Guardian; Batman v Superman: the latest exercise in corporate fan fiction:

"Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster ended their creative input in the 1940s; for decades the duo’s main involvement with Superman was lawsuits over rights. Batman’s main creator, Bill Finger, was denied credit from the beginning by artist Bob Kane, and he died in poverty. Not much of a dawn of justice there.

At this point, there is no right or wrong version of Superman, or Batman, or Lex Luthor. Batman v Superman is just the latest exercise in corporate fan fiction, remixing bits and pieces of fan fiction based on fan fiction past. The result may be good, or bad, or mediocre, and you can love or hate Jesse Eisenberg’s performance for any number of reasons. But to say he’s not true to Luthor is to pretend that there’s some “true” version of Luthor to begin with – and to create a platonic, real Luthor who exists separately from, and overshadows, the original folks who, intentionally or by accident, came up with the character. Better to just take the upcoming film on its own merits, or lack thereof – and maybe give a nod to Leo Nowak, and his own stumbling lack of fidelity to Lex Luthor past."

Even at a Comics Event, You Can’t Defy Gravitas; New York Times, 7/13/12

Michael Cieply, New York Times; Even at a Comics Event, You Can’t Defy Gravitas:

"Topics for panels at this year’s conference at the San Diego Convention Center include comics and the plight of indigenous peoples, feminist writers and censorship, progressive politics in comics and of course the many financial and copyright issues created by the explosion in Hollywood’s interest.

As a certain archvillain might ask: Why so serious?

“It’s frightening,” said Lisa Vizcarra, a science teacher at Carquinez Middle School in Crockett, Calif. Ms. Vizcarra, who seemed to set the day’s tone, was speaking to a Comic-Con audience about a looming pedagogical crisis: Students, distracted by video, are no longer responding to comics as an educational tool, even as schools increasingly use them in their curriculums...

On the opposite end of the sprawling convention hall, at a seminar called “The Comic Book Law School,” Michael L. Lovitz, a copyright lawyer, was hammering away on another serious matter: the ins and outs of work for hire, the employment term that has become a critical legal issue in multimillion-dollar battles over the ownership of characters like Superman and the Fantastic Four."

Comic Book Writer Mark Waid Defends Copying, Points To The Value Of The Public Domain; TechDirt.com, 8/30/10

Mike Masnick, TechDirt.com; Comic Book Writer Mark Waid Defends Copying, Points To The Value Of The Public Domain:

"[F]amed comic writer Mark Waid gave a keynote talk at the comics' Harvey Awards event over the weekend, where he apparently gave a stirring defense of unauthorized downloading, content sharing and the public domain..."

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100830/03352510818.shtml