A Question, Inspiration but Rule Awareness

[Rezial]

I thought this post might go here because of it is an idea for a web comic and this is the web comic discussion, I am new to the forums so forgive me if I have placed this post in the wrong location in relation to my question but it is related to a web comic.

My question consists of this, I am interested in making a web comic of my own however there are a few questions I need to ask before I begin for the sanctity of preserving copyright laws.

The main question I have is about the art style. I absolutely love the art style of Order of the Stick, it is simple and allows for much freedom in he creation of comics and I personally enjoy it much. However, I do not know if I could use the same art style as Order of the Stick, whether or not it would be a problem for copyright infringement. There are many comics I've seen that use similar art styles compared to each other, and I know personally my art style would be extremely close to Order of the Stick.

Edit: While the art style would be similar many of the creatures would have different appearances, ex: goblins would be shorter and faces may be different; humanoids and basic framework of bodies would be similar however ex. Dwarves, Humans, Elves, Halflings would have similar appearances due to common inferences to how they would look like in Stick figure form.

Second is the other concern I have relating to the one above. Since I want to use the art style it could be a problem due to the fact I want to make a comic about dungeons and dragons as well. Obviously it would be similar in nature due to these two things but at the same time it would be very different due to the fact I want to make my own story, different characters and a different world and setting. This being said, I wanted to ask before the creation of the comic just in case there would be problems with this.

This being said the main question I wanted to ask is this. I enjoy the art style of The Order of the Stick and I would enjoy the privilege of using he same art style or something similar to it and my love for Dungeons and Dragons wants me to make a comic based on it as well. As mentioned before the story, characters and setting would be different but those two aspects would be similar in nature. I was just wondering due to copyright and any other issues if this idea would be problematic and if I needed to change some things before I start creation. I was planning to mention the comic itself possibly as inspiration if I felt it was too similar. I was just concerned just in case money was made in the process due to the relation of the two comics at hand.

I understand if this post may be in the wrong place but it seemed relevant due to it being a web comic idea of my own creation. If there are issues with the placement just notify me and I will move it as soon as possible.

Thank you for your time, I appreciate any input, advice or answers I am given. Have a good day.

[DeadpanSal]

To put you at ease, there have been people ripping off Order of The Stick's template for a long time. Rich Birlew has never shut any of them down, and they usually find their own unique feel that distinguishes both comics as they find their own style. Using Order of the Stick as a crutch to get started is not the worst way to launch a property. The comic itself skirts a line of using intellectual property that it "shouldn't". And the comic has yet to be shut down by anyone, even though it sells books. So there shouldn't be too much to worry about just by using typical fantasy monsters.

Worst of the copyright offenders is the campaign comic, which you can find examples of all over the place. Those use screencaps of movies and shows. The most famous of these is Darths and Droids, which uses Star Wars. If Disney hasn't shut them down after all this time, I don't think webcomics are a huge priority for copyright lawyers. You should be fine, so long as your work is clearly covered by fair use and doesn't somehow cut into their profits.

[Rezial]

Thanks for the reply I appreciate the time you took to explain your opinion on the matter.

It shouldn't cut into their profits really, I think in a way if anything it might be a promotion for Order of the Stick of related because of the art style.

My concern was that it would be similar due to Dungeons and Dragons always generally having a group of adventurers on a quest or adventure fighting the same mythical creatures, while using an art style that is similar in nature.

You are right though because there are other works that do the same thing and the comic itself does make references to other works too, so it helped put me at ease when that was said.

I just wanted to make a comic where I had my own group go on their own adventure in the art style of Order of the Stick because I admire the simplicity yet effectiveness of the artwork.

Just thought I would be safe rather than sorry and ask on the forums related to it before I started on my own personal project.

Thank you for your time, I hope you have a good day!

[DeadpanSal]

Oh, that's even less to worry about. Probably within the forest thirty pages, you'll have made your work noticeably different. You'd have to work really hard to not end up being a wholly different comic. Good luck, and I'm looking forward to the thread you make when it goes live.