Fan Comics

[Baru]

What are the legal ramifications of creating fan/filler comics of the OotS world? I'm bored of waiting for an update; I'd rather create comics of my own. Even if it's a comic starring secondary characters and sub plots. I think the community would appreciate seeing some quality filler material.

[[Insert Neat Username Here]]

It's OK as long as you draw them yourselves, as opposed to taking them directly from the comic.
v That's fine, as long as you don't take images directly from the comic.

[Baru]

I was planning to copy the style of the comic as close as possible so the filler comic would look like something Rich made. This is where the law comes in.

Blah.
It's inconvenient being lawful. I need to see some proverbial green lights before I can post such material on the forums.

[Magioth]

i think your not allowed to take the characters, but you can say do the story of one of the paladins fighting in the cities battle and have his life story. Basically a character without a name but is linked to the story in some way, if you know what i mean.

I think white feather had elan in it but she couldnt say his name :smallconfused:

[Baru]

The line dividing acceptable material and bannable material seems ambiguous.

[Magioth]

The avatars, like the comic strip, are copyrighted artwork. In order for me to protect that copyright, I have to ask that you not alter and reuse the avatar artwork on this (or any other) site. You may, however, draw a stick figure avatar of your own using any software you see fit, as long as you aren't using one of my images.

I think you can reuse the characters, just dont steal his art.

Although if you pm a moderator and ask them?

[cheesecake]

this isn't the only stick figure comic in the world. As long as you don't you his characters you aren't doing anything wrong.

[Yoritomo Himeko]

What are the legal ramifications of creating fan/filler comics of the OotS world? I'm bored of waiting for an update; I'd rather create comics of my own. Even if it's a comic starring secondary characters and sub plots. I think the community would appreciate seeing some quality filler material.

Well, on this very site, there are some parody comics using Rich's characters. The fans drew everything themselves. I think Rich's problem is just that he wants people to create their own versions of the art. You should just ask him just to be on the safe side.

[Baru]

Ask him? Hah!
I might as well ask the moon why it glows. There would not be any response. Rich only seems to be active in the forums of the oots board game. Although ... Rich was saying he was considering people to work for him as filler comic artists.

Hmm.
I'll let this thread fester and collect more replies before I come to any sort of decision.

[LM TR]

as long as you don´t earn money on it, take whatever you want

[banjo1985]

As long as you don't use any of the characters or steal his art I think its okay. I've personally been doing a fancomic on the arts & crafts borad for 3weeks now, the aforementioned Whitefeather. To be honest I didn't ask to use Elan. but in hindsight I probably should have done. Either way, we've got a few fancomics going that use the same art style as Rich's, just stay away from using the characters and there's definitely no problem.

[DreadSpoon]

Bzzt.

Stories and characters and art styles are all (roughly) copyrightable. Yes, it is highly ambiguous as to what can and cannot be copyrighted, especially these days with the lawyers for Disney and such trying to extend copyright law to cover everything ever and without expiration.

Doing a story of one of Rich's paladin characters in Rich's world would almost certainly be legally actionable. Doing a stick-figure comic based on D&D, however, would not be. You can also reuse any name from Rich's comic, as names are not copyrightable (they can be trademarked, however). Note that this does not give you leave to create a duplicate of Azure City just because you call it Azure City. If it is the same place in form, concept, and function as Rich's Azure City then you have done far more than copy the name.

Finally, on a personal opinion note - if you're so lame that you can't think up your own original characters and story, please don't subject humanity to a comic of your design. In my experience, people who can't come up with unique stories also can't come up with unique humor, and your comic is going to suck donkey nuts just as much as the few other oots rip-offs that have popped up.