Comic Book Resources

i can’t see what purpose peter pan would serve in a thor-like capacity, and the further adventures in neverland would inevitable be lame (unless there was REAL talent on the book (like Morisson & Quietley (we’re ALL thinking it)))

i don’t really know who’s in the public domain but spinoffs from books like planetary and league of extraordinarty gentlemen with the original teams may work well, anthology book stylee possibly

There is already a french comic book called Peter Pan, which is a prequel to the books. It was written and drawn by Regis Loisel, it is very good, and aimed at mature readers.

Here are some scans

http://fraphael.free.fr/images/peterpan.jpg

http://swof.scdi.org/rub_albums/images/PeterPan5.jpg

http://img.gkblogger.com/blog/imgdb/000/000/061/813_2.JPG

http://www.bdnet.com/zi/bdweb/images/77/9782869675773_pg.jpg

http://www.coinbd.com/images/planches/peterpan_t5.jpg

The second Conan becomes public domain, comics are gonna be Conan-crazy. He’s absolutely perfect for it, a genuine modern myth.

Is Courageous Cat & Minute Mouse public domain? Because I would SO be all over that!

With all of the interest in steampunk and Victoriana, I’m surprised there isn’t more use of the characters and concepts of Jules Verne in modern comics. Moore used Nemo to good effect in LoEG*, but I can’t remember any other recent use. I’d pay good money for a continuing adventures of Phileas Fogg book.

*I refuse to abbreviate this as “LXG.”

Variant question: What Marvel charatcers are also public domain charatcers?

Thor and everything else Norse –including Falstaff somehow, Ares, Dracula, and Hercules get mentions, like you said. Gilgamesh, too. Preston John. I think Marvel had a Frankenstein. There was a Cap story where he met Uncle Sam and Paul Bunyan…

“…if Peter Pan WAS to be in the public domain, wouldn’t he make a pretty darn good comic book?”

You need to find “The Lost” by Marc Andreyko, Mark Ricketts, Jay Geldof & Galen Showman. A fantastic dark sequel to Peter Pan. 1996 Caliber Comics.

Disney is hysterical. On the one hand, they work to make copyright last in perpetuity, gotta keep The Mouse out of the public domain. On the other hand, they’re working to put Peter Pan into the public domain, gotta screw the Great Ormond Street Hospital.

How about a Vertigo title starring Shakespeare’s greatest villain; Iago.

Following the death of Othello, Iago escapes from prison. Relentlessy pursued by Cassio, Iago travels the world as a mercenary; meeting people, getting into adventures, manipulating and conning his way to the top. After stops in Padua, Athens and the forest of Arden, Iago makes his way to Prospero’s island, where he manipulates Prospero into giving him his magical powers, after which he kills him, takes Ariel as his love slave, and the monster Caliban as his enforcer.

When Cassio arrives seeking vengeance, Caliban beats him near to death. As he lays dying, Cassio laments that he will never be able to avenge Desdemona. His monsterous heart moved, Caliban tears Iago to pieces and eats him. He begs Ariel to save Cassio’s life, which she does by merging their three souls together; Spirit, Monster and Man. Together they form a new immortal being, destined to walk the earth for all eternity, avenging murdered lovers.

Exeunt.

I like the Iago idea. Possibly he could form the League of Extraordinary Elizabethans with Dr. Faustus, Edmund the Bastard, Richard III, and Titus Andronicus.

Faust could work at Marvel. DC has Felix who was at least influenced by him.

Actually, I would like to know, IF Conan can ever be p.d.? Didn’t someone trademark the names? So the original pulp stories just might be p.d., but you cannot use them as they are, since the names of the main characters are TM?
Else, there’s lotsa great pulp characters open for grabs. But not Captain Future, I guess. But one can always aim for the 19th century. Dick Turpin and the Blue Dwarf or some crazy stuff like that. And Verne… There is always Verne…

Peter Pan already is a pretty good comic by French artist Loisel. I have no idea if it’s ever been translated in English though. A sample of his work and a short biography can be found here: http://lambiek.net/artists/l/loisel.htm

Three high concept series I would write if someone wanted to pay me for it:

“Moby Dick vs. Beowulf”

“Goblin Market 2: The Revenge of Zombie Jeanie”

“Huckleberry Finn and the Time Machine”

Could you imagine a four-issue Peter Pan miniseries in today’s climate?

In the first issue, we’d find out Peter was addicted to heroin, injecting it directly into his eyeballs.

In issue 2, we’d discover that Captain Hook had been raping Peter until he managed to escape.

In issue 3, it’d be revealed that Tinkerbell is actually an ancient demon, sent to destroy the earth, and Peter has no choice but to kill her via decapitation.

Issue 4 would reveal that Captain Hook tricked Peter; that Tinkerbell wasn’t a demon after all. The guilt drives Peter insane — he kills Captain Hook, then commits suicide by flying into the sun. The last page, though, reveals that Wendy is pregnant ….

The Mutt — I really liked your idea. I hope the Vertigo editors are reading and hire you. However, Ariel is actually a dude in The Tempest, but the revelation that Iago is gay and his love for Othello is what drove him to manipulate Desdemona’s murder adds another terrific layer to an already great and hellish concept.

wasn’t peter pan going to be used in Fables as the adversary until DC found they couldn’t use him because he wasn’t in the public domain in the Uk?

“…if Peter Pan WAS to be in the public domain, wouldn’t he make a pretty darn good comic book?”

Of course, there’s also Moore’s take on Wendy in “Lost Girls”

Speaking of Verne — am I the only person who remembers (and still has the first half-season on VHS) the Sci-Fi Channel’s The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne? Featuring Phileas Fogg and his sister, Captain Nemo, and more steampunk, dirigibles, and brass fittings than the mind could encompass? Where Jules Verne is the inventor who gets drafted into a secret crimestoppers’ organization? I seem to recall appearances by several other literary and historical figures of that era, although admittedly I might be conflating with Jack of All Trades.

Glad you like the idea, Ken. I don’t have time to re-read The Tempest this morning, but I’m pretty sure that Ariel’s gender is never specified. Given that Ariel is not human, I don’t think it really matters.
And I don’t think Iago really cares anyway. With him, it’s not about sex, it’s about wanting what other people have, and wanting them not to have it. Shakespeare was writing about sociopaths and schadenfruede before anybody knew what those things were.

There is a difference between copyright which has a limited (if entirely too long) length and trademarks which can last as long as they are defended. So the Conan stories can be in public domain (and very well may be, I don’t remember when they were published) but the trademark on the character will never expire as long as REH inc or whomever defends that trademark.

So there aren’t going to be any non-official Conan comic books any time soon.

The same thing with Tarzan and John Carter.

Personally I would love to see more of the pulp characters revived. I liked the Spider minis that Tim Truman did back in the day. He was kind of like a crazier and meaner Shadow (who is already pretty crazy and mean).

The Mutt –

No, of course Ariel’s sex doesn’t matter — I didn’t mean to sound pedantic; just having a laugh. Either way, he/she would serve as Iago’s love slave.

Actually, I’m surprised Alan Moore or Neil Gaiman haven’t already done a series in which a bunch of Shakespeare’s characters crossover.

No one’s mentioned Robin Hood?

“So there aren’t going to be any non-official Conan comic books any time soon. ”

Actually as I understand trademarks–once the copyright runs out, you can write and publish Conan stories to your heart’s content (as long as you don’t include anything that was added to the mythos later), you just couldn’t put “Conan” the name on the cover. So, “Barbarian Tales” it is.

I’ve always been a little puzzled by the legal status of Tarzan and John Carter, since you’d think they’d be public domain by now. Anyone know how adaptation rights work? I mean, I can’t just make a John Carter movie if I feel like it, can I?

Lot’s Sodom Days: A light hearted erotic look at the adventures of Lot and his loving daughters, living the life in the world’s naughtiest cities!

Olivers Twist - Oliver recast as the Marquis De Sade as we see the effect of years of childhood abuse on everyones favourite rags to riches orphan.
(If it’s a success we can follow it up with Annie meets Lolita).

I am Arthur, King of the Britons…

Okay that version isn’t public domain–but there have been some pretty lame things done with the Knights of Camelot–we need to see something real well done about them.

A well-written Robin Hood comic would be great.

Bozo the Iron Man (slightly renamed, maybe “the Tungsten Humanoid”?)
Count Orlok (AFTER he’s destroyed by the sun)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Okay that version isn’t public domain–but there have been some pretty lame things done with the Knights of Camelot–we need to see something real well done about them.

It would be good, but Western authors often miss the point that it’s Arthur’s fault his kingdom falls apart, and as such struggle to tie a point to the story.

Dr. Faustus

Joan of Arc

Gargantua & Pantagruel

El Cid

The 3 musketeers

“I’ve always been a little puzzled by the legal status of Tarzan and John Carter, since you’d think they’d be public domain by now.”

Edgar Rice Burroughs died in 1950, so it’ll be a while. (It’s easy to forget that since his best-known works were first created a good deal earlier, but he was writing Barsoom and Tarzan (and Venus and Pellucidar) novels into the late ’40s.)

Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. IN SPACE!!!

And solve crimes.

Also: Hawkman.

Robin Hood, The Three Musketeers and Sherlock Holmes are all comics I’d love to see (even though I don’t believe Holmes is in the p.d. yet).