Comic Art, Creativity and the Law

Graphic novels and comics have launched characters and stories that play a dominant role in contemporary popular culture throughout the world. The extensive revisions in this second edition of Comic Art, Creativity and the Law update the author’s analysis of important changes at the intersection of law and comics, featuring an examination of how recent cases will affect the creative process as applied to comic art.

Throughout, Marc H. Greenberg examines the impact of contract law, copyright law (including termination rights, parody and ownership of characters), tax law and obscenity law on the creative process. He considers how these laws enhance and constrain the process of creating comic art by examining the effect their often inconsistent and incoherent application has had on the lives of creators, retailers and readers of comic art. Thoroughly revised and updated, there are new chapters featuring a discussion of important new cases in copyright work-for-hire and fair use doctrines; the intersection of law and fan-based creations, such as fan fiction, fan art, fan film and cosplay; as well as a new chapter on licensing comics for motion pictures and television.

Designed for academics, practitioners, students of law and fans of comic art, the book offers proposals for changes in those laws that constrain the creative process, as well as a glimpse into the future of comic art and the law.