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Vinny Valenti
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 8072
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| Posted: 12 April 2017 at 12:52pm | IP Logged | 1
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You know, there could be something to that, too.
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John Popa
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 March 2008
Posts: 4400
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| Posted: 12 April 2017 at 1:01pm | IP Logged | 2
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"Napoleon Dynamite" is also the name of an Elvis Costello song. I don't see how there'd be a problem with Rocket.
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John Cole
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 02 March 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 508
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| Posted: 12 April 2017 at 1:50pm | IP Logged | 3
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I Was a bigger fan of Deadpool back in 1982 when DC called him Ambush Bug.
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Eric Sofer
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Joined: 31 January 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 4789
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| Posted: 13 April 2017 at 3:57am | IP Logged | 4
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John Cole, Ambush Bug seemed to me to be DC's effort to create a Joker character for Superman. Subsequent appearances made him more way out there... but he was initially a "zany killer" character. Dunno if that's how Deadpool started out... I'm not much interested in Deadpool.
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Jack Bohn
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Joined: 13 July 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 747
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| Posted: 13 April 2017 at 8:12am | IP Logged | 5
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"I wonder if Marvel downplays calling the character "Rocket Raccoon" in favor of simply calling him "Rocket" because of any legal concerns over the inspiration for the character, The Beatles song "Rocky Raccoon"?"
*****
Not to do a conspiracy theory, but the Beatles catalog is owned by Sony, with whom the relationship could have turned acrimonious at any second; no sense giving them ammunition.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
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| Posted: 13 April 2017 at 9:07am | IP Logged | 6
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I doubt there would be much of a case to be built on "similarities" between 'Rocky Raccoon," a young boy from the Black Hills of South Dakota (if memory serves), and "Rocket Raccoon," an actual raccoon from outer space!As the Law has it, nullum similie est idem. Nothing similar is the same.
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Brian Hague
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Joined: 14 November 2006
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| Posted: 13 April 2017 at 1:09pm | IP Logged | 7
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John, first off I'm right there with you.
The thing about Ambush Bug was that he started off as an irreverent, mischief-making villain, killing one guy. In his second appearance, he and the story he was in became more lightweight, stylized and "meta." He became more of a Mxyzptlk-style pest than an outright criminal. In his third, he was flat-out breaking the fourth wall and talking to the readers. The concept didn't take long to gel, and was pretty much there from the start.
Deadpool conversely was simply a copy of Deathstroke on a team of super-mercs. Liefeld liked the Wolfman/Perez character and co-opted him for use in X-Force, in much the same way his Youngblood book was just his rejected proposal for the Titans done for other companies. Deadpool showed no defining characteristics outside of being a Deathstroke rip for some time. It was only later, under other writers, that his quipping-while-he-kills-you snark came to the fore. Since breaking the fourth wall is somehow innately if undeservedly regarded as humorous, the now-funny character lazily rolled in that direction as well.
Liefeld essentially drew a small crowd scene of uninteresting scifi soldiers, and later writers like Joe Kelly and Gail Simone picked one of those and made him Marvel's wackiest, more irreverent character, because hey! Deadpool don't care 'bout nothin'! Including your life! Or the life of your mom! Bwahahaha! Bullets for everyone! (Turns to the reader) "Ain't I stinker?" (Snickers) Spider-Man still cares about, y'know, people dying and stuff... What a lame jerk. Go kill some more people, Deadpool! You're so-o-o funny when you do that!! (Audience applauds as he fires into them.)
Ambush Bug shoulda' killed multiple people. Fans love that. Murderous sociopaths are like the funniest people ever.* Just stealing stuff is lame. Except when Liefeld does it. Then it's okay.
* See also: Harley Quinn
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Jason Czeskleba
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Joined: 30 April 2004
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| Posted: 13 April 2017 at 2:14pm | IP Logged | 8
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John Popa wrote:
| Napoleon Dynamite" is also the name of an Elvis Costello song. I don't see how there'd be a problem with Rocket. |
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It's not the name of a song, it's simply a pseudonym that Costello used for himself on a couple of records in the 80s. So there probably would not be any grounds for a lawsuit... any trademark on the name probably would be considered lapsed in the 18 years between Costello's last use of the name and the release of the film.
Interestingly, the film's director Jared Hess claims he was not aware of the Costello pseudonym and came up with the name independently, while Costello is on record as saying he does not believe that story.
Edited by Jason Czeskleba on 13 April 2017 at 2:14pm
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Brandon Carter
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Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
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| Posted: 08 May 2017 at 8:38am | IP Logged | 9
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The original Groot, the original Rocket Raccoon, Drax and others. Their present incarnations are so different from the original versions regarding background, behavior, abilities and personality that they might as well have been new characters. Instead of a raccoon Marvel could have used a fox, and few would have made a connection to Rocket.
••
Worth considering that Bill Mantlo is probably receiving a nice chunk of change for Rocket, which he very much needs.
******
http://www.cbr.com/rocket-raccoon-creator-bill-mantlo-marvel -compensation/
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
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| Posted: 08 May 2017 at 9:42am | IP Logged | 10
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I am very glad to hear Bill is getting this money, but I feel there is a degree of (unintentional?) misrepresentation in the reporting. Since Marvel was acquired by Disney they have made a profound corporate sea change from, shall we say, stingy to generous.A few years back, without any "campaign" by myself or others, Marvel contacted me about signing (or re-signing in many cases) a thick sheaf of New Character contracts, crossing and dotting where needed, and a short time after that I was issued a six figure check. As I said, no pressure was brought to bear. It just happened.* I have to assume the same is happening with other creators who have worked for Marvel. _____________________ * To put this in context, several decades back an animation company briefly acquired the rights to ALPHA FLIGHT. They paid $50,000, and by the time this was sifted thru Marvel's coffers, I received $1,500.
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Andrew Bitner
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Joined: 01 June 2004
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| Posted: 08 May 2017 at 10:42am | IP Logged | 11
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Very glad to hear this. Creators should be handsomely compensated for their creations, else what are the movie makers going to adapt?
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John Cole
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 02 March 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 508
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| Posted: 08 May 2017 at 11:35am | IP Logged | 12
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I Thought Deathstroke was a slight variation of Taskmaster that George had created for Avengers not long before going oveer to DC and co-creating the New Teen Titans.
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Topic Closed)
