Superman vs. Hulk by JD Hancock

I am so excited for Phoenix Comicon, coming up Memorial Day weekend at the Phoenix Convention Center. It’s the 25th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and a lot of the cast is going to be there. I’ve been a card-carrying Trekkie for almost 20 years and The Next Generation was the show that started it all for me.

I’m also super excited that I’ve been invited to speak at Phoenix Comicon this year. My talk is on Thursday evening at 7pm in room 127A of the North Building. The organizers gave my talk a really fancy name, “Adapting Licensed Properties to Comics,” but don’t let that confuse or scare you. I’m going to be talking about how copyright law applies to fan art, fan fiction, and slash fiction. We can also get into issues about sci-fi or comic inspired tattoos, and any other copyright topics we have time to cover.

I think fan art and fan fiction is fantastic and should be encouraged because it makes us keep falling in love with our favorite comics and shows over and over again. But if you create your own sci-fi or comic inspired art work or fiction, you should know about the copyright implications that apply to you. I’m going to talk about how fair use works and I’m going to tell a story about how an independent artist was able to create a Wizard of Oz decorative plate and copyright it. It can be done – if you know how to do it right.

My talk has the benefit of being right before the Semi-finals of the Phoenix Ultimate Geek Smackdown (PUGS). Come see me on Thursday at 7pm and stay for PUGS in room 121 at 8pm!

Here’s the recap:
Who: Me
What: Speaking at Phoenix Comicon – “Adapting Licensed Properties to Comics” – aka Copyright and Fan Fiction
Where: Phoenix Convention Center, North Building, room 127A
When: Thursday, May 24th – 7pm