Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2.fluke 9/24/84; site vax4.fluke.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!fluke!moriarty From: moriarty@fluke.UUCP (The Napoleon of Crime) Newsgroups: net.comics Subject: Comics News Message-ID: <2852@vax4.fluke.UUCP> Date: Tue, 29-Oct-85 00:32:01 EST Article-I.D.: vax4.2852 Posted: Tue Oct 29 00:32:01 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 30-Oct-85 06:32:27 EST Distribution: net Organization: The Institute for Criminal Masterminds Lines: 36 A quick rundown of the news: The biggie first: Marvel's lawyers have sent a "cease and desist" order to Kitchen Sink. Three guesses why. Yup, they feel the "Megatropolis Quartet" and some other characters that appear in MEGATON MAN are "copyright infringement and unfair competition". Kitchen Sink has basically told them that they refute these statements, but they have also said that Donald Simpson, the writer/artist/creator of MEGATON MAN, is through using these characters, and that the buttons that were sold with MM saying "Are you KIDDIN'? I eat X-MEN for breakfast!" are sold out and will not be reprinted. If you're in the market for a personal opinion, mine is that this does not increase my general opinion of Marvel's lawyers (or the people who hold their leashes), and that this company's bully-boy attitudes are going from annoyance to an actual threat. I'm sure most of the independents don't have the kind of cash to go against legal action in a serious way; and thus parody is suppressed due to economic pressures. Not much fun, that... Mike Gold resigned as President of First comics; he is on salaried leave of absence as a Managing editor. No one has any idea when he'll be back. MIRACLEMAN #2 Sold out. This is getting to be a trend.... Mandatory Plug: And Don Thompson has returned to reviewing comics in this week's CBG. Also, Ward Batty proves why he is replacing Jim Engel as the funniest man in comics fandom.... "Threats are illogical, and payment is often expensive" Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer ARPA: fluke!moriarty@uw-beaver.ARPA UUCP: {uw-beaver, sun, allegra, sb6, lbl-csam}!fluke!moriarty <*> DISCLAIMER: Do what you want with me, but leave my employers alone! <*>