Jack Kirby’s family gets his

Hot on the heels of the recent DC business with Superman being returned to the families of the men who created him, Marvel is undergoing a similar legal fight with the family of Jack Kirby.

Kirby is one of the men responsible for helping create Marvel’s vast array of characters.

If successful, the heirs could gain financial benefits from the catalog of characters and comics produced using those characters.

NY Times article.

Disney Buys Marvel

This isn’t the kind of Earth-shattering news I wanted to wake up to this morning, but when I checked my email, a message from my brother was at the top of the list. I didn’t check the subject when I clicked on it.

It said, simply, “[Technet link] I wonder what’s next? Goofy and Captain America teaming up?” Then I looked at the subject. Clicked the link. And read.

But what got me thinking more, was what the next Kingdom Hearts game might have in it. Iron Man teaming up with Cloud Strife? The Fantastic Four battling alongside Mickey Mouse? The possibilities are endless.

Come to think of it, that Wolverine movie that came out not too long ago was a little soft, maybe it needed a Disney-inspired song or two…

Technet Link

Free Mickey?

On the LA Times website today was an interesting report about Disney’s long-held copyright claims to Mickey Mouse.

One investigator claims that not only should the copyrights regarding Mickey Mouse (and Steamboat Willie) be expired, but that they were null and void to begin with.

Furthermore, but not reported in the story is Steamboat Willie’s resemblance in name (and partial story elements) to a Buster Keaton film named Steamboat Bill Jr.

Both films were released in 1928. Steamboat Bill Jr in May, and Steamboat Willie in July.

Both films are about a Steamboat captain named, ostensibly named William.

Two months is enough time to animate a seven minute long short.

It is entirely possible that Steamboat Willie was in breach of existing copyright the moment it was created.

This is one tale, we will have to keep an eye on in the future. Please note however, that while this iteration of Mickey Mouse (and the short) may be revealed to be public domain, the larger library of Disney animations featuring Mickey Mouse will not be.