• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Centaur Comics
18 18

Started by jbcomicbox,

6,168 posts in this topic

buttock

buttock

Posted
Posted
Out of curiosity does any one still own the rights to the Centaur characters or are they in public domain?

 

I think Malibu was publishing some stuff with the characters a few years ago, but not sure if that still holds.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
adamstrange

adamstrange

Posted
Posted

Early Funny Pages, #11. I love the books with this logo for some reason.

 

The logo is multi-colored (something I always consider as a plus) and with an unusual type face that just screams 1930s! 893applaud-thumb.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites
rjpb

rjpb

Posted
Posted
Out of curiosity does any one still own the rights to the Centaur characters or are they in public domain?

 

I think Malibu was publishing some stuff with the characters a few years ago, but not sure if that still holds.

 

Thanks buttock - you're post lead me to a wikipedia article about Centaur that stated some of the characters were updated for The Protectors by Malibu, along with some other characters. Apparently they were all killed off when Marvel bought Malibu. It looks like they were in public doman at the time - I know little about copyright or trademark law, but I'm guessing the names and original characters could be used by anyone, just not Malibu's interpretation.

 

A quick perusal of the cover matrix at GCD (comics.org), reveals that the Malibu characters are barely recognizable as modern counterparts to the GA heroes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ciorac

ciorac

Posted
Posted
Early Funny Pages, #11. I love the books with this logo for some reason.

 

The logo is multi-colored (something I always consider as a plus) and with an unusual type face that just screams 1930s! 893applaud-thumb.gif

 

That is the crux of why I love these early books, they just reek of the dawn of comics to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
adamstrange

adamstrange

Posted
Posted
That's an excellent question. When I get back home from Christmas I'll check. It certainly seems distinctive enough.

 

In the interim, here's another Ryan cover, Star Comics #13. I love Ryan's work, and it is VERY distinctive.

 

starcomics13.jpg

 

27_laughing.gif

 

That looks almost brand spanking new!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ciorac

ciorac

Posted
Posted
I'm showing totally random stuff at this point. Here's another multi-colored logo from a bit later on. Nice to see they were teaching long division in the schools back then.

 

funnypagesvol-1.jpg

 

Are these all from the same source? Lady Audrey perhaps?

 

If so, who was the sniper that hammered us on the Funny Pages 7?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lou_fine

lou_fine

Posted
Posted
Early Funny Pages, #11. I love the books with this logo for some reason.

 

funnypages11.jpg

 

Now, if I remember correctly, I should have the Larson copy of this book somewhere in my collection. yay.gif

 

On the other hand, If I also remember correctly, there was some very minor amount of restoration on the book. sumo.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites
october

october

Posted
Posted
Sure! Here's the obscure issue #4:

 

detectivepicture4.jpg

 

That is an awesome cover! Who's the artist?

 

Rodney Thompson.

 

I believe Eisner......

 

There is Eisner art in the book, but the first interior page index credits the cover to Rodney Thompson. confused-smiley-013.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jmf-migration

jmf-migration

Posted
Posted (edited)
Thanks buttock - you're post lead me to a wikipedia article about Centaur that stated some of the characters were updated for The Protectors by Malibu, along with some other characters. Apparently they were all killed off when Marvel bought Malibu. It looks like they were in public doman at the time - I know little about copyright or trademark law, but I'm guessing the names and original characters could be used by anyone, just not Malibu's interpretation.

 

A quick perusal of the cover matrix at GCD (comics.org), reveals that the Malibu characters are barely recognizable as modern counterparts to the GA heroes.

 

The Protectors from Malibu are clearly a attempt to continue the Centaur Line with the continuity (I have all the run) but with some adaptation due to legal issues.

 

For example The Clock does no appear at the begining in the Protectors Line. But the President of the USA is Brian O'Brien and we discover later that he is The Clock (but now old).

 

Malibu does not use the character (except in two panels) because DC is the legal owner at this time (buy with the Quality characters).

 

The name of Masked Marvel does not appear in the Protectors Line but the Character exist. His name is Night Mask. As Brian O'Brien he is old but his son take over the alias. We saw also the great-daughter of one of the G-Men (Zl, Zx, Zy) which became Night Mask II (III in fact) after the death of the son of the original Night Mask.

In fact, Malibu fear that Marvel sue about the name of Masked Marvel.

 

For the same reason, Fantom of the Fair does not appear with is own name. In fact, Roy Thomas (old fan of GA comics) use a character with a similar name (Phantom of the Fair) and same outfits as the original in the issue #7 of Secret Origin for the retold of the origin of Sandman. And the character come back after in the new series of Sandman (in Vertigo Label).

 

So, the original Centaur Fantom of the Fair appear in the Protectors Line as Gravestone (with a very updated background).

 

One of the other copyright issue was consider as harmless by Malibu. Roy Thomas, again, use the name of Amazing Man for an All-Star Squadron character (a man with mymicry power and after magnetic power).

But as the two characters are far away from each other and amazing Man is the well know character of Centaur Malibu risk to use the name (with it seems no problems).

 

Otherwise, the Characters are very similars. Except The Eye, Gravestone, The Shark (with a new name Thresher) and The Ferret (now a Wolverine's like).

Most of the Centaur line were revival (including Great Question as the only vilain from Centaur) plus Miss Fury, a GA character but not from Centaur (already revival by Malibu before the start of the Protectors Line).

 

The Protectors Line was supposed to be only 6 issues mini-series. But at last there was 20 issues plus many spin-off and merge with others Malibu title (X-Mutants, Dinosaurs for Hire) and not all with good results.

 

At the End The Protectors # 20 all the universe is blasted.

Edited by jmf
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
18 18
Go to topic listing