In this issue, Matthew and Stephen sit down to discuss/argue the finer points of pulp heroes joining forces to fight evil in Masks #2 from Dynamite Entertainment.
[podcast]http://traffic.libsyn.com/majorspoilers/msp483.mp3[/podcast]Powerful criminals and crooked politicians have taken over New York, and instituted a fascist police state. With the law bent to their own purposes, the so- called “Justice Party” and their army of Black Legion troopers imprison, extort, and execute any citizens who stand in their way. Only vigilantes like the Shadow, Green Hornet, and the Spider have any hope of standing against them, but instead of operating outside the law as they have always done, these masked heroes must now oppose the law in their fight for justice. But they will not be fighting alone, as more men and women don masks and emerge from the shadows to stand alongside them.
DID YOU READ THIS ISSUE? RATE IT!
Reader Rating
[ratings]
A big Thank You goes out to everyone who downloads, subscribes, listens, and supports this show. We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings each week. Tell your friends about the podcast, get them to subscribe and, be sure to visit the Major Spoilers site and forums.
7 Comments
The Green Lama isn’t public domain, nor is he licensed to Dynamite.
So, the implication is that they’re using him without permission, then?
Exactly.
The original comic books are in the public domain, but the character itself and the original pulp stories written about him, plus any new stories that might be written about the Green Lama, are protected by copyright since Double Detective Magazines (where Green Lama made his pulp appearances) had its copyright renewed. The rights to the Green Lama stories were retained by the author, Kendell Foster Crossen, and are now assigned to Kendra Crossen Burroughs.
The Green Lama is a trademark claimed to be controlled by Argosy Communications, Inc., by arrangement with the estate of Kendell Foster Crossen, who created the Green Lama character. However, the only trademark on file with the US government for Green Lama belongs to Super Power Heroes, LLC which is a subsidiary of Dynamite Entertainment.
It’s a wonky situation, but there is documentation proving the Green Lama is still wholly owned by the Crossen Estate.
Most certainly not trying to argue the case because it is full of odd marks, just sharing information as I find it…
Will Murray, “Introduction,” The Green Lama, vol. 1 (Altus Press, 2011), p. xvii (unpaginated); the copyright is now owned by Kendra Crossen, literary executor of the Kendell Foster Crossen estate, and assigned to Argosy Communications, Inc., which was authorized to control the Green Lama trademark and to license old and new Green Lama stories by a 1975 contract between Kendell Foster Crossen and Joel J. Frieman, president of Argosy Communications.
It’s definitely something no one’s talking about, people simply assumed he’s public domain because he’s from the golden age, but like Miss Fury, Tarzan and others mentioned in the podcast, it’s not so cut and dry.