Antarctic Press has a new comic book coming out April 28th, that features the likeness of G4TV’s Olivia Munn.
Hollywood’s hottest geek girl, Olivia Munn, hosts G4’s Attack of the Show, but while at comic con, she is attacked by a swarm of fans. Unable to escape, her gamma-irradiated cells explode and unleash the fury of The 50-Foot Womunn. It’s the showdown of the century! Geeks vs Munn! Let’s get ready to rumble!!
While companies like Bluewater Productions can get away with unauthorized biographies of celebrities – both living and dead – it looks like Munn is none to thrilled with the Celebrity Showdown issue, and posted the following on her Twitter feed:
Theres a comic book out with my name and likness that I AM NOT A PART OF. If I do a comic book, ill tell u first. DONT buy this FAKE one
And it didn’t take long for the lawyers to get involved, issuing C&D letters to online distributor Heavy Ink. If you happen to have any artwork from this book, better hold on to it, as it might be worth gold if this comic is canceled before it even arrives. Do read Heavy Ink’s response, as it does appear to be right on the money with their comments about public figures and parody.
via Various Sources
11 Comments
I don’t see the Cease & Desist holding up. But, public figure or not, should a person have the right to decide how and where their likeness and image is used?
This was settled in court decades ago. If you are a public figure, then no in the case of news and parody. When you are a public figure, you have put yourself under the public eye for comment and scrutiny, and even parody. If you wanna be famous, you have to accept the consequences.
Bingo. And what draws my attention, me being the cynic that I am, is how we’re only supposed to buy comics that she’s officially involved in. In other words, Ms. Munn doesn’t want to be peeped unless she’s being paid. Meh to her, I sez. MEH!
That may be true but it doesn’t make it right.
That may be true, but is it also right for someone who jumps into a pie wearing a french maid outfit to make more money than you do?
Some may assert that her assets are worth more money than mine. … I may even be one of those people. ;-)
Didn’t Todd McFarlane get successfully sued for using the name Tommy Twist which just happens to be the name of someone in the public? Didn’t Spike TV settle with Spike Lee because he claimed they were naming the TV station after him?
Is this comic considered a parody?
That’s the question, isn’t it. IS the comic a parody?
In the Twist case his lawyers proved that the use of his name attached to a child serial killer was damaging to the client’s public persona, yadda-yadda. McFarland had done damage to his client through the portrayal. There was no comical element prescribed to it.
Websters defines parody as – 1 : a literary or musical work in which the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule
2 : a feeble or ridiculous imitation
Is this a parody or an action story? While some would say that comics themselves are a parody, was this story actually created with the intent to make fun of Munn or to ridicule her?
Stephen is completely right with his statement. The point of contention becomes “What Is Parody?” This looks more like casting an actress as a character (much like Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury) than it does actually criticizing her or making fun of her.
But, I know longer work for attorneys (YAY!), so what do I know… ;)
Notice that Sam Jackson didn’t make a big deal of his depiction in Ultimate Universe either…
Yeah, but if I recall, they actually went to the Jackson people (eventually) and asked if it was cool, that story was in the paperback trade I belive. I think Jackson’s reply was “&*@&$#@#$%ing yeah it’s cool!”, but I may be mis-quoting him.
And I get your point, but Ultimate Fury used Jackson as a starting point. This looks like they have approriated Munn’s name and everything.
I must say though, I do dig the costume…
The face is close, but the body? When has she ever been that “exaggerated”? Maybe if they had been closer to how she is she wouldn’t have been so offended, although maybe with what she does on the show makes her unable to be offended and just wants to be paid. I don’t know.