RE: Arsenic Lullaby - Comics, Casper, and pressure.
It's so funny you mention Casper. I loved Casper and used to watch the very old I think 1940's cartoons that they would play in the mornings in the late 70s early 80s when I was a kid.
I grew up with out of date comics as I had really older siblings, so I fell in love with the old Sabrina and Archies when they were filled with amazing fashion and story. I still bought the modern 80's versions as a kid, but always found myself going back to the old ones as I LOVED the colour and feel of the design so much more.
I rather liked the horror retelling of Sabrina, which I think they've now made into a Netflix thing, so it would be funny to see Casper that way.
How do you see yourself doing Casper today? Can you do a mock up for we Steemians, or is it not legit as he is trademarked? Copyright always hinders creativity, doesn't it.
Those old Harvey's did something that all comics, tv, and movies try to do...they capture your imagination. They make you forget you are reading a comic and feel like you are looking into a place, a world.
I'd just carry on that tradition.
as for your copyright comment...that is something I have a lot to say about.
Short answer - NO...it absolutely does NOT hinder creativity. Redoing someone else's ideas is a limiting of creativity. Think of all the creativity that would not have been used or learned if it was completely okay for everyone to just draw or write characters that someone else has already thought of? Imagine the stifling of creativity and skills learned and grown through competition that would exist if people worked knowing that anyone could just take their idea and do whatever they wanted with it.
Copyright laws may have been created to protect what has already been made...but those restrictions ensure that new things will continue to be made and writers, arists, musicians, ect will work and perfect thier skills and imagination.
...having said all that...legally I can draw up some Casper samples, I cna show them to you ( and I will) but I cannot legally copy them and sell those copies.
and I am quite confident that ...one way or the other...by whatever nefarious or righteous means I have to use...I will be able to show off sneak previews of work I'll do for a legit licensed Casper book.