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[punkpred]

hi there i am a graffiti abstract pop artist for the past 14 years
i  am looking for old images from comics to paint on large canvasses not full strips just 1 image
like roy lichtenstein did but i dont want to rip images from comics that were still subject to copyright
i want to use images that no body cares about anymore from the 40s or 50s and paint in vibrant colors

the question is can i use a solo image from 1 of these old comics like a romantic old war image
and not get sued for using the image in my artwork i dont want to use characters who appear in multiple comics just 1 solo image like 2 people kissing onto a large canvas

anybody no the law on this subject

thanks

[captblitzdawg]

I think you are good on this. Public domain means it is for public use- though with some characters like Capt. Marvel you want to be very careful in what you do. You are taking an image, and painting it. It's your interpretation of another's work. I would just tell you to be sure to credit the original artist along with yourself. There is a woman who paints entire pages from comic books (and they are not public domain ones, either) and she gives no credit to the original artists although her paintings are basically acryllic blow-ups of the originals. How she hasn't been sued by the publishers or the creators for everything she has, I don't know.

[narfstar]

Any public domain image can be used freely. The woman using non-pd work is probably not noticed by the companies or they do not see any harm. It can actually be good advertisement for them. They seem to be OK with fansites they write stories using their characters. Some even seem to have the blessings of the companies.