Marvel and DC Comics have lost their joint trademark for the term “super hero” after decades of holding it. Initially, the trademark was obtained in collaboration with Ben Cooper, Inc., a costume maker who had licensed Marvel and DC characters in the 1960s. After a series of legal disputes involving companies like Mego Corporation, Marvel and DC became joint owners of the “super hero” trademark in 1977, solidifying their control over its use across various media. Over the years, both companies aggressively defended this trademark, opposing various businesses that tried to use the term. However, this year, after Marvel and DC failed to respond to legal challenges, a U.S. court invalidated their trademark, allowing other entities like Superbabies to use the term without restriction.
“Darktide: The Card Game,” a new Warhammer 40,000-themed card game coming in 2025. Meanwhile, Mythic Games, a company plagued by crowdfunding controversies involving delays, miscommunication, and unmet promises, has dissolved, marking the end of its turbulent existence in the tabletop gaming industry.
Mythic Games, a tabletop role-playing and board game company, has filed for liquidation due to a series of controversies and financial difficulties. The company, known for its crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter, faced backlash for significant delays in delivering games, poor communication with backers, and unmet promises regarding stretch goals and content quality. Notably, games like Reichbusters: Projekt Vril and Solomon Kane suffered extended delays, while backers of Super Fantasy Brawl and Joan of Arc were disappointed by missing or lower-quality content. Financial mismanagement became a concern as backers speculated that funds from newer campaigns were being used to fulfill older projects, a practice dubbed “Kickstarter juggling.” Rising production costs, shipping challenges, and the global economic climate exacerbated these problems. A lawsuit over the Time of Legends: Joan of Arc campaign and unexpected increases in shipping costs further damaged the company’s reputation.
The indie RPG “Mothership” is back with a new collaborative funding effort on Backerkit, featuring a variety of new projects from different creators. This “collab-funding” initiative seeks to expand the sci-fi horror universe of “Mothership” with new content, including modules that explore bounty hunting and mystery-driven adventures.
#superhero #darktide #mythicgames #mothershiprpg
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After some technical difficulties, we discuss San Diego Comic-Con 2021 being inevitably cancelled following the cancellation of their WonderCon. They will hold Comic-Con@Home on July 23rd-25th and also announced Comic-Con Special Edition. Special Edition is a scaled-down version of the live event scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend. Should be interesting. Marvel Comics announced they will be ending their 27 year-old exclusive relationship with Diamond Distributors. They signed a new exclusive world-wide deal with Penguin Random House. Later on the day of this announcement Diamond Distributors sent a letter to comic retailers telling them that they will still be carrying Marvel books. A non-exclusive exclusive deal? Your guess is as good as ours. Also, after fallout of the cancellation of the Perfect RPG Kickstarter, Luke Crane will be departing his position at Kickstarter as community head. Finally, we discuss the evolution of the GM from their tribal beginnings to the more recent role of another kind of player, inspired by the article at Cannibal Halfling Gaming.