(slightly OT) 4 color?

[Samothdm]

I thought it referenced those four colours (which is why "4-color" T-Shirt printing is so expensive), but didn't know it was also in reference to comic-book printing.

Just to clarify, it's any kind of printing, not just comic-book printing. A magazine that prints in color is using the four-color process (unless it's just black-and-white plus one other color, which is referred to as "two-color"). Same with newspapers.

 

[Draxus the Tainted]

There's also RGB.

 

[kingpaul]

Just to clarify, it's any kind of printing, not just comic-book printing. A magazine that prints in color is using the four-color process (unless it's just black-and-white plus one other color, which is referred to as "two-color"). Same with newspapers.

Then why use that phrase in Natural 20's new release?

 

[Psychotic Dreamer]

Because for a lot of comic book geeks (like myself) it makes them think of a certain type of comic books. Thats my thoughts at least.

 

[teitan]

Ahhh, four color, that phrase comic afficianadoes use to refer to the classic comics often illustrated by Jack KIrby and other golden and silver age greats. FOur COlor is very much a genre of storytelling. Most often associated with comic strips and books it does indeed refer to the old style printing process but now refers to slam bang action like Flash Gordon, Buck ROgers (originally a pulp character first presented in 1927 in Amazing Stories as ANthony ROgers) and the Golden Age comics like Sandman (Joe SImon and Jack Kirby era), JSA and others. These were the high octane comics where everything was so overly dramatic at times that you couldn't help but gasp. As a genre it refers to Golden Age adventure comics and their modern imitators. Very few Silver Age comics fit the bill, though many of the characters of the Showcase series from DC fit the four color genre, like Adam Strange and Rip Hunter, Time Master. I think a good arguement can be made for Green Lantern Hal Jordan as a four color genre character and definitely the Fantastic Four.

To boil it down, FOur Color as a genre refers to cheesecake science fiction.

Morrus, may have yerself a problem with the use of the word SUperhero in the title of yer pdf. Marvel and DC COmics own the trademark for the use of the word Superhero in a product intended to generate revenue which is why so many comic compnies have had to come up with new names for their "super heroes" like Ultras or Metahumans. Sad world yes, but hey...

Jason

 

[Morrus]

Morrus, may have yerself a problem with the use of the word SUperhero in the title of yer pdf. Marvel and DC COmics own the trademark for the use of the word Superhero in a product intended to generate revenue which is why so many comic compnies have had to come up with new names for their "super heroes" like Ultras or Metahumans. Sad world yes, but hey...

Someone brings that up about once a week. A quick search of trademark records will show you that "superhero" is not owned by anyone. I imagine that nobody could trademark it now, it's in so much common use.

 

[Desdichado]

Actually, if we're being specific, in the circles I've encountered, "4-color" comics refer to Golden Age comics (like the original Justice Society comics of the late 30's/early 40's), and the early Silver Age comics (the Justice League of the 60's). The point is that not all comics are "4-color"; it refers to a specific style/genre/age of comics, just as "baroque" refers to a specific style/genre/age of classical music.

No indeed. It's been many years since 4-color has been the printing method of comics. Nowadays they use real slick computer-colored methods on slick paper.

Although the art (and stories, generally) are miles ahead of where they used to be, the since of wonder (and the mega-cheap price) are missing. Not only that, I've grown up a bit and my fondness for comics is mostly nostalgic now, I think.

 

[teitan]

Someone brings that up about once a week. A quick search of trademark records will show you that "superhero" is not owned by anyone. I imagine that nobody could trademark it now, it's in so much common use.

You need to look at some products then. I am always reading about the tm of the term "superhero" being owned jointly by DC comics and Marvel ENtertainment. It is part of the reason why CHampions is called "the Super ROleplaying Game" and so on with various unlicensed superhero gaming products. I understand the trademark is very protected by these companies as well. Look at the newsgroup for Supers RPGs, should be able to find something there where they had to change the original name because of legal issues and a search for DC Heroes RPG mailing list FAQ on Yahoo will also lead to a link that discusses the issue.

Jason

 

[kingpaul]

You need to look at some products then. I am always reading about the tm of the term "superhero" being owned jointly by DC comics and Marvel ENtertainment. It is part of the reason why CHampions is called "the Super ROleplaying Game" and so on with various unlicensed superhero gaming products. I understand the trademark is very protected by these companies as well. Look at the newsgroup for Supers RPGs, should be able to find something there where they had to change the original name because of legal issues and a search for DC Heroes RPG mailing list FAQ on Yahoo will also lead to a link that discusses the issue.

Jason

Well, I just checked out the US Patent & Trademark Office site. According to them, "Super Heroes" is a joint trademark of DC and Marvel, and was registered on Aug. 13, 1983. Further, "Super Hero" is also owned by them and Ben Cooper, Inc., with a registration date of March 14, 1967. The registration #s are 1248407 and 0825835, respectively.

Now, IANAL, but I don't know which parts of the industry these marks are owned. The comic industry, definately. The gaming, I don't know.

 

[pensiv]

There's also RGB.

RGB (red green blue) is video/light color combination, not print.