Good morning! It’s your Friendly Neighbourhood Previously Editor sharing the latest comics and pop culture news. But first, I’d like to acknowledge that September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. Today is a day to honour and reflect on the many children who were forcibly sent to Residential Schools and never returned. To learn more about the day, please read this.
There is a big change coming in the world of comics. The “Super Hero” trademark that Marvel and DC have jointly owned for decades has been cancelled by a U.S. Trademark Office tribunal. As reported by Reuters, S.J. Richold’s Superbabies Ltd filed a request to invalidate the trademarks and neither Marvel nor DC answered the request. The terms “Super Hero” and “Super Heroes” are now in public domain.
Here at Previously, we’ve been covering the growing number of accusations against Neil Gaiman. Now, Disney has paused production on a Gaiman adaptation, The Graveyard Book, as reported by the New York Times. Other Gaiman-related productions, The Sandman and The Good Omens don’t appear to have been affected, at least, not so far.
Horror writer Alan Baxter shared this news on his BlueSky. The Australasian Shadows Awards is taking aim at AI-generated book covers and content. In a statement on Facebook, the Australasian Horror Writers Association announced that they will not accept any entries that have AI elements. This is a positive step forward and we hope other organizations follow suit.
That’s it for now. Fall is coming soon, and I can’t wait. The extreme temperatures due to climate change are shocking and we’re seeing increasingly terrifying weather phenomenon, such as Hurricane Helene, that is destroying towns, homes, and lives across the world. Please take care of yourselves the best you can. If you’re in Canada, spend today reflecting on the Indigenous peoples who continue to be impacted by colonialism and how you can be an ally. I’ll see you on the flipside.
