Characters Without Copyright

Creating a character that doesn't run into someone else's copyright can be a problem. There are so many characters out there that it's a ridiculously difficult task. This is complicated when writers want a specific type of character in order to make a point of some sort and they need to use that particular type of character. Here are some tips on how to avoid them:

Good News: There are some characters that are so intrinsic to the medium that you can't effectively limit anyone else from using the character. A sword-swinging barbarian, for example, or the so-called flying brick would be hard for anyone to sue. However, it is possible; just look at Superman vs. Captain Marvel. The key here is that you need to follow the conventions when it comes to the character but also put just enough of your own twist on the character so it would be hard for someone to nail you.

Avoid Over-Saturation: While you can't help but use the same types of characters, this doesn't mean you shouldn't at least try to avoid the same characters. Do something different, and if you can't do something different try a different character. Your characters need to stand out from a large crowd and if all they do is melt into the crowd then you may going about it the wrong way. It's easy to find a sarcastic pyro-mage and a demonic familiar; why not a fluffy familiar, or a pyro-mage who hates causing damage? How about an idealistic one? Just try something different.

Don't Rely On Having A Comedy Strip: Just because your comic makes fun of a particular genre doesn't mean you have excuse to retread characters. Your comic should have its own unique characters and not rely solely on those that have gone before. Have a flying brick or a sarcastic mage, but make it your own on some level. Your characters need to be able to stand on their own and if they can't then you seriously need to rethink your characters.

Look At It From a New Perspective: Try to figure out a new approach to the character type. A pyro-mage is cliché, but how about one that draws heat from the immediate area? When he throws a fireball, the area surrounding his target chills and ice forms around the target and then the air around him explodes. Or he heats up a little himself necessitating a minimal wardrobe. He could even only exaggerate heat, becoming useless in even the slightest inclemental weather. Just find a new approach and one that works for you.

While there are some cliches you can depend on, you need to figure out new ways of doing stuff whenever possible. Readers are always looking for something new; keep that in mind and your comic will forge its way to success.

Using Emotional Weight To Add Some Texture

Consider some of the best meals you've ever had: They are a collection of different flavors that you enjoy. If you had something that is all of the same flavor, even if it's spicy, is going to get really boring really quick. As such most cooks endeavor to have as many different flavors in their meals as possible. Writers seem to forget this, and so their stories can get boring relatively quickly. They need to learn some better pacing in order to make their stories more interesting.

Most people get a lot of things about pacing right, but there is one thing that they seem to be unaware of that would make things a little more dramatic: Taking advantage of emotional weight. Everyone is aware of the three-act structure and how it can keep a script on track; it can also help with scenes, as each scene should be its own three-act play. However, by taking into account the emotional weight of a scene and using that to better fit it into the script you can help eliminate a lot of problems with the script and produce a far better story.

One of the more common problems with a script is that it is possible to be string together a number of scenes that, in concert, becomes sort of boring. Consider what happens if you string together a number of scenes where nothing but good happens or where the character is hit by a string of disasters; it's likely that this will be extremely boring for the readers. You need to change things up in order to keep the reader interested.

This means that you need to look at the emotional weight of the scene. Every scene carries a certain amount of emotional weight, and that weight should be seen in terms of overall positive or negative emotion. Some are pretty obvious: Ones with love, teaming up, and epiphanies are usually positive while those filled with hanger, hate, or characters being damaged are negative. However, some scenes can feel one way and end up another; a scene where a character gets beat may seem like it's negative but not so much if the character gets catharsis through it, just as a character can be in trouble if he wins a million dollars. That emotional weight needs to be noted.

At that point it is just a matter of making sure that you don't have more than a scene or two of the same emotional weight in a row. This is sort of why you outline your script; it allows you get a feel for which scenes are positive and negative. For some this is a problem; after all, an act needs to go a certain direction and this may not work for that. For example, a second act traditionally goes in a generally negative direction; some feel that it shouldn't have positive scenes. You can have positive scenes even though the act as a whole goes down. As long as the act as a whole goes downhill you should be fine.

By paying attention to the emotional weight of the scene and how it works with other scenes your scripts can become a lot stronger. It is just a matter of paying attention and taking a lesson from the great cooks: Vary your flavors a bit and you'll be a better writer.

A Lighter Shade of Black

The problem with antiheroes is that not usually they are more “hero” than “anti”. That is, while they tend to be on the darker side of the spectrum of heroics they still tend to be basically heroes. Look at Frank “The Punisher” Castle: Sure, there's no question that the guy can get violent and he thinks that a lot of heroes are pansies, but the guy still has a definite code of honor and only breaks a specific set of laws. That is, he's not likely to steal just for the money or kill someone just for kicks. The same applies to a lot of antiheroes; they are just paladins that don't mind getting violent.

What we need are more antiheroes that are actual villains and fully acknowledge it. I'd qualify Captain Jack Sparrow here, as the guy make no bones that he's one of the bad guys and wears his prison record like a medal. The Suicide Squad definitely qualify; if it weren't for the bob in their neck most would have no problem killing others just for another slice of pizza and that slice is optional. You also have Lobo, who brags about the very misdeeds that earned him his rep. These are unrepentingly evil; being evil is just part of who they are. Nonetheless, they usually end up on the right side even if it is just by accident or getting hired by the good guys; they may be evil but they end up on the side of angels somehow.

And then there are the lunatics. The problem is that you have two basic flavors: Accidental forces of good and purposeful forces for evil. Ignoring the evil version, consider the good-aligned psychopaths: The Mask is the former, where he has no problem with violence and such but his actions tend to support the forces of good: He only attacks evil-doers. Look at Dexter: He kills people, but the victims tend to be pretty heinous criminals who would have escaped punishment; he's helping society in his own twisted way but he's still helping society. These aren't really heroes so much as villains with a limited code of ethics; they do things that make them feel good, and punishing those that have slighted them makes them feel good. Their purposes may be selfish, but they still tend to do good.

[This is opposed to evil psychopaths, such as The Joker and Carnage, who do what they do to harm someone, usually the hero. Carnage seeks to punish Spider-Man, for example, just as Joker is trying to teach Batman that life is all about pain; the Joker is all about the thorns and not the rose. Just clarifying things a bit....]

These characters tend to have one of three arcs: Redemption, spiralling, and bouncing. “Bouncing” is probably the most annoying, where the character keeps bouncing from side to side; this character needs to die or otherwise suffers bad enough that he is eliminated from the story. It's just going to hit a point that the character has no credibility as a character and uses up any value he has especially for suspense. However, spiralling can be fun to watch as the character starts becoming more and more evil, and must compromise his beliefs, such as they are, in order to succeed at the chosen mission. Eventually the character must either become an even bigger force for evil or pull back to some former level. It could even put them on a redemption track.

Try to save the redemption track for characters that deserve it. It's just way too overused, and comes off as trite unless the character has actually deserved it. A fun variation is to set the character on the track and then derail it somewhere, as either those around him won't let him forget the past or he decides the struggle isn't worth it. He can then engage in some sort of hard fall as he commits even worse sins than normal as he accepts his place in the cosmic balance, sort of like Mr. Glass in the movies. You can always redeem the character, just don't default to it every time.

When it comes to playing with an antihero, keep in mind that he should be the lesser of two evils, but not by much. It can only help to have some fun with the character, using him to show that the universe is so bad that the hero is almost as bad as the villains. The antihero should not just be a darker paladin, but a lighter villain. Keep that in mind and you may just have an interesting character.