This goes along with last week’s post on China: is the non-legal/in practice/urban definition of the public domain changing?
This mural, which Scene magazine called “The Sistine Chapel in reverse” is located in Cleveland’s new downtown Horseshoe casino. Dubbed Legends of Cleveland, it’s a larger adaptation of an original Etch-A-Sketch work (that’s right) by George Vlosich III.
Yeah, I live in Cleveland, so go ahead. Drew Carey (pre-dramatic Price is Right weight loss) is just as big as Superman. Got a problem with that? And it looks like Halle Berry is about to fight Rodan above the casino skyline. Whether approved or not, the inclusion of Superman is definitely appropriate — the character’s origin owes much to the grim, grey city on the lake. Two of the other people pictured above are written about in the book as they also had ties to Superman, Jerry, and Joe — surprising ones.
Paul Newman is also in this mural, but not in the photo. Just wanted to say that.
That’s an interesting question!
Setting aside my law hat for a moment, I wonder if there might be a few context-specific things influencing perceptions here:
–It’s basically a collage of images, as opposed to the reproduction of a single whole. Again, not speaking of law here, just popular interpretive frames.
–Rhetorically, it’s promoting civic identity, which folks intuitively perceive as outside private property, and
–It uses a number of people, and awareness of rights of publicity (which themselves can be more significantly limited that copyright & trademark) can be sketchy outside of places such as California.
–Etch-a-Sketches are cool, which can frame the image more as a creative indie art project than something in the commercial domain.
Yeah, I’m sure you’re right — I think the “awareness of rights” is the interesting one. It just struck me because not only is it a Superman stock image, but it is the first thing that greets people entering a casino. There is a fan cottage industry of trying to understand (and try to circumvent) Superman copyright, which is really interesting. DC has always been very accommodating to scholars especially, which might be another example of relaxing protectorship (in hopes of?) increased awareness. DC is really progressive about this.
There is a Batman mega slot machine inside, but that’s licensed (and it’s Joker-centric). There is a Superman: The Movie slot machine (I’ve heard) in Vegas. Google shows it displays the shield prominently.
Not to be oh-yeah-everything-I-say-is-related-to-something-in-my-book (that is annoying to me too — I’m just trying to be an “active marketer,” but it’s making me feel dirty). Anyway, the book does look at some weird ways in which people tried to (without permission) make money off the initial early 1940s success of Superman. Some really creative stuff (yes, one involves a stripper). Jerry hated when other comics companies ripped off Superman. But several years later, he would attempt his own brand of copyright tightrope walking on a few different, very strange things.
Building anticipation is a good thing–unless, of course, the punch line of the anecdote is “Drink more Ovaltine.”
In this case, anticipation built. Action #6–the knockoff Superman’s manager story–is my favorite of the early run. Wasn’t aware that the nightclub scene had a historical antecedent!
Ha – I love that one, too. I actually recorded someone singing the nightclub song — maybe I’ll post it here (but she might kill me).
Yeah, I don’t like empty hype either. No Ovaltine here. I had no desire to rehash the same old story. This is a new one.