Open-source superhero

Cory Doctorow 3:48 am Tue Sep 2, 2003

Nice piece on Jenny Everywhere, a comix character created explicitly as an open-source project, open to tweaking by anyone who cares to write her into a story — it's like League of Extradorinary Gentlemen without the 75-year copyright interregnum.

The Shifter's mysterious Open Source origins can be traced back to a comic book discussion group hosted by hip UK-based webzine Barbelith.com. Community administrator Tom Coates uttered a plea for rights-free characters "that we declare can be used by anyone at any time in any format without there being anyone to give money to."

Ottawa-based artist Steven "Mr. Moriarty" Wintle, one of the first to answer the call, was intrigued and motivated by the idea of a public domain superhero. "I checked around to see what other people were doing," says Wintle, "and I was angered that people claimed to have open source characters, but they had all these strings attached. I'd have an easier time making my own character rather than deal with those fuckers."

(Thanks, Kevin)

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