Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Marvel Comics | Tagged: fantastic four, sketch cards

All The Fantastic Four Characters Marvel Restricted Licensing For

All The Fantastic Four Characters Marvel Comics Restricted Licensing For - And A Few X-Men Too

In 2014, as part of a series of articles looking at Marvel Comics' plans to cancel the Fantastic Four comics and any licensing of the Fantastic Four, as part of a falling out Fox Studios, we ran a letter sent to Marvel "sketch card" artists, instructing them not to use any Fantastic Four characters.

Sketch cards are original pieces of artwork, trading card sized, commissioned by artists to be inserted into trading card packs. Upper Deck pay artists $3 per approved sketch, though their value on the market is much higher. 

Today we have a fuller list of the characters Marvel states that sketch card artists may not use, as issued up Upper Deck. Last updated in early 2016, it is still being sent to prospective sketch card artists in 2017.

Marvel have some guidelines of course, so you can't use Marvel characters that are licensed from someone else, have shared ownership, royalty payments due or don't fit in with Marvel's style…

 Conan The Barbarian & associated universe including…
o Red Sonja
o Thulsa Doom
o Kulan Gath
 "ROM" the space night
 Any and all Shogun warriors including Red Ronin.
 G.I. Joe
 Transformers
 "CRYSTAR" the Crystal Warrior
 All Marvel Zombies (under no circumstances can these be done)
 Any and all "MAX "or "MATURE CONTENT" books (*see below -subject matter-)
 The Micronauts (however, "Bug" from the Guardians of the Galaxy is allowed)
 Halo
 Godzilla
 Any "Steven King" Characters (i.e. Dark Tower series)
 Characters from the Clive Barker Universe
 Any "Malibu" Characters
 Ant CROSSGEN characters
 "KICK ASS" "Nemesis" and any other Miller verse characters.
 Criminal and anything owned by Ed Brubaker.
 Powers and anything owned by Brian Bendis.
 Any character not owned by Marvel even if they appear in a comic book published by Marvel. (if you're unsure please ask)
 All Earth X characters
 All Amalgam characters
 Any Marvel /DC team up's.
 Live Action Hulk TV show (i.e. Lou Ferrigno as Hulk)
 Earth-8311 (The Spider-Ham universe of characters)

And there are certain looks that are forbidden, no smoking, no alcohol, no nudity, no real guns, no trademarks, no Nazis,

 Smoking or Drug use of any kind by any character.
 Realistic Guns. If you gave to draw a character with a gun make it a fantasy gun an nothing that exists in the real world.
 Guns can NOT be pointed at the viewer.
 Alcohol consumption of any kind by any character.
 Any nudity. All risqué elements will be a case-by-case basis and subject to modification or rejection. (*see below -subject matter-)
 Third party trademarks (i.e. Spider-Man drinking a can of Coke)
 Any German WWII army iconography at all. Including but not limited to..
o Swastikas
o "SS" or the Nazi secret service lapels or logos
o The German Iron Cross.
o The Nazi Eagles standard
o Anything that resembles the red & white arm Nazi armband.

The "No Fantastic Four" addendum we previously reported is dated 12th November 2013 for any timeline fans.

All Marvel characters related to Fantastic Four are now off limits and will be immediately rejected by Marvel.
This includes but is not limited to:
 Mr. Fantastic
 Invisible Woman
 Thing
 Human Torch
 Doctor Doom
 Galactus
 Silver Surfer
 The Watcher
 Skrulls
 Etc…. any derivative. If in doubt, please draw something else.

But on the 3rd March 2016, that became more specified, listing all the characters that Marvel won't let you do sketch cards of. This means that these are the characters that Fox Studios can use for Fantastic Four movies, which are mostly those who first appeared in the Fantastic Four or Silver Surfer comics. With a couple of odd exceptions such as Brigadier Alasynde Stuart who Marvel may have revcently realised is based on a Doctor Who character.

Please note the following list of characters that may not be depicted on cards. Cards with the following characters likenesses will be immediately rejected by Marvel.

LUGWRENCH" LUBOWSKI
ABIGAIL BAXTER
ABRAXAS
ADAMANTINE
AGATHA HARKNESS
AIR-WALKER
AIR-WALKER _ (GABRIEL)
AL B. HARPER
AL'AROK
ALBERT DEVOOR
ALDEN MAAS
ALMA CHALMERS
ALYCE GRIMM
ALYNN CAMBERS
ALYSSA MOY
AMAN
ANAIS_(LES HEROES)
ANDDAR BAL
ANDROID MAN
ANNIHILUS
APOCRYPHUS
APTAK
ARDINA
ASTRONOMER
AVATAR
AWESOME ANDROID
AYA
AYAMAN
BACCHAE
BADOON
BAG'LE
B'ARR
BARTAK
BELLE THORNE
BEN GRIMM
BILLIE LUMPKIN
BLACKBODY
BLANCA DEL HIERRO
BLASTAAR
BOB LANDERS
BORERS
BORGO
BORIS
BOSS BARKER
BOUNTY
BOUNTY_KARIDIAN
BRAHMANES
BRAIN _ (JOHNSON)
BRAIN PARASITES
BRIDGET O'NEIL
BRIGADIER ALYSANDE STUART
BROTHER ROYAL
BROTHERHOOD OF BADOON
BRUTACUS
BULL BROGIN
CALEDONIA
CARLO ZOTA
CAROL LANDERS
CAULDRON THE SCALDING MAN
CLUMSY FOULUP
COIL
COLE
COLLECTION AGENCY
COLTON CANDELL
COMTE DE NUIT
CONTEMPLATOR IMPERSONATOR
CORDON
CORONER
COSMIC MESSIAH
CRUCIBLE_FF
CURRS
CYNTHIA VON DOOM
CYPHYRR-4
DANIEL DAMIAN
DANIEL GRIMM
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DARK COUNSEL
DARK KNIGHT OF ASTRALON
DARK RAIDER
DARKOTH
DEATHUNT 9000
DEBRA LOVE
DE'LILA
DENIAL
DENISE WATERS
DENNIS BOWDEN
DETECTIVE FANTOME
DEVLOR THE DEADLY
DEVOS THE DEVASTATOR
DICTIONARY DAWSON
DOCTEUR Q
DOCTOR ALEXEI GANGER
DOCTOR DOOM
DOCTOR KRONTON
DOCTOR MANDIBUS
DOCTOR PHILLIP ZOLTEN RAMBOW
DONNA MARIA PEREZ
DOOMSDAY MAN
DOUBT
DRAGON LORD OF RAMMATPOLEN
DRAGON MAN
DREADFACE
DREXXON
DRUFFS
EBON SEEKER
EBONY
EDITOR
EGO-SPAWN
ELIMINATOR
ELLIE WATERS
ELMAR RADD
ELSPETH CROMWELL
ELVIS MORIN
EMPEROR DORREK
EXALT
FALLEN ONE
FANTASTIC FOUR
FASAUD
FENNAN RADD
FIREFROST
FIRELORD
FLB'DBI RACE
FLYING DUTCHMAN
FRANKENSURFER
FRANKIE RAYE
FRANKLIN RICHARDS
FRANKLIN STORM
FUTURIST
GAARD
GABE ACHERON
GAIUS TIBERIUS AUGUSTUS AGRIPPA
GALACTUS
GANYMEDE
GARNOK REBBAHN
GAZELLE
GEATAR
GENERAL KALAMARI
GENERAL ZKRODD
GERT HAUPTMANN
GIGANTO
GLORIAN
GORDON CLAY
GORMUU
GORNKAI
GORR THE GOLDEN GORILLA
GREAT COORDINATOR
GREAT ONE
GREGORY GIDEON
GREGSON GILBERT
GUILT
GYRE_TWISTED SISTERS
H.E.R.B.I.E.
H.U.B.E.R.T.
HAAZARETH THREE
HAGAR
HANDSOME HARRY PHILLIPS
HAREK KORGON
HARQUIS TEY
HARVEY JESSUP
HATE-MONGER
HATE-MONGER _ (ANDROID)
HE WHO SUMMONS
HELIX_TWISTED SISTERS
HELLSCOUT
HENKOR
HENRIETTA ROSE
HIRAM SHECKERBERG
HOWLER _ ZED
HUMAN TORCH
HUNTARA
HYDRON _ (103055)
HYNNIT
HYPERSTORM
HYZAKTL
ICONOCLAST
IMPOSSIBLE MAN
INFANT TERRIBLE
INVISIBLE GIRL
INVISIBLE WOMAN
ISOBEL AGUIRRE
JAGUUR
JAKE GRIMM
JAKETCH
JANUS
JANUS_COLLECTION AGENCY
JARTRAN RADD
JEROME HAMILTON
J'FAR
JIAN FEETA
JOHNNY STORM
JOOST VAN STRAATEN
JOSE SANTINI
JOSEPH CALHOUN
JUDE
JULIE ANGEL
JUSTICE LIBERTY
JUSTICE LOVE
JUSTICE MIGHT
JUSTICE ROSE
JUSTICE TRUTH
JYX
KARANT KIAR
KARISMA
KARRAGAN THE UNFORGIVING
KARZA
KENNETH ROBESON
KHIRN
KHOON THE EXPLORER
KOSMOS
KRANG
KRAT
KRISTOFF VERNARD
KROSAKIS
KURRGO
KYLON
KYLOR
LA LUMIERE BLEUE
LARRY LEE
LARRY RAMBOW
LASERFIST
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LE COWBOY
LE VENT
LEGACY
LIPPY LOUIE
LIVE WIRE
LOCKDOWN
LORRIE MELTON
LT. GENERAL FREDRICKS
LUCAS JACKSON
LYJA
MAD THINKER
MAHKIZMO
MAKIO YAKAKI
MALICE _ (103923)
MALICE _ (SUE STORM)
MANNY MERENGUES
MARIS MORLAK
MARTYR
MASTER OF GUILE
MASTER XAR
MATANI TIVAN
MECHAMAGE
MEGATAUR
MEG'ROR
MEPHISTO
METALLOID
MILLENNIUS
MIRACLE MAN
MISTER ALTERNITY
MISTER FANTASTIC
MISTUR
M'NDAVIANS
MODULUS
MOLE MAN
MOLECULE MAN
MOLLY HUNT
MONOCLE _ BERMAN
MORG
MOTHERBOARD 49.7
MOWFUS
MUD-AH
MYRN
NAPOLEON G. ROBBERSON
NATHANIEL RICHARDS
NENORA
NICHOLAS SCRATCH
NOAH BAXTER
NORMAN MACARTHUR
NORRIN RADD
NOVA _ (RAYE)
NOVA-PRIME _ VALT
NOXX
OBLITERATOR
OBLITERATOR _ (INTERSTELLAR)
OCCULUS
OCLIN UWIR PRIN
OSPREY
OTHER _ (104776)
OUTRIDERS
OVERLORD_RAKKHAL
OVER-MIND
OVOID RACE
PAIBOK THE POWER-SKRULL
PEGGY MACARTHUR
PETUNIA GRIMM
PRADDA FOL
PRESTER JOHN
PRINCE ZORBA
PRINCESS ANELLE
PRINCESS PEARLA
PROTECTOR _ (105113)
PSYCHO-MAN
PTAKR
PUNISHER _ (GALACTUS ROBOT)
PUPPET MASTER
PUPPY
PYREUS KRIL
QUASIMODO
QUEEN ADORA
RAA
RAPHAEL SUAREZ
RAPTOR THE RENEGADE
RAVENOUS
RAZE
RED GHOST'S SUPER-APES
RED SHIFT
REED RICHARDS
REPTILLA
REPTYL
REPTYL PRIME
RETRIEVERS OF ATLANTIS
RHYTHM RUIZ
RIPAN
R'KLLL
ROBERTA
ROBERTA HUNT
RODOR
ROSETTA STONE
RUTH EFFORD
SALAMANDRA
SAM THORNE
SAMA-D
SAMURAI DESTROYER
SANDORR
S'BYLL
SCAVENGER
SEEKER _ (INHUMAN, 2ND)
SEEKERS _ RAVENOUS
SERGIUS O'HOOLIHAN
SHAARA
SHALLA BAL
SHARON SELLECK
SHELLSHOCK
SILENT FOX
SILVER SURFER
SIMONE DEVOUVIER
SIR RASTON
SISTERHOOD OF THE BADOON
SKAGERACKRAKOR
SKIP COLLINS
SKOOKA
SKRAGG
SKRULL X
SLIGS
SORRENTINO GANGER
SPINERETTE
SSITH
STARDUST
STEM
STEWART ACHERON
ST'KR
STYGORR
SUE RICHARDS
SUE STORM
SUPER-SKRULL
SYMPIRA
SYRRH
TANAK VALT
TARANITH GESTAL
TARQ MARU
TAXTOR
TENEBRAE
TERNAK
TERRAX
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TEXAS TWISTER
THE HUNGER
THE PROFESSOR
THING
THOMAS GIDEON
THORAN RUL
THORNN
THROB
TINAC
TOMAZOOMA
TOMMY BOYD
TOP MAN
TORGO
TORQUE _ RICHARDS
TRADER
TYANNAN RACE
TYNDAR
TYRANT
UMBRA
UNI-LORD
UR-LINI
VAKUME
VALERIA RICHARDS
VANGAARD
VERTIGO
VICTOR VON DOOM
VIRTUAL REALITY
VORZEN
VRANX
WALTER COLLINS
WARHEAD _ FF
WARLORD MORRAT
WERNER VON DOOM
WHITE RAVEN
WILD ONE
WILDBLOOD
WILDMAN
WILDRUN
WILDSTREAK
WILLIAM SOKOLOWSKI
WILLIE LUMPKIN
WLADYSLAV SHINSKI
WYATT WINGFOOT
WYNONAH WINGFOOT
XALXOR
XIXIX
XUNANGUERO
YANCY STREET GANG
YARRO GORT
YETI _ (DOOM)
YETI _ (PRESTER JOHN)
YETI _ (SILVER SURFER)
YOGI DAKOR
YORAK
ZABYK
ZEAKLAR
ZEDRAO
ZIUS
ZORR
ZUNDAMITE
ARON THE ROGUE WATCHER
DIABLO _ (ESTEBAN DIABLO)
EGO
IMMORTUS
KANG
KREE RACE
MAGGIA
PASTE-POT PETE
RAMA-TUT
RED GHOST
RUUL RACE
SCARLET CENTURION
SKRULL RACE
THUNDRA
TRAPSTER
UATU THE WATCHER

There is also an undated addendum for further characters off the board that some may see relate to the Fox movie X-Men: Apocalypse.

NEWLY ADDED: Apocalypse, Gambit, Nightcrawler, Rogue and Shuma-Gorath

That last one is a Robert E Howard character who may or may not have turned up in the Doctor Strange movie. There may some legally unstable issues with that as well. Movie likenesses are also verboten in a series of additional guidelines.

Don'ts on the cards:
 NO Nazi symbols (this includes Iron Crosses, Iron Eagles, swastikas, etc.)
 NO zombie iterations of any Marvel character (including Zombie Deadpool and Headpool)
 NO nudity, blood, gore or over the top violence
 NO inappropriately dressed or suggestively drawn characters, even if that is the character's typically costume (this product should be appropriate for all ages, especially children)
 NO licensed characters (Rom, G.I. Joe, Transformers, or any other licensed property Marvel has done over the years)
 NO shots of any Marvel character smoking or drinking alcohol (Nick Fury, Wolverine, Tony Stark; feel free to draw them, but no cigars, cigarettes or alcoholic beverages!)

 NO movie or animated likenesses; Marvel will reject them wholesale. This means no reproduction of scenes in the movies, the actors staring in them or the costumes they are wearing.
 NO Realistic Guns. If you have to draw a character with a gun, make it a fantasy gun an nothing that exists in the real world.
 Guns can NOT be pointed at the viewer.
 No depicting Captain America holding a gun.
 No depicting heroes with a torn/distressed uniform/Costume

Do's on the cards:
 Show multiple characters on single cards. We sometimes showcase specific cards for a set. Doing this will dramatically increase your chances of this happening to your cards.
 For cards depicting a single character, half to full body imagery is preferred
 Cards should be in full color.
 You can use multiple cards to form a single scene (image). If you do chose to do this, please limit the amount of puzzles you do to no more than 10% of your overall cards. Also, please do not make any puzzles over 6 cards in size.
 You can use different media; we've had everything from colored pencil to oil paintings done on these. Just use spray fix before returning if you use a smudge-able media
 Be creative with recreating the reference material – it does not need to be an exact replica.

It's a lot to remember for $3 a card!

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