Marvel has announced a new project called Create Your Own Comic. You'll be able to choose from your favorite Marvel superheroes and villains, write a story, and design comic panels when the app goes online (you can register now). However, Marvel knows what can happen when you crowdsource any kind of creative content, so they have a few rules about what is not acceptable for the stories you can write, found in the Terms and Conditions. Actually, it's a long list, so here are some highlights from the list of no-nos.
“Content that could frighten or upset young children or the parents of young children.”
Prescription drugs or over-the-counter medication, vitamins, and dietary supplements.
Contraceptives
“Suggestive or revealing images,” including “bare midriffs”
“Sensationalism,” which is not defined but elucidated with the examples “killer bees, gossip, aliens, scandal, etc.”
“Obscenity, bad or offensive language” or “proxies for bad or offensive language.” E.g. no “X@#%!”
“Noises related to bodily functions.”
No politics, including “alternative lifestyle advocacies”
Death
“Misleading language”
“A copy or parody of current or past Marvel advertising creative”
Any “controversial topics,” including “social issues”
Double entendres
Any amusement parks that aren’t Disney amusement parks
Any movie studios that aren’t “affiliated with Marvel”
Guns
In other words, what you construct should not be anything like a Marvel comic book at all. Also, anything you write will become the property of Marvel and you can't share it. The project is starting off with more publicity about the restrictions than the possibilities, and we can't wait to find out how users will either flaunt the rules or find a way around them. Read more about the forthcoming Marvel comics app at The Verge. -via Metafilter