Ashcan copy
Encyclopedia
An ashcan copy is a term that originated in the Golden Age of Comic Books
, meant to describe a publication
produced solely for legal purposes (such as trademark
), and not normally intended for distribution
.
for wastebasket, trashcan, or other garbage receptacle, intended for ashes from a fire. The implication in comic publishing is that the printed material will go straight from the printer to the trash, which was often the case. Ashcan editions frequently contained unlettered stories, unfinished art or even just whatever wastepaper had been conveniently available at the time. Their purpose was simply to justify the publisher's claim to a title, thereby preventing a competitor from publishing a similar title. Ashcans were also produced to demonstrate the publications to potential advertisers.
, which introduced Captain Thunder (later Captain Marvel
). Competitors had already published a Flash Comics
title, and created a character named "Captain Thunder", so the Flash Comics ashcan failed to claim those trademarks for the company, but it did establish a publication date for copyright purposes.
Similar practices are seen in other industries; a well-known film
example is the 1994 version of The Fantastic Four
, produced by Roger Corman
, made only to maintain the license to the property. The movie had a $2 million budget and was not distributed.
s.
Golden Age of Comic Books
The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...
, meant to describe a publication
Publication
To publish is to make content available to the public. While specific use of the term may vary among countries, it is usually applied to text, images, or other audio-visual content on any medium, including paper or electronic publishing forms such as websites, e-books, Compact Discs and MP3s...
produced solely for legal purposes (such as trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
), and not normally intended for distribution
Distribution (business)
Product distribution is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. An organization or set of organizations involved in the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption by a consumer or business user.The other three parts of the marketing mix are product, pricing,...
.
Origins
The word ashcan is an older synonymSynonym
Synonyms are different words with almost identical or similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy. The word comes from Ancient Greek syn and onoma . The words car and automobile are synonyms...
for wastebasket, trashcan, or other garbage receptacle, intended for ashes from a fire. The implication in comic publishing is that the printed material will go straight from the printer to the trash, which was often the case. Ashcan editions frequently contained unlettered stories, unfinished art or even just whatever wastepaper had been conveniently available at the time. Their purpose was simply to justify the publisher's claim to a title, thereby preventing a competitor from publishing a similar title. Ashcans were also produced to demonstrate the publications to potential advertisers.
Examples
One well-known example is Flash Comics #1 by Fawcett ComicsFawcett Comics
Fawcett Comics, a division of Fawcett Publications, was one of several successful comic book publishers during the Golden Age of Comic Books in the 1940s...
, which introduced Captain Thunder (later Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel (DC Comics)
Captain Marvel is a fictional comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. Created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, the character first appeared in Whiz Comics #2...
). Competitors had already published a Flash Comics
Flash Comics
Flash Comics was an anthology comic book published by All-American Publications and later National Periodicals . The title ran for 104 issues between January 1940 to February 1949. Although the name of the comic book was Flash Comics, the Flash was only one of many different series featured in the...
title, and created a character named "Captain Thunder", so the Flash Comics ashcan failed to claim those trademarks for the company, but it did establish a publication date for copyright purposes.
Similar practices are seen in other industries; a well-known film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
example is the 1994 version of The Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four (film)
The Fantastic Four is an unreleased low-budget feature film completed in 1994. Created to secure copyright to the property, the producers never intended it for release, although the director, actors, and other participants were not informed of this fact...
, produced by Roger Corman
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
, made only to maintain the license to the property. The movie had a $2 million budget and was not distributed.
Contemporary usage
In modern comics, ashcan editions may refer to promotional comics in the independent/self-publishing market. The term is sometimes synonymous with minicomicMinicomic
A minicomic is a creator-published comic book, often photocopied and stapled or with a handmade binding. In the United Kingdom and Europe the term "small press comic" is equivalent with minicomic reserved for those publications measuring A6 or less...
s.
See also
- Burning offBurning offBurning off is the low-profile airing of otherwise-abandoned unaired television programs, usually by scheduling in far less important time slots or on less important sister stations...
— related concept in television, in which canceled episodes are broadcast primarily to establish their status as having been broadcast - Television pilotTelevision pilotA "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
— related concept in television, in which a test program is created; however, a pilot may be created with a view towards using it as a legitimate episode