Do you use non-fictional characters?

[otterlyhuman]

I usually stick to fictional characters in my comics, but occasionally I get an idea for a historical figure/celebrity/well known fictional character. Does anyone else use pre-existing characters or real people in their comics? I know it can get iffy with copyright violations and such, but I figure there has to be a way to do this without crossing that line.

Anyway, one of my last comics featured Alexander Graham Bell. A hamster version of Alexander Graham Bell, but still Alexander Graham Bell nonetheless. For anyone interested, here it is:

https://tapas.io/episode/1930891

[skicoak]

but I figure there has to be a way to do this without crossing that line.

I think it's a super thin line in general.

Usually the only protections you have as a creator to do so fall under parody law...so a hamster version of Bell is pretty safe. Lol.

[nathanKmcwilliams]

Nope. But my story is set in a distant distant alternate future.

[Pony_wearing_a_hat]

I don't really write about people who have been real, but sometimes I will tie them into stories rather than make them a character, for example, I have a story involving vampires and part of their history involves the actual actions of the real Vlad the impaler. Also there is a story involving time travel that has a character who used to have connections to the Washingtons.

[otterlyhuman]

Haha very good point, I doubt the estate of Alexander Graham Bell is going to sue me over this one.

[CttMaurice]

I have and I do, simply because of how the world of my stories work. The characters that I use are from medieval times and before then. One that I use is Gilgamesh the origin of kings and the other is King Arthur. There may be more but I still haven't introduced or decided how they will function in the world.

[TOTO]

..... Kind of (>.>)

And he took in a Fugitive Witch as if she was a lost cat, turns out she's incredibly lazy.

Chopin's Penny (A Love Story in History) | Tapas

[All_and_None]

I use a few historical figures and material.

Ubermensch | Tapas

[MeltingCORE]

I have! In my older novel "Mega-Egypt" I make reference many times to historical ancient Egyptian figures.