A perfect product for all superheroes... and for those of us who just fantasize too... :)

Do you know the story of Joe Sugarman's Batman credit cards?

In the midst of the Batman craze in the mid-1960s, Joe Sugarman had the idea to create some Batman "credit cards" as a novelty item, to cash in on the craze.

But to make a long story short.... He had trouble getting final approval - AFTER the cards were already created - and he lost his shirt.

Well..... Someone has resurrected a related idea.... Actually, these are BUSINESS CARDS. You can have a "Superhero" business card made up - with you as a Superhero!

Believe it or not, this company is expected to gross over $1 million this year.... Check out their web site at www.superherocards.com ....

And here's a short article about this company too.... http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=5799

I guess some "off-the-wall" business ideas CAN sometimes work!

- Dien

Great Promo Idea.

I see the guy has a "copyright" on his drawings and is "seeking" a patent BUT...what if you were to come up with YOUR OWN DESIGNS...your own drawings
and....
instead of having an artist draw faces and put them on the bodies...
why not INSERT the photo of the faces on top of the graphic body?

In 1985 I sold Photo Business Cards when they first came out and one creative guy actually RENTED a Superman costume from a rental place and had me take a photo of him entering a PHONE BOOTH.

I SHOULD have gotten the idea for "SuperHero Cards"...THEN!

See...how NOT being as observant as you should be how you can miss something?

I SHOULD have picked up on that idea THEN.

Oh well...hind sight.

I'm wondering if there is some Clip Art with SuperHero bodies that could be used on cards and overlay the faces.

The creator may be able to get a "design" patent on HIS design but...I don't see how you can get a patent on a business card and prevent anyone else from using a cartoon character's body with a real person's head.

Don Alm

> Do you know the story of Joe Sugarman's
> Batman credit cards?

> In the midst of the Batman craze in the
> mid-1960s, Joe Sugarman had the idea to
> create some Batman "credit cards"
> as a novelty item, to cash in on the craze.

> But to make a long story short.... He had
> trouble getting final approval - AFTER the
> cards were already created - and he lost his
> shirt.

> Well..... Someone has resurrected a related
> idea.... Actually, these are BUSINESS CARDS.
> You can have a "Superhero"
> business card made up - with you as a
> Superhero!

> Believe it or not, this company is expected
> to gross over $1 million this year.... Check
> out their web site at
> www.superherocards.com ....

> And here's a short article about this
> company too....
> http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=5799
> I guess some "off-the-wall"
> business ideas CAN sometimes work!

> - Dien




Some of my home-based businesses

Hi Don,

> I see the guy has a "copyright" on
> his drawings and is "seeking" a
> patent BUT...what if you were to come up
> with YOUR OWN DESIGNS...your own drawings
> and....
> instead of having an artist draw faces and
> put them on the bodies...
> why not INSERT the photo of the faces on top
> of the graphic body?

Don, that's a great idea! :)

I agree with you though.... You usually cannot copyright or patent an IDEA. So as long as you don't copy his design, and come up with your own design, you should be able to legally use the general superhero business-card idea, to my understanding....

(I'm not a patent lawyer though, so do not take this as legal advice.)

> In 1985 I sold Photo Business Cards when
> they first came out and one creative guy
> actually RENTED a Superman costume from a
> rental place and had me take a photo of him
> entering a PHONE BOOTH.

> I SHOULD have gotten the idea for
> "SuperHero Cards"...THEN!

> See...how NOT being as observant as you
> should be how you can miss something?

> I SHOULD have picked up on that idea THEN.

> Oh well...hind sight.

> I'm wondering if there is some Clip Art with
> SuperHero bodies that could be used on cards
> and overlay the faces.

I don't know if there is, but I'm sure commissioning some art work would probably not be too expensive.... (Though I haven't looked into it myself yet.)

> The creator may be able to get a
> "design" patent on HIS design
> but...I don't see how you can get a patent
> on a business card and prevent anyone else
> from using a cartoon character's body with a
> real person's head.

I agree with you, I think anyone can use the idea, as long as you don't copy his precise design....

There could be other related products too, perhaps? Letterheads? Greeting cards? Family albums? Hmmmm.... :)

Maybe there are other things you can use instead of a superhero? Bill yourself as a King or Emperor, with a picture of yourself with a crown and sceptre, perhaps? Or (to tie in with Harry Potter AND The Lord of the Rings) you could have yourself as a WIZARD? Hmmm....

Thanks Don, you've got my brain working.... :)

- Dien

> I don't know if there is, but I'm sure
> commissioning some art work would probably
> not be too expensive.... (Though I haven't
> looked into it myself yet.)

It's not that expensive, no. The price the person is giving also includes the price to turn your photo into a caricature of your face and draw it on top of the body.

> There could be other related products too,
> perhaps? Letterheads? Greeting cards? Family
> albums? Hmmmm.... :)

> Maybe there are other things you can use
> instead of a superhero? Bill yourself as a
> King or Emperor, with a picture of yourself
> with a crown and sceptre, perhaps? Or (to
> tie in with Harry Potter AND The Lord of the
> Rings) you could have yourself as a WIZARD?
> Hmmm....

Bwahahahahaa!!!! Oh man! Do I have an idea!!! And it's gonna WORK like CRAZY for a convention (comic book convention) that I'm going to in January!!!

WOOOOHOOOO!! (I love this board!)

> It's not that expensive, no. The price the
> person is giving also includes the price to
> turn your photo into a caricature of your
> face and draw it on top of the body.

> Bwahahahahaa!!!! Oh man! Do I have an
> idea!!! And it's gonna WORK like CRAZY for a
> convention (comic book convention) that I'm
> going to in January!!!

Hey, Mel. You sure have got me curious. And, btw, I'm an avid comic reader/collector myself and have been for close to 30 years.

> WOOOOHOOOO!! (I love this board!)