What is the difference between a rip off and inspiration???

This is a battle that has been fought for centuries in the courts, over blood soaked battle grounds and probably even geek festivals (opps i mean comic conventions). Ive actually written an essay on the difference a year or two about my personal opinion.

Of course the Panther was a Phantom rip-off, but what I perceive as a major difference was ..... he didn't lug around a couple of 45.'s and didn't wear a big knuckle-duster to maim and disfigure the bad guys. Although I do seem to remember in at least one issue, he had a black panther on the end of a lead instead of a wolf.

I would think that having a variation of your comic being used for another character would signify that you have been successful and that others want to draw on your success.

Or they have no idea and nothing original and simply rip off your hard work for themselves.

Welcome to hollywood.

I was just as Camberwell record and collectibles fair and I saw some Australian mandrakes from the 1960s going for $30 in mint condition - I was quite surprised as I thought they would be worth no more than about $10-15 at the most.

They generally sell for ~$5-10 from eBay... when you can find them. The few I've obtained I would say are in VG condition, though I'm no expert at gauging quality...

Yeah, the one that I saw for $30 was in mint condition, and I already had it. But most of the others were probably only in fair condition and were about $10.

I think a lot has to do with what you are collecting them for. For me I collect them for reading purposes and then bragging rights and then money value. So for me condition is not as highly rated as for others. Did you buy the ones that were fair or you just stick to the three that you mentioned previously?

Well I originally bought whatever I could get my hands on, as long as they were fair or better. But these days I am in the position where I am slowly replacing some of these copies in not so good condition and I figure if I am going to replace them I should try to get them in as close as possible to mint condition.