That's interesting... of course, that last time I kept close track was in the early 90's. Marvel used to be every bit much a stickler as DC. Guess they must have relaxed a bit. Image is pretty strict on likenesses and tradmarks being used commercially - considering how and why McFarlane started Image in the first place, I can't really blame him for protecting his copyrights zealously. On the other hand, he's one of the nicest people, and he's usually responsive to inquiry's on use of his characters. [According to trade rumour at least] Still seems to come down to that in the use of a non trademarked free item [clothes, hair, props] in a rendered image for a project, asking permission is more courtesy than requirement. It's the redistribution or resale of the item itself as part of a commercial collection that falls well out of the gray and into the red zone. Giving away a prop and saying it can't be used in images make the item about useless.

"I am a good person now and it feels... well, pretty much the same as I felt before (except that the headaches have gone away now that I'm not wearing control top pantyhose on my head anymore)"

• Monkeysmell