Episode 61

full
Published on:

13th Nov 2025

Making Comics Legally Smart! The Business & Legal Side of Comics w/ Gamal Hennessy

Entertainment lawyer Gamal Hennessy joins Talking Comics to break down the business and legal side of making comics β€” from forming an LLC to protecting your intellectual property. Learn about contracts, copyrights, trademarks, and the four Rs of comic deals: Rights, Revenue, Responsibility & Recovery. Whether you’re a creator or fan, this episode will make you smarter about how comics really work.

πŸ‘‰ Follow Gamal Hennessy: @gamalhennessy 

🎯 https://www.creativecontractconsulting.com/

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✨ Special Mentions/Sponsors/Friends of the show:


πŸ‘‰Thank you to Amped Comics for partnering with us and offering you 10% off your order using code TCP10 https://ampedcomics.com/discount/TCP10


πŸ‘‰πŸ–¨ For your comic book printing needs please visit Allegra Travers City (Tell them AJ Sent You) https://www.allegramarketingprint.com...

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⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Intro: Comics Will Break Your Heart

01:00 – Meet Gamal Hennessy: Attorney for Comics

02:20 – From Marvel to Indie Law

06:50 – Can Creators Work with Lawyers Nationwide?

08:45 – When Should You Form an LLC?

11:30 – Funding Your Comic & Protecting IP

14:30 – Transferring Ownership into a Company

17:30 – Piercing the Corporate Veil Explained

20:00 – Red Flags in Comic Contracts

21:20 – The Four R’s: Rights, Revenue, Responsibility, Recovery

24:40 – Negotiating Power for Indie Creators

28:20 – Trademark vs Copyright: What’s the Difference?

33:15 – Using Comics & Characters Legally in Your Work

40:00 – Infringement Reality vs Real World Use

46:20 – Why Gamal Writes Books, Not Comics

49:00 – AJ’s Comic Journey & Lessons Learned

50:30 – Where to Find Gamal’s Books & Podcast

52:50 – Final Thoughts: Don’t Let Legal Fear Stop You

55:20 – Fun Rapid Fire: Favorite Hero, Comic, Universe & More


#TalkingComics #ComicBookLaw #GamalHennessy #IndieComics #ComicCreators #ComicBusiness #MakeComics #ComicPodcast #IntellectualProperty #ComicPublishing #lawyer #copyright #trademark

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Talkin' Comics Podcast
By Braha and Annakhan
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A.J. Reimann