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Fan Character Usage Guide
For keeping people in character.
Lately, I've been seeing a lot of fan characters used in sprite comics. I've asked several authors I know who use others' fan characters as well if they've given credit. Usually they have; I'm simply asking as a precaution, considering I'm not the greatest fan of art theft. However, what bothers me most is when someone uses a fan character incorrectly; that is, the comic's author uses the character in a way that the character's creator would find out of character. There are several other mistakes that people make when using fan characters (both their own and others'), so I'll outline a few guidelines to use if you decide to use fan characters in your comics.
First and foremost, if you will be using someone else's fan character, ALWAYS ask for permission to do so. Some creators (myself included) are very protective of their characters, and would prefer that their characters are not used at all except under special circumstances. Even if their sheet says that you can use them freely, still ask permission (if possible; otherwise, I wouldn't bother), just to be sure.
Secondly, regardless of whether or not the fan character is your own, it's best that you provide some kind of background information of the character. There's no need for this to be a wholly detailed bio of the character. It only need be a quick sketch. Watch out for other pitfalls though, such as fan character cliches (such as being as fast as Sonic, as powerful as Knuckles, or as mechanically sound as Tails).
My final advice for you today is just to stick to others' characters' bios. Keep all fan characters you use in-character. Putting it in perspective, say we were to use the game's bios for characters. Amy wouldn't ditch Sonic (no matter how much it'll make him happy) for, say, Knuckles. It's just not in her character to be stalking anyone besides Sonic. Putting that in perspective, let's not forget that some characters' creators (myself included) can get very angry if their character performs an action outside their normal realm of activity.
Keep these in mind when you make your comics.
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Remember, people, keep in character!
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