FAQs – Quotoons by Charlie Rubel

Permissions and Licensing

Licensing per comic is currently available through: The Content Exchange (TCE)

Please note: if you are licensing through TCE, the content can only be published unmodified with respect to the cartoon comic (image) itself, not the text of the blog article. We don’t care about the blog text, just the image. Thank you.

Licensing for a group or collection of Quotoons™ can be made directly through this website. Just use the Contact form and indicate you’re interested in licensing in the dropdown bar.

Also, please note: our Quotoons™ publication conditions.

Can I use a Quotoons™ comic panel in my book/presentation/classroom/blog post/social media post, etc.?

First of all, thank you for thinking of getting permission. Usage of my (or anybody’s) comic strip panels (or artwork) without permission is a copyright infringement. A lot of time, thought, creativity and energy go into every single one of my comics, so some kind of acknowledgement in the form of money or marketing exposure or whatever, makes the passion even more worthwhile. That being said, any reprint or licensing request that involves a money-making venture (i.e., you plan to use a Quotoons™ comic panel in a book, presentation, on a website, in a newsletter, blog, etc., that will produce income) will need to be expressly (written) approved, and may incur a fee for use. If this applies to you, please Contact Us to inquire about your specific situation.

Please note: In all cases, our implied or expressly given permission never allows altering the cartoon in any way.

Teachers & Educational Institutions/Churches/Nonprofits

Typically we allow people to use a Quotoons™ comic panel as long as it is not a commercial venture (i.e., you aren’t making money from it). If this is the case, then you may obtain a low-resolution copy of the comic you want to use by right-clicking on the image and saving it to your desktop.

If you need a high-resolution file for printing, or if you do want to use the image in a for-profit context, please Contact Us and we can discuss a nominal licensing fee to use the image and/or get you the image file you need.

Social Media Posts

Posting a Quotoons™ comic on a social media platform like Facebook or Instagram is allowed and free. Please make sure the original artwork is fully displayed and unaltered. A link back would be greatly appreciated.

When in doubt, please feel free to get in touch and include a few details in your message so we can assess your situation. Here are some examples of things we need to know:

Medium or type of publication are you requesting permission for
If a publication: Self-published or published by a mainstream publisher?
Hard copy only, digital, or both?
Target audience?
Projected first print run?

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How did you come up with the idea of Quotoons™ ?

I was playing around for a couple of months with the idea of creating a single panel cell cartoon. I’ve always preferred that type of comic strip. I had several concepts put together for a cartoon strip, but I wanted to do something unique and that no one had tried before. I was thumbing through a copy of Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations one day when the idea for Quotoons™ came to me.

How did you come up with the name “Quotoons™”?

My Dad coined it. After I did a couple, I asked my Dad what I should call them and he said, “How about Quotoons?”

Where do you get quotes?

Anywhere, everywhere. Whatever I hear or read that gives me inspiration and an immediate concept or idea. There are thousands of quote based websites.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Are quotes protected by copyright laws?

Idioms, proverbs, maxims, axioms, adages and aphorisms are typically not copyrightable (there are extremely rare exceptions). They are considered too brief to be individually copyrighted and most of the time they are many years old and therefore part of the public domain. According to the U.S. Copyright Office: “Titles, names, short phrases, and slogans; familiar symbols or designs; mere variations of typographic ornamentation, lettering, or coloring; mere listings of ingredients or contents” (recipes) are not protected by copyright.”

Quotes are copyrightable, but many of them fall under the “short phrases” exception, or the “common knowledge” exception. Quotes can also fall under the fair use doctrine (parodies), and sometimes they have already become part of the public domain. As a rule of thumb, almost anything older than 100 years is part of the public domain. Sayings or quotations that are not familiar, or facts that are not “common knowledge.” should be cited. However, it is not necessary to cite a source if you are repeating a well known quote such as Kennedy’s, “Ask not what your country can do for you . . .,” or a familiar proverb such as “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” Common knowledge is something that is widely known. For example, it is common knowledge that Bill Clinton served two terms as president. It would not be necessary to cite a source for this fact.

Quotoons typically target quotes that are in the public domain or where express written permission for use has been granted. If inspiration strikes and a Quotoon is created for a quote that is in question, then that cartoon is marked (NPD) and express written permission is in question or in progress. These cartoons are for display only and not for sale or distribution, until indicated otherwise.

The rights of others to their intellectual property is of paramount importance and we respect that in every way. Should you come across something on this website that you believe is in question, please do not hesitate to Contact Us.

How often do you publish new comics?

We currently redesigned our website ( September 2022 ) and are in the midst of republishing many of the comics back into the website, about one per day. When we catch up to where we left off ( at about 95 comics ), we will get back to publishing about one per week. If you want to see them all, just visit our Quotoons Instagram Channel.