Do you post your real name in your webcomic/website?

[momemordrid]

The source Ddraigeneth quoted made it sound like pseudonyms could be used with copyrights, even if you can't use a false name for other cases. It's just much more difficult to prove that it's you, is all.

People can also share the same legal names with others.

Truthfully, it sounds like it's more work to maintain a pen name, but I still prefer it over my legal name.

[Ddraigeneth]

People can also share the same legal names with others.

Exactly. Even including my middle name, there are other people out there who share the same name. Proving it's actually yours would be an issue regardless of the name you use, which is why you should always keep original drafts if you actually expect something to become an issue.

[Wingweaver]

I've decided to go the pen name route.As a person who likes my privacy,and as someone whose own name is not that great looking on paper,I felt that was the way to go.The first name(Freya)shows my interest in Norse Mythology,and the last name(Galbraith)reflects my Irish ancestry,which I'm quite proud of.(My actual surname is English)

[Jeremy Ray]

If you're small, no one cares. If you make it big, your real identity will be outed on Facebook, along with every picture you ever took with friends.

[Hyeya]

I simply prefer my privacy. I like being called weird names (a la Hyeya) rather than my real name. Not in real life of course, but over the internet it's just a lot nicer to me. I dunno. I think it's a personal preference?

Regardless, it depends on the comic. If it's something that I want to be very public, so that everyone and their moms and dogs can see it, I would most likely use my real name. If I'm more shy about it, be it subject matter, concepts, et cetera, I'll go under my internet alias. Overall, I just like privacy.

[dafrek]

Hi
I don't know if he has been mentioned before.
But Masamune Shirow is known as one of the most talented artist of his generation. (Dominion Tank Police, Ghost in the Shell, Appleseed...)
Though, being called Masamune sounds badass, this is not his real name.
His real identity can't be found, his face is unknown by the public and he doesn't have a real "biography".

There are other examples of famous artists who wants to stay anonymous.
But I suppose the people they're working for know their real name for contracts etc

[Ronin356]

If you're small, no one cares. If you make it big, your real identity will be outed on Facebook, along with every picture you ever took with friends.

You have a good point there. There are quite a few people who share both my first and last name. Even a few doctors!

I admit it. I googled my self. No get your mind out of the gutter! I mean used the internet.

[Kattlanna]

I don't use my real name for privacy reasons, so I just use my username, or not use any kind of name for the time being, until I can come up with a good pen name.

[inhuman-comic]

my real name is tied to my paypal address...so if people buy stuff to support the comic, they learn my name.
but otherwise, no, my real name's not on my site. just a pen name. i grew up when the internet was just making it large as a household thing, and it was drilled into our heads back then to never put your name or info online.

which is why things like facebook utterly boggle my mind.

[Jops]

While I don't really put any effort in hiding my identity, no, i normally don't use my real name.
Been going by the nick of Jops (or Jops556) since my first log-in on the net, over 10 years ago, to the point that it's being widely used even in real life. So i'm sticking to the nick, partly out of habit and partly 'cause, in most internet communities i frequent, it's actually easier to ID me than if i were to use the real name.

[walkin_talkin_apocolyps]

i used my real name i figured if i got facebook i cant get too much more stalkable so theres no harm innit >..>

[Mr. Henry]

I go with something that uses my name, but not fully(JM-Henry or Mr. H for example).

[2die]

You don't know the madness that would ensue.

Stalkers EVERYWHERE and the fact that the internet just made it easier to creep on people make me paranoid.

[Rehab Bunny]

Pen name.

I just need to figure out how to copyright my work under a pen name OR have a name trademarked to me? I want to self publish for full control over what I do.
As tempting as it is to have the author name Rehab Bunny. That's not it.

[adrilahan]

Pen name.

I just need to figure out how to copyright my work under a pen name OR have a name trademarked to me? I want to self publish for full control over what I do.
As tempting as it is to have the author name Rehab Bunny. That's not it.

If you're American: http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl101.html

I think I might be publishing my comic under a pen name, because unlike my sci fi novel, I think this project actually needs a more masculine name to have any shot at success if I print it and distribute it in comic book stores?