What belongs at the beginning of your book? Brad and Dave discuss whether an anti-AI statement offers creators any meaningful protection, break down the information that belongs on a copyright page, and explore the many ways cartoonists can approach the first page of a story or chapter. The best opening isn’t determined by a universal rule—it should establish the right expectations, reflect the story you’re telling, and give readers a reason to keep going.

Topics include:

• Skunk Watch 2026
• Do anti-AI statements offer creators legal protection?
• Why a standard copyright notice may already cover AI training
• The difference between creating, declaring, and registering a copyright
• What information belongs on a copyright page
• Copyright and trademark ownership
• When to use ™ and when to use ®
• Print location, printing numbers, and edition information
• ISBNs and Library of Congress numbers
• Combining copyright, title, credit, and dedication pages
• Should a comic begin with a splash page?
• Does the main character need to appear on page one?
• Using the opening page to establish tone and make a promise to the reader
• Why different stories require different kinds of openings
• Brad’s two-page system for beginning a new Evil Inc chapter
• Creating separate covers for SFW and NSFW editions
• Using chapter openers as archive markers, promotional art, and production buffers
• Dave’s approach to prologues, chapter openings, and world-building vignettes
• The difference between the first page and the first chapter
• ComicLab LIVE at the National Cartoonists Society Reuben Awards