Mr. Layton:
I acquired a bunch of older comics from the '70s and '80s, and among them was Iron Man #134, a comic you co-plotted and inked. I was stunned and tickled to find a key scene set in New York's Playboy Club, not to mention a Rodney Dangerfield cameo later in the book.
I was planning on writing a flashback feature for my website (www.eyeoncomics.com), and I was wondering: did Marvel have to get permission to incorporate the Playboy Club and Dangerfield into a comic? How did the decision to include these famous elements come about?
Any information you can provide would be much appreciated. And thanks for a fun read.

Don MacPherson

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Dear Don,
Although I’d have to consult with my legal guru, Michael Lovitz, for the actual legal precedent, the understanding is that a one-time usage falls under the purview of “parody.” As you probably noticed when you read the issue, we never referred to any character by his full name. Since the Playboy Club is a public venue, it was fair game for any story, as long as it wasn’t portrayed in a bad light.
There have been several cameos by Hollywood celebrities throughout our two runs on Iron Man. Hell, for that matter, Justin Hammer was based solely on Peter Cushing’s likeness. Fortunately, no one came after us about that!
I’ll forward your email to Mr. Lovitz and see what the actual legalities are concerning one-time usage. I think that would be an interesting and educational missive for all of us.

Thanks for taking the time to write,
Bob