Captain Thunder, soon to be Captain Marvel, on the cover of the ashcan copy of Flash Comics #1, the most famous ashcan copy publication.

An ashcan copy is a term that originated in the golden age of comic book publishing, meant to describe a publication produced solely for legal purposes (such as copyright), which was not normally intended for distribution. Image File history File links Captain Marvel in Flash Comics as Captain Thunder This image is the cover of an individual issue of a comic book. ... Image File history File links Captain Marvel in Flash Comics as Captain Thunder This image is the cover of an individual issue of a comic book. ... The Golden Age by Pietro da Cortona. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... To publish is to make publicly known, and in reference to text and images, it can mean distributing paper copies to the public, or putting the content on a website. ... Copyright symbol Copyright is a set of exclusive rights regulating the use of a particular expression of an idea or information. ... Distribution is one of the four aspects of marketing. ...

The word "ashcan" is an older synonym for wastebasket, trashcan or other garbage receptacle. The implication is that the printed material will go straight from the printer to the trash, which was often the case. Ashcan editions frequently contained unlettered stories, unfinished art or even just whatever wastepaper had been conveniently available at the time. The goal in making them was to get something out with the wanted title slapped on as quickly as possible so that the publisher could make some claim to having been the first in print if a competitor tried to publish a similar title.

One example is Flash Comics #1 by Fawcett Comics which introduced Captain Thunder (later Captain Marvel). This particular example of ashcan publishing was in vain, as a competitor had already beat Fawcett to publishing a "Flash Comics". Whiz Comics #2, the first appearance of Captain Marvel, the companys most popular character. ... Captain Marvel is a comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and now owned by DC Comics. ... The Golden Age Flash as created by Gardner Fox & Harry Lampert The Flash is a DC Comics superhero possessing super-speed. ...

Other entertainment industries have equivalents. The most famous film example is the 1994 version of The Fantastic Four, produced by Roger Corman, allegedly only to maintain the license to the property. The movie had a two million dollar budget and was not distributed. Film is a term that encompasses motion pictures as individual projects, as well as the field in general. ... The Fantastic Four is an unreleased low-budget feature film which had been intended for a 1994 release. ... Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American producer and director of low-budget films. ...

In modern comics, ashcans may be used as a promotion or as an inexpensive format for independent self-publishing. The term is sometimes synonymous with minicomics. A minicomic is a small, creator-published comic book, often photocopied and stapled or with a handmade binding. ...