about
OCs you can "steal"...?
there is a common phrase when posting OCs online: "original character, DO NOT STEAL!" this can either be said genuinely, or as a joke (in the case of sonic the hedgehog recolors, for example). i wanted a place to post my OCs that i don't mind if people "steal"... so i made this website!
as of writing this, i don't actually know if other artists will be okay with releasing their designs into the public domain with me. in this particular moment in history, art is getting stolen constantly with no recourse for artists... so it makes sense to want to retain the rights to your creations as much as possible. OCs are a little piece of you, after all...
but sometimes... i just wanna make a little guy for someone to love!!! i want others to have some no-strings-attached fun building off of the things i draw, and even profiting off of them if they want to! that's what makes me happy i think... just being able to help others play around with fiction, because that's what i love doing too.
my dreams for this site
right now we're in version 1.0 of "OCs you can steal!" - hosting through neocities means it's a static site, so i have to create all the pages manually. there are javascript solutions for certain things (like the comment system), but it would be really cool if there were user accounts you could log into and submit characters through an actual portal, then manage the pages (and comments) on those pages yourself.
anyway, committing to figuring all that out depends on whether people find this project interesting or not...! i'm pretty busy with gamedev and whatnot, which means i would need a lot of help managing the fully-formed version of this site. i just find the idea of it very inspiring, so i wanted to create the small and simple version right away.
speaking of gamedev, i think it would be wonderful if people created games using the characters found here. i'll be submitting lots myself, so please use them in your stories! i want to make some small games, too!!
if nothing else, i hope this site will encourage people to have fun drawing some new OCs. whether you decide to submit them, or keep them to yourself, i will be happy if you find a new character to love somewhere among these pages. thanks for reading!
FAQ
what can the characters here be used for?
- games!
- comics!
- your new sona!
- or vtuber avatar!
- anything else you want, really... they're free!!!
how can i participate?
there's all sorts of ways to join in the fun!
- add character prompts to the idea pool on the homepage
- leave a comment on a character page you like
- draw and submit your own OC via the submission page
- or use the OCs here as part of your own projects!
there is no discord server at this time, but i wouldn't mind if people organized their own. maybe i can at least make a forum someday... stay tuned for updates (in the distant future, probably)
what does public domain mean?
the characters here are shared under the CC0 license, which means:
- anyone can modify (or add on to) the work
- anyone can profit off the work
- you don't have to credit the creator
- you don't have to ask permission to use it either
in other words, it's the "no right reserved" license. public domain means it belongs to everyone, so there is potential for people to use your work in a way you don't agree with. please be cautious of that if you're considering submitting your own OC.
a well-known example of a work in the public domain is alice in wonderland. anyone can make their own version of alice! i want people to be able to make their own versions of all the characters here, too.
why CC0 and not some other license?
the purpose of this site is to encourage people to have fun drawing character designs that are free for others to play around with however they like. i think there's less pressure that way--you don't need to worry about making the perfect character, because it won't be "yours" at the end of the day. instead, it'll belong to everyone!
the way i think of it is like making a gift design for someone... except the recipient is a complete stranger, and the gift can go to many people at once! that's what appeals to me about CC0. each design can become a vessel for collective storytelling... anyone who adds to the character's story can call it theirs!
if you're considering submitting your own OCs here, please check the creative commons website to make sure CC0 is right for your character. (i don't want anyone who submits their characters here to regret it...!)
what is your AI policy?
drawings created by generative AI are not allowed on the site. it goes against my mission, which is to encourage people to practice drawing for fun.
i've taken steps to protect against AI-scraping of this website so that the designs here hopefully won't end up being used as training data for them... but the art here is public domain, so they would actually have the right to use it. but honestly, posting your art online at all will risk it being stolen by someone--this has been true for as long as the internet has existed. i choose to not let it bother me, because i prefer to be able to freely post my art no matter what might happen to it.
you might have different feelings on the matter... so if you're worried about AI, just don't submit your art here. simple as that!
if i give up the rights to my character, can i still use them myself?
of course! the cc0 license just means anyone can use them... that includes you.
i can't draw. can i submit a text description of a character instead?
you can do that by adding to the idea pool on the homepage! if an artist feels inspired by your idea, they might submit an OC based on it. (i know i will be checking the idea pool when i want to draw a new OC...!)
i really like a particular OC... can i commission the artist to draw more for me?
assuming that artist is open for commissions, yes!!!! i would love it if some artists picked up new clients through this site. it may even have been my secret mission all along... hehehe.
i drew fanart of one of the designs. where can i share it?
NICE!!! you can leave a comment on that character's page with a link to your fanart, that way everyone will see it! i want to add a fanart section to all the pages if i can... and link to projects the characters are used in... it would be so fun... (please help my dream come true lol)
who runs this site?
hi, i'm NomnomNami! i make indie games, and designing cute characters is my favorite thing. please make cute characters with me. i would love to see them!
if you have any other questions, feel free to contact me! i might even add the answer to this FAQ :)