If you are wanting to use the names of these bands, then first that's a trademark issue if you're using the same names for characters in your story. If you were just using the names in passing, like if two characters were talking about their favorite bands, then that would be fine under the Fair Use clause of copyright law.

If you want to ask permission of a band to use their name or likeness, then you need to talk to their management and not the official website (in most cases). But honestly speaking if a band was interested in having their name being used in a Manga/Comic then they'd be more interested in a complete pitch where the band would be a center focus or theme to the story. Also they'd want a lot of details like a business plan and marketing strategies. These people are professionals and this is how they make their living, so you'd need to be really organized and details to even get their attention. I seriously doubt it's as simple as just filling out a form.

So I have to contact their mangers? How can I do that? It's not like I can just ring'em up... And whadda ya mean it's not as simple as filling out a form? How can it not be?

Yes I have dreams, and fate seems to place me among others with dreams like mine.

Honestly you'll just have to do some research on the internet to figure that out. Sometimes on the bottom of official press releases list that information (depends on what the press release is about). Also you could try checking with their Label and see if they have the contact information. When I did the interviews and articles on Avril Lavigne's manga, I had to go hunting for her management.

The reason I suspect that you can't just fill out a form to use their name because they're a business and would want something in reciprocation for using their name (It's doesn't have to be money exactly, it could also be something marketable for them like say exposure in a new market).

Also since they have to, by law, protect the use of their copyrights and trademarks they can't just let anyone use those same copyrights and trademarks. Their name reflects a brand and an image and they'd want to control how that was used. Publishers that do comics on copyrighted material (like say Star Wars), as to go through approval processes for basically every story they do that involves that copyright.

So it's hopeless... Even if I managed to get in contact, and ask for permission I'd get rejected.... Oh well that's to be expected anyway.... And I don't think what I'm doing is premoting the bands' images anyway.... You see Marilyn Manson gets turned into a demon. Disturbed is the name of a pale skinned half-demon, who was once human, who desires redemption.( I used the cover of "The Sickness" Album for inspiration for his design.) Slipknot is the name of a black skinned demon, with a blue mo-hawk, who's like Marilyn Manson's right-hand man, and Mudvayne is a clay-like shape-shifting demon.... And three of these characters all attempt to carry out the task of taking Luciami to Jerusalem... So yeah, I may have to wait to get this story published, because the odds are greatly stacked on me getting rejected, just like what happened when I asked Square-Enix for permission to use "The Key-blade" for my story "Dreamers' Star." They told me that they couldn't because they're not authorized to share their rights unless it's with a business partner. I'm surprised anyone even allowed to use copyright licensed material in spoofs with as protective, as the market is.

Yes I have dreams, and fate seems to place me among others with dreams like mine.

Is it really necessary to use those names? I don't know much about your story but it seems like those are just names that you feel like using because you know the bands?

With names like Marilyn Manson and Slipknot, they are pretty unique and I don't think you will be able to get permission to use them (if you actually intend on getting this published), but with say Disturbed, that is just a word, they can't have copyrighted that word being used as a name for anything, although if the character looks like the Disturbed character then you could have problems.

And Mudvayne just change it to MudVeign or MudVain or something like that and I would of thought you would be fine.

But again I don't really see why you need to use those names, I'm sure you could think up some original names that would work just as well and you wouldn't have any copyright issues.

I'm not using the names because I know the bands... It started out as experimentation... I created nameless characters, and gave them those names. Then I began to think how fun it would be to have these characters that spawned from experiments used in my story... But then I figured that I needed permission to use the names, so I set out in trying to contact them. As for Disturbed, and Draiman's designs, I really don't have anything to worry about that seeing as how they don't look like the sources of inspiration I used... Here are the links to how they look:http://hanyouyomi.deviantart.com/art/Disturbed-72487849

http://hanyouyomi.deviantart.com/art/Draiman-72494343

Hopefully the artist comments are helpful, and if all else fails with the attempt I do have other options...

Yes I have dreams, and fate seems to place me among others with dreams like mine.

So you created a nameless character based on the design of the Disturbed album cover then happened to give it the name Disturbed?

And ofcourse you are using those names because you know the bands... you think if you had never heard of Slipknot you would have thought "I know what's a good name for this character, Slipknot!". I think that's fairly unlikely to be honest.

Copyrights are there so ideas don't get stolen, which is essentially what you are doing. You have heard these names and decided you want to use them, when there is really no need to use them.
I think if you really do plan on getting this published, seeing as it is not actually about these bands, the public would take you and your comic a lot more seriously if your characters had their own unique names rather than ripping off bands names.

Again You don't listen... I have no desire to rip off the bands, This is just purely fan based. Which is why I desire permission. So is to get the okay go through with the whole darn thing, and not have worry about consequences... I dare say you even bothered to look at the art.... But if it makes you happy I'll change the spelling of the names if this doesn't work out...

Yes I have dreams, and fate seems to place me among others with dreams like mine.

If this is fan based, not intended for any form of commercial release, then don't worry about permission.

But... they're names are licensed I could get sued.... From what I understand fan based, Commerical usage, or otherwise without concent of the holder I could get locked up! I'm better off changing the spelling of the names if it doesn't work out. (Obviously I know very little about copyright liscensing, so if you could post a link I could read, or direct me to where I learn more about it, I'd appreicate that very much.... XD)

Yes I have dreams, and fate seems to place me among others with dreams like mine.

How have I not listened "again"? You haven't once said that you didn't intend to get this published or that it is only fan based until now. You expect me to read your mind?

If you don't intend to publish it or anything and it's just fan art then it doesn't matter, your not making any money out of it, you won't be selling it, barely anyone else will even see it so it really doesn't matter what you do or whose names you use.

And I did look at the art.

*Peels Skin off Of face* You're gonna have to forgive my ignorance, and my arrogance. That mind reading thing... Yeah, I do kind of wish we were capable of it... You see those four characters alone are fan based, not the entire story... but even with fan based characters I tend to change their design to have them look different.... I really can't give you a logic explaination as to why Disturbed's a pale skinned Hellspawn... But I can at least tell you how Draiman was born.... Of yeah, and I also neglected to mention "The Sons Of Plunder," or as they're also known because of their names "The Seven Sinful Sons Of Lucifer." They too are a long story... Their names are: Rage, Hate, Anger, Fear, Malice, Pain, and Agony. But yeah... Here's a link to the summary of "Princess Of The Damned,": http://hanyouyomi.deviantart.com/journal/

Hopefully you enjoy it, and again do forgive my.... ignorance! >.< *cringes*

Yes I have dreams, and fate seems to place me among others with dreams like mine.

im sure u dnt need permission?
because if you see loads of ppl use ppls names in movies n music
so im sure a game will be ok =]
if not give me the bill and il pay ok =]
*drools manson* =P
xx

*Listening to Indestructible by Disturbed*

I'm just covering my tracks with getting permission for my characters "Slipknot," and "Disturbed." Y'see I created them out of random way before I started writing Princess Of The Damned. Disturbed was born out of a mental scenario of a villain audition , as I used the cover of "The Sickness" album as inspiration for his design. And Slipknot's character I drew off the top of my head while in art class working on my theme book in 10th grade. So after looking at his design, I gave him the name "Slipknot." As for Manson... Well... I developed his characture based off of the many negative opinions about him, and of course Orochimaru from Naruto was a key influence on putting him in the story... Also I had a chance at meeting with Disturbed and Slipknot back in July when they came to Dallas to perform live, but alas I was unable to attend...

Yes I have dreams, and fate seems to place me among others with dreams like mine.