History BlandNameProduct / ComicBooks

** In the early ''Comicbook/New52'' era, [[ComicBook/GreenArrow Oliver Queen]] was reinvented as the head of a tech company called Q-Core. They made [[Creator/{{Apple}} Q-Pods, Q-Pads, Q-Phones]] and [[UsefulNotes/XBox Q-Boxes]], which were frequently referenced in other titles.

** 'The main story in ''Justice League Quarterly'' #6 revolves around a popular property-buying board game called ''[[BoardGame/{{Monopoly}} Land Baron]]'' with squares based on streets in Seaside City.

* A Franchise/{{Superman}} and Franchise/{{Batman}} story in the 1998 ''ComicBook/DCUniverse Holiday Bash'' has a flashback in which Clark was excited to get a "Captain Adventure" action figure for Christmas, with Pa Kent apologising that he couldn't get all the Justice Society costumes for it. This is a riff on Captain Action, an action figure that could be outfitted as various superheroes ([[CelebrityParadox including Superman and Batman!]])

** In ''ComicBook/TheNewTeenTitans'', Beast Boy had a brief career as a shapeshifting alien in ''Space Trek: 2022''. A later reference would suggest ''Franchise/StarTrek'' and ''Series/Space1999'' ''also'' exist in the DCU, and that ''Space Trek'' ended when the creators of those shows sued the production company.

** The ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' story arc about Superboy's return includes references to the social media website "[[Website/{{Twitter}} Chirper]]", the video sharing site "[[Website/YouTube Viewtube]]"... and, oddly enough, the real auction website eBay. "Chirper" has prominently featured since, including being used for PreviouslyOn pages in ''ComicBook/SupermanBrianMichaelBendis''.

** The ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' story arc about Superboy's return includes references to the social media website "[[Website/{{Twitter}} Chirper]]", the video sharing site "[[Website/YouTube Viewtube]]"... and, oddly enough, the real auction website Website/{{eBay}}. "Chirper" has prominently featured since, including being used for PreviouslyOn pages in ''ComicBook/SupermanBrianMichaelBendis''.

* ComicBook/UltimateMarvel
** In ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'', the search engine used by Peter Parker is called {{Goggle|sDoNothing}}. Which is, sadly, an actual website that infects you with all manner of spyware.
** ''ComicBook/{{Ultimatum}}'': The X-Men pass near a cinema with the image of a lion and a film named "[[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 The Loon King]]".
** ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'': The scene of Bruce Banner in Manhattan includes a sign that looks similar to ''Franchise/ThePowerpuffGirls''.
* Meanwhile, back in the regular Franchise/MarvelUniverse, the name "[=McBurger's=]" is used whenever someone needs to refer to a burger chain, and there is a frequently villainous oil company by the name of "Roxxon Oil". [[ComicBook/IronMan Stark Industries]] is their general replacement for Apple (so [=StarkPhone=] -> iPhone etc. and yes there is an app for everything). Franchise/MyLittlePony translates to Magical Pony Adventures (or rarely Pony Pals), [=YouTube=] to [=MeTube=], Instagram to Pictagram, Tumblr to Yamblr etc. (although in some cases they ''do'' use real brand names, such as Red Bull and Google). So does anyone want to guess what [[Website/TVTropes MovieTropes dot com]] is a stand-in for?
* ''ComicBook/MarvelAdventures: ComicBook/FantasticFour'' Issue #44 had Johnny leaving a Rick Donald's, while ''Marvel Adventures: Super Heroes'' Issue #8 had ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'' see a Wack Donald's among other things the first time he saw New York.
* [[ComicBook/{{Daredevil}} Matt Murdock's]] well-stocked tea cupboard[[note]]in issue 5 of the comic's third run[[/note]] contains boxes of Pwinings Ceylon Orange Peyol. Basically, the entire cupboard seems to be the result of combining a tea aficionado's [[UsefulNotes/TeaAndTeaCulture sensibilities]], a [[ShownTheirWork meticulous artist]], and the enforced avoidance of direct brand references.
* In the comic book adaptation of the 2007 ''Film/{{Transformers|2007}}'' live action movie, Sam Witwicky tries to sell his grandfather's glasses via "ePay". This continued in the later ''Alliance'' miniseries, which briefly featured two of the All Spark-animated robots from the movie; Dispensor, the Mountain Dew vending machine, was shown shooting cans of "Mountain IDW" (a ShoutOut to the comic's publisher), while the Xbox 360 robot was re-labeled a "Y-Box".
* In ''ComicBook/MonstersUnleashed'' Vol 2 Issue #8, the trope of giant monsters fighting {{Evil Knockoff}}s of themselves is {{discussed|Trope}}, as seen in the [[SarcasmMode classic monster movies]] "[[Film/FrankensteinConquersTheWorld Mechani-Goom Conquers the World]]", "[[Film/TerrorOfMechagodzilla Terror of Mecha-Gorgilla]]" and "[[Film/GodzillaVsMechagodzilla Zzutak versus Robo Zzutak]]".

* ''ComicBook/{{Archie|Comics}}'':
** In a story where Jughead eats at every restaurant in a 50-mile radius, Riverdale has a "Windy's" (Wendy's--The mascot character's just the same redheaded mascot with buck teeth.) And a "[=McDougals=]" ([=McDonalds=]).
** A well known fast food chain in the Archie universe is "Colonel Dandy's". Colonel Dandy is clearly a Colonel Saunders {{Expy}}.
** One comic was of Archie and his band taking part in a commercial shoot for "Burpsi-Cola". Weirdly, Burpsi seems to have a heated rivalry with the soft drink "7-Down", while in RealLife 7-Up is another [=PepsiCo=] product.
* ComicBook/{{Incandescence}} features "Happie Pigs" and "[=McRonald's=]" references in the first issue.

* German comic strip ''Ottifanten'' uses Würger King (with a W that looks like the arches turned upside-down), which is both this and a PunnyName (würgen = to retch).
* ''ComicBook/SinisterDexter'' mentions Website/{{My|Space}} Website/{{Face|book}}, among others. Also Basrtsucks Coffee, which could double up as an UnusualEuphemism.

* In ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim'', Ramona Flowers' phone is made by a brand called ''Samsnug''.
* The Drunken Bakers in ''ComicBook/{{Viz}}'' do most of their shopping at a supermarket called Adld. Not only does this combine the names of cheap supermarkets Aldi and Lidl, it also neatly sums up what the Bakers buy there.
* Similarly, ''ComicBook/TheBeano'' has Widl, which is a parody of Lidl right down to the logo.
* In ''ComicBook/TheMultiversity'', the stories of Earth-7 and Earth-8 are published in other universes by [[Creator/MarvelComics Major Comics]].
* The [[ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW Equestria Girls Holiday Special]] has [=MyStable=], a parody of Website/MySpace. Why they chose that instead of Facebook is anyone's guess, especially because you can still make a horse pun out of it (Facehoof is the most popular one).
* ''ComicBook/AvengersArena'' had Captain Britain refer to Facebook and Twitter as "Wastebook" and "Fritter". Doubly clever since it both gets around trademarks and gets across Captain Britain's disdain for them.

* Several ''ComicBook/DoctorWhoTitan'' issues include references to a "Prohibited Sphere" comic and SF bookshop in London (and, it turns out, extra terrestrially), a play on the main London location of the UK's Forbidden Planet comic and SF bookshop chain (which, incidentally, is owned by the same company that currently publishes the ''Doctor Who'' comic book.)

* Robbie Reyes, Marvel's latest iteration of the ComicBook/GhostRider, is referenced in an in-universe newspaper article as driving a "Dotch Charter." [[http://www.ksitetv.com/shield-2/robbie-reyes-ghost-rider-s-h-e-l-d-season-4/117181/]]
* ''ComicBook/AdventureTimeIceKing'' has a shop selling stereotyped punk fashion called "Lukewarm Subject", a parody of the real Hot Topic.

* ''ComicBook/MortadeloYFilemon'': Commonly for the lulz, a portmanteau of a well-name brand with some other unrelated word - "Pescadillac" combines luxury-brand Cadillac with "pescadilla", Spanish for whiting, which is not expensive. Sometimes only some letters are changed to ease a Spaniard's pronunciation.
* A Franchise/{{Superman}} and Franchise/{{Batman}} story in the 1998 ''ComicBook/DCUniverse Holiday Bash'' has a flashback in which Clark was excited to get a "Captain Adventure" action figure for Christmas, with Pa Kent apologising that he couldn't get all the Justice Society costumes for it. This is a riff on Captain Action, an action figure that could be outfitted as various superheroes ([[CelebrityParadox including Superman and Batman!]])
* In ''ComicBook/XForce'' vol. 1, there is the news channel SNN instead of Creator/{{CNN}}.
* In a Lew Stringer ''Magazine/DoctorWhoMagazine'' spoof comic strip describing the secret origin of ''DWM'' itself, Dez Skinn notices the Doctor's adventures are no longer published in ''Televisual Comic'' (''TV Comic'') and when Marvel try to make the Doctor into a superhero, he instead offers the idea to Wayfleet Magazines (Fleetway), publishers of ''Leopard'' (''Lion'') featuring Robot Alfie (Robot Archie), ''Coo!'' (''Cor!''), ''Foggy for Girls'' (''ComicBook/{{Misty}}''), and a just-visible comic with a giant snake on the cover (''ComicBook/WhizzerAndChips'' with Sid's Snake). Sadly, Wayfleet [[TakeThat miss the point even more]], wanting to make it either a war comic like ''Angry Battle Picture Weekly'' (''ComicBook/{{Battle}} and ComicBook/{{Action}}'') or a very young children's comic like ''Nicey Nice Stories'' (''Tiny Tots'') (and when it fails, they'll [[ComicsMerger merge it with an existing one]]), so Dez goes back to Marvel UK.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Silverblade}}'', Belinda drops the reel of film showing Jonathan shifting forms in his sleep off at a "Photomax" kiosk to be developed: an {{expy}} of the then ubiquitous Fotomat booths.
* ''ComicBook/{{Memetic}}'' is based on a deadly meme that turns people into violent psychos, so it heavily references the internet and social media, with sites such as "Stumblr", "Raddit" and "Gaggle" (Tumblr, Reddit and Google). Oddly enough, only the logos are modified, but the names in the balloons are the real deal.
* ''ComicBook/CaptainCarter'' #2 has a panel filled with UsefulNotes/BritishNewspapers reporting on Peggy's return, all with instantly recognisable mastheads but different names, including the ''Daily Herald'' (''Daily Mirror''), ''Londoner'' (''Metro''), ''Daily News'' (''Daily Express''), ''Business Times'' (''Financial Times''), ''Morning Sentinel'' (''Evening Standard''), and some not quite visible papers based on the ''Daily Telegraph'' and the '''i'''.
* The Marvel Universe has two versions of Nevada's Burning Man festival: the Colossal Exploding Man festival in Texas (seen in ''Comicbook/XForce'') and the Burning Tree festival in Utah (seen in ''Comicbook/XMen'').

* In the comic book adaptation of the 2007 ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' live action movie, Sam Witwicky tries to sell his grandfather's glasses via "ePay". This continued in the later ''Alliance'' miniseries, which briefly featured two of the All Spark-animated robots from the movie; Dispensor, the Mountain Dew vending machine, was shown shooting cans of "Mountain IDW" (a ShoutOut to the comic's publisher), while the Xbox 360 robot was re-labeled a "Y-Box".

* ''ComicBook/MarvelAdventures: ComicBook/FantasticFour'' Issue #44 had Johnny leaving a Rick Donald's, while ''Marvel Adventures: Super Heroes'' Issue #8 had ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'' see a Wack Donald's among other things the first time he saw New York. This close to being a BlandNameProduct/WcDonalds...

* Meanwhile, back in the regular Franchise/MarvelUniverse, the name "[=McBurger's=]" is used whenever someone needs to refer to a burger chain, and there is a frequently villainous oil company by the name of "Roxxon Oil". [[ComicBook/IronMan Stark Industries]] is their general replacement for Apple (so [=StarkPhone=] -> iPhone etc. and yes there is an app for everything). Franchise/MyLittlePony translates to Magical Pony Adventures (or rarely Pony Pals), [=YouTube=] to [=MeTube=], Instagram to Pictagram, Tumblr to Yamblr etc. (although in some cases they ''do'' use real brand names, such as Red Bull and Google). So does anyone want to guess what [[Wiki/TVTropes MovieTropes dot com]] is a stand-in for?

** ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'': The scene of Bruce Banner in Manhattan includes a sign that looks similar to ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls''.

* Depending on the writer/artist/era, a lot of Creator/DCComics, especially those aimed at teenagers (i.e., the "sidekick" books like ''ComicBook/{{Robin|1993}}'' and ''Comicbook/TeenTitans'') will have a number of these. Examples include "Sundollars" coffee, "Crocky the Dinosaur," Zesti Cola and its competitor, Soder Cola, the Heavy Stone Cafe, and, of course, "[=WcDonald's=]".

** In one ''Comicbook/JusticeLeagueInternational'' era storyline, Ice and Guy go on a date to see the "Ice-Capists" featuring the "[[Series/SesameStreet Poppyseed Street]] [[Franchise/TheMuppets Moppets]]".

** In ''Comicbook/TheNewTeenTitans'', Beast Boy had a brief career as a shapeshifting alien in ''Space Trek: 2022''. A later reference would suggest ''Franchise/StarTrek'' and ''Series/Space1999'' ''also'' exist in the DCU, and that ''Space Trek'' ended when the creators of those shows sued the production company.

** In the early ''Comicbook/New52'' era, [[Comicbook/GreenArrow Oliver Queen]] was reinvented as the head of a tech company called Q-Core. They made [[Creator/{{Apple}} Q-Pods, Q-Pads, Q-Phones]] and [[UsefulNotes/XBox Q-Boxes]], which were frequently referenced in other titles.
** "Verner Bros" was first mentioned as one of the {{Mega Corp}}s in ''Comicbook/{{OMAC}}'' (Creator/JackKirby was never averse to BitingTheHandHumor), then appeared in the mainstream DCU as the makers of the movie Comicbook/BlueDevil was appearing in when he got stuck in his devil suit. In ''OMAC'', Verner's opponents in the Corporate Wars were International Communications and Commerce, or IC&C. (Ironically, in real life, AT&T now ''own'' Warner Media.)

* ''Comicbook/{{Empowered}}'' has lots of this: "Website/{{YouT|ube}}oob", "Grant-a-Wish Foundation", you get the idea.

* A ''[[Comicbook/BobTheDog Horndog]]'' strip features a "Sharkie" marker.
* In ''Comicbook/ScottPilgrim'', Ramona Flowers' phone is made by a brand called ''Samsnug''.

* ''Comicbook/AvengersArena'' had Captain Britain refer to Facebook and Twitter as "Wastebook" and "Fritter". Doubly clever since it both gets around trademarks and gets across Captain Britain's disdain for them.

* A Franchise/{{Superman}} and Franchise/{{Batman}} story in the 1998 ''Comicbook/DCUniverse Holiday Bash'' has a flashback in which Clark was excited to get a "Captain Adventure" action figure for Christmas, with Pa Kent apologising that he couldn't get all the Justice Society costumes for it. This is a riff on Captain Action, an action figure that could be outfitted as various superheroes ([[CelebrityParadox including Superman and Batman!]])

* In a Lew Stringer ''Magazine/DoctorWhoMagazine'' spoof comic strip describing the secret origin of ''DWM'' itself, Dez Skinn notices the Doctor's adventures are no longer published in ''Televisual Comic'' (''TV Comic'') and when Marvel try to make the Doctor into a superhero, he instead offers the idea to Wayfleet Magazines (Fleetway), publishers of ''Leopard'' (''Lion'') featuring Robot Alfie (Robot Archie), ''Coo!'' (''Cor!''), ''Foggy for Girls'' (''Comicbook/{{Misty}}''), and a just-visible comic with a giant snake on the cover (''Comicbook/WhizzerAndChips'' with Sid's Snake). Sadly, Wayfleet [[TakeThat miss the point even more]], wanting to make it either a war comic like ''Angry Battle Picture Weekly'' (''Comicbook/{{Battle}} and Comicbook/{{Action}}'') or a very young children's comic like ''Nicey Nice Stories'' (''Tiny Tots'') (and when it fails, they'll [[ComicsMerger merge it with an existing one]]), so Dez goes back to Marvel UK.

* ''Comicbook/CaptainCarter'' #2 has a panel filled with UsefulNotes/BritishNewspapers reporting on Peggy's return, all with instantly recognisable mastheads but different names, including the ''Daily Herald'' (''Daily Mirror''), ''Londoner'' (''Metro''), ''Daily News'' (''Daily Express''), ''Business Times'' (''Financial Times''), ''Morning Sentinel'' (''Evening Standard''), and some not quite visible papers based on the ''Daily Telegraph'' and the '''i'''.

** In a story where Jughead eats at every restaurant in a 50-mile radius, Riverdale has a "Windy's" (Wendy's--The mascot character's just [[FanNickname Frecklebitch]] with buck teeth.) And a "[=McDougals=]" ([=McDonalds=]).

** The ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' story arc about Superboy's return includes references to the social media website "[[Website/{{Twitter}} Chirper]]", the video sharing site "[[Website/YouTube Viewtube]]"... and, oddly enough, the real auction website Website/{{eBay}}. "Chirper" has prominently featured since, including being used for PreviouslyOn pages in ''ComicBook/BrianMichaelBendisSuperman''.