Surfers and skaters across San Diego and beyond have a name for the young and inexperienced among them: grommets. The term, along with its sidekicks “grom” and “gremmie,” dates back several generations — a nod to the teenagers who perennially emerge in the world of extreme sports and prove they’re still be learning the crafts and culture. To Mark-Robert Bluemel, a San Diego attorney who grew up in the surfing community, grommets are earnest and helpful, loyal and wholesome. When not practicing law, Bluemel wrote a series of books called “The Grommets.” The books center on three boys named Buzz, Oz and Jimbo whose surf adventures and mysteries lead to teachable moments and practical life lessons. Bluemel trademarked his series title in 2008, following the publication a year earlier of his first book, “The Grommets: The Secret of Turtle Cave.” He produced a follow-up book, “The Grommets: Big Island Justice,” in 2013 and he expects to publish the third installment, “The Grommets: Toxic Tides,” in the next several months. But the San Diego surfer and lawyer recently discovered that last year a major publisher began distributing a graphic-novel series by Richard Remender and others with nearly the same name. The series from Image Comics, called simply “Grommets,” features two best friends and outcasts who are far different from Bluemel’s heroes. Now he’s embroiled in a legal dispute over the term that spans two federal courts. “Rather than promoting the values of courage, respect and integrity central to The Grommets stories, the infringing work distorts those elements into a coarse and profane parody that glorifies violence, drug use and sexual misconduct,” Bluemel’s October lawsuit says. “The result is a work that misappropriates (the) plaintiff’s creative framework while stripping it of its positive moral foundation,” he added. Both series are marketed on online platforms like Amazon and Barnes Noble, generating a conflict between the two brands — and, according to Bluemel, a trademark infringement. Mark-Robert Bluemel, a lawyer and a surfer, has written a series of young adult books based on a trio of kids he calls the Grommets, shown here on Dec. 21, 2025, in San Diego. Bluemel, who copyrighted his creation in 2008, is involved in a legal battle with another publisher using the same name. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune) The San Diego lawyer characterizes the dispute as a David-versus-Goliath scrum, pitting himself against the third-largest comics publisher in the world. Lawyers for Image Comics and other defendants in the San Diego federal court case did not respond to requests for comment about the dispute. But they went on the offensive in July, suing Bluemel in Washington state. The company is asking a judge in western Washington to declare that it did not infringe on Bluemel’s trademark and to direct the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel its registration of “The Grommets.” “Bluemel does not own any valid and enforceable trademark rights in his asserted mark giving him exclusive right to use the generic word ‘Grommets,’” the lawyers wrote in their Washington state case. “The wording is generic and/or so highly descriptive for the covered goods, and thus not protectible,” they added. Bluemel responded by filing his own lawsuit, naming not only Image and Remender but also co-creators Brian Posehn, Brett Parson and Moreno Dinishio. The Image Comics series was introduced in 2024. But Bluemel did not learn about the graphic novels until earlier this year, when they were included in a showcase hosted by the publisher at Comic-Con in San Diego. The “plaintiff promptly acted upon discovering the infringement, sending notice violation of plaintiff’s rights the The Grommets trademark and a cease-and-desist (letter) in July 2025,” Bluemel wrote in his complaint. His notice, dated July 11, advised Image Comics of the alleged trademark violation and demanded it stop marketing its own “Grommets” novels, destroy the remaining inventory and provide an accounting of its profits. Bluemel also said he was willing to negotiate a licensing deal “under appropriate terms and conditions.” Instead, Image Comics filed its federal lawsuit in Washington later that month, arguing Bluemel’s trademark was invalid and asking a judge to declare it void. “A ‘grommet’ is a commonly used term for a young up-and-coming skater or surfer,” the lawsuit said. “Since the 1960s, it has been used to describe the next generation of kids who, with youthful exuberance, love the sport but want to put their own spin on it.” But Bluemel finds the alleged infringement particularly damaging because the Image Comics books contain graphic depictions of profanity, violence, drug use and other content he says is inconsistent with the wholesome nature of his books. “This juxtaposition tarnishes my mark and risks misleading parents, educators, readers and retailers into believing that I am associated with or endorse Image Comics’ content,” he said by email. Bluemel also said the decision by Image Comics to file their claim in Washington state was a calculated legal maneuver, not a legitimate choice of courts. “Neither I nor the alleged infringing conduct has any meaningful connection to Washington state,” he said. “I do not live there, I do not conduct business there and I have never purposefully directed activities toward Washington residents.” According to court records, that lawsuit is awaiting a ruling from the Washington judge on Bluemel’s request that it be dismissed. In the meantime, records in San Diego federal court show that Image Comics and the other defendants filed a motion earlier this month challenging the legal service of the lawsuit. If granted, the local case would need to start anew. ...read more read less