Creating a cover for my comic

[L Jamal]

There is no filing required for TM, the filing is for the R.
Google TM vs R and read

[Stewart Vernon]

Originally Posted by Comics Commando

Yeah, you can't just change the copyright symbol to TM. When I was at Image Comics, there was a period where we had to wait for the proper legal channels to take their course until we could add the TM to our {MY} cover logos. I'm not sure whet the procedure is, but there is filing of paperwork and a fee of some kind, I think.

There is very little in common with copyright and trademark, except that both can be ad-hoc OR formally registered.

You can slap a TM on statement/logo/brand name as long as no one else already has a trademark on it. The R-in-a-circle can only be used once it has been formally registered.

Copyright, FYI makes use of the same C-in-a-circle whether or not you register.

As with Copyright... Trademark registration is not required, though there might be some limitations to damages you can sue for if someone violates your unregistered trademark.