Last year, the first of January marked a historic day for the public domain, as Mickey Mouse finally joined it. Disney still has an iron grip over the mouse, but it was loosened slightly, as the version of Mickey that appeared in the Steamboat Willie cartoon was brought into the public domain.
Now, two other iconic characters join Mickey in Tintin and Popeye, both of which have been made a part of the public domain as of the start of this year. What does this mean? Well, in our space, likely some B-grade horror movies where Tintin is evil, for some reason.
It’s worth noting that only the original versions of the characters are now public domain, so you can’t put the spinach-eating Popeye in your latest creation. There are plenty of other things which have now entered the public domain as well, including Singin’ in the Rain, Walt Disney’s first five Silly Symphonies, and loads more. Check it all out here.