As the calendar rolls over to a new year, a few more classic cartoons and book heroes move into the realm of the public domain in the United States.
The buxom flapper Betty Boop; Blondie, Dagwood, and his enormous sandwiches, and children’s book heroine Nancy Drew – at least her early works – all become open for use without permission.
In the United States, an item is under copyright law for a maximum of 95 years. Once that maximum is reached, that item is placed under public domain where it is open for anyone to use.
Betty Boop first entered the public eye in 1930 as a part of the “Dizzy Dishes” short with a dog named Bimbo. It wasn’t long before she could be found tattooed on people, on bumper stickers, and plastered on T-shirts.
Recently she was the subject of a Broadway musical.
While the early images of Betty Boop are now in the public domain; owner Fleischer Productions has trademarked the character, meaning she won’t be available to earn a buck or two.
The cartoon Blondie first appeared in 1930 and can still be found in the funny pages of newspapers who still carry the comic section. She even appeared in a radio series and films.
When Blondie first appeared with Dagwood – and his namesake sandwiches – the duo were not married; but that changed in 1933. And while the cartoon strip carried Blondie’s name, Dagwood’s culinary creations were often the main topic of the comic.
In 2024 Mickey Mouse as Steamboat Willie entered the public domain. This year nine more of the early cartoons enter public domain. His dog Pluto (originally Rover) joins Mickey as a public domain character this year.
A number of literary publications – at least their main characters – become a part of the public domain this year:
Nancy Drew joined The Hardy Boys (who originally appeared in 1928) as teen crime stoppers in 1930 with “The Secret of the Old Clock”.
Magazine series detective turned book character Sam Spade enters public domain. He first appeared in book form in “The Maltese Falcon”.
Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple who first appeared in the book “Murder at the Vicarage” is now public domain.
William Faulkner’s “As I Lay Dying” follows “The Sound and the Fury” into the public domain.
And the bane of every elementary school child trying to learn how to read – Dick and Jane – are now in the public domain.
A few films enter public domain this year:
The Marx Brothers’ film “The Cocoanuts” entered public domain last year; this year it is joined by “Animal Crackers”.
Josef von Sternberg’s film “The Blue Angel” – a film that introduced the world to Marlene Dietrich
Bing Crosby’s debut film “King of Jazz”
Academy Award winning films “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “Cimarron”
Into old music??? You will no longer have to pay to perform or record these songs:
“Manhattan” by the Knickerbockers
“Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve seen” by Marian Anderson
“The St. Louis Blues” by Bessie Smith with Louis Armstrong