Cartoons that should've entered public domain in 2024 (but didn't)
Bottom row: Super Chicken, "George of the Jungle" (DreamWorks Classics) / "The Herculoids" (Warner Bros.) / The Mad Mod, "Teen Titans" (Warner Bros.)
It’s time again for my annual look at what comics and animated cartoons should’ve entered public domain as of January 1, 2024 under their original copyright terms… but didn’t, thanks to retroactive copyright extensions.
If you’re looking for the previous years’ posts:
The usual criteria
My usual statement about United States copyright lengths:
Under the copyright laws that existed from 1909 through 1978, works could be copyrighted for a single 28-year term, with one 28-year renewal allowed, or a total of 56 years. This was deemed sufficient for most of the 20th century. It also allowed for the creation of a large amount of the entertainment we still enjoy today.
If the former laws were still in effect, material created in 1967 would be entering the public domain in 2024. Instead, copyright lengths were retroactively extended in 1976 and again in 1998, thanks to heavy lobbying by Disney and other wealthy interests. As such, it’s now a ludicrously long 95 years for most corporate works, including “work for hire” creations; most movies and TV shows fall under this. For creator-owned works, such as this blog, it’s the life of the author plus 70 years. Thus, corporate works created in 1967 won’t enter the public domain until January 1, 2063.
Below is a list of cartoons created in 1967 that should’ve entered the public domain in 2024 under their original copyright terms.
Comics
For more, see Wikipedia’s 1967 in comics page.
Charlton
Punch and Jewelee
The Question
DC Comics
Aquaman:
Aquagirl
Black Manta
B'wana Beast
Deadman
Legion of Super-Heroes:
The Fatal Five (Emerald Empress, Mano, Persuader, Tharok, Validus)
Reflecto
Barbara Gordon (Batgirl)
The Mad Mod
Marvel
The Abomination
Banshee
Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell)
The Kingpin (Wilson Fisk)
The Living Tribunal
MODOK
Robbie Robertson
Ronan the Accuser
The Shocker
Comic strips
Mr. Natural (by Robert Crumb)
Woodstock from “Peanuts” (though not named until 1970)
Animation
For more, see Wikipedia’s 1967 in animation page.
Movies
Cricket on the Hearth (Rankin Bass)
Jack and the Beanstalk (Hanna-Barbera)
The Jungle Book (Disney)
Mad Monster Party? (Rankin Bass)
The Wacky World of Mother Goose (Rankin Bass)
Television
The Abbott and Costello Cartoon Show
Birdman and the Galaxy Trio
The Fantastic Four (1967 series)
George of the Jungle (George, Super Chicken, Tom Slick)
The Herculoids
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Moby Dick and Mighty Mightor
Samson & Goliath/Young Samson
Shazzan
Spider-Man (1967 series)
The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure
Super President
TV specials
You’re in Love, Charlie Brown (“Peanuts”)
What’s actually entering the public domain in 2024?
2024 will see some notable works entering the public domain, including “House at Pooh Corner” (which introduced Tigger), “The Man Who Laughs” (a film with a character that inspired the appearance of the Joker from “Batman”), and Cole Porter’s song “Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love).” Duke University’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain goes into further detail about everything entering public domain in 2024.
Obligatory “Mickey Mouse finally enters the public domain” comments
Of course, the biggest public domain story this year is Mickey Mouse. After decades of retroactive copyright extensions, no further extensions have been granted. (Unlike the 1970s and 1990s extensions, there’s now an organized opposition to such.) Thus, time’s finally up for Mr. Mouse, with the 1928 short “Steamboat Willie,” Mickey, Minnie, and its version of Pete entering the public domain. Two other early Mickey shorts are also entering public domain: “The Gallopin’ Gaucho” and the original silent version of “Plane Crazy.” (The latter’s re-release as a “talkie” came the following year.)
As I wrote in last year’s public domain post, this is the early version of Mickey Mouse that’s entering the public domain: a black-and-white character (no red shorts), no white gloves, and is less cute-looking versus his later incarnations. All of the later elements, from “Fantasia” (1940) to “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” (2006) are still under Disney’s ownership, until those too enter the public domain. For the rest of the core classic Disney short characters (collectively dubbed the “Sensational Six”), they won’t enter the public domain until: 2026 (Pluto), 2028 (Goofy), 2030 (Donald Duck), and 2036 (Daisy Duck).
Note the “characters with latter added elements” situation will come up again when superheroes like Superman and Batman enter the public domain in a decade or so from now. The “World’s Finest” heroes have had elements added to them continuously from day one. For example, while Superman debuted in 1938 (and enters public domain in 2034), you’ll have to wait another 21 years for his cousin Supergirl to enter the public domain (as she debuted in 1959).
Cory Doctorow outlined on his blog details of how others can use this early version of Mickey Mouse.
Conclusion
If not for retroactive copyright extensions, anyone would be free to use characters such as the Kingpin, Batgirl, Super Chicken, or King Louie as freely as King Arthur or Sherlock Holmes. Instead, you’ll have to wait until 2063 for said characters to enter the public domain.
I doubt there’ll be any future retroactive extensions. With Mickey finally entering public domain, the argument for offering such extensions to cover the early Looney Tunes, Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman is definitely weakened. Of course, things could change, but I’ll be cautiously optimistic for now.
As for 2025, next year will continue to bring more material into the public domain. 2025 will see the next prominent cartoon character enter the public domain: Popeye the Sailor (who was created in 1929 for the “Thimble Theater” comic strip). I note Olive Oyl, who was created in 1919, is already a public domain character. Still, Olive’s protected by trademark laws, and modern versions of her are still under copyright (a “Popeye” newspaper strip is still published).