The Original Popeye, Tintin, and More Works From the Roaring 20s Are Now in the Public Domain

2025 brings a slew of new titles now into the public domain – with some iconic titles on the list.

In the United States, copyright protection for works published before 1978 is 95 years. This means that starting January 1, 2025, the 1929 compositions and 1924 recordings will be available to everyone in the United States.

The Center for Public Sector Studies at Duke Law School has a helpful overviewbut highlights include Hergé’s appearance as an original Tintin character in Le Petit Vingtième magazine’s comic strip The Adventures of Tintin, The Carnival Kid (where Mickey Mouse spoke for the first time and donned his iconic white gloves for the first time), and Alfred Hitchcock’s first talkie, Blackmail.

The most notable character, however, was the original Popeye (who didn’t eat spinach to gain strength), who appeared in the Thimble Theater comic Gobs of Work, created by EC Segar. “Everything he said, all his characteristics, his personality, his sarcasm… was in the public domain,” said Jennifer Jenkins, director of Duke University’s Center for the Study of the Public Sphere. Tell NPR. “Spinach, just to be on the safe side, you’d better wait.”

January 1, 2024 See the first iteration of Mickey Mouse enter the public domainjust one day later Horror movie Steamboat Willie announced for release. Winnie the Pooh’s Tigger also entered the public domain last year, having first appeared in AA Milne’s The House at Pooh Corner in 1928. Tigger later appeared in Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2,sequel Rhys Waterfield’s child-ruining horror film. “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is currently in production.

But the year 2025 is of particular interest because 1929 was the first year of talkies. So it’s no surprise to see a number of Popeye horror movies already in the works. “Popeye the Killer” is one of them, as is ITN Studios’ “Popeye,” which is reported to be raunchy and gory. Maybe we’ll get Tintin in the next few years.

By 2026, works from 1930 will be out of copyright, including the earliest versions of Betty Boop, Mickey Mouse’s dog Pluto, teenage detective Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple.

Wesley is IGN’s UK news editor. Find him on Twitter: @wyp100. You can contact Wesley privately at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or wyp100@proton.me.