Happy New Year! On January 1, 2025, works of art, music, literature, and film from 1929 (or 1924 for sound recordings) will officially enter the public domain. This means creators everywhere are free to reinterpret, transform, or even satirize these creations without permission. Whether you aim to be irreverent or craft something truly beautiful, these newly public works are now yours to explore. Here’s everything you need to know about Public Domain Day 2025 and the treasures it brings to the creative commons:
What Is Public Domain Day?
For the past six years, January 1 has marked a symbolic “Public Domain Day,” celebrating the unfreezing of copyrights after a decades-long delay. Jennifer Jenkins, director of Duke University’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain, has been a key voice in promoting this annual milestone. This year’s additions include major works from literary giants like Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner, iconic films—including at least one by Alfred Hitchcock—and expanded access to the bibliographies of Agatha Christie and Virginia Woolf.
Of particular note are the original appearances of two beloved cartoon characters: Popeye and Tintin.
What’s the Deal With Popeye, Spinach, and Public Domain?
Popeye’s entry into the public domain opens up new possibilities for storytellers. Introduced in E.C. Segar’s Thimble Theatre in 1929, the surly sailor made an unforgettable debut in the strip “Gobs of Work.” When Olive Oyl asks, “Are you a sailor?” he famously retorts, “’Ja think I’m a cowboy?” From the start, Popeye’s personality was fully formed. However, there are limits to what creators can do with this early version of Popeye. Notably, his 1929 iteration didn’t rely on spinach for strength. Instead, his powers came from rubbing the feathers of Bernice the Whiffle Hen—a quirky detail that might challenge modern interpretations.
Thankfully, a loophole exists. According to Jenkins, a 1931 Thimble Theatre strip—where Popeye declares spinach as his source of superhuman strength—has already entered the public domain due to a lapse in copyright renewal. This means creators can blend the 1929 character with the spinach-eating tradition as early as 2025. But remember: other characters like Bluto (introduced in 1932) and Swee’Pea (introduced in 1933) remain under copyright for now.
Tintin Takes the Leap (in the U.S., at Least)
The beloved Belgian reporter Tintin is also entering the public domain—though only in the United States. European copyrights will protect Tintin until 2054, as his creator, Hergé, passed away in 1983. Tintin’s first adventure, Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, debuted as anti-communist propaganda in a Belgian newspaper. These early strips feature Tintin taking on Bolshevik terrorists, dodging bombs, and outwitting censors with the help of his faithful dog, Snowy. Despite its ideological slant, this early version of Tintin already showcases the adventurous spirit that has made the character a global icon. Creators in the U.S. can now craft new Tintin stories, whether faithful to the original or completely reimagined.
Mickey Mouse Talks (and Sings)
While Mickey Mouse’s 1928 Steamboat Willie entered the public domain last year, his evolution continues with more works unlocking in 2025. The Karnival Kid—in which Mickey first speaks (“Hot dogs! Hot dogs!”)—is now available for reinterpretation. Other entries, such as The Haunted House and The Skeleton Dance (the first in Disney’s Silly Symphonies series), also join the public domain. The latter remains a visually captivating masterpiece and a favorite among animation enthusiasts. However, Disney trademarks still protect many aspects of Mickey’s legacy. For instance, you might want to think twice before opening a “Mickey’s Hot Dogs!” restaurant—such ventures could still face legal challenges.
As Public Domain Day 2025 dawns, creators gain access to a treasure trove of works that can inspire new art, stories, and innovations. Whether you’re inspired by Popeye’s spinach-powered heroics, Tintin’s daring escapades, or Mickey’s early antics, the public domain offers endless opportunities to reimagine and reinvent beloved cultural icons. Here is a small list of what is now available;
Books and Plays
- William Faulkner – The Sound and the Fury
- Ernest Hemingway – A Farewell to Arms
- Virginia Woolf – A Room of One’s Own
- Dashiell Hammett – Red Harvest and The Maltese Falcon (serialized in Black Mask magazine)
- John Steinbeck – Cup of Gold (Steinbeck’s first novel)
- Richard Hughes – A High Wind in Jamaica
- Oliver La Farge – Laughing Boy: A Navajo Love Story
- Patrick Hamilton – Rope
- Arthur Wesley Wheen – the first English translation of All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
- Agatha Christie – Seven Dials Mystery
- Robert Graves – Good-bye to All That
- E. B. White and James Thurber – Is Sex Necessary? Or, Why You Feel the Way You Do
- Rainer Maria Rilke – Letters to a Young Poet (only the original German version, Briefe an einen jungen Dichter)
- Walter Lippmann – A Preface to Morals
- Ellery Queen (Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee) – The Roman Hat Mystery
Films
- A dozen more Mickey Mouse animations (including Mickey’s first talking appearance in The Karnival Kid)
- The Cocoanuts, directed by Robert Florey and Joseph Santley (the first Marx Brothers feature film)
- The Broadway Melody, directed by Harry Beaumont (Academy Award-winning Best Picture)
- The Hollywood Revue of 1929, directed by Charles Reisner (featuring “Singin’ in the Rain”)
- The Skeleton Dance, directed by Walt Disney and animated by Ub Iwerks (the first Silly Symphony short from Disney)
- Blackmail, directed by Alfred Hitchcock (Hitchcock’s first sound film)
- Hallelujah, directed by King Vidor (one of the first major studio films with an all African-American cast)
- The Wild Party, directed by Dorothy Arzner (Clara Bow’s first “talkie”)
- Welcome Danger, directed by Clyde Bruckman and Malcolm St. Clair (the first full-sound comedy starring Harold Lloyd)
- On With the Show, directed by Alan Crosland (the first all-talking, all-color, feature-length film)
- Pandora’s Box (Die Büchse der Pandora), directed by G.W. Pabst
- Show Boat, directed by Harry A. Pollard (adaptation of the novel and musical)
- The Black Watch, directed by John Ford (Ford’s first sound film)
- Spite Marriage, directed by Edward Sedgwick and Buster Keaton (Keaton’s final silent feature)
- Say It with Songs, directed by Lloyd Bacon (follow-up to The Jazz Singer and The Singing Fool)
- Dynamite, directed by Cecil B. DeMille (DeMille’s first sound film)
- Gold Diggers of Broadway, directed by Roy Del Ruth
Musical Compositions
- Singin’ in the Rain, lyrics by Arthur Freed, music by Nacio Herb Brown
- Ain’t Misbehavin’, lyrics by Andy Paul Razaf, music by Thomas W. “Fats” Waller & Harry Brooks (from the musical Hot Chocolates)
- An American in Paris, by George Gershwin
- Boléro, by Maurice Ravel
- (What Did I Do to Be So) Black and Blue, lyrics by Andy Paul Razaf, music by Thomas W. “Fats” Waller & Harry Brooks (a song about racial injustice from Hot Chocolates)
- Tiptoe Through the Tulips, lyrics by Alfred Dubin, music by Joseph Burke
- Happy Days Are Here Again, lyrics by Jack Yellen, music by Milton Ager (theme song for Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1932 presidential campaign)
- What Is This Thing Called Love?, by Cole Porter (from Porter’s musical Wake Up and Dream)
- Am I Blue?, lyrics by Grant Clarke, music by Harry Akst
- You Were Meant for Me, lyrics by Arthur Freed, music by Nacio Herb Brown
- Honey, lyrics and music by Seymour Simons, Haven Gillespie, and Richard A. Whiting
- Waiting for a Train, lyrics and music by Jimmie Rodgers
Use them wisely—or wildly. The choice is yours.
