Written by Katherine Donahue
It’s 2026 and we’ve had a new crop of works leaving copyright and entering the public domain in the USA. This means a fresh crop of previously copyrighted characters can be used in your Graphic Novel Making Contest entry!
What is Copyright? What is the public domain?
Copyright refers to the laws that protect a creative work for a set period of time. Others cannot copy or adapt a given work (or its characters) without their creator’s approval during the time that work is under copyright protection. The amount of time after a creative work is published varies from country to country and often depends on when the work was created. Works automatically enter the public domain when they are not covered by copyright.
All creative works (except sound recordings) first published or released in the United States before January 1, 1931, are in the public domain as of January 1, 2026. Not all people or companies embrace the public domain. For example, The Walt Disney Corporation famously lobbied for extensions to copyright in order to protect their profits characters for decades.
Copyright law has been interpreted to say that only the version of the character that appeared in the cartoon/book/etc that year are in the public domain. For example, Mickey's dog Pluto is still copyrighted. However, the unnamed version of Pluto from the 1930 cartoon The Chain Gang is in the public domain. In a few years, the version that is Mickey's dog will enter the public domain.
Another example of how a character might be both copyrighted and in the public domain involves Betty Boop. In 2026, Mark Fleischer of Fleischer Studios insisted that the famous flapper is still protected. Instead, the CEO claims the specific iteration featured in the cartoon “Dizzy Dishes” is not the famous flapper. His claim that the character isn't Betty Boop might not hold up in court, but it could intimidate creators and stifle legal use of Betty Boop due to the threat of litigation. Regardless, the character that evolved into Betty Boop and was modeled to resemble a French Poodle is in the public domain and apparently starring in an upcoming horror movie.
The Year of the Detective
We’ve had several sleuths join the public domain!
- Sam Spade from The Maltese Falcon
- Miss Marple with The Murder at the Vicarage
- Nancy Drew in her first four books, starting with The Secret of the Old Clock
What About comics?
Did you know the Graphic Novel Contest starts in June? And…you can get started now! Some public domain characters you can use include:
- The Little Engine that Could
- An early, unnamed version of Pluto (the named version enters public domain in 2027)
- Blondie, as a flapper before she married Dagwood Bumstead
- Betty Boop (at least the version that appears in Dizzy Dishes)
- Flip the Frog
- Quick & Flupke
- Mickey Mouse (again) as he’s depicted in the newspaper comic
Our Graphic Novel Making Contest is Just Around the Corner!
The 2026 Graphic Novel Making Contest is coming this June! Many people have already started working on their ideas, and we hope you will consider submitting something too. There are a few rules creators need to keep in mind:
- Maximum 8 pages in length (single sided)
- Use letter-size paper (8.5x11”)
- Black and White drawings only (no color)
- No A.I. or clipart allowed (but drawing your own stuff on a tablet or computer is fine)
- Submissions that are not appropriate for a general audience are ineligible for award.
- No copyrighted material (public domain is fine!)
So, What Now?
Keep on creating! The contest starts on June 1st, but nothing says you can’t start now! We hope to see you at the awards ceremony!
Add a comment to: Betty Boop, Blondie, and Miss Marple enter the public domain!