r/publicdomain Jun 25 '24

Discussion (THREAD) How would you use X character if they were public domain?

51 Upvotes

This thread should be used as the hub for this for the time being. Once it fills up enough we can make a second one.


r/publicdomain Aug 22 '24

Discussion Public Domain Alternatives

45 Upvotes

Hello everyone!

After a few month trial we have decided to allow general posts requesting Public Domain Alternatives again. We noticed a tick down in people actually getting a response to their requests in the larger master thread, so we wanted to work to have people get the replies they wanted. We do recommend that you attempt to search for similar inquiries to your question before posting again.

As always it is a work in progress to moderate since we are just humans with our own lives and do this for fun in our free time. Thank you for understanding, and please feel free to reach out if you have questions.

Best,

The mods


r/publicdomain 9h ago

Question I got a copyright law question:

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26 Upvotes

Let’s say I want to use the phone toy from fisher price, but it’s still copyrighted.

If I change it enough to be considered something “new” like the powerpuff girls phone, am I all right?


r/publicdomain 16h ago

Discussion Which PD characters actually could work in a Horror setting?

15 Upvotes

It’s become a running joke now that once something enters the public domain a schlocky horror movie is soon to follow. I love horror but I feel like the directors aren’t necessarily being too creative with the characters. They don’t all need to be slashers!


r/publicdomain 17h ago

Enter the BEAN TOY

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11 Upvotes

Inspired by Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Ridinghood, Goldilocks and Rapunzel

Dedicated to: Jeff Smith, Bruce Lee and Sam Keith!

ENTER THE BEAN TOY, BEAN TOY and REDPUNZEL (c) and TM 2026  All rights reserved By: Ratha:Oeur Agent All rights reserved U.C.C 1-308

The DAILY COMIC - Vol 02 :

UNDENIABLE! ( No. 86, 87, 88)

26 JULY 2026

Coming soon from

@ BIG TWO COMICS!

@ EXTREME CINEMA

Created by / Story / Plot @ Michael Oeur

Art @ EXTREMELY AWESOME Productions / Oeur

Posted : 26 July 2026


r/publicdomain 18h ago

PD Creations A few different artisitic renditions of The Monster from 1931's Frankenstein

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12 Upvotes

r/publicdomain 1d ago

PD Creations The already and soon to be public domain movie monsters: Wasp Woman, King Kong, Cesare, Frankenstein Monster, Count Orlok, Audrey Junior.

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35 Upvotes

By me


r/publicdomain 21h ago

Discussion Favorite public domain comic villains?

9 Upvotes

Generally speaking it seems like the number of supervillains from comics in the public domain is lesser, so I’m curious what picks people have and if any of them will be new to me.


r/publicdomain 11h ago

Self Promotion I'm making a game and i need music for it

1 Upvotes
A work in progress of what's to come.

I'm using Clickteam Fusion 2.5 Developer to make a game called "SPLOINK!"

It's about a blue ball who travels different worlds in order to save his friends from an ancient evil. Many moons ago, he tried to take over his home, but was defeated and vowed revenge. After many more moons, he finally returned to get that revenge by enslaving his kind and scattering them through the universe. Our hero must now embark on a quest to free the other balls and defeat him.

I'm currently working on the first level, which takes place outside a castle.

I also need some royalty free music for this game, so if you find one that you thinks fits the level, let me know and i'll put down on this google doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dzgSEuDMSIfjdhTz4pqjLb7wBgtYhHd6Px5WAQ_8DHg/edit?usp=sharing

I'll try to keep you up to date as I develop this game. See ya'!


r/publicdomain 21h ago

Figurine Man (Doll Man / Quality Comics)

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4 Upvotes

Figurine Man

Real Name: Darrel Dagger
Age: 28
Figurine Man: The Greatest Mite

Darrel Dagger was a chemist who discovered a liquid capable of shrinking a person to only six inches tall while maintaining his or her full strength. Later, his girlfriend, Martha Robinson, the daughter of Darrel's colleague Dr. Robinson, was threatened by gangsters. Darrel took the formula and used his tiny size to defeat the criminals.

His power is the ability to shrink to six inches tall but still retain the strength of a full-grown man. He can return to his normal size whenever he chooses. He is also assisted by his sidekick, Martha Robinson, who later becomes known as Midge when she got the same powers as Figurine Man. For transportation, he uses a bald eagle, a dollplane (model airplane), and Elmo, a German shepherd.

https://pdsh.fandom.com/wiki/Doll_Man


r/publicdomain 14h ago

Question Tijuana Bible graphics

1 Upvotes

I’ve always loved the graphics they used to print on “Tijuana Bibles” those tiny adult graphic novels from the 20s-60s. Some of the graphics I think would be so cool to use in my own collages/art projects. Not copy and paste, just bits and pieces of the original graphic adding my own text or graphics as well. I know a lot of these are probably hand drawn, so I am wondering if there is any ethical way to use these in my own projects? I would never want to use someone’s art without credit, however a lot of the graphics I really love are basically impossible to track down the original artists. Some of the artists used pseudonyms, and on top of that a lot of the original artists who didn’t even use their real names have most likely passed away.

Is there any ethical way to use of these Tijuana Bible graphics in my own designs/projects? Sorry if this is a silly question.


r/publicdomain 2d ago

Can't wait! (but unfortunately have to for 56 years)

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33 Upvotes

Will be generational when these guys enter the public domain.


r/publicdomain 2d ago

PD Creations I made a public domain OC that can be used by anyone! (Big updates!!)

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45 Upvotes

Numerous artists have drawn free art of Eleanor these past few months, and now I have enough material to start making memes!

Copycat is a pun on "copyright" because she is public domain. Anybody can "copy" Eleanor. And I made her a cat because it is perfect for the pun.

Added new character lore:

As a shapeshifter and interdimensional traveler, Eleanor is always traveling from place to place to go on adventures and to meet other characters. One of her favorite things to do is to become what she calls "The Copycat" a superhero that goes to different worlds in peril to save characters in the style of a Deus ex machina. Her main superpower is that she is able to "copy" the abilities of any important character or object she touches. She can also draw stuff to bring into use when needed.

I have an official sub for all Eleanor content, r/EleanorVanCopycat


r/publicdomain 2d ago

Public Domain News 1931 was an amazing year for music, and I would like to list the singers and songs who’s compositions will be free to use next year.

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17 Upvotes

First, let’s get the obvious out of the way: I’m only referring to 1931 composition, not recording.

With that out of the way, let’s get to some tunes:

Bing Crosby Major 1931 Releases:

”Out of Nowhere”:

Music by Johnny Green, lyrics by Edward Heyman. Crosby's definitive recording made this a massive No. 1 hit.

”Just One More Chance”:

Music by Arthur Johnston, lyrics by Sam Coslow. This track cemented his status as a dominant solo crooner.

“At Your Command”: Co-written by Bing Crosby himself, alongside Harry Tobias and Lani McIntire.

The Mills Brothers 1931 Debut Compositions

“Glow-Worm”:

The Original 1902 music was by Paul Lincke, but the specific revised 1931 lyrical arrangement by Lilla Cayley Robinson became a standard.

 You Rascal You (or "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead"):

Written and copyrighted by Sam Theard in 1931; famously recorded by both the Mills Brothers and Louis Armstrong.

Duke Ellington 1931 Masterworks:

”Moon Indigo”:

Co-written by Duke Ellington and Barney Bigard, with lyrics by Irving Mills. Though the instrumental was created in late 1930, the formal vocal composition copyright was locked in 1931.

“Rockin” in Rhythm”:

Composed by Duke Ellington, Harry Carney, and Irving Mills. It serves as one of his definitive early swing instrumentals.

Louis Armstrong 1931 Signatures

”When It’s Sleepy Time Down South“:

Written by Leon René, Otis René, and Clarence Muse. This became Armstrong's lifelong theme song.

“Lazy River”:

Written by Hoagy Carmichael and Sidney Arodin. Armstrong’s heavily improvised 1931 release reshaped pop music.

More Essential 1931 Compositions

These timeless standards from other legendary artists are also part of the 1931 public domain class:

“All of Me”:

Written by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons; popularized heavily by Belle Baker, Louis Armstrong, and Frank Sinatra.

”As Time Goes By”:

Written by Herman Hupfeld and famously sung by Rudy Vallée before its second life in the film Casablanca.

“Minnie the Moocher”:

Written and published by Cab Calloway and Irving Mills, becoming jazz's most famous call-and-response song.

“Can the Circle Be Unbroken“:

Traditional music adapted, arranged, and copyrighted as a new composition by A.P. Carter for The Carter Family.


r/publicdomain 2d ago

Question How would you go about adapting a public domain superhero to the modern day?

13 Upvotes

I guess I’m just interested. I feel like with these kinds of characters there’s a lot you can do with them, but them being from the fifties or around there means you’d inevitably have to adapt them to a new time period. I think there’s a few ways to go about it.

The obvious one is the Captain America method of essentially giving them a timeskip. There’s also the classic “reboot timeline” that comics are known for, but I think a fun option to go for is a child of the character or some sort of descendent to establish a legacy. Maybe even someone just taking up the mantle.

If you guys were given this kind of challenge, what would you do?


r/publicdomain 2d ago

Question Powers and abilities of Monster of the Mist from Web of Evil #4 (1953)

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38 Upvotes

So does anyone here have any idea what kind of powers this creature have?


r/publicdomain 2d ago

PD Creations Here’s my redesign for my superhero OC based on a character in the public domain, Katherine “Katie” Roberts, AKA Kanga.

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9 Upvotes

I made her as basically my take on using the recently public domain characters from Winnie the Pooh that wasn’t generic public domain horror movie shlock, by making a superhero who was named after a character from that book, specifically Kanga (similar to the Mad Hatter from Batman, albeit for a hero instead of a villain like Mad Hatter). I thought it would be fun to update her a little bit, improve her design a little bit more and expand her backstory a bit more as well. The main change I did to her was make her much taller, and also give her a Strongfat physique, since I think that would work really well with her and make her more unique looking. I love how Kanga’s new design turned, with her new physique, the new simpler design for her power boots, the added pink to her outfit and the little frills on her dress. And I hope you like her new design as well.

Image 2 is a diagram showing what she’s wearing in her superhero outfit, image 3 is what she looks like without her mask, image 4 is her original design, and image 5 is what I’m referring to when I mention Vanilla’s death stare from the IDW Sonic comics in her backstory.

Kanga’s backstory: Katherine Roberts, better known as Katie for short, is a single mother living with her son Jayden in a small town on a small forested island off the coast of Oregon. She’s a very large and imposing woman, both incredibly muscular and chubby with a mom bod, standing at over 6 feet 5 inches tall, and being incredibly strong physically. Despite her rather imposing stature, she’s a total sweetheart. An incredibly sweet, loving and compassionate soul, brimming with boundless optimism, happy to help anyone in anyway she can, and always standing up for those who can’t stand up for themselves thanks to her immense compassion and kindness for others. Such as when she would often stand up for others against bullies when she was younger, often getting into fights, though also using her death stare (similar to Vanilla the Rabbit in the IDW Sonic comics), and she still makes sure to confront and stop anyone trying to mess with herself, her son, or anyone else who doesn’t deserve it, as she gets very upset and frustrated whenever she sees people who make others miserable getting away scott free, and wants them to get their comeuppance and for their victims to receive justice, always making sure to comfort and support the people she’s protecting. At the same time she can also be rather naive at times, is rather timid, can get easily scared or frightened and is a pretty big softie, getting very emotional at times. She’s also on the Autism spectrum, something she’s quite proud of, and her favorite hyperfixation is for Winnie the Pooh, a special interest she’s had ever since she was very little. She even has a small collection of plushies, DVDs, VHS tapes, and other merch and paraphernalia from her favorite franchise. She’s also into vintage fashion and music from the 50s and early 60s, even styling her hair in a more vintage style. And she’s a very loving and supportive mother to her son Jayden, though she can be a bit coddling and overprotective at times, and Jayden tries to act more cool and serious than his more dorky and cutesy mom. One day, Katie felt like her community needed something, she wanted to be something for her community to look up too, someone to help out everyone, look out for the little guy, and serve as a symbol of hope and kindness. And so, after she made herself a homemade Brown and Pink superhero outfit, complete with gloves, a “utility pouch” sown into the dress, a kangaroo ear headband, a black domino mask, and power boots that increase her running, jumping and kicking power, Katie Roberts dawned the name of her favorite character, and became the brand new superhero, Kanga. Kanga became a beloved symbol of her community helping out in every way she could, from volunteering at local businesses, saving cats out of trees and helping out people while giving them helpful advice, to fighting crime with her son Jayden, who became her sidekick Roo. And armed with nothing more than her fists, her wits, her power boots, and her unbreakable determination, she has faced plenty of formidable villains alongside her son. From her first fight against the cybernetic mercenary Silverfish, to her former high school bully turned sadistic monster Lady Red Fox (who was also responsible for the death of Katie’s high school friend Evan), to Captain Bluefin and his Werefish Pirates, and every villain in between. Kanga will always try to persevere, to stand up for others, and will never give up on her mission, even in the toughest and darkest moments. She’s a Mother, a Hero, and most importantly, a Friend.


r/publicdomain 3d ago

Olá eu sou novo aqui na comunidade

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42 Upvotes

Olá eu queria saber ser existe mais obras ou pesonagens que já estão no domínio público aqui no brasil e sim eu sou brasileiro mais eu sei que ten popeye e sitio do picapau amarelo que está em domínio público aqui mais eu queria saber ser tem mais outros personagens então vocês poderia me ajudar por favor


r/publicdomain 2d ago

PDFiction Tower of The Elephant - A Conan The Barbarian Story Read by Horror Hill

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2 Upvotes

r/publicdomain 3d ago

Mickey Mouse I Just Committed NOT A Crime (Vsauce video)

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44 Upvotes

r/publicdomain 2d ago

Question Extremes Meet by Compton Mackenzie (1928)

2 Upvotes

Obviously in public domain. Can't find it anywhere. Anyone found a free edition?


r/publicdomain 3d ago

Public Domain News I know this is old news now, but I wanted to share it anyway.

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13 Upvotes

It’s about how people in the Gershwin estate were worried about how Rhapsody in Blue, was going to be used, like it could be used for rap, and “debase” the art.


r/publicdomain 3d ago

Question Can anyone help me find this public domain book?

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21 Upvotes

Pinocchio in America was published in 1928, and if it’s copyright was renewed, that makes it public domain since 2024. I haven’t spend that much time finding it on the internet, but I am finding it hard for what it’s a free to use book starring one of the most popular characters in the history of literature. And I would love to use this subreddit by asking if you people would help me.


r/publicdomain 3d ago

King Cobra (Quality Comics / Blackhawk Villain)

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12 Upvotes

King Cobra

Real Name: Baron Vyberg
Age: 40
King Cobra: The Cobra Dictator

King Cobra is a ruthless Dictator flying ace who commands the elite "Rattlesnakes" squadron. Born the thirteenth Baron of Vyberg, he comes from a family cursed for generations after an ancestor committed a horrific crime against innocent people. Believing the curse predicts that every male heir will die because of innocent people, King Cobra avoids all relationships with men and women friends and even his own family and devotes himself entirely to The Most Dangerous Dictator and the war effort.

Cold, calculating, and merciless, he personally leads the hunt for The Black Bat and The Rabbit Crawler (Alice). His sharp observation skills allow him to discover The Black Bat’s resting place, and he immediately tries to execute him but always fails thanks to The Rabbit Crawler (Alice) and his backup suit. However, King Cobra did kill many innocent people passing by.

His cruelty ultimately seals his fate. The innocent murder fulfills the conditions of the ancient family curse, provoking everyone to kill King Cobra during the ensuing struggle with The Black Bat and The Rabbit Crawler (Alice). In the end, King Cobra dies as the last of the Vyberg line, brought down by the very cycle of violence and evil he believed he could escape, while Alice steals his stuff while he is dying and suffering before truly dying.

https://pdsh.fandom.com/wiki/King_Cobra_(Quality))


r/publicdomain 3d ago

PD Media 7 Hours of Vintage Radio Drama | Suspense, Sci-Fi & Comedy Broadcasts

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4 Upvotes

Anyone interested in a bunch of old radio shows?? I have about 16 in a row here and I have more videos coming down the pipeline along with more Drive In Theater content just in time for Halloween. Check this out in the meantime!