Most people start conversations with phrases like, “So, what do you do?” or “Got any weekend plans?” I started more than one conversation last year with, “So, what are you going to do with Popeye when he enters the public domain?” I asked this to a family in line at Disneyland. I have no idea why it came up.
I’m not the biggest Popeye fan in the world, though I did seek out director Genndy Tartakovsky’s unreleased animatic for a Popeye animated movie, starring Tom Kenny as the spinach-eating sailor man. (I’d never watched a feature length animatic before Popeye. It’s a pretty great look at how animated films work.) If I’m sitting down to watch a goofy cartoon strongman, I’d rather watch women knock Johnny Bravo’s teeth out than Popeye pounding Bluto over Olive Oyl. As a Nintendo fan, I think one of the most interesting things about Popeye is that he was almost Mario. Have I established that my weird obsession is not about Popeye? Good, then we can finally move forward. As a nation.
My fascination is with intellectual property, and specifically who owns what. My wife Amanda is a book editor who sometimes works with licensing agencies. She’ll say she’s editing a book related to [Insert Name of Forgotten 90s Cartoon Franchise]. My first question is, “What’s the name of the licensing agency you’re working with?,” so I can look-up what other intellectual properties the agency represents. Then I start thinking about what game I would create with those licenses. The more obscure, the better! A squishy Attack of the Killer Tomatoes beat-em-up? A Gravedale High dating sim? (Already done, minus Rick Moranis.) It’s a fun puzzle, very much related to my love of playing with action figures growing up.
Every year, I read at least a dozen articles about what characters, movies, books, and music are entering the public domain. This year, the copyright lapses on works from 1929. The public domain is like an annual belated Christmas gift for creative people! Sure, it’s a dusty, old, sometimes racist Christmas gift, but a gift nonetheless! In 2024, if you wanted to release a Popeye horror movie in theaters, you had to fork over big money to King Features Syndicate, the owner of the Popeye license. In 2025, now that Popeye’s in the public domain, there are no fewer than three Popeye horror movies in development. And while that’s probably three too many, if Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey is any indicator, the idea that we all have this new toy to play with is really cool.
(Disclaimer: The Popeye character is now public domain, because he debuted in 1929, but certain key aspects of the character – his rivalry with Bluto, for example – were introduced later, meaning those aspects of Popeye are still under copyright.)
(Soapbox: If it weren’t for Congress continuing to extend the length of copyrights on behalf of giant media conglomerates since 1978, the public domain this year would’ve included all works up to 1967! Imagine being able to make and distribute your own Spider-Man comics, Beatles remix albums, and the Logan’s Run x Rosemary’s Baby crossover movie we’ve all been DREAMING about!)
This year, now that my slate is clear, I want to finally celebrate the public domain – and what better excuse than the Gaming Like It’s 1929 game jam! Every January since 2019, Randy Lubin and Copia Gaming host a jam on Itch.io for making games (digital and physical) based on media newly entering the public domain. Last year’s jam featured several Steamboat Willie games, but Mickey didn’t dominate the proceedings. There was plenty of variety in the source material. I really enjoyed the puzzle platformer Millions of Cats, based on the first American picture book of the same name by Wanda Gag.
For weeks, I’ve been thinking about which property I’d want to adapt from 1929. I considered an Olive Oyl dating sim, but without Bluto or Wimpy, there isn’t much selection. (Plus, I’m taking a very understandable break from dating sims, lol.) I thought about an Agatha Christie whodunnit game, but The Seven Dials Mystery is missing the marvelous Miss Marple. There was an idea for an absurdist non-game inspired by This Is Not a Pipe, but I didn’t have any ideas beyond what There Is No Game already did so perfectly. And despite the way I spell “Geoffrey,” I’m not European, so Tintin doesn’t have much pull for me, though his dog Snowy is adorable as hell.
There’s one work from 1929 that stood above all the rest in my eyes. Deep down, I’m a comedy nerd. My father is to blame, though he keeps returning the therapy bills I send him. When company came over to our house, he’d screen comedy classics – from Frank Capra to Looney Tunes – on his 16mm projector. He collected vinyl records and used to make me mix tapes of skits and songs from Gilbert and Sullivan, Monty Python, and Firesign Theatre. So when I saw that 1929 was the debut feature of The Marx Bros, The Cocoanuts, I knew that was for me. I would take a crack at writing gags for legendary comedians Groucho, Harpo, and Chico! The thought of it has me whistling “Hooray for Captain Spaulding,” though I’d still have to pay royalties on that one. (Actually, maybe not, since the stage play of Animal Crackers came out in 1929!)
There’s another motivation, too. The Cocoanuts is about Groucho running a madcap hotel, ideal for a business simulation game. I tried my hand at the genre in 2023 with Your Post-Apocalyptic To-Do List, in which the player levels up a farm of toxic mutant pigs. While I believe I did a good job with the world-building and narrative mechanics, the time management mechanic at its core felt wonky to me. Like a car that works, but was duck taped together. I came away from the project with a real “stick to your narrative design lane” feeling, but screw that. A low-stakes game jam would be a perfect time to take another bite at the irradiated apple and create a simulator with a simpler, sturdier core mechanic which would allow for just as much wackiness.
So, I’ve got my first Equip Story project of 2025: a hotel simulator based on The Marx Bros. first film. I have until February 1st to finish, and there’s a lot to do still… but, uh, has anyone seen my shirt? I want my shirt!
🎲 Your Turn: Who’s your favorite public domain character? Do you ride for Robin Hood or go to bat for Dracula? Does any work from the Public Domain Class of 1929 appeal to you? Reply to this email and let me know, or hit the big orange button below to comment and tell the whole world.
🔥 Update: This was a hellish week for my city. Los Angeles burned to the north, east, and west of where we live near K-Town. Amanda and I are safe and okay, air quality aside, though I’m still not ready to unpack my thoughts on everything that’s happened. The fires are being contained, but there’s so much work left to be done to rebuild our city and communities, and we could use your support. If you’re in a position to give, I recommend donating to SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition, which provides essential services to the houseless through a volunteer network, and Feed the Streets, which donates food, clothing, and educational goods to people in need in LA.
Leave a Reply