The original Popeye and Tintin characters have now entered the public domain. The character of Popeye the Sailor first appeared in the King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929. By the 1930s, the character had become extremely popular, and was later the face of King Features. He had multiple renditions over the years, including a live-action movie starring Robin Williams. Tintin first appeared in The Adventures of Tintin in 1929 as part of weekly youth supplement to the Belgian newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle.
As per The Verge, the original versions of Popeye and Tintin have now entered the public domain. This includes the earliest versions of the sailor and the youth investigative reporter from the aforementioned texts. The characters’ entrance into the public domain excludes popular interpretations of the characters, such as the versions of Popeye that included spinach. The start of 2025 also marks the entry of other 1929 works into the public domain, including Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury, and Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own.
What This Means For Tintin and Popeye
A Horror Film Adaptation Of These Character Seems Likely
The availability of Popeye and Tintin in the public domain means that the original versions of these characters are now available to adapt freely. This is the second year in a row that a major, iconic character is entering the public domain. Last year saw the Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse become available in the public domain starting on January 1, 2024. This led to the announcement of multiple horror-based Steamboat Willie projects, including the films Screamboat and Mickey’s Mouse Trap and a horror video game called Infestation: Origins.
There is already a live-action adaptation of Popeye the Sailor Man in development, but it does not appear to be based off the version of the character that is in the public domain.
As the early days of 2025 commence, it seems likely that Popeye and Tintin-based content will soon be announced. The rising popularity of mascot horror films like Screamboat, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, and Bambi: The Reckoning indicates that horror content based on either or both of these characters is likely. It will be especially interesting to see if Blood and Honey helmer Rhys Frake-Waterfield takes part in such an adaptation, as he and his team have sort of carved their own niche in public domain-based mascot horror.
Our Take On Popeye and Tintin Entering The Public Domain
Adaptations Could Be Announced Soon
There are already so many on-screen versions of these characters already, but that will not stop filmmakers from taking advantage of both characters’ entry into the public domain. Last year, the adaptations of Steamboat Willie were announced pretty instantly, so I would not be surprised if an announcement of a Popeye mascot horror film is in the news later this week. As mascot horror continues to rise in popularity, it will be interesting to see whether Popeye and Tintin follow suit or whether the creators go a different direction with the characters.
Source: The Verge