The start of a new year always brings a special treat for fans of literature, film, and classic animation: a fresh wave of beloved characters and works entering the public domain. In 2025, we saw the first-ever versions of Mickey Mouse, Tintin, and Popeye released from copyright, alongside Disney’s The Skeleton Dance from Silly Symphonies, William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury, and Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms. But what treasures does 2026 have in store?

Thanks to the Duke Law School Center for the Study of the Public Domain, we now know. Their annual roundup highlights all the works from 1930 that are now free for everyone to enjoy. Among them is Fleischer Studios’ Betty Boop—but don’t get too attached just yet. This is the dog version of the iconic character, who first appeared in Dizzy Dishes before evolving into the human form we know today. Canines are clearly having their moment this year, as Pluto (then called Rover) from The Picnic also joins the public domain.

Other notable additions include William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, Agatha Christie’s The Murder at the Vicarage, the first four Nancy Drew mysteries, Chic Young’s Blondie comic strip, and the Marx Brothers’ classic film Animal Crackers.

2026 promises a year of rediscovery, giving creators, fans, and historians a chance to revisit—or reinvent—some of the most enduring works of the 20th century.