
Micky Mouse is entering the public domain. As a result, there has been an uptick in interest in other characters joining Mickey (see: Batman, Superman, Mickey Mouse, and Even Bugs Bunny Are Entering the Public Domain).
But what about characters that are already in the public domain? There may be opportunities to revive or rethink some of them without securing rights or paying royalties.
Here is a list of characters I compiled that are already in the public domain:
Aladdin
Ali Baba
Alice in Wonderland
Cinderella
Davy Jones
Dracula
Easter Bunny
Father Time
Frankenstein
Gingerbread Man
Goldilocks
Gulliver
Hansel and Gretel
Hercules
Ivanhoe
Jack and the Beanstalk
Jack Frost
King Arthur
Krampus
Little Mermaid
Little Red Riding Hood
Merlin
Mother Nature
Mrs. Santa Claus
Mulan
Oz Books (First 20 books in the series)
Peter Pan
Peter Rabbit
Pinocchio
Puss in Boots
Quasimoto
Rapunzel
Robinson Crusoe
Rumpelstiltskin
Sandman
Santa Claus
Sherlock Holmes
Sinbad the Sailor
Sleeping Beauty
Snow White
Three Little Pigs
Three Musketeers
Tooth Fairy
Winnie the Pooh