Legends Of The Wailuku by Charlotte Hapai Published in 1920
Notes and Dedication: As told by old Hawaiians and done into the English tongue by Charlotte Hapai. To remember our happy hours of story-telling, this printed fragment is in gratitude dedicated to my grandmother, Harriet Kamakanoenoe Hapai.
If you would like to read the full book, you can find many versions in your library or online. This book is in the public domain. You can find it on many sites. Ex. Project Gutenberg and Google Play Books.
Disclaimer: The book is available in the public domain and may contain some historical inaccuracy. I summarize the book to the best of my ability or highlight excerpts of interesting facts. If you would like to add information, advise a current article/book, and/or critically analyze the book, it is welcome. Thank you.
Affinities: A Journey Through Images from The Public Domain Review. Art Direction by Adam Green. Forward by D. Graham Burnett. Thames & Hudson, 2022. 9780500025208. Includes over 500 illustrations, with sources and notes. http://www.powells.com/book/-9780500025208?partnerid=34778&p_bt
If you've never heard of The Public Domain Review, I urge you to visit https://publicdomainreview.org/ and sign up for their newsletter. I follow it for the out-of-copyright art and photos, but the articles are great too.
Affinities is a collection curated by the site's Editor-in-Chief, Adam Green. Each page has one or several images. Some have a connection to work on another page, indicated by a number under that image, which offers an alternate path through the book, though flipping through the images and looking through the notes is more than fun enough by itself. And the best part is all of this is the art is all copyright-free. Winner of our Coffee Table Book of the Year (So Far) Award for 2022.
Colleagues Without Context #3.
#ColleaguesWithoutContext is a series of short animations based on phrases overheard at work, taken out of context, and reenacted by the demons in my head.
COLONEL ROBERT G. SHAW BY ELIZA B. SEDGWICK | Poem #history
If you would like to read the full book, you can find many versions in your library or online. This book is in the public domain. You can find it on many sites. Ex. Project Gutenberg and Google Play Books.
Disclaimer: The book is available in the public domain and may contain some historical inaccuracy. I summarize the book to the best of my ability or highlight excerpts of interesting facts. If you would like to add information, advise a current article/book, and/or critically analyze the book, it is welcome. Thank you.
The Gloves Are Off: Mickey and Minnie Mouse Step into the Public Domain
Picture it: January 1st, 2024. Mickey Mouse, the cartoon icon whose grin has graced screens and merch for nearly a century, suddenly throws off a pair of invisible golden handcuffs. Minnie, his ever-adorable sidekick, twirls out of a copyright cage, her trademark bow bouncing with newfound freedom. The Mouse House may be in mourning, but the public domain is popping the champagne.
Why the commotion? Those iconic early iterations of Mickey and Minnie, the black-and-white charmers who whistled their way through “Steamboat Willie” and fumbled through flight in “Plane Crazy,” are now fair game. No more bowing to the Disney overlords for every Mickey meme, no more licensing fees for Minnie mugs. These vintage mice are all ours.
For creators, it’s a gold rush. Imagine Mickey, the mischievous stowaway, captaining a cyberpunk spaceship. Or Minnie, the flapper queen, leading a speakeasy jazz band. The possibilities are as boundless as animation ink itself. Fanfiction? Check. Indie cartoons? Bring ’em on. Mickey Mouse erotica? Well, maybe let’s not go there.
But hold your horses, copyright cowboys. The public domain doesn’t mean a free-for-all. Later versions of Mickey, the Technicolor star of “Fantasia” and the CGI hero of “Kingdom Hearts,” are still firmly under Disney’s lock and key. Think of it like a time travel passport: you can visit 1928 Mickey, but don’t even consider waltzing into 2023.
And let’s not forget the elephant in the room: trademark. Disney still owns the name “Mickey Mouse,” the distinctive silhouette, and the iconic red shorts. So, while you can create your own Steamboat Willie-inspired webcomic, don’t call him “Mickey” or slap him on a t-shirt without permission. Tread lightly, lest a swarm of lawyers wielding cease-and-desist letters descend.
But even with these limitations, the public domain’s doors are now creaking open, offering a glimpse into a creative wonderland. So, artists, filmmakers, and anyone with a mischievous glint in their eye, grab your pens and brushes. The original Mickey and Minnie are ready for their next adventure, and this time, you’re in the director’s chair. Just remember, with great freedom comes great responsibility…and maybe a copyright lawyer on retainer.