Created in 1931

1931 introduced two giants of crime fiction whose shadows still stretch across pop culture. It was a small year in quantity, but not in impact: both characters helped define the look, feel, and attitude of early pulp adventure. This page lists the 1931 creations entering the U.S. public domain in 2027 — and any already there.

Entering the Public Domain in 2027 (Created in 1931)

Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy, created by Chester Gould, was first published in the Daily Mirror on October 4, 1931. Dick Tracy will enter the public domain on January 1, 2027.
Image: Dick Tracy, by Chester Gould, first appearance in the Daily Mirror, Oct 4, 1931.(edited for format only)

The Shadow
Originally the nearrator of "The Detective Story Hour" on radio, the character of The Shadow first appeared in print on April 1, 1931. Created by Walter B. Gibson, "The Living Shadow" was the first story to feature The Shadow as a character rather than the narrator. The Shadow will enter the public domain on January 1, 2027.
Image: Cover of The Shadow - A Detective Magazine, April 1931. Artist unknown.

Already in the Public Domain (Created in 1931)

None at this time.

1931: Context & Fun Facts

• Crime ruled American headlines — and pulp fiction followed suit.
  1931 was deep in the Great Depression, with real-world gangsters like Capone, Dillinger, and Bonnie & Clyde dominating newspapers. Dick Tracy’s ultra-violent rogues gallery and The Shadow’s grim justice were direct reactions to the public’s appetite for larger-than-life crimefighters.
• Radio was becoming the new comic book.
  The Shadow first rose to fame not in print, but as the eerie narrator of a radio show. His popularity exploded so fast that he had his own magazine within months — one of the rare cases where a narrator accidentally became the star.
• Dick Tracy pushed comics into brutal, cinematic territory.
  Chester Gould’s strip was one of the first to introduce recurring grotesque villains, innovative gadgetry, and ongoing multi-week storylines. Modern police procedurals and stylized crime comics owe a shocking amount to this single 1931 debut.