I do a lot of copyright research for classic animation home video releases that I work on with a longtime colleague, Tommy Stathes. It's my major sideline outside of Disney comics work, and it's incredibly important for us to get this kind of IP research right!
In that case — you might be able to answer a question of mine: what's the copyright status of Pete? Obviously Disney still own the iconic “fat cat” version introduced in the Mickey Mouse cartoons and strips, and I assume (though I might be wrong) that they've trademarked the name "Peg-Leg Pete" somehow. But if one were to go back to the original bearlike Alice/Oswald version, and call him "Bootleg Pete" and everything — could one freely use that character in new productions? And if not, then, to stick closer to the quoted job description — doesn't that cause any issues for potential rereleases of the still-copyrighted post-Disney Oswald shorts that still have Pete in them?
I kind of doubt that early version of Pete is in the PD... but even if he was, you have to wonder what would be the point in resurrecting him. "Hey look, it's that 1925 version of Pegleg Pete which looks nothing like the character we know today! We can do whatever we want with him in new material!" Why not just create a new character if there's basically no point of recognition?
I kind of doubt that early version of Pete is in the PD... but even if he was, you have to wonder what would be the point in resurrecting him. "Hey look, it's that 1925 version of Pegleg Pete which looks nothing like the character we know today! We can do whatever we want with him in new material!" Why not just create a new character if there's basically no point of recognition?
*splutter* It might be a very niche spot, but both and (I think) Ramapith himself will raise ourselves up quite strongly against the notion that the only interest of the 1920's toons is as the precursors of what came later. I am hugely fond of the Alice Comedies in their own right — and my question is no empty thought experiment; I have long simmered an idea of a graphic novel (or just plain novel) which would be a poetic sequel-cum-homage to the Alice Comedies, dealing with Alice's adult life and how her friendship with Julius develops as fantasy starts to wane. I could do this story without checking in on the nemesis of Alice and Julius's childhood adventures, but I'd quite like to be able to have him in it, if only in flashbacks to the 1920's.
Plus, 1920's Pete is just a more fun character than you give him credit for. Design-wise, I like an evil cartoon bear, and the ratty, askew top hat beats Murry-era Pete's sailor cap any day (although both it and the tiny bowler hat have their charms). And while he became watered-down in the later Alice and Oswald cartoons as a more generic sort of bully, we don't give enough credit to the absurdist comedic potential of Pete's character in Alice Solves the Puzzle. A bootlegger who's obsessed with crossword puzzles to the point of diverting the resources of his “business” into stealing even more puzzles from random people so he can beat them before they do? That's gold.
I kind of doubt that early version of Pete is in the PD... but even if he was, you have to wonder what would be the point in resurrecting him. "Hey look, it's that 1925 version of Pegleg Pete which looks nothing like the character we know today! We can do whatever we want with him in new material!" Why not just create a new character if there's basically no point of recognition?
*splutter* It might be a very niche spot, but both and (I think) Ramapith himself will raise ourselves up quite strongly against the notion that the only interest of the 1920's toons is as the precursors of what came later. I am hugely fond of the Alice Comedies in their own right — and my question is no empty thought experiment; I have long simmered an idea of a graphic novel (or just plain novel) which would be a poetic sequel-cum-homage to the Alice Comedies, dealing with Alice's adult life and how her friendship with Julius develops as fantasy starts to wane. I could do this story without checking in on the nemesis of Alice and Julius's childhood adventures, but I'd quite like to be able to have him in it, if only in flashbacks to the 1920's.
Plus, 1920's Pete is just a more fun character than you give him credit for. Design-wise, I like an evil cartoon bear, and the ratty, askew top hat beats Murry-era Pete's sailor cap any day (although both it and the tiny bowler hat have their charms). And while he became watered-down in the later Alice and Oswald cartoons as a more generic sort of bully, we don't give enough credit to the absurdist comedic potential of Pete's character in Alice Solves the Puzzle. A bootlegger who's obsessed with crossword puzzles to the point of diverting the resources of his “business” into stealing even more puzzles from random people so he can beat them before they do? That's gold.
Oh, so THAT'S why you wanted to call him Bootleg Pete! I thought you just meant "bootleg" as in an unofficial or non-Disney production.
*splutter* It might be a very niche spot, but both and (I think) Ramapith himself will raise ourselves up quite strongly against the notion that the only interest of the 1920's toons is as the precursors of what came later. I am hugely fond of the Alice Comedies in their own right — and my question is no empty thought experiment; I have long simmered an idea of a graphic novel (or just plain novel) which would be a poetic sequel-cum-homage to the Alice Comedies, dealing with Alice's adult life and how her friendship with Julius develops as fantasy starts to wane. I could do this story without checking in on the nemesis of Alice and Julius's childhood adventures, but I'd quite like to be able to have him in it, if only in flashbacks to the 1920's.
Plus, 1920's Pete is just a more fun character than you give him credit for. Design-wise, I like an evil cartoon bear, and the ratty, askew top hat beats Murry-era Pete's sailor cap any day (although both it and the tiny bowler hat have their charms). And while he became watered-down in the later Alice and Oswald cartoons as a more generic sort of bully, we don't give enough credit to the absurdist comedic potential of Pete's character in Alice Solves the Puzzle. A bootlegger who's obsessed with crossword puzzles to the point of diverting the resources of his “business” into stealing even more puzzles from random people so he can beat them before they do? That's gold.
Oh, so THAT'S why you wanted to call him Bootleg Pete! I thought you just meant "bootleg" as in an unofficial or non-Disney production.
It's pretty amazing how this thread on Bootleg Disney has come full circle.
On a related note, I just pulled up some Alice Comedies on YouTube and they had sound on them. Like, genuine period sound. Must have been re-released in the early '30s or something.
I also want to share in the feeling that a bootlegger who steals puzzles is a heck of an idea, totally worth a shot if someone wanted to push the metafictional edge of an Epic Mickey game.
Last Edit: Jul 13, 2020 19:04:09 GMT by That Duckfan
Oh, so THAT'S why you wanted to call him Bootleg Pete! I thought you just meant "bootleg" as in an unofficial or non-Disney production.
It's pretty amazing how this thread on Bootleg Disney has come full circle.
On a related note, I just pulled up some Alice Comedies on YouTube and they had sound on them. Like, genuine period sound. Must have been re-released in the early '30s or something.
Or later on television, maybe. I believe a lot of silent cartoons got soundtracks in the 50s for that purpose.
It's pretty amazing how this thread on Bootleg Disney has come full circle.
On a related note, I just pulled up some Alice Comedies on YouTube and they had sound on them. Like, genuine period sound. Must have been re-released in the early '30s or something.
Or later on television, maybe. I believe a lot of silent cartoons got soundtracks in the 50s for that purpose.
Definitely the '30s. Listen to the sound effects on this Alice Solves the Puzzle, for instance. According to Wikipedia, the other voices are spoken by Walt Disney. I don't know how trustworthy that information is, but it certainly sounds like the voices Walt and staff would do in the very earliest period (pre-1931). I also can't see Disney ever going back to the Alice cartoons after Mickey became a great success.
The sound could also be recorded before Mickey took off, as there were some rudimentary non-synchronized sound systems around from about 1924 onwards. I'm not aware of Walt ever working with those when he was just starting out, but I can imagine sound re-release of Alice comedies being dubbed circa. 1927-1929, when Disney also dubbed Plane Crazy and The Gallopin' Gaucho.
