Betty Boop and “Blondie” are among the highlights of titles entering the public domain with the arrival of 2026

three iconic detectives from the 20th century:

— The teen sleuth Nancy Drew,

— The middle-aged(-ish) sleuth Sam Spade,

— The elderly sleuth Miss Marple,

And kiddie lit legends Dick and Jane, who taught generations to read and became essential parody fodder for decades, become public via the “Elson Basic Readers” textbooks.