Today’s sketchbook post is solid gold.
Kidding aside, I’m “creating” a new character based on a newly freed character from the public domain as of 2026. I’m not only keeping up my trend of public domain adaptations, but I have a new character from one of my favorite settings I’ve developed.
So, let’s learn about today’s new character, Gold Phantom.
Public Domain and Design
I love January 1st each year because it means new characters become available in the public domain for adaptation and repurposing. This year had it’s share of bangers including Nancy Drew and the first pass at a character that would one day become Betty Boop. However, as I was combing through the new characters that were becoming available, I gravitated to one right away.
The Golden Bat (Ōgon Bat) is a character that originates in Japan, and in many ways might be the first example of what we might consider a modern day superhero. The character originates around the 1930s in the form of paper shows (kamishibai) with records going as far back as 1931. That beats Superman by a few years. The character also took off in South Korea and Europe. In Europe he might better be known as Fantomas or Phantoman.
The character is this fun bit of pop-culture that pops up in contemporary anime, but was pretty big in the 1960s with some films and an animated series. Though not recently adapted, there are many references to the character out there.
I guess you might compare Golden Bat to Doc Savage or The Shadow here in the United States. Plenty of references to the pulp heroes, but not much in the way of contemporary adaptation.
Lore and Setting
For my purposes, this character will one day be used in my setting, Aurin, from Fang of Triseria. Aurin as a whole has become my big, pulp-themed setting. This will also kind of adapt part of the lore of The Golden Bat – him being displaced from time and ancient Atlantis. Not that I’ll be using those elements exactly for Gold Phantom, but there is an influence.
As far as any lore, I am still in the early stages of figuring out what this character is. I don’t know how he might interact with Fang, Leezle, or Nitz. I do have some ideas about the region he occupies on the map and how he might figure into long term plans, though.
Just don’t expect to see much of him right away.
Public Domain
In the spirit of the public domain origins of the character, Gold Phantom is also fully in the public domain. You are welcome to use the design and repurpose it however you wish. You’re also welcome to adapt the character into whatever forms you wish – he is a public domain character.
If you need a characterization to start from, in the simplest terms, consider him a showy, mysterious and noble character with a golden skull motif.
Or do whatever you want with the character. That is the point behind all of this. Just please let me know if you do something based on this version of the character. I’d love to see it.
Oh, and be sure to read Fang & Bone, the first part of the novel is complete as of next week!
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