I get some crazy e-mails on a weekly basis. Some are unworthy or unreadable, but yesterday, I got this e-mail with the above graphic attached (which was neither unworthy or unreadable):
“I was researching the Brooklyn Bum and came across your site/recent post (good luck with the wedding and surgery). The bum I am researching is the one shown below with the signature Phil Bert. I know the famous bum was by Williard Mullin, but this one I cannot find anyone who knows the illustrator/creator or copyright owner. Any insight for me? I am looking to use it with proper permissions. I’ve tried the Dodgers and the MLB pointed me to Cooperstown, but I have not heard back yet.
— B.C.
Appreciate any direction or insight you may have. Thanks!“
That piqued my interest, so I turned to ChatGPT:
You’re asking about who owns the rights to the “Brooklyn Bum”—a cartoon character created by sports artist Willard Mullin, and you mention it by the name “Phil Bert.” Here’s what the records show:
The “Brooklyn Bum” — Creator & Rights Status
Origin: The iconic “Brooklyn Bum” was created by Willard Mullin, a renowned American sports cartoonist, inspired by circus clown Emmett Kelly’s “Weary Willie” persona. Mullin’s character became synonymous with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Ownership: The character originated from Mullin’s syndicated cartoons and published work in outlets like the New York World‑Telegram and Sporting News throughout the mid‑20th century. However, determining the current rights holder (whether Mullin’s estate, the syndicate, or any rights-management entity) isn’t straightforward from publicly available sources.
Nickname “Dem Bums”: It’s also notable that the Dodgers themselves were affectionately dubbed “Dem Bums” by fans and sportswriters—not tied to any individual name like “Phil Bert.”
What “Phil Bert” Could Mean
There’s no documented reference to a “Phil Bert” in connection to the Brooklyn Bum character. It’s possible this is a misremembering or conflation of Mullin’s name:
Willard Mullin is the creator of the character (“Bum”).
It’s possible “Phil Bert” refers to something else entirely, but I didn’t find any credible source linking that name to the “Brooklyn Bum” rights.
Next Steps to Clarify
If you’re trying to track current rights ownership—perhaps for licensing or scholarly purposes—here’s what you could consider:
Contact Mullin’s estate or their representative, if that’s a known entity.
Reach out to publications that originally ran the cartoons (e.g. Sporting News, Scripps-Howard syndicate).
Search trademark databases—though characters like this are sometimes covered by copyright rather than active trademarks.
If you have any more details about “Phil Bert” or a particular context—for example, a company or product using that name—feel free to share, and I can dig deeper with that added clarity!
I looked at a few other places, but I did not contact TSN. I do know the President of Cooperstown, so maybe I could reach out to him, but I am going to doubt that he knows. Maybe, it’s better to ask forgiveness than to ask permission… and just use it.
Dodger News
- Maybe it takes a pennant race and coming from behind to wake these guys up.Maybe the Angels sweep the Dodgers and then the Padres do the same. Six games back… who knows?
- Maybe Shohei Ohtani has other things on his mind. A real estate investor and broker from Hawaii is suing Shohei Ohtani, along with his agent, Nez Balelo, claiming that the Los Angeles Dodgers star and his agent got them kicked out of a $240 million luxury real estate development on the coveted Hapuna coast of the Big Island. “Balelo and Ohtani, who were brought into the project solely for Ohtani’s promotional and branding value, exploited their celebrity influence to destabilize and ultimately dismantle the plaintiffs’ role in the project, with no reason other than their own financial interest,” the lawsuit claims. You never know what is happening behind the scenes.
- I still see morons who say it’s time to move Mookie back to RF. Insanity is rampant on Dodger message boards right about now.
Discussion (14)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Wow. This team is a mess right now and hardly looks like a team of seasoned vets that just won a title. Vesia walks a guy he had 0-2. Enough of Conforto. He’s a constant rally killer. He covers no ground in the outfield. Maybe he will have a Mike Davis moment but until then I don’t want to see him.
Tony Gonsolin underwent internal brace and flexor repair surgery today, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters (including Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times). According to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, Friedman described the procedure as “a Tommy John revision with a flexor cleanup” but clarified that it was not a full Tommy John. Gonsolin will need approximately eight to 10 months to recover. The right-hander has been on the 60-day injured list since mid-June. With less than seven weeks to go in the regular season, it already seemed unlikely that Gonsolin would return, and today’s news confirms he will be out until 2026.
The savior of the Dodgers’ bullpen! Say it isn’t so! Stewart was supposed to solve all their bullpen problems – that’s why he was the only move, right?
Brock Stewart was placed on the 15-day injured list on August 12, 2025, with right shoulder inflammation.
FYI: James Outman is playing for the St. Paul Saints, the Twins’ AAA affiliate.
Here is his line:
33 AB
5 H
3 BB
15 K – 45% strikeout rate
.152 BA
.525 OPS
Things do not look good for James’ future as a baseball player.
Right-handed pitcher Edgardo Henriquez is with the Los Angeles Dodgers in Anaheim ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels.
In a potentially related development, right-handed pitcher Brock Stewart recently walked out of the clubhouse in street clothes, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.
9:38 PM ET
Dodgers (68-51)
Angels (57-62)
SP Emmet Sheehan R
3-2 3.00 ERA
SP Victor Mederos R
0-0 4.50 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
SS Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
RF T. Hernandez R
3B Max Muncy L
CF Andy Pages R
LF M. Conforto L
2B A. Freeland S
C D. Rushing L
78° Wind 6 mph Out
Mark, I can’t take anymore strikeouts from Conforto. Often times, he misses pitches by a mile. Looks totally lost. We need to give Ryan Ward a chance. He’s ripping AAA pitching. He certainly can’t be worse than Michael. The kid deserves a chance. If he fails, give Dean and Ruiz at bats. Conforto has gotta go….
Regarding Phil Bert, the Illustration being referred to is not shown (at least not with the browser I’m using), so I may be mentioning something obvious. It seems to me that Phil Bert is a name pun – it’s not a real name, but a play off of the Filbert Nut (another name for a Hazelnut). So, it might be a pun name for the specific character drawn either by Millard or a copy (ripoff?) by someone else who wished to remain nameless. A way of saying “this guy is a nut!”.
Just my 2¢.
Milwaukee is the best team in the game right now with the emphasis on TEAM. On their second 10 game winning streak of the season. The Dodgers DESPEARATELY NEED, a streak of the same kind. After this stretch where they play the Padres 3 times in the next 12 games, they have the easiest schedule in the majors. And they do not see the Padres after the series in San Diego again. Right now they are 5-2 against the Padres this year. With six left, I would take a 4-2 record. A split would still make them 8-5 for the year. They need to win these next two against the Angels. They have been swept in one season series already, by the Brewers. Being swept by the Angels would just be embarrassing. Then again, maybe they need to be embarrassed to wake up.
It’s really tough to repeat. Things have to go perfectly for that to happen. It just might NOT be our year.
can anyone figure this team out? probably not! it’s way too early to panic, but some things need to change. sounds like Doc is starting to lose his smile and his patience! …. Yamamoto? seems to have a clunker every 6-7 starts. still a lethal weapon in the playoffs. … Conforto? enough!! …. Mookie? he’s close to being the “real “ Mookie again…….. Max? thank goodness he’s back!!……. Freddie? will probably win his first batting title. … Will? struggling a bit but should be fine…….Teo? really needs to step up down the stretch!…. Pages? His struggles on the road are concerning!….. ohtani? is he playing for a championship, or another MVP? ….. the Angels were super aggressive last night! the dodgers were super lethargic last night! somewhere in that lineup, they need a spark plug. The question is who is that guy?
After last night, calling the Dodgers bums might be appropriate, yet there was some good stuff. Cheap hits killed Yamamoto including the guy he nailed but the BP was steady, some good hitting and walks gave the Dodger fans something to cheer about. I have complete confidence we will capture the last wild card spot and go on to win the WS.
After this long, wouldn’t that character be part of the public domain? If not, it should be getting close.