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.
After this long, wouldn’t that character be part of the public domain? If not, it should be getting close.
I prefer Hipster Homeless to Brooklyn Bum.
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.
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?
This is vitally important:
Ohtani? is he playing for a championship, or another MVP? …..
He is a team guy, he’d like nothing more than to win another World Series Title….
Roberts publicly complained about Ohtani and Conforto play on Sunday. It’s the first time I can remember him calling out specific players for lack of execution and fundamentals. So it’s safe to say his patience is wearing thin.
I remember Doc verbally abusing a rookie or two, Pages’ specifically, but not a veteran,. Pitchers now know Ohtani is a sucker for sliders away from a lefty. He has to correct that and cut down the Ks. Maybe sit him against them a few games and put Smith in.
Easy to say, damn tough for a left handed batter to do. A sweeper from a LH pitcher looks like it’s coming right AT the batter. When it moves enough for the batter to perceive it? He has to stick out his butt reaching desperately low across the plate thereby looking ridiculous. If Ohtani struggles with it, so would ANY LH batter.
PS: I think Dave’s just going for a different “tool” from his tool kit to motivate a struggling player. These are “the dog days” for all teams whether in first or last place. Dave’s been at this too long to “lose his patience” and criticize a star player to the media without there being some strategy to it.
It’s really tough to repeat. Things have to go perfectly for that to happen. It just might NOT be our year.
Yes, it is… However this team is VERY good. Much better than they have shown of late.
They might have the best 13 man pitching crew they ever had in the playoffs, lets see how this shakes out….
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.
You mean being swept by the Angels AGAIN would be embarrassing.
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¢.
Your observation about it being a reference to the nut of that name was my immediate reaction.
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….
Yeah, Ward can DH. He is not an MLB outfielder.
He’s NOT an MLB hitter yet either. The observation is he’s ripping triple A pitching. That is NOT big league pitching. The list of hitters knocking the cover off the ball in AAA is decades long. Few become everyday players.
He can take Shohei’s place.
Neither is Conforto a major league outfielder. Terrible defensively. BTW, Ward is hitting 50 points higher than Freeland, and we all agree he belongs.
Freeland is on EVERY TOP PROSPECT list.
Ward?
Zero. Zilch. Nada!
Baseball people agree 100% that he is not worthy!
Conforto is rated -1.7, positioning him behind many of his peers and placing him around the middle-to-lower tier of MLB left fielders in terms of defensive value.
Jack Dreyer wasn’t on anyone’s prospect lists either and he’s been a reliable reliever all year. It’s just painful watching Conforto strikeout time and again with the bases loaded or runners in scoring position. Do everyone a favor, please Dodger brass and move on from this terrible mistake signing. Mike needs a fresh start somewhere else too. He can’t be satisfied with his season.
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
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.
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.
Brock Stewart was placed on the 15-day injured list on August 12, 2025, with right shoulder inflammation.
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?
Next name up.
Bullpen arms?
Dime a dozen.
Buy one… get one free!
No, he was never supposed to “solve all their problems”. You’re being a troll.
Still surprising and disappointing so many supposed Dodgers fans still find fault with Friedman’s moves. Every team in baseball knew the Dodgers’ pitching issues and every one of them were asking for the moon and the stars from the Dodgers for any pitcher. Friedman isn’t going to mortgage the future to address fans’ worried little hearts. He knows exactly which pitchers are coming back when and which are more/less likely to be impactful.
Friedman and Gomes made lots of off-season deals with the idea that trades at the deadline are overpays. They did not want to do that… and they didn’t. They told us that. We knew that. I am fine with it. They have more than enough to win it all this year. The only question is: Do they have the will?
Name calling is a very effective form of argument. I use it all the time in court. Here’s Fabian Ardaya’s view from The Athletic:
The only proven reinforcement the Los Angeles Dodgers provided to their beleaguered bullpen at last month’s trade deadline is already out of the picture for now. The team placed Brock Stewart on the injured list Tuesday with shoulder inflammation after just four appearances with the team, further destabilizing a group that is banking on quite a few lottery tickets.
The Dodgers currently have a bullpen that is not sufficient at the current time. Might it be when everyone returns from the IL? Maybe. But tonight is further evidence that they don’t have enough relief pitching. Stewart is the ONLY guy that they got to fix it. It isn’t working.
“
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.
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.
Pretty reliable Vesia has now cost the Dodgers the last 3 games that he’s pitched. You’re spot on with Conforto. I think we’ve all seen enough of him. I’d rather have Call in LF, even though he’s been pretty miserable as a hitter so far.