For over a century, Felix the Cat has stood as one of the most enduring, pioneering icons in the entire history of animation. Central to that rich legacy is the wonderful cast of characters who populated his world and gave his adventures their heart, humor, and charm. Among them, none is more beloved or essential than Poindexter, the brilliant, lab-coat-wearing, giant-spectacled boy genius who served as Felix's ultimate companion, voice of reason, and occasional scientific savior.
Tragically, corporate paperwork and intellectual property splits are actively erasing this legendary character from his own history.

The root of this problem dates back over a decade. In 2014, Don Oriolo made the monumental decision to sell the trademark and the main copyrights of the Felix the Cat franchise to DreamWorks Animation (which was subsequently acquired by NBCUniversal). However, this transaction included a major catch: Don Oriolo explicitly retained the absolute ownership rights to Poindexter under his own independent company, Poindexter, LLC.

While this move protected the creator's family rights to a singular character, it inadvertently split the universe in two. Because NBCUniversal owns Felix but does not own Poindexter, modern media projects, merchandise, and video games are legally trapped. They cannot feature Poindexter without navigating a complex web of legalities and fees.

For years, fans noticed Poindexter's absence, but the devastating reality of this IP split truly came to light with the 2024 retro re-releases of the classic Felix the Cat video game on modern platforms. Because of the copyright gridlock, developers were legally forced to actively modify the original 1992 NES and Game Boy code. Poindexter was completely patched out, his character sprites were scrubbed, his role in the narrative was erased, and he was replaced by his uncle, The Professor, in boss battles.

This is no longer just a matter of a character not appearing in new shows—this is the active alteration and censorship of gaming and animation history due to corporate stalemates.

We, the undersigned fans of animation, gaming history, and the Felix the Cat universe, are completely supportive of Don Oriolo and Poindexter, LLC's recent endeavors to launch standalone projects and spin-offs for the character. We want to see Poindexter succeed! However, Poindexter fundamentally belongs alongside Felix.

We strongly urge NBCUniversal/DreamWorks and Don Oriolo to come to the negotiating table. We demand that both parties establish a fair, stable, and ongoing cross-licensing agreement—similar to how major Hollywood studios like Sony and Marvel successfully share the rights to Spider-Man.

 Let NBCUniversal pay and buyout the necessary license fees so that Poindexter can legally, safely, and permanently return home to the core Felix the Cat franchise.

Stop letting legal paperwork animation and rewrite history. Sign this petition to reunite Felix and Poindexter!