

It’s transformative. You are creating something new that did not exist before. At the very least this will fall under fair use, but your intent will dictate what it ends up being.
Ie: is I take Bugs Bunny’s head and out it on Daffy Duck’s body - I may be doing it as a commentary on WB cartoons, or pop culture in general. That’s ok.
If I try to launch my own Looney Toons cartoon with this new hybrid character - that’s stealing and WB lawyers will be all over any money I may make.
That “finite and rivalrous” is a definition that sprung up quite recently and I don’t know if I agree with it. How would one “steal a kiss” if it was a finite resource. Also while stealing is not always “punishable by law”, it can still be classified as wrongdoing. As an artist I find all forms of plagiarism to equate to stealing and while they won’t land you behind bars, they may get you a status of persona non grata with other creatives.