Rich Uncle Pennybags Since 1935 Monopoly T-ShirtThis Monopoly t shirt features a sketch of the board game's mascot, Rich Uncle Pennybags. The shirt reads Since 1935. Monopoly began as The Landlord's Game, a game devised to point out the social pitfalls of unequal wealth among people. Charles Darrow made several changes to the game, where players could raise rents by building houses and hotels, squash the competition and drive up profits. Parker Brothers bought the rights in 1935 and sales soared,