An Introduction to Comic Strips

Comic strips first began appearing in American newspapers in the mid-1890s. One direct inspiration for the form was the political cartoons appearing in 19th century magazines such as “Puck” and “Truth,” themselves inspired by British satire magazines such as “Punch.” 1/10

Like political caricatures, early American newspaper comics offered accessible social satire. Many early stars of the form, including Richard F. Outcault’s “The Yellow Kid,” were working class ethnic characters in urban settings. Readers laughed both with and at them. 2/10

Newspaper comics quickly evolved from single panel cartoons into multi-panel “strips.” This enabled the rise of gag strips as well as the serialized adventure stories that emerged in the 1930s and the soap opera melodramas that become popular in the 40s. 3/10

Almost since their inception, newspaper comic strips have appeared in smaller black & white daily installments and larger full colour Sunday supplements. From the 19th century to the paper shortages of WWII, the most popular Sunday strips commanded an entire newspaper page. 4/10

Some early comic strips, such as Windsor McKay’s “Little Nemo in Slumberland” (1905-1927) and George Herriman’s “Krazy Kat” (1913-1944) have been canonized as vital artefacts of American visual culture, bearing the influence of fine art and inspiring it in turn. 5/10

Other successful comic strips, such as Elzie Crisler Segar’s “Popeye” (created in 1929), Charles Schultz’s “Peanuts” (created 1950), and Jim Davis’ “Garfield” (created 1978), have reached iconic status, their characters becoming globally recognized brands. 6/10

While both comic strips and the comic books that emerged in the 1930s are often dismissed as “childish” entertainment, the association of comic strips with newspapers has historically made them more “respectable.” Some classic comic strip creators became celebrities. 7/10

In their heyday during the first half of the 20th century, American comic strips were akin to television—a form of mass culture consumed by people of all ages that contributed to a sense of shared culture & identity. 8/10

Today, the cultural currency of comic strips has declined, supplanted by graphic novels and webcomics, which most closely resemble what comic strips used to be—a mix of slapstick gags & highly involving serialized stories delivered in regular daily or weekly installments. 9/10ng? 9/9

Yet comic strips remain a familiar presence in newspapers, with strips such as “Blondie” (1930-present) and “Dick Tracy” (1931-present) surviving for almost a century—a testament to the enduring appeal of this form and its importance to the history of American pop culture. 10/10