Comedian strips are an establishment. The format predates comedian books by a number of many years, and many of the strips nonetheless gracing the pages of American newspapers have been round for ages. However simply how outdated a few of these strips are could shock you. Let’s check out the longest-running American comedian strips!
However first…on condition that these strips have been all created between the Nineties and Nineteen Thirties, it’s disappointing however not shocking that the entire unique creators have been white males. There have been few alternatives for anybody else to get their foot within the door in these years, not to mention be supported by newspaper syndicates for many years to come back. Although the panorama of comedian strips has modified considerably from the Nineteen Seventies on, the funnies part stays overwhelmingly white and male, thanks largely to how resistant to alter the business is, keep in mind, among the strips we’re speaking about at the moment are over a century outdated. Plus, shrinking house for comics means editors are reluctant to take probabilities on new strips.
With all that mentioned, I need to tip my hat to some notable long-runners: Brenda Starr, Reporter, was created by Dale Messick and ran for 71 years from 1940-2011, making it the longest-running strip created by a lady. (And after she retired in 1980, all of its subsequent writers and artists have been additionally girls.) And Bungleton Inexperienced, which was created by Leslie Rogers, ran for 44 years from 1920-1964 and is the longest-running strip by a Black creator.
10. Little Orphan Annie [1924-2010, 86 years]
Little Orphan Annie was created by Harold Grey in 1924 and stars the titular plucky orphan, her adoptive millionaire father Daddy Warbucks, and her loyal canine Sandy. In fact, Annie would ultimately grow to be much better recognized for the musical that bears her title than the comics. Two enjoyable info: one, the conservative Grey hated the New Deal a lot he killed Daddy Warbucks off in protest, solely resurrecting him when FDR died in 1945. And two, the strip resulted in 2010 with a cliffhanger, which was resolved 4 years later in Dick Tracy, of all locations.
9. Bringing Up Father [1913-2000, 87 years]
Initially titled Jiggs and Maggie, or generally Maggie and Jiggs, this strip was created by George McManus and centered across the battle between Jiggs, a working class Irish immigrant who grew to become nouveau riche after successful one million {dollars}, and his social climbing nag of a spouse, Maggie, who’s embarrassed by his rough-edged “shanty Irish” methods. Some interpretations argue that McManus used the strip to painting the category and identification struggles of ethnic immigrants in a sympathetic gentle; having solely learn a handful of strips, I can’t say. It’s in all probability for the most effective that it will definitely chilled out to only be concerning the antics of some wealthy individuals, although.
8. Alley Oop [1932-present, 91 years]
Created by V. T. Hamlin, Alley Oop is concerning the fantastical adventures of the titular caveman, his pet dinosaur Dinny, and his girlfriend Oola. At its highest circulation, it appeared in over 800 newspapers; it’s additionally been tailored by Filmation. And but I had actually by no means heard of it till I began this text; nonetheless, I assume there have to be diehard Alley Oop followers on the market someplace.
7. Dick Tracy [1931-present, 92 years]
Dick Tracy was created by Chester Gould, who wrote and drew the strip till 1977. The square-jawed police detective and his outlandish villains have been an on the spot hit, although journalists would criticize the diploma of violence within the strip for many years. Tracy was so well-known, in actual fact, that his “2-Manner Wrist Radio” helped encourage the invention of the cellphone. He’s been tailored many instances, notably within the 1990 movie starring Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, and Madonna. Enjoyable reality: like many comics, Dick Tracy went by a sci-fi interval within the ’60s, throughout which his adopted son Junior married an alien princess named Moon Maid.
6. Blondie [1930-present, 93 years]
Created by Stylish Younger, Blondie is a kind of strips that feels misnamed at the moment, since for many years the principle character has clearly not been Blondie herself, however her hapless, sandwich-loving husband, Dagwood Bumstead. However in 1930, “Blondie Boopadoop” was a carefree flapper, with Dagwood as her wise, uppercrust boyfriend. The onset of the Nice Despair sparked the 2 of them settling right down to the relatable center class routine they nonetheless stay in at the moment, in addition to basically switching personalities.
5. Popeye [1919-present, 104 years]
Popeye himself was a latecomer to this strip, which was created by E. C. Segar and initially known as Thimble Theater. It revolved across the antics of the slacker Ham Gravy and his feisty girlfriend Olive Oyl — till in the future in 1929, Ham and Olive employed a sailor named Popeye for an ocean voyage, and he proved so well-liked with readers that he ultimately took over because the star, prompting a title change in 1938. Popeye has starred in quite a few multimedia properties, together with the groundbreaking Fleischer Brothers cartoon collection that started in 1933 and popularized his theme track and spinach-based superstrength, and the 1980 movie starring Robin Williams.
4. Barney Google and Snuffy Smith [1919-present, 104 years]
Like Blondie, this strip’s unique protagonist was displaced by the Nice Despair. Billy DeBeck created Take Barney Google, F’rinstance as a sporting strip, with its top-hatted protagonist having fun with horse racing and prize fights. Barney’s personal horse, Spark Plug, raced for the primary time in 1922, inflicting such a nationwide sensation that “Sparky” grew to become a well-liked nickname for kids — together with a younger Charles M. Schulz, eventual creator of Peanuts. An much more well-liked character was launched in 1934, when Barney took a visit to Appalachia and met a hillbilly named Snuffy Smith. “Hillbilly humor” was extremely well-liked within the Nineteen Thirties, and Snuffy quickly took over because the protagonist, phasing Barney out; he’s solely made occasional appearances in his personal strip because the Fifties. Enjoyable reality: 1923 noticed not one however two hit songs impressed by Barney Google: “Barney Google (with the Goo-Goo-Googly Eyes)” and “Come On, Spark Plug!”
3. Ripley’s Consider It or Not! [1918-present, 105 years]
I type of really feel like this one doesn’t depend, however Robert Ripley’s franchise revolving round weird tales and objects, now in all probability greatest often known as a collection of cheesy museums, began as a comic book strip. It doesn’t have characters or a story, simply factoids, however at its peak, it was learn by 80 million readers, in order that’s one thing. Nonetheless, give me the bizarrely dated adventures of a flapper or a hillbilly any day.
2. Gasoline Alley [1918-present, 105 years]
Created by Frank King, this strip was initially known as The Rectangle, however one nook was dedicated to a bunch of males speaking about these newfangled vehicles, known as “Gasoline Alley.” This function, and one of many males, Walt Pockets, slowly took over the strip. In 1921, wanting so as to add a component that appealed to girls, King had Walt discover an deserted child on his doorstep. Walt named the child Skeezix and have become a single father. Unusually for comedian strips, King had his characters age in actual time, in order that by the point World Battle II rolled round, Skeezix was sufficiently old to enlist. Except for a interval within the ’70s and ’80s the place their ages have been frozen, the characters have continued to get older, making Walt properly over a century now and Skeezix a grandfather. It’s principally unfunny gag-a-day stuff now, however in the event you can monitor down the Walt & Skeezix books gathering the early days, I can’t suggest them extremely sufficient — the mild humor of Walt fumbling by Skeezix’s child years will completely soften your coronary heart.
1. The Katzenjammer Children [1897–2006, 109 years]
Created by Rudolph Dirks, The Katzenjammer Children, about mischievous brothers Hans and Fritz, initially ran in William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal. In 1912, the exhausted Dirks determined to take a break, and Hearst continued to publish the strip with Harold Knerr because the artist. Dirks sued, and after an extended authorized battle, a Solomon-esque compromise was reached: Knerr continued with The Katzenjammer Children for Hearst, whereas Dirks created the almost similar The Captain and the Children for Hearst’s rival, Joseph Pulitzer. This strip resulted in 1979, whereas the unique continued till 2006, and even now’s now syndicated in reprint kind to about 50 papers.
Honorable Mentions
Two strips simply barely missed the cutoff for inclusion on this checklist: Nancy and Mary Price, which each began in 1938, making them 85 years outdated. Nevertheless, Nancy was spun off from 1922’s Fritzi Ritz, and Mary Price from 1934’s Apple Mary, so if we are able to depend Thimble Theater, I believe these two are value mentioning, too. Additionally, Nancy is presently drawn by Olivia Jaimes and it’s superb, please go test it out!
Lastly, each strip talked about above was ultimately taken over by later artists when the unique creator died or retired. So I seemed up the longest-running strip by a single artist. The world title goes to the Australian strip The Potts, by Stan Cross, who drew it for 62 years, and the runner up is the British strip Bristow, by Frank Dickens, who drew it for 51 years. However third place — and the American championship — goes, after all, to Peanuts, by the late, nice Charles “Sparky” Schulz, who drew it for 50 years. Good outdated Charlie Brown!
