The History of Comics :: Comic Strips Books Media Art Essays

The History of Comics Comics In the Beginning The modern funny, as we know it, began in Joseph Pulitzers New York World on February 17,1895. The comic, drawn by Richard F. Outcault, was based on the life of Mickey Dugan, an Irish immigrant child in the city. Although the strip had no name, flock have dubbed it the Yellow Kid because the nightshirt worn by Mickey Dugan was the projection for an experiment in yellow ink by the newspaper. Eventually the comic came to be known as Hogans Alley. Soon comics were recognized for the selling potential and were published in newspapers all over the world. After the success of the World, a competitor, William Randolph Herst of the New York Journal, leased Outcault to draw Hogans Alley for Hearsts Journal. The World continued publication of the strip using a new artist, and both papers were featuring the Yellow kid. This led to people referring to the dickens papers as the yellow papers. And as the battle between the press lords became more i ntense, people began calling it yellow journalism which now has come to retrieve overly sensational journalism. Although Outcault won the battle over the rights of Yellow kid, the mass marketing began. The cartoon was everywhere. Products were universe produced, even cigars, bearing the yellow kid. Soon the comic revolution began, and strips were published all over. Of these comics, Katzenjammer Kids drawn by Rudolph Dirks in 1897, was one of the most popular and starting signal to regularly use voice balloons for dialogue. Outcault likewise continued drawing, and began a strip called bronco buster Brown which was to be a tie between the comic strip and the comic book. The mass marketing continued, and Buster Brown had his own line of shoes (McHam). Until 1907, comic strips ran only on Sundays. In 1907, the first daily strip appeared. Mutt and Jeff by Bud Fisher, began being published daily in the San Franciso Chronicle. Following that was Bringing up Father, in 1912, and soon many others including Barney Google Thimble Theater forerunner to Popeye Moon Mullins Orphan Annie and Andy Gump which was the first comic to tell a continuing story. Hearst pushed comics in all of his newspapers and began King Features, a syndication service, to deliver comics to his and other papers. King Features continues syndicating today along with companys such as Universal Press Syndicate in Kansas City, Kansas.