Chronological History of American Comics
part one - until 1913
1734
month unk.
William Hogarth's A Harlot's Progress A Rake's Progress and
Marriage a la Mode published. A seminal influence on the creation of the visual
narrative in print.
1841
First issue of Punch magazine published in London
1865
A.N. Kellogg News Company established. First newspaper syndicate
in the U.S.
Wilhelm Busch's Max und Moritz introduced in German papers. This
strip had a direct influence on Rudolph Dirks who would plagiarize the strip
for the Katzenjammer Kids.
1877
Puck magazine begins publication in America.
1881
Judge magazine begins publication.
1883
Life magazine begins publication
1893
The Little Bears by James Swinnerton begins in the San Francisco
Examiner under William Randolph Hearst.
The first color newspaper page is published in the New York
Recorder. One week later the New York World under Joseph Pulitzer publishes
it's first color page.
1895
Richard Felton Outcault's Yellow Kid makes his first appearance in
Pulitzer's the World.
1896
The Yellow Kid begins publication as a weekly feature.
1897
Hearst's Journal American establishes it's Sunday comic supplement
called the American Humorist it features Outcault's Yellow Kid and Dirk's
Katzenjammer Kids make their first appear
R.F.Outcault moves from Pulitzer's The World to Hearst's Examiner.
1900
Foxy Grandpa by Carl Schultze makes first appearance in the New
York Herald.
Frederic Burr Opper's Happy Hooligan first appearance.
1902
R.F.Outcault's Buster Brown makes first appearance in the New York
Herald.
1903
Clare Briggs's A.Piker Clerk makes first appearance the Chicago
American.
Gustave Verbeck's The Upside Downs begins in the New York Herald.
1904
First appearance of The Newlyweds by George McManus.
James Swinnerton's Little Jimmy makes his first appearance.
Winsor McCay's Dream of the Rarebit Fiend makes first appearance
in the Evening Telegram.
1905
Gustave Verbeck's The Terrors of the Tiny Tads makes first
appearance.
Winsor McCay's epic Little Nemo in Slumberland makes first
appearance in the New York Herald.
1906
C.W.Kahles Hairbreadth Harry makes first appearance.
Lyonel Feininger's The Kin-der-Kids & Wee Willie Winkie's
World begin in the Chicago Tribune
1907
Bud Fisher's Mutt & Jeff makes it's first appearance as Mr.
A.Mutt in the San Francisco Chronicle. Accredited as the first successful daily
comic strip.
1910
George Herriman's Dingbat Family makes it's first appearance. On
July 26 Krazy Kat makes first transformed appearance
Harry Hershfield's Desperate Desmond first appearance.
1911
Sidney Smith's Old Doc Yak makes first appearance.
1912
Cliff Sterrett's Positive Polly makes first appearance. Later
renamed Polly & Her Pals.
Edgar Rice Burrough's Tarzan of the Apes published in All Story
Magazine
Edgar Rice Burrough's Under the Moons of Mars published in All
Story.
Rudolph Dirks quits Hearst's Journal American and goes to
Pulitzer's the World. Move results in lawsuit against Dirks that he may not
take the Katzenjammer Kids with him. A landmark decisi
William randolph Hearst creates International Feature Service
later renamed King Features.
1913
George Herriman's Krazy Kat appears as it's own strip with title
on October 28
George McManus' Bringing Up Father makes first appearance in the
Journal American.
Some scans of cool illos..
George McManus "Bringing Up
Father", top half of a Sunday page from 1935. 207k Jpeg.
George McManus "Bringing Up
Father", bottom half of a Sunday page from 1935. 207k Jpeg.