Chronological History of American Comics
part one - until 1913
-
1865
- 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.
- A.N. Kellogg News Company established. First newspaper syndicate in
the U.S. consolidated during the final days of the Civil War for faster
news reporting.
1877
- Puck magazine begins publication in America.
1881
- Judge magazine begins publication.
1883
- Life magazine begins publication
1894
- 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.
- "The Little Bears" by James
Swinnerton begins in the San Francisco Examiner under William
Randolph Hearst.
1895
- Richard Felton Outcault's
"Yellow Kid" makes his first appearance in Pulitzer's the
World.
- the Yellow Kid in
his first appearance. 10k Gif.
- the Yellow kid in 1896.
52k Gif
1896
- The Yellow Kid begins publication as a weekly feature.
1897
- R.F.Outcault moves from Pulitzer's "The World" to Hearst's "Examiner".
- 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 appearance.
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
- Gustave Verbeck's "The Upside Downs" begins in the New York
Herald.
- Clare Briggs's "A.Piker Clerk" makes first appearance the
Chicago American.
1904
- First appearance of "The Newlyweds" by
George McManus.
- Winsor McCay's "Dream of the Rarebit Fiend" makes first
appearance in the Evening Telegram.
- James Swinnerton's "Little Jimmy" makes his first
appearance.
1905
- Winsor McCay's epic "Little Nemo in Slumberland" makes
first appearance in the New York Herald.
- Gustave Verbeck's "The Terrors of the Tiny Tads" makes
first appearance.
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
- Harry Hershfield's "Desperate Desmond" first appearance.
- George Herriman's "Dingbat
Family" makes it's first appearance. On July 26 Krazy Kat makes
first transformed appearance
1911
- Sidney Smith's "Old Doc Yak" makes first appearance.
1912
- William Randolph Hearst creates "International Feature Service",
later renamed King Features.
- 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 decision handed down in 1914
- Cliff Sterrett's "Positive Polly" makes first appearance.
Later renamed Polly & Her Pals.
- Edgar Rice Burrough's "Under the Moons of Mars" published
in All Story.
- Edgar Rice Burrough's "Tarzan of the Apes" published in All
Story Magazine
1913
- George McManus' "Bringing
Up Father" makes first appearance in the Journal American
- George Herriman's Krazy
Kat appears as it's own strip with title on October 28
Some scans of cool illos..
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