Around the Comic Strip Scene
Skip to comments
Let’s Get Political
We are used to Non Sequitur going political, and even Herb and Jamaal and Over the Hedge voice their opinions of the government more frequently these days. But it comes as a surprise when Wizard of Id and Thatababy get digs in at the government.
Dave Whamond pulls an old (2002) Dave Coverly Speed Bump cartoon for inspiration (with credit).
Dave Coverly’s covert promotion. Today’s Speed Bump QR takes you to Dave’s website.
Enough of that. Let’s ask a woman her age.
It was the summer of 1930. The country was in the first year of what became known as the Great Depression, and folks were already nostalgic for the carefree party-filled days and nights of the 1920s.
That was when 29-year-old cartoonist Chic Young began working on a daily comic strip about a carefree young “flapper” named Blondie Boopadoop and her boyfriend, Dagwood Bumstead, the son of a rich railroad tycoon.
“Blondie” was launched Sept. 8, 1930 — 95 years ago next Monday. And it’s still appearing daily in newspapers nationwide.
The Spokane Spokesman-Review gives us a profile of Chic Young and a history of the Blondie comic strip as it nears 95 years, noting that Blondie is one of the top ten longest running comic strips with a chart that, like the article has no credits.
I’m guessing the 93 year old comic strip is Alley Oop that started in 1932. And the Nancy is dated from the 1938 title change rather than Fritzi Ritz’s 1922 debut or Nancy’s first appearance in 1933. And Mary Worth‘s comic strip origin does not include her Apple Mary nom de bande dessinée of 1934 to 1938.
A few days after the original date of publication the Spokesman-Review has the chart with titles included:
The Spokane Spokesman-Review carries the Blondie comic strip daily, they carry Beetle Bailey on Sundays so I would have thought they’d honor that comic strip on its Diamond Anniversary coming up. Maybe they will.
Beetle Bailey first appeared 75 years ago come September 4, 1950. Since The Walker Brothers decided to observe the anniversary a day early, we will beat them by another day. We will note that the anniversary book is still two weeks away from its release date.
Speaking of comic strip anniversaries and books…
Scheduled 13 months before the Cathy comic strip’s November 22, 1976 beginning from Andrews McMeel is the four volume Cathy 50th Anniversary [not complete] Collection.
Take a trip down memory lane with this celebratory 50th anniversary collection of Cathy Comics … a celebration of both Cathy Comics and Cathy Guisewite’s journey.
Circling Back
Because Karen Moy’s Mary Worth is getting as convoluted as Tony DePaul’s The Phantom Joseph Nebus at Another Blog, Meanwhile takes us back to the origins of the Mary and Olive relationship.
And just a note that while checking The Spokane Spokesman-Review I note that Earth to Planet by Jody Zellman is still holding down a weekly spot in that newspaper. More Jody here.
And Endings of a sort
Berkeley Breathed share news on his Facebook page:
Bloomers… in case you’re wondering why things are slightly different than 1982: the last several years were spent developing Bloom County into a prime time show for FOX, retitled and slightly recast. As the name suggests, it focused on our two heroes, supported by a transmogrified version of Steve’s mom, as well some familiar supporting faces. The pilot was headed to production until it was cancelled shortly after the election, without comment. Much more to share from the above efforts to come.
Nick Bythrow at ScreenRant shares the details and the history of the project.
Given how many years Bloom County‘s adaptation was in development for, it’s underwhelming to know such an interesting take on the comic strip is now being sidelined. It’s unclear if the motive was political or not, but the show would have provided ample commentary on Middle American politics.
What’s not ending is Breathed’s gift of new Bloom County Boys strips at that same Facebook page.
Extras – GoComics Extras that is
In this exclusive interview, “Garfield” creator Jim Davis reflects on the comic’s evolution, the cat’s staying power, and what it’s like writing for a global icon.
Nicole Kinning interviews cartoonist Jim Davis, creator of Garfield.
Rachel DeSchepper on “the most chaotic sport ever.” Invented by Bill Watterson in Calvin and Hobbes.
Today Calvinball is still very much in our lexicon, and not just with “Calvin and Hobbes” stans. In March 2025 it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary, with this definition: “Activity reminiscent of the imaginary game of Calvinball … in not following any discernible rules, or in which individuals act in a self-servingly inconsistent manner.”
It’s popped up in some surprising places too: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson referenced Calvinball in her dissenting opinion in National Institutes of Health v. American Public Health Association this month, calling out “Calvinball jurisprudence” to describe shifting rules.
Nicole Kinning introduces us to The Ancients, a new to GoComics comic strip by Joe Berger.
When I ask Joe Berger how his comic “The Ancients“began, I hear the flipping of pages over the phone. “In this notebook, I have the exact date where the idea just sort of popped into my head,” he says. “Oh, here … it’s the 28th of February, 2023.”
“The Ancients,” which has been running on Substack and launches on GoComics today, started from an unlikely moment of parental frustration that Berger captured in that very notebook.
Comments 4
Comments are closed.