A Comic Strip Roll Call
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With Calvin and Hobbes, Lum and Abner, Dick Tracy, Luann, Patrick McDonnell (Mutts) and Tom Toro, and Dee Parson (Rosebuds).
a boy and his tiger still matter
Bradley Worrell for Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine writes of the eduring love for Calvin and Hobbes:
When teaching his popular course on comic books and graphic novels, William Kuskin’s classroom represents a microcosm of the university, where engineering majors sit alongside business students and aspiring writers.
In that mix, the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, which debuted in November 1985, sparks an enthusiasm across students—even though the comic strip ended its syndicated run in December 1995, before most of those students were born, says Kuskin, a University of Colorado Boulder Department of English professor and department chair.
“Students will march down at the end of class and gush about Calvin and Hobbes,” he says. “It’s not just nostalgia; there’s an ongoing love for it in this generation.”
While no new Calvin and Hobbes comic strips have been produced since 1995, author Bill Watterson authorized the publication of 18 books between 1987 and 2005 that reprinted comic strips from various years. In honor of the publication of the three-volume The Complete Calvin and Hobbes in 2005, re-runs of comic strip were made available to newspapers from Sept. 4, 2005, to Dec. 31, 2005.
Kuskin says the beloved comic strip is not just a relic of the bygone newspaper era—it’s a shared language of humor and imagination between generations.
The Grandpappy of Corn Coms
Before there were The Beverly Hillbillies, The Andy Griffith Show and Green Acres, there was Lum and Abner. Set in the then-fictional town of Pine Ridge, Arkansas, the radio sitcom chronicled the adventures of two friends who ran a rural general store and served as the blueprint for the so-called “corn coms” of the 1960s.
During its run from the 1930s to the 1950s, Lum and Abner entertained fans across the United States and abroad throughout the Great Depression and World War II while introducing audiences to the characters and dialects of rural Arkansas.
Sarah DeClerk for Arkansas Money & Politics regales us with the history of Lum and Abner.
“It would have conflict. It would have mystery. It would have drama. It would have comedy,” said Donnie Pitchford, president of the National Lum and Abner Society.
Donnie Pitchford is not just the president of the Lum and Abner Society, he is also the cartoonist of the long running weekly Lum and Abner comic strip.
Today, Pitchford writes a Lum and Abner comic strip, and he also provides an audio version of every comic strip, which he said has a large audience among people who are blind.
“I keep it going because I have an audience,” he said. “I’m not getting wealthy off it, obviously, but I have a lot of people, and a lot of them are far younger than I am. You know, I’ve had readers in their 20s and 30s even, and I’ve tried to involve young people in the production of it.”
Tom Toro in Conversation with Patrick McDonnell
From the Princeton Public Library comes Tom Toro and Patrick McDonnell discussing cartooning.
Together, Tom and Patrick will discuss Tom’s new book, the creative process behind their work, the evolving landscape of cartooning, and how humor, especially in illustrated form, can deepen connection and understanding.
[Tom Toro:] It’s getting rarer for cartoonists to put out cartoon collections because for my generation, um, our stuff is just sort of ubiquitous online. You can go on my social media and see more of it. There’s more available for free online. So, I really, you know, thank you to Andrews McMeel for taking the risk and starting to put out true cartoon collections for for younger artists.
Supr Dee, Entrepreneur
Cartoonist Dee Parson is featured in the Indiana Economic Business Corporation Yearbook.
(Try as I might I can’t find a webpage for this feature article.)
Dick Tracy, from Comic Strip to Comic Book
The sales of recent Dick Tracy comic books are good enough for even more detective comics to be published. Samantha Puc at The Beat reports on the forthcoming Dick Tracy: St. Patrick’s Day Special.
In partnership with Tribune Content Agency and New Wave Comics, Mad Cave Studios has announced a festive, new Dick Tracy one-shot. Dick Tracy: St. Patrick’s Day Special debuts in March 2026, and The Beat has all the details.
Written by series scribes Alex Segura and Michael Moreci and featuring guest writer Tim Seeley, with art by Craig Cermak and Rebekah Isaacs, colors by Mark Englert and Marissa Louise, and letters by Patrick Brosseau, this one-shot throws the iconic detective into a seasonal caper for the ages. Here’s the full synopsis…
Luann Fills Out
GoComics has improved the Luann archives.
From GoComics What’s New Update for December 15, 2025:
We filled in missing strips and corrected a number of errors in the “Luann” archive, including incorrect dates and lower-quality versions. With these updates, the archive is now more complete and accurate, making it easier for you to enjoy 40 years of “Luann” without gaps or inconsistencies.
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