Stripper's Guide

More mystery strips - today is 'I' for 'I dunno'! As always, provide proof that any of these ran in U.S. newspapers and win a great package of comic strip goodies. (SORRY - as of 2018 goodie boxes are sadly no longer available - I now live in Canada and our postal rates are so outrageous that I cannot afford to send out goodie boxes - SORRY!)

I Like You Because - Naida - Dickson Feature Service - daily strip - 1979
I'm Telling You - Proctor Brown, Irwin Kostin - Associated Midwest Newspaper Syndicate - daily panel - 1937
I.D. Clare - W.F. Peters - Publishers Feature Service - weekly panel - 1946-49
Idiosyntrics - R.S. Broughton, Proctor Brown - Associated Midwest Newspaper Syndicate - daily panel - 1937
If I Had My Way - Kern Pederson - Trans World News Service - weekly panel - 1976-78
Igor - Harry Privette - Boston Features - daily strip - 1985-87
Illustrated Crimes - Stookie Allen - Service For Authors - daily/weekly strip - 1933-39
Impressions - Emil Abrahamian - self-syndicated - daily/weekly panel - 1983-94
In Their Own Words - Paul Howle, Don O'Briant - Asterisk Features/United Features - Sunday panel - 1987-present [Charles Brubaker found, it is not a cartoon feature but a game with minor cartoon element]
In The Land Of Midnite Fun - Sarge O'Neill - Southern Cartoon Syndicate - daily panel - 1971
Inane Incidents - S.R. Vic - Better Features - daily panel - 1932
Indian Summer - John Zima - Atlas Features - weekly strip - 1951-59 (found! in Redwood Journal-Press-Dispatch)
Inklings - John Jarvis - Western Newspaper Union - weekly panel - 1949-50 (found! in Lime Springs Herald)
Inky - Hal Borden - Al Smith Service - weekly panel - 1961-65 [not a mystery after all; panels were actually titled Little Inky and were documented]
Inner Circle - Lochlan Field - Watkins Syndicate - weekly strip - 1939
Insight-Out - E.J. Myer - Winford Company - daily - 1971
Intimate Biographies - William Jacobson - Fox Features - weekly strip - 1929-30 (found! in Cincinnati Enquirer)
It Does Happen - Treve Collins - Thompson Service - daily panel - 1931-34
It Has Been Noted That... - Leshod - American International Syndicate - daily panel - 1996-97
It Just So Happened - Kern Pederson - Al Smith Service - weekly panel - 1978 (found! in Sequoyah County Times, and others. Thanks Brubaker!)
It's A Cockeyed World - Joe Kaliff - Republic Features - weekly panel - 1948-80
It's A Fact - Jerry Cahill - Atlas Features - weekly panel - 1948-59 (found! in Redwood Journal-Press-Dispatch)
It's A Laugh - Rube Weiss - Blackstone Press Features - weekly panel - 1971-76
It's A Living - Burdette Inch - John M. Meissner - daily panel - 1938
It's A Tough Life - Ed Hampton - American International Syndicate - daily strip - 1992-95
It's For You - Nick Frising - Allied Feature Syndicate - daily panel - 1982
It's Just As True Today - Franklin Van Zelm - Globe Syndicate - daily panel - 1948-50 (found by Bill Mullins in Chester Times and Sheboygan Press - thanks Bill!)
It's Love - Chuck & Gwen Bowen - Universal Press Syndicate - daily panel - 1972-73 (found in Sacramento Union)
It's Really Great - Charles Bowen, Barbara Jones - Allied Features - daily panel - 1985
It's Really A Racket - Cliff Durr, Charles Tepper - Allied Features Syndicate - daily strip - 1938
It's Your World - Ted Goff, Dan Harris - self-syndicated - daily and Sunday strip - 1985-86

After a pregnant pause, here's letter H of the mystery strips. If you can prove that any of these ran in US newspapers (via tearsheets, photocopies of tearsheets or other positive proof) you receive a goodie package full of all sorts of cool comic strip related treasures! All other information that you can pass on about features in the list is also much appreciated. (SORRY - as of 2018 goodie boxes are sadly no longer available - I now live in Canada and our postal rates are so outrageous that I cannot afford to send out goodie boxes - SORRY!)

Hairbreadth Harry - Joseph Petrovich - Ledger Syndicate - daily and Sunday strip - 1967-72
Hal Hepp - Warren Gates - Atlas Features - weekly strip - 1951-59 - found in Bessemer Herald (in 1949
Half Pints - Mike Gray, Bob Hyde - Nationwide Features - weekly panel - 1949-50 FOUND - Germund von Wowern supplied proof that these were advertising panels, and thus not qualified for Stripper's Guide listing
Half-Buck - Slim Heilman - McClure Syndicate - daily and Sunday strip - 1951
Halo And His Dog - Bill Wright - Southern Cartoon Syndicate - daily strip - 1971
Hambone - M. Flanagan - Adventure Feature Syndicate - daily and Sunday strip - 1994-97
Hampy - Laurie Campbell - United Cartoonist Syndicate - daily - 1988
Handiboy - uncredited - International Syndicate - weekly panel - 1936-39
Hang-Ups - Betty Runyon - Allied Press International - daily strip - 1980-81
Hannibal - Harry Mace - Consolidated Features - daily strip - 1956-57
Hans Schnupps - Walt Triciak - Bryl Syndicate - daily strip - 1936
Hap Holiday - Phil Martin - Globe Syndicate - daily strip - 1948
Happy Days - Cliff Knight - Matz Features - weekly strip - 1937-38
The Happy Days - Norman Maurer - Crown Features - daily panel and Sunday strip - 1960
Happy Happy - Cosmus - Oceanic Press Service - weekly strip - 1982-92
Happy Hunch - H.L. Kruckman - Graphic Syndicate - daily strip - 1926 (Found! Cole Johnson supplied samples -- thanks Cole!)
Happy Returns - Cecile Mills - Mordell Features - daily panel - 1946
Harry Fig - Peter Wallace - United Feature Syndicate - daily and Sunday strip - 1984
Hasty Pudding - Man Martin - Lew Little Enterprises - daily strip - 1992
Hattie - Gertrude Espenschied - Roberts News Service - weekly panel - 1962-67
Have Fun! - Lee Bryan, Rube Weiss - Blackstone Press Features - weekly panel - 1956-76
Hawks Of The Seas - Willis Rensie (Will Eisner) - Eisner-Iger Associates - weekly strip - 1937-40
He's The Guy - R.N. Palmer - Select Features - daily panel - 1948
Head Set - Dennis Ellefson - Ed Marzola & Associates - daily panel - 1976
Head Of The Family - Robert & Sally Batz - Chicago Tribune-NY News Syndicate - daily panel - 1971 [found! by Charles Brubaker in Dayton Daily News -- thanks Charles!]
Heads And Tales - Joe Laurie Jr - Press Features - daily panel - 1948
Heart Throbs - Gladys Ripley - Editors Syndicate - daily strip - 1927
Heavenly Days - Jack Bonestell - Wilson Features - daily strip - 1979
Heavy Hannah - John Haslemo - Atlas Features - weekly strip - 1951-59 (found! in Redwood Journal-Press-Dispatch)
Hector Hicks - Lank Leonard - George Matthew Adams Service - daily strip - 1933
Hector The Director - Rama Braggiotti - Ledger Syndicate - daily panel - 1967-73
Helen Homemaker - Gean & Lloyd Birmingham - Columbia Features - weekly strip - 1968-73 (found! by Art Lortie in Fort Myers News-Press)
Henry Henpeck - Irv Hagglund - A.S. Curtis Features - daily panel - 1949-61
The Hep Catts - Ray Herman - Allied Features - Sunday strip - 1945
Herd Of Laughter - Terry Willis - Liberty Features - weekly - 1997-98
Here And There - John Rosol - King Features - weekly strip - 1941 (found! by Mark Johson, see this Ask the Archivist post)
Heroglyphics - Don Eaton - Trans World News Service - daily strip - 1978
Hey, Mac - Mike Arens, A.S. Curtis - A.S. Curtis Features - daily and Sunday strtip - 1947-61
Hi And Jinx - Mal Hancock - Davy Associates - daily strip - 1991-97
Hi-Lo - Daloisio - Transworld Feature Syndicate - daily and Sunday strip - 1952-62
Hi-Way Henry - Oscar Hitt - Wheeler-Nicholson - daily panel - 1926
Hick'ry Twigs - Jack Knox - Associated Newspapers - daily strip - 1938
Highlights Of Industry - Arthur E. Jameson - Triton Syndicate - weekly panel - 1936
Hobbs And Hink Adventures, Inc. - Julius King, Kurt Wiese - Metropolitan Newspaper Service - daily strip - 1928
Hold That Deadline - Herb Hunter - Newspaper Promotion Service - daily panel - 1947
Hollywood Hannah - Bob Moore - Nationwide Features - daily panel - 1949-50 [Charles Thompson supplies proof that Nationwide was a producer of advertising strips; not eligible for SG listing]
The Home Front - Pat Miller - Press Alliance - daily panel - 1942
Homefolks - V. Kolarov - American International Syndicate - daily panel - 1996-98
Homer Sapiens - William J. Mikulka - Trans World News Service - daily strip - 1978
Homer's Groaners - Ed Stanoszek - LA Times Syndicate - daily strip - 1978-79 [found to be an activity feature, not eligible for SG. Thanks Charles Brubaker!]
Honeydew - Henry Gaines Goodman Jr. - self-syndicated - daily panel - 1971-83 [Found! by Charles Brubaker in Greenville News; definitely stopped production sometime in 1973, so much of the advertising was for reruns]
The Honeymoon's Over - Charles Wagner - Humor Books Syndicate - weekly strip - 1995-96
Hoo-Dunnit - Fred Lamb - Columbia Features - daily panel - 1976
Hookup Henry - Tousey - NY Herald-Tribune Syndicate - daily panel - 1925
Hoot 'n' Annie - Eli Bauer - Newsday Specials - daily panel - 1965
Horace Scope The Star Gazer - Winn McCourt, William Sullivan - Associated Midwest Newspaper Syndicate - daily strip - 1937-38
Horse Shoe Sam - C.E. Bidinger - National Newspaper Service - daily panel - 1928
Hospital Quips - Rube Weiss - Blackstone Press Features - weekly panel - 1971-76
Hot And Tot - Ray Harris, Charles McGirl - Fred Harman Features - ? - 1934
House Of Hazards - Mac Arthur - Miller Services - weekly strip - 1939-40 (found! in State Center Enterprise)
How They Made Good - David Fishback - Hopkins Syndicate - daily panel - 1939
How To Be A Supermother - Dick Harris - self-syndicated - weekly panel - 1973-77 [found! by Charles Brubaker in Box Elder Journal, Thanks Charles!]
How To Do Or Be - George Beatty - Readers Syndicate - daily panel - 1924
Howard Banks - Michael Passannante, Nick Trezza - Global Features - daily and Sunday strip - 1991-93
Hub Caps - Jay Howard - Crown Features - Sunday strip - 1960
Huber And Friends - Frank Cummins - Sun News Features - daily strip - 1960-63
Hubert Henpec - Fantasio - Transworld Feature Syndicate - daily and Sunday strip - 1952-62
Hunchback of Notre Dame - Dick Briefer - Eisner-Iger Associates - weekly strip - 1937-39
Hunk The Dinosaur - Dean Norman - Ecology Cartoon Features - Sunday strip - 1993
Hutch At Random - G.E.Hutchison - Pat Anderson Features - weekly panel - 1970-75

Labels: Mystery Strips

There was a well-known Hearst series titled Embarrassing Moments that ran in the 20s and 30s. Among the luminaries that worked on that series were Billy DeBeck and George Herriman. What few people know is that it was actually a revival of an earlier Hearst series, An Embarrassing Moment. The original series started 3/2/1916 in the New York American, and was a tag team affair by A.C. Fera (better known for Just Boy, aka Elmer) and Fred Locher (Cicero Sapp). The joint effort only lasted a week, and then the series disappeared for five months (though it may have been running in papers outside New York). Locher resumed the series as a solo effort on 8/25/1916, but it was passed off just two months later to Jimmy Swinnerton (who supplies all our samples). Swinnerton produced the strip until July 1917 for the American, though it ran there only sporadically. It seems to have been produced and run in other papers on a more frequent basis.

The second and more famous series started sometime in 1922.

Labels: Obscurities

Mary Hays was definitely a relative of the better known distaff cartoonists Margaret Hays and Grace Drayton, possibly a sister though no one is quite certain. Mary seems to have been younger than the other two, and certainly was not nearly as gifted artistically. Her only long-running strip was Kate And Karl, done for the Philadelphia North American. All of the cartooning Hays clan worked at the North American in the first two decades of the 20th century, the others most notably with the long running popular series The Turr'ble Tales of Kaptin Kiddo. Mary definitely was trying to echo the style of Grace Drayton, but her version comes off as flat and lifeless by comparison. Her storytelling ability, too, leaves something to be desired as our sample attests (I had to read it three times before I could even decipher the continuity and the gag).

Kate And Karl ran 9/24/1911 through 11/30/1913, and was later reprinted in the World Color Printing Sunday sections of 1917-18. It's my understanding that Mary Hays went on to be a well-regarded paper doll designer.

Labels: Obscurities

In mid-1912 the Rocky Mountain News ran Chris and Christena's Courtship as sort of a banner on the front page of their Sunday classified section. I have a run of the strip from July through August, but it may well have run longer.

Notice that this strip is in (limited) color, even though it ran in what is normally a black-and-white section of most papers. The papers of Denver (the Post, the Times, the Republican, the Express, the Rocky Mountain News and perhaps even others) were in a pitched battle for circulation, though, so many of the papers brightened their paper with a liberal use of color. The color extended to the news coverage as well -- the Denver papers of the 1900s-1910s are some of the yellowest journals you'll ever find. If you're a fan of sensational newspapers like I am, you'll find nirvana in the pages of these old Colorado papers.

I don't know whether this strip originated at the News or if it was syndicated from elsewhere. The cartoonist Artigue has a few comic strip credits in Boston and Philadelphia in the 1906-09 period, but I lose track of him after that with this one exception from 1912. Can anyone offer more information on either Artigue or this strip?

Labels: Obscurities

As promised a few moons ago on this blog, I have been looking for the list of newspapers given to me by Greg Theakston. These newspapers are supposed to have run Jack Kirby's ultra-rare material for the Lincoln Features Syndicate. Though we've found a few papers now running Lincoln material, most of the more interesting Kirby work (like Socko The Sea Dog, Cyclone Burke and The Black Buccaneer) are still only know from proofs in the collection of Roz Kirby.

Greg Theakston got a short list of papers from Roz that are presumed to have run some of the more obscure Lincoln Features material, and he passed it along to me. I have been unable to obtain any of these newspapers on microfilm. If any of you have access to these papers I beg, chide and admonish you to index the Lincoln material (which starts around 1935):

Nassau Bulletin
Hillsdale Herald
Tripoli (IA) Leader
Cuyahoga Falls (OH) News
Darby (PA) Progress
Clifton (NJ) Leader
Newark (NJ) Issue
Putnam County (NY) News
Irvington (NJ) Herald
Clifton (NJ) Weekly
unnamed paper in Beverly Hills CA
unnamed paper in South Bend and Fort Wayne IN