The Stripper's Guide blog discusses the history of the American newspaper comic strip.
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Saturday, October 27, 2007
Herriman Saturday
Here are Herriman's cartoons for October 29 through November 1. Of special interest are the last three, which form sort of a three day triptych, all variations on the same scene. You might also notice a slight change in tone -- earlier cartoons gave the impression that there was no doubt that this pack of bums (and the more I read about them, they certainly were) would be history after the election. Now the tone is almost mournful as the Examiner began to realize that the Independence League candidate, Langston, was not garnering the level of support needed to win the governorship, and that either Bell or Gillett, both in the pocket of the Southern Pacific, were the more likely winners.
those last three are much more interesting than anything that was happening in the comics sections at the time. Herriman has got such a momentum going here that the characters establish their own life on the page all these years later, independently of the real persons they're caricaturing.
ReplyDeletekeep 'em coming!