Obscurity of the Day: Tom, Dick and Harry

 

The Keeley Syndicate, based out of the Chicago Herald, couldn't seem to find clients for their Sunday comics, and no wonder, they were a pretty pathetic lot. You would never have guessed based on their crummy features that this syndicate would launch the careers of E.C. Segar, Billy DeBeck, J.P. McEvoy and, featured today, Frank Willard. 

Willard started out at the Herald doing a daily strip with no continuing title, but his first Sunday feature was Tom, Dick and Harry, which started February 7 1915. The strip starred a kid gang trio who engaged in the typical shenanigans, offering no particular hint of genius on the part of the cartoonist. Who would have guessed that Willard would soon create Moon Mullins, a strip whose popularity would keep it going for nearly seven decades. 

Tom, Dick and Harry initially ran until October 17 1915, then went on a hiatus, then returned on January 30 1916 and ran until March 25 1917. On the following Sunday Willard unveiled a new strip called Mr. and Mrs. Pippin, which was much more in keeping with Willard's interest in portraying the lower classes.