Wednesday, May 04, 2022
E&P Mystery Strips: Letter 'S'
I stalled out on this series with letter 'R' in 2013, but here are the 'S'es and all it took was slightly less than a decade!
Okay, here's how this works, for those who haven't been keeping up with the whirlwind pace. The Editor & Publisher Syndicate Yearbooks, published from 1924 until 2010, listed theoretically all the available syndicated features, including comic strips and panels. Those listings often included features that I've never been able to locate. Some of them, no doubt, never appeared anywhere and were just wishful thinking. But if you look at previous letters, and the later exclamations of discovery from myself and others, some of these features can and do let themselves be found by the most intrepid researchers.
Therefore your task, if you wish to accept it, is to go forth on a hard target search of every research library, online digital newspaper archive and the material in your own collection, and report back to Stripper's Guide Central with your discoveries.
|
Title |
Creator(s) |
Syndicate |
Advertised Format/Frequency |
Years Advertised |
Notes/Status (blank means still a mystery) |
|
Saddle Sore |
Frank Barnett |
American International |
Daily panel |
1989-91 |
|
|
Saddle Sores |
George Alblitz |
Trans World News |
Daily strip |
1976-78 |
|
|
Saint Paul & Duncan |
David Watkins, Wayne Dunifon |
Suzerain |
Daily panel |
1992-95 |
|
|
Saltwood |
D. Leahy, Piper |
Columbia Features |
Daily |
1988-89 |
|
|
Sam & Max, Freelance Police |
Steve Purcell |
At Large Features |
Weekly strip |
2001-02 |
No mention of a newspaper series on the charcaters’ Wikipedia page. |
|
Sam Mantics |
Carey Orr Cook |
Sam Mantics Enterprises |
Twice weekly strip |
1990-93 |
|
|
Sam Scout |
W.Clay, Len Glasgow, Lane, Mead, Warkentin |
World News Syndicate |
Daily/Sunday strip |
1972-77 |
|
|
Sampson |
Ken and Lorretta Bank |
Dickson-Bennett |
Daily panel |
1984 |
|
|
San Victorino |
Gamez |
Colombian Comics |
Daily/Sunday strip |
1990-96 |
|
|
Sandcastles |
Greg Curfman |
Sandcastles Syndicate |
Weekly strip |
1976 |
|
|
Sandlot Sammy |
Harry E. Godwin |
Quaker Features |
Daily strip |
1925 |
|
|
Sandy’s World |
Roy Doty |
Paradigm-TSA |
Daily/Sunday strip |
1999 |
|
|
Santigwar |
R. Lee |
American International |
Daily strip |
1987-89 |
|
|
Sargent MacDoogle |
Rick Wilson |
Wilson Syndicate |
Daily panel |
1975-76 |
|
|
Sassafrass Tea |
Bob Howard |
Bob Howard Enterprises |
Weekly panel |
1973 |
|
|
Sassy Makes Three |
Arlene Rowles, Ann Mace |
Cascade Features |
Weekly |
1990 |
|
|
Saturn Against The Earth |
Uncredited |
Press Alliance |
Weekly strip |
1940 |
|
|
School Daze |
John Owens |
American International |
Daily panel |
1993-94 |
|
|
Scientific Sam |
Maurice Beam |
Universal Press |
Daily strip |
1935 |
|
|
Scoop Roundtree |
Nathan Diggs, J. Anderson |
Amadou Features |
Weekly strip |
1973 |
|
|
Scorer |
John Gillatt, Barrie Tomlinson |
North America Syndicate |
Daily strip |
1992-98 |
Well-known British strip, but did it appear in US newspapers? |
|
Scotty the Wonder Dog |
E.I. Reed |
Miller Features |
Daily strip |
1939-40 |
|
|
Scrappy |
Charles Mintz |
Eisner-Iger Associates |
Daily/weekly strip |
1937 |
Is this the same as the known “Scrappy Sayings” panels? |
|
Scraps |
Michael Wakinyan |
United Cartoonist Syndicate |
Daily |
1987-88 |
|
|
Screams |
Guy Gilchrist, Ralph Hagen |
DBR Media |
Weekly panel |
2002-2000s |
|
|
Scroll of Fame |
A.S. Curtis |
Self-syndicated |
Sunday strip |
1951-61 |
|
|
Scruffles |
Uncredited |
TV Compulog |
Weekly strip |
1976 |
|
|
The Sea Hawk |
Uncredited |
Eric Jon Inc. |
Weekly strip |
1955-61 |
|
|
Sea Rations |
James Estes |
Star-Telegram Syndicate |
Daily strip |
1974 |
|
|
Seaweed |
Johnny Sajem |
Trans World News/Allied Press |
Daily strip |
1977-81 |
|
|
Sebastian |
Alex Stefanson |
Dickson-Bennett/Weekly Features |
Daily panel |
1984-85 |
|
|
See For Yourself |
Uncredited |
Associated Press |
Weekly |
1946 |
|
|
Seems Funny But It’s True |
Ralph S. Matz |
Matz Features/Unique Features |
Daily strip |
1936-39 |
|
|
Seven Errors |
F. Hays |
BP Singer |
Weekly |
1976-78 |
|
|
Shakespeare Plays |
Luzny |
Canada Wide Features |
Daily strip |
1947-48 |
Any distribution in US? |
|
Shamrocks |
Kessler, McCarty |
Kay Features |
Daily panel |
1932-33 |
|
|
Shanghai Lil |
Sarge O’Neill |
Southern Cartoon Syndicate |
Daily panel |
1970-78 |
|
|
Sheena, Queen of the Jungle |
W. Morgan Thomas |
Eisner-Iger Associates |
Weekly strip |
1938-39 |
|
|
Sheriff of Pina Coda |
Mike Moen |
Suzerain |
Daily strip |
1986 |
|
|
Sherlock Home |
Bob Goodbread |
Dickson-Bennett |
Daily panel |
1984 |
|
|
Sheroderfield |
Jeff Koterba |
Dickson-Bennett |
Weekly strip |
1980-81 |
|
|
Sherwood |
Robert Nunn |
Weekly Features/American Way Features |
Daily strip |
1986-88 |
|
|
Sherwood Forest |
Mike Bannon, Dave Gregory |
Dickson-Bennett |
Daily/weekly strip |
1981-84 |
|
|
Short Cake |
Pedro Moreno |
United Cartoonist Syndicate |
Daily panel |
1982 |
|
|
Short Stuff |
Jack Flynn |
Trans World/Dickson-Bennett |
Daily strip |
1978-84 |
|
|
Short Short Stories |
Charles Hendrick Jr. |
Continental Features |
Weekly panel |
1998-2000s |
|
|
Showcase for New Cartoonists |
John Shepherd |
Self-syndicated |
Weekly strip |
1993 |
|
|
Side Laughs |
William Ferguson |
NEA |
Weekly strip |
1937 |
|
|
Side Show |
Oz Black, E.H. Peterson |
Inter-American Newspaper/Thompson Service |
Daily panel |
1934-36 |
|
|
Sideline |
Rick Goldsberry |
American International |
Daily panel |
1990-91 |
|
|
Sign-o-Rama |
M.W. Martin |
Self-syndicated |
Daily panel |
1970-79 |
|
|
Silent Sam |
Kern Pederson |
American International |
Daily strip |
1988-98 |
|
|
Silky ‘n Vixen |
Russ De Marks |
Russell Enterprises |
Daily strip |
1969-71 |
|
|
Silly Dillies |
Bob Lagers |
Ledger Syndicate |
Daily panel |
1967-70 |
Found! by Charles Brubaker in Pittsburgh Press. |
|
Simon Cool |
Jerry Breen |
Allied Press |
Daily strip |
1980 |
|
|
Simple Interest |
Anthony Schultz |
J Features |
Weekly panel |
1998-2000s |
|
|
Simpleman |
Wim Van Wieringen |
Douglas Whiting Limited |
Unstated |
1959 |
Dutch – appeared in US? |
|
Single Again |
Michael Byrne |
Allied Press |
Daily strip |
1980-81 |
|
|
Single Again |
Evan Diamond |
Miller Features |
Daily strip |
2000 |
|
|
Sister Anne |
Peter John Fugere |
Trans World |
Daily/weekly panel |
1976-78 |
|
|
Six-Gun Days |
Reg Manning |
McClure |
Daily/weekly |
1931 |
|
|
Sketch Book |
Gaylord,Zibellie |
United Feature |
Daily panel |
1946 |
|
|
Sketches |
Lambert Guenther |
T-Bean Syndicate |
? |
1926 |
|
|
Sketches |
George Spohn |
Matz Features |
Daily strip |
1934 |
|
|
Sketches From Life |
Joseph Buresch |
Unique Features |
Weekly strip |
1938 |
|
|
Sketches From The War Front/Sketches From Life |
Ralph Matz |
Matz Features |
Weekly strip |
1939,1941 |
|
|
Skip Logan |
Al Fagaly |
Thompson Service |
Daily strip |
1937-41 |
|
|
Skipper Windward |
P.J. Kuhn |
Douglas Whiting Ltd |
Daily strip |
1961-64 |
|
|
The Skipper |
Ron W. Stanfield |
Trans World |
Daily panel |
1977-79 |
|
|
Skippy |
Percy Crosby |
Winford Co. |
Daily/Sunday strip |
1971-72 |
Re-run syndication. |
|
Sky Capers |
Joel Shalit |
Dickson-Bennett |
Weekly panel |
1980-81 |
|
|
Sky Pirates |
Uncredited |
Allied Press |
Weekly strip |
1940 |
|
|
Skyrocket Steele |
William Everett |
Watkins Syndicate |
Weekly strip |
1939 |
|
|
Slangy Seth |
Maurice Beam |
Universal Press |
Daily/weekly panel |
1935 |
|
|
Slapsic |
Tom Hickey |
McNaught |
Daily panel |
1958 |
|
|
Slewfoot |
Nellis Johnson |
Dickson-Bennett |
Daily/weekly strip |
1981-82 |
|
|
Small Potatoes |
John Barclay |
American International |
Daily strip |
1989 |
|
|
Small Shots |
Bill Johnson |
Richmond Syndicate |
Daily/Sunday panel |
1979 |
|
|
Small Talk |
Allan H. Kelly Jr. |
Self-syndicated |
Daily panel |
1983-2000s |
The copyrighted logo was dregistered as abandoned as of 1985. |
|
Small World |
Don Roberts |
United Press International |
Daily strip |
1984 |
|
|
Smile Awhile |
Dave Allen |
Worldwide Media |
Weekly panel |
2000-03 |
|
|
Smile A While |
Joe Buresch |
Newspaper Art Features |
Daily panel/Sunday strip |
1939 |
|
|
Smiles |
Frank Chapman |
International Syndicate |
Daily panel |
1924-39 |
|
|
Smiling Out Loud |
Sarge O’Neill |
Southern Cartoon Syndicate |
Daily panel |
1970-76 |
|
|
Smitty |
Don Gibbons |
Weekly Features |
Daily strip |
1986-87 |
|
|
Snapper Smith |
Uncredited |
Beacon Newspaper Svc |
Daily strip |
1940 |
|
|
Snappy Grampy |
Lyle Sterrett |
Trans World |
Daily panel |
1976-78 |
|
|
Snojoe |
George Donison |
Canada Wide Features |
Daily strip |
1970-71 |
Appeared in US? |
|
Snubby |
Reg Manning |
Bell Syndicate |
Daily strip |
1946 |
|
|
The Soaps |
Joan Altabe |
Dickson Features |
Weekly strip |
1980 |
|
|
Socko the Sea Dog |
“Teddy” (Jack Kirby) |
Keystone Press/Lincoln Features |
Daily strip |
1938-40 |
|
|
The Solar Legion |
Uncredited |
Beacon Newspaper Svs |
Daily/Sunday strip |
1940 |
|
|
Soldier Comic |
Max Milians |
Minority Features |
Weekly strip |
1942 |
|
|
Solve This Crime |
Philip Nowlan |
National Newspaper Svc |
Daily panel |
1931 |
|
|
Some Things Never Change |
Stephen Templeton |
American International |
Sunday panel |
1995 |
|
|
Something New For Tots To Do |
Frank Hopkins |
Audio Service |
Daily panel |
1926 |
|
|
Son & Co. |
John Roman |
King Features |
Daily/Sunday strip |
2000 |
Found by Henkster in Detroit Free Press on a trial basis on a few dates; Salt Lake Tribune ran it for a few months |
|
Sophisticated Lady |
Dorothy Mylria |
National Newspaper Svc |
Daily panel |
1957-59 |
|
|
Sorry About That |
Joe Capelini |
Community Features |
Daily/weekly panel |
1981 |
|
|
Sourdough |
Robert Tremblay |
United Cartoonist Syndicate |
Daily |
1986-88 |
|
|
South Sea Girl |
Thorne Stevenson (and John Forte) |
Phoenix Features |
Daily strip |
1974 |
Have seem much original art from the early 50s but never anything in newspapers. |
|
Space Case |
Hoey Morris |
Callie-Pearl International |
Daily strip |
1983-84 |
|
|
The Space Frontier |
James V. Johnson |
Sun News Features |
Daily strip |
1960-63 |
|
|
Space Shots |
Emil V. Abrahamian |
Trans World |
Daily panel |
1978 |
|
|
Space-Nuts |
Pedro Moreno |
United Cartoonist Syndicate |
Daly strip |
1982-84 |
|
|
Spaced Out |
Keith M. Manzella |
Newspaper Features |
Daily strip |
1988-94 |
|
|
The Spacers |
Emil V. Abrahamian |
Trans World |
Daily/weekly strip |
1978-98 |
|
|
The Spacians |
Larz Borne |
Ledger Syndicate |
Daily strip |
1965 |
|
|
Sparky |
Bob Larsen |
Dickson-Bennett |
Daily strip |
1984-85 |
|
|
Special Ed |
Pedro Moreno |
Comic Art Therapy |
Daily |
1993-94 |
|
|
The Specialists |
Bill Barry |
Adventure Features |
Daily/Sunday strip |
1994-95 |
|
|
Speed Centaur |
Malcolm Kildale |
Watkins Syndicate |
Weekly strip |
1939 |
|
|
Spencer Steel |
Dennis Colebrook |
Eisner-Iger Associates |
Weekly strip |
1937-39 |
|
|
Sport Day |
Bill Morgan |
Columbia Features |
Daily panel |
1981-84 |
|
|
Sport Snickers |
Lenny Hollreiser |
Hayden-Kennedy Syndicate |
Daily strip |
1950 |
|
|
Sport-Spots |
Brook Slover |
R-GAB Features |
Daily/weekly panel |
1980 |
|
|
The Sporting Thing
|
Joe E. Buresch |
Self-syndicated |
Weekly panel |
1959 |
|
|
Sportoons |
Cliff Johnson, Bill Mittlebeeler, Jim Richardson |
Dickson-Bennett |
Daily/weekly panel |
1980-84 |
|
|
Sports Cars Speed |
Judd Burrow |
B&B |
Weekly panel |
1960-63 |
|
|
Sports Chuckles |
Al Leiderman |
American International |
Daily panel |
1992 |
|
|
The Sports File |
Emil V. Abrahamian |
Trans World |
Daily panel |
1978-97 |
|
|
Sports Woman |
Sandy Dean |
Dickson-Bennett |
Daily/weekly panel |
1984-85 |
|
|
Sportsfun |
Merve Magus |
Dickson-Bennett |
Daily/weekly strip |
1982-84 |
|
|
Sportsville |
Thomas E. Moran |
Trans World |
Daily/weekly panel |
1976-78 |
|
|
Spot |
Donald Vanozzi, Joe Zeis |
Sparks Syndicate |
Weekly |
1991 |
|
|
Spy Hunters |
Lochlan Field |
Watkins Syndicate |
Weekly strip |
1939 |
|
|
Squeegee |
Ken Muse |
Community Features/Dickson-Bennett |
Daily/weekly panel |
1980-95 |
|
|
Squeeky Break |
Ray Rubbin |
Dickson-Bennett |
Daily panel |
1983-84 |
|
|
Squiggles |
Grace Lee Richardson |
Dickson-Bennett |
Daily strip |
1980-81 |
|
|
St. Peter’s Gate |
Pedro Moreno |
United Cartoonist Syndicate |
Daily panel |
1980-84 |
|
|
Stacy |
Randy Bisson |
Dickson-Bennett |
Daily/weekly strip |
1981-98 |
|
|
Stained Glass |
Jonny Hawkins |
Davy Associates |
Weekly panel |
1998-2000s |
|
|
Standouts |
Mal Eno |
Atlas Features |
Weekly panel |
1949-50 |
|
|
Stanislaus |
Dan Nevins |
Chicago Tribune-NY News |
Weekly strip |
1980 |
|
|
Stanley & Decker |
Roger Kliesh |
Wade’s Cartoon Svc |
Weekly strip |
1991 |
|
|
Star Points |
Carl Kuhn |
Thompson Service |
Daily/weekly panel |
1935 |
|
|
Star Warriors |
F. Treadgold |
BP Singer Features |
Weekly strip |
1978 |
|
|
Star Weevils |
J. Michael Leonard |
Rip-Off Press |
Weekly strip |
1978 |
|
|
Startling Facts |
Ferd Himme |
Lowery Cartoons |
Weekly panel |
1932 |
|
|
The State of Georgia |
R. David Boyd |
Mark Morgan Inc |
Weekly |
1993-2000s |
|
|
Static |
B.W. Depew |
Register & Tribune Syndicate |
Daily panel |
1928 |
|
|
Station I-M-D-Z |
Jack Jay |
Paramount Syndicate |
Daily strip |
1937 |
|
|
Status Quo |
Charlie Wible |
Richard Lynn Enterprises |
Daily panel |
1978-79 |
|
|
Stella Starlet |
Martin, Stone |
Dickson-Bennett |
Daily panel |
1984 |
|
|
Still Waiting |
Bryan Ubaghs |
At Large Features |
Daily strip |
2001-02 |
|
|
Stitch In Time |
James Janeway |
American International |
Daily strip |
1992 |
|
|
Stories of Real People |
Vernon Rieck |
Velerie Productions |
? |
1961 |
|
|
Stories of the Opera |
Bernard Baily |
Bell Syndicate |
Daily |
1949 |
|
|
Strange Accidents |
Bunny Hogarth |
Leeds Features |
Daily panel |
1933 |
|
|
Strange Encounters of the Unexplained and Bizarre |
Fred Hull, Bill Barry |
Adventure Features |
Daily/Sunday strip |
1981-83 |
|
|
Strangely Enough |
John Duncan |
JAD’s Service |
Weekly panel |
1938 |
|
|
Stranger Than Fiction |
Ralph Matz |
Matz Features |
Daily strip |
1939 |
|
|
The Strangest Thing |
Everett Erwin |
Western Newspaper Union |
Weekly panel |
1946 |
|
|
Strike Out |
Martin Grodt |
Editors Syndicate |
Daily panel |
1949-50 |
|
|
Stromboli |
Mario Risso |
Trans World |
Daily/weekly panel |
1976 |
|
|
Strongman |
Uncredited |
Beacon Newspaper Syndicate |
Daily/Sunday strip |
1940 |
|
|
Stump The Ump |
Dywelska, Kent |
Liberty Features |
Weekly strip |
1991-94 |
|
|
Stumpy Stumbler |
Emil V. Abrahamian |
Self-syndicated |
Daily/weekly strip |
1983-2002 |
|
|
Sub Rosa |
Mimi |
Bell Syndicate |
Daily strip |
1925 |
|
|
Subito |
Bozz |
Press Alliance |
Daily/Occasional (!) |
1950-52 |
|
|
Suburbia |
Don Raden |
Suburban Features |
Weekly panel |
1976-85 |
|
|
Sugar |
Jack Fitch |
A.S. Curtis Features |
Daily strip |
1949-61 |
|
|
Suggestion Box |
Steve Moore |
Star Group |
Weekly |
1984-85 |
|
|
Sunday Laughs/Sunday Laugh Male Cartoons |
Paul Swede |
BP Singer |
Weekly strip |
1973-93 |
|
|
Sunday at the Movies with Louie Loophole |
Joe Gurrera |
Comic Art Therapy |
Sunday |
1994-95 |
|
|
Sunny Side Up |
Frank Drake |
United Cartoonist Syndicate |
Daily |
1985 |
|
|
Sunny Sue |
Jack Fitch, Edna Markham |
A.S. Curtis |
Daily strip |
1950-61 |
|
|
Sunset Park |
Ralph Aspinwall |
Dickson-Bennett |
Daily/weekly strip |
1981-82 |
|
|
Super Kat |
William L. Harper |
Palestine Herald Press |
Daily/weekly strip |
1975-78 |
|
|
Super Shrink |
Edward Stark |
Trans World |
Daily panel |
1977-79 |
|
|
Super And Pals |
Blackburn, Thomas |
Trans World |
Daily panel |
1977-78 |
|
|
Suzerain’s Wildlife |
Joe Fahey |
Suzerain |
Daily |
1986 |
|
|
The Swingers |
Barbara Jones |
Allied Feature |
Daily panel |
1969 |
|
|
Swoosh Morgan |
Rolland Lynch |
N.E.W.S. |
Daily/Sunday strip |
1949 |
|
|
Sycamore Center |
Graham Hunter |
Oklahoman & Times |
Weekly strip |
1965-66 |
|
Labels: Mystery Strips
I've seen (but unfortunately don't have) a trade display ad urging editors to buy these two titles as well as a third, "Zorro of the Metropolis." "Zorro" doesn't seem to have appeared anywhere. The McKay and Hawley books only lasted a couple of issues each, taking the Italian strips down with them. I speculate that the buildup to World War II put an end to this international venture.
It's interesting that "Saturn" and other Mondadori comic projects were conceived and plotted by Cesare Zavattini, who after the war found fame as a screenwriter of neorealist classics such as "Bicycle Thieves" and "Umberto D."
"The Spacians" by animation great Larz Bourne would've been interesting, but I was told by people involved in the project that though the "ledger Syndicate" (or, "The NEW Ledger Syndicate" announced several titles, including a revival of the original Ledger's star feature, Hairbreadth Harry, they only managed to get one strip launched, "Batman". This was in 1966, where you'd think the hottest property on TV would be a smash, but the new Ledger was even worse run than it's inspiration, and flopped.
"Scorer" was handled by us at KFS/NAS for several years, along with the London Mirror's other offerings like "The Perishers" and "Millie", but we really couldn't get US papers to touch anything but Andy Capp. So As far as I know, no US Scorer sales.
: 5/04/2022 3:21 PM I see in your book you have no end date for the panel THAT'S THE STORY OF MY LIFE by Wm. Box. It ends with a special kiss-off episode on 30 September 1961. (Windsor (PO) Star)
: 6/04/2022 10:40 AM --Allan
It IS in the Google Windsor Star file-
Page 45 in the 28 September entry, it has a lot of pages from the 30th's ish.
: 7/26/2022 9:46 PM According to an article about Lum in The Hanford Sentinel, the strip never ran in the US, only being sold to a single newspaper in the Phillippines.
https://i.imgur.com/r7Odrnm.jpg
https://imgur.com/a/p1q3GI4
https://imgur.com/a/XgE5Go7
https://imgur.com/a/ZXQyZ8E
