Strips

The newspaper strip before the underground, and the formal invention it left behind: Rodolphe Topffer's picture stories of the 1830s, Wilhelm Busch, Winsor McCay, and George Herriman's Krazy Kat, which the underground cartoonists read and cited as the proof that the form could carry anything.

Part of Underground Comics

125 moments in this segment.

1. 1830 - Toepffer Cryptogame. Sheet of 1830. Topffer set a running drawing above a line of text and called the form literature in prints.
2. 1833 - Histoire de Mr Jabot par Rodolphe Töpffer. Topffer page dated 1833. His albums circulated from the 1830s and were pirated across Europe.
3. 1833 - Histoire de Mr Jabot par Rodolphe Töpffer. Page from one of Rodolphe Topffer's picture novels, drawn on stone in Geneva and dated 1833.
4. 1833 - Histoire de Mr Jabot par Rodolphe Töpffer. Sheet of 1833. Topffer set a running drawing above a line of text and called the form literature in prints.
5. 1833 - Histoire de Mr Jabot par Rodolphe Töpffer. Topffer page dated 1833. His albums circulated from the 1830s and were pirated across Europe. Held under the identifier Histoire de Mr Jabot - par R.
6. 1837 - Histoire de M. Crépin. Page from one of Rodolphe Topffer's picture novels, drawn on stone in Geneva and dated 1837.
7. 1837 - Mr Crépin (Réimpression de l'édition de ) par Rodolphe Töpffer. Topffer page dated 1837. His albums circulated from the 1830s and were pirated across Europe.
8. 1837 - Mr Crépin (Réimpression de l'édition de ) par Rodolphe Töpffer. Sheet of 1837. Topffer set a running drawing above a line of text and called the form literature in prints.
9. 1837 - Mr Crépin (Réimpression de l'édition de ) par Rodolphe Töpffer. Sheet of 1837. Topffer set a running drawing above a line of text and called the form literature in prints. Held under the identifier Mr Crépin (Réimpression de l.
10. 1837 - Mr Crépin (Réimpression de l'édition de ) par Rodolphe Töpffer. Topffer page dated 1837. His albums circulated from the 1830s and were pirated across Europe. Held under the identifier Mr Crépin (Réimpression de l.
11. 1840 - Festus Gothique. Sheet of 1840. Topffer set a running drawing above a line of text and called the form literature in prints.
12. 1840 - Festus Hors texte. Topffer page dated 1840. His albums circulated from the 1830s and were pirated across Europe.
13. 1840 - Festus Hors texte. Page from one of Rodolphe Topffer's picture novels, drawn on stone in Geneva and dated 1840.
14. 1840 - Festus Hors texte. Sheet of 1840. Topffer set a running drawing above a line of text and called the form literature in prints. Held under the identifier Festus-Hors-texte 18 - d090..
15. 1840 - Le docteur Festus. Monsieur Pencil autographié par l'auteur. Topffer page dated 1840. His albums circulated from the 1830s and were pirated across Europe. Held under the identifier Le docteur Festus. Monsieur .
16. 1840 - Le docteur Festus. Monsieur Pencil autographié par l'auteur. Page from one of Rodolphe Topffer's picture novels, drawn on stone in Geneva and dated 1840. Held under the identifier Le docteur Festus. Monsieur .
17. 1840 - Le docteur Festus. Monsieur Pencil autographié par l'auteur. Sheet of 1840. Topffer set a running drawing above a line of text and called the form literature in prints. Held under the identifier Le docteur Festus. Monsieur .
18. 1843 - CH NB Voyage autour du Mont Blanc dans les vallées d'Hérens de Zerma. Plates from the 1843 travel book Voyage autour du Mont-Blanc, drawn by Rodolphe Toepffer on his walking tours through the Alps.
19. 1843 - CH NB Voyage autour du Mont Blanc dans les vallées d'Hérens de Zerma. Topffer page dated 1843. His albums circulated from the 1830s and were pirated across Europe.
20. 1843 - CH NB Voyage autour du Mont Blanc dans les vallées d'Hérens de Zerma. Plates from the 1843 travel book Voyage autour du Mont-Blanc, drawn by Rodolphe Toepffer on his walking tours through the Alps.
21. 1843 - CH NB Voyage autour du Mont Blanc dans les vallées d'Hérens de Zerma. Sheet of 1843. Topffer set a running drawing above a line of text and called the form literature in prints. Held under the identifier CH-NB-Voyage autour du Mont-.
22. 1846 - Mr Cryptogame Cham. Topffer page dated 1846. His albums circulated from the 1830s and were pirated across Europe.
23. 1846 - Mr Cryptogame Cham. Page from one of Rodolphe Topffer's picture novels, drawn on stone in Geneva and dated 1846.
24. 1846 - Mr Cryptogame Cham. Sheet of 1846. Topffer set a running drawing above a line of text and called the form literature in prints.
25. 1846 - Mr Cryptogame Cham. Topffer page dated 1846. His albums circulated from the 1830s and were pirated across Europe. Held under the identifier Mr Cryptogame - Cham - btv1b.
26. 1846 - Rodolphe Toepffer Etude pour un portrait de jeune femme. Page from one of Rodolphe Topffer's picture novels, drawn on stone in Geneva and dated 1846. Held under the identifier Rodolphe Toepffer Etude pour.
27. 1849 - Autour de la table histoire de M. Cryptogame. Page from one of Rodolphe Topffer's picture novels, drawn on stone in Geneva and dated 1849.
28. 1849 - Autour de la table histoire de M. Cryptogame. Sheet of 1849. Topffer set a running drawing above a line of text and called the form literature in prints.
29. 1849 - Autour de la table histoire de M. Cryptogame. Topffer page dated 1849. His albums circulated from the 1830s and were pirated across Europe.
30. 1849 - Autour de la table histoire de M. Cryptogame. Page from one of Rodolphe Topffer's picture novels, drawn on stone in Geneva and dated 1849. Held under the identifier Autour de la table - histoir.
31. 1854 - Topffer, 1854. Sheet of 1854. Topffer set a running drawing above a line of text and called the form literature in prints.
32. 1854 - Topffer, 1854. Topffer page dated 1854. His albums circulated from the 1830s and were pirated across Europe.
33. 1854 - Topffer, 1854. Page from one of Rodolphe Topffer's picture novels, drawn on stone in Geneva and dated 1854.
34. 1854 - Topffer, 1854. Sheet of 1854. Topffer set a running drawing above a line of text and called the form literature in prints. Held under the identifier Nouveauxvoyagese-p402.png.
35. 1860 - Histoire de Mr Vieux Bois par Töpffer. Topffer page dated 1860. His albums circulated from the 1830s and were pirated across Europe.
36. 1860 - Histoire de Mr Vieux Bois par Töpffer. Page from one of Rodolphe Topffer's picture novels, drawn on stone in Geneva and dated 1860.
37. 1860 - Histoire de Mr Vieux Bois par Töpffer. Sheet of 1860. Topffer set a running drawing above a line of text and called the form literature in prints.
38. 1860 - Histoire de Mr Vieux Bois par Töpffer. Topffer page dated 1860. His albums circulated from the 1830s and were pirated across Europe. Held under the identifier Histoire de Mr Vieux Bois - .
39. 1860 - Histoire de Mr Vieux Bois par Töpffer. Page from one of Rodolphe Topffer's picture novels, drawn on stone in Geneva and dated 1860. Held under the identifier Histoire de Mr Vieux Bois - .
40. 1860 - Töpffer Monsieur Pencil, page 10a. Sheet of 1860. Topffer set a running drawing above a line of text and called the form literature in prints. Held under the identifier Töpffer - Monsieur Pencil, 1.
41. 1860 - Töpffer Monsieur Pencil, page 25a. Topffer page dated 1860. His albums circulated from the 1830s and were pirated across Europe. Held under the identifier Töpffer - Monsieur Pencil, 1.
42. 1860 - Töpffer Monsieur Pencil, page 46b. Page from one of Rodolphe Topffer's picture novels, drawn on stone in Geneva and dated 1860. Held under the identifier Töpffer - Monsieur Pencil, 1.
43. 1864 - Max und Moritz. Sequence dated 1864. A fixed cast runs through escalating violence to a flat closing line.
44. 1864 - Max und Moritz. Busch drawing, 1864.
45. 1864 - Max und Moritz. Wilhelm Busch page, 1864, text set beneath the drawing in rhymed couplets.
46. 1865 - Max und Moritz tinted. Sequence dated 1865. A fixed cast runs through escalating violence to a flat closing line.
47. 1867 - Wilhelm Busch, 1867. Busch drawing, 1867.
48. 1872 - Wilhelm Busch, 1872. Wilhelm Busch page, 1872, text set beneath the drawing in rhymed couplets.
49. 1875 - Wilhelm Busch Die beiden Schusterjungen. Sequence dated 1875. A fixed cast runs through escalating violence to a flat closing line.
50. 1878 - W Busch Der Haarbeutel 1D. Busch drawing, 1878.
51. 1878 - W Busch Der Haarbeutel. Wilhelm Busch page, 1878, text set beneath the drawing in rhymed couplets.
52. 1878 - W Busch Der Haarbeutel. Sequence dated 1878. A fixed cast runs through escalating violence to a flat closing line.
53. 1878 - Wilhelm Busch, 1878. Wilhelm Busch page, 1878, text set beneath the drawing in rhymed couplets. Held under the identifier Wilhelm Busch 1878.jpg.
54. 1882 - Mister pief. Busch drawing, 1882.
55. 1890 - Wilhelm Busch Am Waldrand. Wilhelm Busch page, 1890, text set beneath the drawing in rhymed couplets.
56. 1899 - Philippine American War. McCay Sunday page, 1899, printed across a full broadsheet in colour.
57. 1901-09-08 - A Yankee's Romance in Old Madrid. Published 8 September 1901. Herriman shifted the desert backdrop from panel to panel without explanation.
58. 1901-11-04 - Herr Kronsestiner Sees a Spook. Sunday page of 4 November 1901, drawn in the loose ink line later cited by Spiegelman and Crumb alike.
59. 1902-05-18 - Acrobatic Archie and Professor Otto. Newspaper page of 18 May 1902. The strip kept a small readership and a large following among other cartoonists.
60. 1902 - George Herriman. Newspaper page of 1902. The strip kept a small readership and a large following among other cartoonists.
61. 1905-10-29 - Little Nemo, 29 October 1905. Published 29 October 1905. Each episode ended with Nemo waking in bed, the one fixed rule of the series.
62. 1905-11-19 - Little Nemo, 19 November 1905. McCay drawing dated 19 November 1905, worked at a level of architectural detail rare in newspaper comics.
63. 1905-12-10 - Little Nemo, 10 December 1905. Winsor McCay page for 10 December 1905. The strip stretched and collapsed its own panel grid as part of the dream.
64. 1905-12-24 - Little Nemo, 24 December 1905. McCay Sunday page, 24 December 1905, printed across a full broadsheet in colour.
65. 1906-02-25 - Little Nemo, 25 February 1906. Published 25 February 1906. Each episode ended with Nemo waking in bed, the one fixed rule of the series.
66. 1906-06-10 - Little Nemo, 10 June 1906. McCay drawing dated 10 June 1906, worked at a level of architectural detail rare in newspaper comics.
67. 1906-09-02 - Little Nemo, 2 September 1906. Winsor McCay page for 2 September 1906. The strip stretched and collapsed its own panel grid as part of the dream.
68. 1906-09-07 - Krazy Kat, 7 September 1906. Herriman page dated 7 September 1906. Ignatz, Krazy and Offissa Pupp work the same brick-throwing triangle the strip ran on from 1913.
69. 1906-12-23 - Little Nemo, 23 December 1906. McCay Sunday page, 23 December 1906, printed across a full broadsheet in colour.
70. 1907-01-06 - Little Nemo, 6 January 1907. Published 6 January 1907. Each episode ended with Nemo waking in bed, the one fixed rule of the series.
71. 1907-03-10 - Jack Johnson Sports Cartoon George Herriman. Sunday page of 10 March 1907, drawn in the loose ink line later cited by Spiegelman and Crumb alike.
72. 1907-03-31 - Little Nemo, 31 March 1907. McCay drawing dated 31 March 1907, worked at a level of architectural detail rare in newspaper comics.
73. 1907 - Little Nemo postcard 2. Published 1907. Each episode ended with Nemo waking in bed, the one fixed rule of the series.
74. 1907-07-21 - Little Nemo, 21 July 1907. Winsor McCay page for 21 July 1907. The strip stretched and collapsed its own panel grid as part of the dream.
75. 1907-10-06 - Little Nemo, 6 October 1907. McCay Sunday page, 6 October 1907, printed across a full broadsheet in colour.
76. 1907-11-24 - George Herriman Hard Work. Published 24 November 1907. Herriman shifted the desert backdrop from panel to panel without explanation.
77. 1908-03-01 - Little Nemo, 1 March 1908. Winsor McCay page for 1 March 1908. The strip stretched and collapsed its own panel grid as part of the dream.
78. 1908 - Arthur Schopenhauer by Wilhelm Busch. Sequence dated 1908. A fixed cast runs through escalating violence to a flat closing line.
79. 1908 - Wilhelm Busch Personenstudien. Busch drawing, 1908.
80. 1908-06-21 - Little Nemo, 21 June 1908. McCay Sunday page, 21 June 1908, printed across a full broadsheet in colour.
81. 1908-09-06 - Little Nemo, 6 September 1908. Published 6 September 1908. Each episode ended with Nemo waking in bed, the one fixed rule of the series.
82. 1908-11-14 - Bobbie McCay Little Nemo. McCay drawing dated 14 November 1908, worked at a level of architectural detail rare in newspaper comics.
83. 1908-11-29 - Little Nemo, 29 November 1908. McCay drawing dated 29 November 1908, worked at a level of architectural detail rare in newspaper comics.
84. 1908-12-05 - Master Gabriel Little Nemo. Winsor McCay page for 5 December 1908. The strip stretched and collapsed its own panel grid as part of the dream.
85. 1909-01-31 - Little Nemo, 31 January 1909. McCay Sunday page, 31 January 1909, printed across a full broadsheet in colour.
86. 1909-05-16 - Little Nemo, 16 May 1909. Published 16 May 1909. Each episode ended with Nemo waking in bed, the one fixed rule of the series.
87. 1909-08-08 - Little Nemo, 8 August 1909. McCay drawing dated 8 August 1909, worked at a level of architectural detail rare in newspaper comics.
88. 1909-10-31 - Little Nemo, 31 October 1909. Winsor McCay page for 31 October 1909. The strip stretched and collapsed its own panel grid as part of the dream.
89. 1910-07-13 - Johnson Jefferies Prizefight Anti Race Riot Glasses Herriman Cartoon. Published 13 July 1910. Herriman shifted the desert backdrop from panel to panel without explanation.
90. 1910-07-26 - Krazy Kat, 26 July 1910. Herriman page dated 26 July 1910. Ignatz, Krazy and Offissa Pupp work the same brick-throwing triangle the strip ran on from 1913.
91. 1910-08-13 - Family Upstairs. Newspaper page of 13 August 1910. The strip kept a small readership and a large following among other cartoonists.
92. 1910-09-25 - Little Nemo, 25 September 1910. McCay Sunday page, 25 September 1910, printed across a full broadsheet in colour.
93. 1910-10-16 - Little Nemo, 16 October 1910. Published 16 October 1910. Each episode ended with Nemo waking in bed, the one fixed rule of the series.
94. 1910-11-13 - Little Nemo, 13 November 1910. McCay drawing dated 13 November 1910, worked at a level of architectural detail rare in newspaper comics.
95. 1910-12-04 - Little Nemo, 4 December 1910. Winsor McCay page for 4 December 1910. The strip stretched and collapsed its own panel grid as part of the dream.
96. 1911-01-01 - Little Nemo, 1 January 1911. McCay Sunday page, 1 January 1911, printed across a full broadsheet in colour.
97. 1911-02-26 - Little Nemo, 26 February 1911. Published 26 February 1911. Each episode ended with Nemo waking in bed, the one fixed rule of the series.
98. 1911-04-09 - Little Nemo, 9 April 1911. McCay drawing dated 9 April 1911, worked at a level of architectural detail rare in newspaper comics.
99. 1911-05-21 - Little Nemo, 21 May 1911. Winsor McCay page for 21 May 1911. The strip stretched and collapsed its own panel grid as part of the dream.
100. 1911 - Little Nemo, 1911. McCay Sunday page, 1911, printed across a full broadsheet in colour.
101. 1913 - Cartoon LOC cph.3b06500. Published 1913. Each episode ended with Nemo waking in bed, the one fixed rule of the series.
102. 1915-11-03 - Grace Darling by Winsor McCay Los Angeles Examiner. McCay drawing dated 3 November 1915, worked at a level of architectural detail rare in newspaper comics.
103. 1916-02-29 - Krazy Kat Goes A Wooing. Published 29 February 1916. Herriman shifted the desert backdrop from panel to panel without explanation.
104. 1916-03-17 - Krazy Kat and Ignatz Mouse at the Circus. Herriman page dated 17 March 1916. Ignatz, Krazy and Offissa Pupp work the same brick-throwing triangle the strip ran on from 1913.
105. 1916-05-28 - Krazy Kat, 28 May 1916. Newspaper page of 28 May 1916. The strip kept a small readership and a large following among other cartoonists.
106. 1916 - Krazy Kat "I Am Krazier Than Ever" art, from Motion Picture Cocktail. Sunday page of 1916, drawn in the loose ink line later cited by Spiegelman and Crumb alike.
107. 1917 - Must liberty's light go out?. Winsor McCay page for 1917. The strip stretched and collapsed its own panel grid as part of the dream.
108. 1917 - Must liberty's light go out. McCay Sunday page, 1917, printed across a full broadsheet in colour.
109. 1917-11-04 - Krazy Kat original. Sunday page of 4 November 1917, drawn in the loose ink line later cited by Spiegelman and Crumb alike.
110. 1917-12-24 - Krazy Kat, 24 December 1917. Newspaper page of 24 December 1917. The strip kept a small readership and a large following among other cartoonists.
111. 1918 - Krazy Kat Spanish Flu. Sunday page of 1918, drawn in the loose ink line later cited by Spiegelman and Crumb alike.
112. 1918 - If you can't enlist, invest Buy a Liberty Bond Defend your country w. McCay Sunday page, 1918, printed across a full broadsheet in colour.
113. 1918-09-04 - Krazy Kat, 4 September 1918. Published 4 September 1918. Herriman shifted the desert backdrop from panel to panel without explanation.
114. 1918-12-17 - Krazy Kat 1. Herriman page dated 17 December 1918. Ignatz, Krazy and Offissa Pupp work the same brick-throwing triangle the strip ran on from 1913.
115. 1919-12-18 - Krazy Kat Dec. Newspaper page of 18 December 1919. The strip kept a small readership and a large following among other cartoonists.
116. 1920 - If we were in the League of Nations. Published 1920. Each episode ended with Nemo waking in bed, the one fixed rule of the series.
117. 1920-09-05 - Krazy Kat original. Herriman page dated 5 September 1920. Ignatz, Krazy and Offissa Pupp work the same brick-throwing triangle the strip ran on from 1913.
118. 1921-11-20 - Krazy Kat original. Published 20 November 1921. Herriman shifted the desert backdrop from panel to panel without explanation.
119. 1922-01-21 - krazykat det. Sunday page of 21 January 1922, drawn in the loose ink line later cited by Spiegelman and Crumb alike.
120. 1922-10-08 - Krazy Kat original. Newspaper page of 8 October 1922. The strip kept a small readership and a large following among other cartoonists.
121. 1923 - "The Vaudeville artist never lags behind" Winsor McCay Nvasouvenir19. McCay drawing dated 1923, worked at a level of architectural detail rare in newspaper comics.
122. 1926 - All the Funny Folks. Herriman page dated 1926. Ignatz, Krazy and Offissa Pupp work the same brick-throwing triangle the strip ran on from 1913.
123. 1929-12-30 - Krazy Kat in Farm Relief. Published 30 December 1929. Herriman shifted the desert backdrop from panel to panel without explanation.
124. 1933 - Skramm, Bug, Or I'll Pulverize You With This Potato Mace. Sunday page of 1933, drawn in the loose ink line later cited by Spiegelman and Crumb alike.
125. 1980-12-27 - Van den Boogaard and his character. The cartoonist alongside the Sjef van Oekel figure at the album's presentation.