The Comic Strip Library has several early Sunday Krazy Kat strips before 1924, as well as Windsor McKay’s. A little hard to navigate, though:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/d5pl7q
You can also read them on the DailyInk.com I’ll warn you in advance though, it’s just as hard to read there. It’s worth it though, to read the old school comics. Thanks yer Majesty!
That’s as big as GoComics lets it be. You can find other larger versions online by Googling “Krazy Kat” and the date of the original strip, “September 23, 1921”
On April 1, 1996, some cartoonists actually traded strips for a day and drew each others characters! Wouldn’t it be cool if they did that on a yearly basis!
Now that I think about it, let me share with you the ones I remember best. Shoe punches out Cosmo Sgt. Snorkel-style, and the Family Circus gathers round to discuss downsizing a la Dilbert (and Thel had the boss’ hairdo!). It was really cool!
Wanted to say Thank You to Pab for posting the Kat ‘toon. Love how the 1st panel is an egg shape.
And about the Great Switcherooni in ‘97. Brooke did Rose is Rose for Pat Brady. Too bad the Chickweed archives don’t go back that far, cause Pat must’ve done CwL, but Rose is here:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/c8r8vo
Love Krazy, but there might be some ethical issues involved in lifting Herrman’s work. At first I thought it was a krazy kat homage; disappointed to see it’s an original …
Grover: The strip in question is in the public domain (published before 1923), and I did not sign my name to it, nor will it be included in the next paperback. Just a wink.
I was also a bit disappointed that this wasn’t an original homage, but you can’t go wrong with Herriman. For those of you who are interested, I believe Fantagraphic Books is collecting all of the weekend Krazy Kat strips in several volumes. The ones I have are amazing. (Oh, and a plug: I once did my own Herriman tribute, which can be found here: http://www.lespagesauxfolles.ca/index.phtml?pg=13&chap=1726)
Pab: “Krazy Kat” was indeed created in the teens. It was a “basement” strip for George Herriman’s “The Dingbat Family/The Family Upstairs,” appearing in 1910. “Krazy Kat” started below the regular strip, but outgrew that into its own strip by 1913. “The Dingbat Family” is forgotten, but “Krazy Kat” is the greatest comic strip, influencing Charles Schulz, Will Eisner, Bill Watterson, and Patrick McDonnell, among others.
cwreenactor: Thank you for the history lesson. I’ve always loved Krazy Kat and already knew most of what you’d posted, but there are so many people who don’t know the story of this classic strip that the lessons are appreciated.
Does anyone know what happened to the copyright on the strips from 1923 to 1944? Did King Features keep renewing it, or did they let it lapse after Herriman’s death? I’ve seen a lot of collections out there with the poor quality you expect from PD material.
fairportfan over 15 years ago
Huh?
debra4life50 over 15 years ago
I concur - HUH?
debra4life50 over 15 years ago
RE yesterday- The suffragettes were (at least once) condemned as lesbians by their detractors.
fairportfan over 15 years ago
Glad to see i’m apparently not the only one whose feed is wonky.
margueritem over 15 years ago
It’s a classic Krazy Kat. Thanks, Pab.
Dutchboy1 over 15 years ago
Remember the date: April Fools Day.
Pab Sungenis creator over 15 years ago
Yes. April Fools, everyone.
kolling over 15 years ago
The print is so small, I can’t read the comic.
Thomas R. Williams over 15 years ago
Even in his dailies Herriman had a relatively huge area in which to work. His stuff would be hopelessly tiny on a modern newspaper page.
mivins over 15 years ago
Folks, try the “view larger” button – and happy April! Thanks, Pab.
Thomas R. Williams over 15 years ago
The Comic Strip Library has several early Sunday Krazy Kat strips before 1924, as well as Windsor McKay’s. A little hard to navigate, though: http://preview.tinyurl.com/d5pl7q
Durak Premium Member over 15 years ago
You can also read them on the DailyInk.com I’ll warn you in advance though, it’s just as hard to read there. It’s worth it though, to read the old school comics. Thanks yer Majesty!
cwreenactor over 15 years ago
LOL!! Love the Kat.
PaulAtreides over 15 years ago
i can’t read it, its too small and the ‘view larger’ thing makes it blurry. I really want to read it so plz post it bigger.
Pab Sungenis creator over 15 years ago
That’s as big as GoComics lets it be. You can find other larger versions online by Googling “Krazy Kat” and the date of the original strip, “September 23, 1921”
Jonathan Bridge Premium Member over 15 years ago
On April 1, 1996, some cartoonists actually traded strips for a day and drew each others characters! Wouldn’t it be cool if they did that on a yearly basis!
Jonathan Bridge Premium Member over 15 years ago
OK, I’ll come clean. According to Garfield and Blondie (and Dagwood) it was 1997. Or in other words, April Fool!
Jonathan Bridge Premium Member over 15 years ago
Now that I think about it, let me share with you the ones I remember best. Shoe punches out Cosmo Sgt. Snorkel-style, and the Family Circus gathers round to discuss downsizing a la Dilbert (and Thel had the boss’ hairdo!). It was really cool!
Thomas R. Williams over 15 years ago
Wanted to say Thank You to Pab for posting the Kat ‘toon. Love how the 1st panel is an egg shape. And about the Great Switcherooni in ‘97. Brooke did Rose is Rose for Pat Brady. Too bad the Chickweed archives don’t go back that far, cause Pat must’ve done CwL, but Rose is here: http://preview.tinyurl.com/c8r8vo
Pab Sungenis creator over 15 years ago
You know, looking at Krazy’s syntax, it might be safe to say that George Herriman created the LOLcat back in the ‘teens.
Or is that taking it too far?
Grover Premium Member over 15 years ago
Love Krazy, but there might be some ethical issues involved in lifting Herrman’s work. At first I thought it was a krazy kat homage; disappointed to see it’s an original …
Pab Sungenis creator over 15 years ago
Grover: The strip in question is in the public domain (published before 1923), and I did not sign my name to it, nor will it be included in the next paperback. Just a wink.
aardvarkseyes over 15 years ago
I was also a bit disappointed that this wasn’t an original homage, but you can’t go wrong with Herriman. For those of you who are interested, I believe Fantagraphic Books is collecting all of the weekend Krazy Kat strips in several volumes. The ones I have are amazing. (Oh, and a plug: I once did my own Herriman tribute, which can be found here: http://www.lespagesauxfolles.ca/index.phtml?pg=13&chap=1726)
buckleylover Premium Member over 15 years ago
Wait til the April Fools Day Cease and Decist order comes down. LOL
cwreenactor over 15 years ago
Pab: “Krazy Kat” was indeed created in the teens. It was a “basement” strip for George Herriman’s “The Dingbat Family/The Family Upstairs,” appearing in 1910. “Krazy Kat” started below the regular strip, but outgrew that into its own strip by 1913. “The Dingbat Family” is forgotten, but “Krazy Kat” is the greatest comic strip, influencing Charles Schulz, Will Eisner, Bill Watterson, and Patrick McDonnell, among others.
Pab Sungenis creator over 15 years ago
cwreenactor: Thank you for the history lesson. I’ve always loved Krazy Kat and already knew most of what you’d posted, but there are so many people who don’t know the story of this classic strip that the lessons are appreciated.
Does anyone know what happened to the copyright on the strips from 1923 to 1944? Did King Features keep renewing it, or did they let it lapse after Herriman’s death? I’ve seen a lot of collections out there with the poor quality you expect from PD material.