It’s a matter of definition. The ancient Romans had comic art drawings. But if you define comic strips as something appearing in “newspapers” then Hearst and Pulitzer in NYC win the prize.
More recently the doc “Hand Drawn Life” does a deep dive into the history and influence of the newspaper comic strip. Find it on Amazon, Google, or iTunes. The film uses commentary from noted historians like RC Harvey, Brian Walker, and Peter Maresca along with a host of current cartoonists to trace the history of the art form.
It was actually called “Hogan’s Alley” and it wasn’t a strip but a full page single panel. The strip format came later. And it also wasn’t the first. It was however the most influential.
The documentary “Hand Drawn Life: The History and Influence of Newspaper Comic Strips” is up on Amazon, Google, and iTunes right now. Made in 2019 it contains an extensive history and context/comments by some of the most influential comic artists and historians. PBS turned down this doc because “it didn’t appeal to young viewers, only old people.” Check it out.
It’s a matter of definition. The ancient Romans had comic art drawings. But if you define comic strips as something appearing in “newspapers” then Hearst and Pulitzer in NYC win the prize.