Mark Kausler’s CatBlog

Felix Travels Back to 1-1-1933

Felix projects back in time to Jan. 1, 1933! He is once again the family pet of the Danny Dooit family and having his problems with space and feline respect. Felix could be a fanciful adventurer and traveller, but his 1930s strips were really family strips, the most common and most profitable newspaper comics format. In the 1920s, domestic situations were less common, but by the time of Bringing Up Father, and even more so, Blondie in 1934, a cast of Mom, Pop and 2 kids were comic gold. Sometimes Felix is crowded out of his own strip by the family or machinations of the human characters. We’ll see how he prevails in 1933.

 Speaking of family strips, here’s Myrtle from 10-4 to 10-10-1948. My favorites are the 10-8 and 10-9, as Myrtle is reduced to knitting at home as Sampson deserts her for a Boy Scout meeting, and when Myrtle is given the go-by as Sampson declines to offer her a ride on his new bike. Her retort is pure Dudley Fisher: “I hope you fall off and break the continuity!” Hyacinth the Cat is not with us this time, not even in the Sunday page, as Myrtle performs an unlikely Juliet to Sampson’s Romeo in amateur theatrics.

 Krazy dailies are from 1-11 to 1-17-1943 and continue to reflect World War 2. Krazy is now in charge of the Coconino draft board and is trying to recruit early birds, worms, snipes and several comical dog characters. I especially like the dogs in the 1-14 and 1-15 strips, as they remind me a bit of Segar’s Wimpy. These dogs are the type to dive for half-finished cigar butts, like Uncle Willie in the Moon Mullins strip and Barney Google in his down and out phases.