American Newspapers Have Shown Comic Strips for Over One Hundred Years
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American newspapers have shown comic strips for over one hundred years. A comic strip is a cartoon drawing that appears on a special page of the newspaper. It tells a short, funny story. Before comic strips were created, newspapers were mostly fi lled with articles. A lot of these articles were sad or serious. People wanted to read something that would make them laugh. Then someone had the idea to start printing comic strips. The fi rst comic strip to be printed was Richard Outcault’s Hogan’s Alley. It fi rst appeared in a newspaper called the New York World in 1896. Hogan’s Alley was about kids living in New York City. The comic strip was so popular that the New York World’s daily sales went up whenever it appeared. Other newspapers saw this was a good idea. Soon they added comic strips of their own that resembled, or looked like, Hogan’s Alley. Early comic strips had a uniform goal of making readers laugh. But the artists drew each strip with a unique style. Some comic strips had characters whose speech mimicked, or sounded like, certain ways of speaking. Other comic strips put their characters into funny situations. The artists had to think of ways to vary their strips so that no two would look the same. The fi rst comic strip to appear in newspapers every day was Bud Fisher’s Mutt and Jeff, which was about the adventures of two friends. Soon, most comic strips were printed daily. In 1906, a comic strip appeared that was a contrast to all the others. Hairbreadth Harry mixed action and adventure with its humor. There was not another comic strip like it. Then, in 1924, Roy Crane introduced Captain Easy, the fi rst action adventure comic strip. Crane’s goal wasn’t to be funny. Instead, his drawing style was meant to simulate, or seem like, a realistic world. Many other action adventure comic strips followed. Prince Valiant was one of the most famous. Prince Valiant was a comic strip about a knight who lived in the middle ages. Comic strips are now a familiar part of American culture. Some of them have even been made into movies. Pick up a newspaper and decide which comic strip is your favorite. COMPREHENSION Why did newspapers decide that comic strips were a good idea? Which words explain how artists make comic strips? 26 27 Bradley Sheep was no ordinary sheep. He was bored with the same old things that went on every day at the farm. Instead, he wanted to try something new and different. He wanted to show some originality. At school, all his classmates practiced their baaing. Each voice mirrored the other, and everyone sounded the same. But Bradley wanted to be different, so he sang and whistled instead. Then at home, Bradley’s brothers and sisters knitted identical sweaters. Each sweater was an exact replica of the other, made with white yarn and short sleeves. But Bradley wanted to be different, so he knitted a bright orange bathing suit. In the fi elds, Bradley watched his friends and neighbors trot politely through the grass. Each sheep tried to emulate the other and walk in the same way. But Bradley wanted to be different, so he chose to do gymnastics. Bradley tried many new things, but nothing quite seemed to fi t. Then he discovered art. This was what Bradley had been looking for! First, he painted a landscape and hung it on his wall. Then he found some twigs and made an interesting sculpture. Next, Bradley painted a self-portrait. Soon he had altered his pen, turning it into an artist’s workshop. “Now this,” he said to himself, “is a one-of-a-kind pen. This is a particular pen.” Some of the sheep began to wonder what was going on with Bradley. Finally, Bradley’s friend Tucker decided to speak up. “What are you doing?” Tucker asked. “I’ve decided I want to be an artist,” said Bradley. “All of us are living parallel lives doing the same things every day. But I want to be different. I like art.” A few more curious sheep gathered near. “I’ve always wanted to be a baker,” said one. “But I never bothered to try.” “I’ve always wanted to dance,” said another. “But I didn’t think I could.” A buzz began to build as the sheep talked together. “Let’s try something new!” they shouted. “We could start by redecorating the farm!” Bradley said. The sheep looked excited, and Bradley smiled with satisfaction. “A little change is good,” he thought. COMPREHENSION Using words from the story, explain how all the sheep, except for Bradley, are similar to each other. How does Bradley express himself differently from the others? 28 29.