Forgotten Comic Strips
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Forgotten Comic Strips
@forgottencomics.bsky.social
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A home for newspaper comic strips that have fallen out of memory.
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"Village Life" by Oscar Hitt, 1930-1931
June 18th, 1930 as seen in the Staunton News-Leader
Single panel comic strip "Village Life." A man is confused why his wife of forty years would want a divorce. Two men eavesdropping smile in support of the wife, this man had been treating her like a slave this whole time. Good for her!
December 31, 2025 at 9:23 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"The Smythes" by Rea Irvin, 1930-1936
July 20th, 1930 as seen in the Corpus Christi Caller-Times
Sunday comic strip "The Smythes." Mr. Smythe is upset that Mrs. Smythe keeps buying cheap scam products from door-to-door salesmen, only to then believe a homeless man on an insider stock tip. They both lose money, but at least the wife has something to show for it.
December 31, 2025 at 9:15 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"Sherlock Holmes" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Leo O'Mealia, 1930-1931
August 11th, 1930 as seen in the Santa Ana Daily Register
Serialized comic strip "Sherlock Holmes," adapting the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. "The Case of the Gloria Scott." Full text: "Sherlock Holmes had handed me as we sat before the fire some yellowed papers, saying: 'It would be worth your while, Watson, to glance these over. They are the documents in the extraordinary case of the Gloria Scott, and this is the message which struck Justice of the Peace Trevor dead when he read it. It was the first case in which I was ever engaged,' he told me. I tried to picture Holmes as he must have been then in his college days, when he was developing the technique which made him the world-famous detective. Not greatly changed now, I suspected, except for the difference between youth and age. The paper I held in my hand was a short note scrawled upon a half sheet of slate-gray paper. As I glanced up from reading this enigmatical message, Holmes was chuckling. 'You look bewildered,' said he. 'I cannot see how such a message could inspire such horror.' 'Yet the fact remains,' Holmes returned, 'that the reader, who was a fine, robust old man, was knocked clean down by it as if it had been the butt end of a pistol!'"
December 31, 2025 at 9:03 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"Scorchy Smith" by John C. Terry, 1930-1961
March 17th, 1930 as seen in the Jackson Citizen Patriot
Serialized adventure comic strip "Scorchy Smith." Aviator hero Scorchy Smith packs up to look for a friend whose gone missing in the Rocky Mountains. His mother worries.
December 31, 2025 at 8:53 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"Rollo Rollingstone" by Bruce Barr, 1930-1933
March 16th, 1930 as seen in the Richmond Item
Comic strip "Rollo Rollingstone." Rollo and his father are walking down the sidewalk, the older man giving his son life advice. Rollo spaces out for a bit and doesn't realize that his father's stepped on some gum and is stuck.
December 31, 2025 at 8:46 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"Neighborly Neighbors" by Oscar Hitt, 1930-1955
April 10th, 1930 as seen in the Albert Lea Tribune
Single panel comic strip "Neighborly Neighbors." An old spinster goes on about a terrible "parrot disease" to another woman. In the back of the room, some men wonder about all the diseases this woman has made up. Strip was taken over by John Milt Morris in 1938 and eventually became serialized.
December 31, 2025 at 8:38 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"Momentous Errors" by Aleyn Burtis, 1930-1932
March 26th, 1930 as seen in the Hickory Daily Record
Single panel comic strip "Momentous Errors." The staff of a Chinese restaurant are shocked when a white guy asks for chopsticks when he already has a fork. Usually it happens the other way around!
December 31, 2025 at 8:29 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"Modest Maidens" by Don Flowers, 1930-1963
March 21st, 1930 as seen in the Wausau Daily Herald
Single panel comic strip "Modest Maidens." Two women compare their outfits. "Don't you just adore my new seal coat?" one asks. "Yes, my dear; it's marvelous what they can do with a few rabbit skins." Taken over by Jay Alan in 1947.
December 31, 2025 at 8:25 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"Mickey Mouse" by Ub Iwerks, 1930-1995
February 9th, 1930 as seen in the Oregon Statesman
Comic strip "Mickey Mouse," based on the cartoon character created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. Mickey Mouse is fed up with catching little fish, so he casts out a big juice worm far into the lake, tying the line to a plank of wood. However, the fish he catches ends up being TOO big, breaking the plank and dragging Mickey across the water.
December 31, 2025 at 8:15 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"The Little King" by Otto Soglow, 1930-1975
June 7th, 1930 as seen in The New Yorker
Comic strip "The Little King." It's time for the Little King's bath. He strips in front of the pool. Then one of his servants jumps in, splashing him. Another servant dries the king off, and they all return to the throne room.
December 31, 2025 at 8:03 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"Amazing But True" by Hammar, 1930-1931
December 20th, 1930 as seen in the Bergen Evening Record
Informational one-panel comic strip "Amazing but True." Here are some random facts! "Hendrick Hudson did not discover the Hudson River. The Irish Free State is not Irish, is not free and is not a state. An English village had only one inhabitant."
December 31, 2025 at 7:51 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"Joe Palooka" by Ham Fisher, 1930-1984
April 22nd, 1930 as seen in the Plain Dealer
Serialized comic strip "Joe Palooka." Subtitled "Our Hero Enters." The large, good natured but somewhat dim Joe Palooka answers an ad in the newspaper for a job at a local store. When the owner asks Joe of his current occupation, Joe gets confused and says he's American and that his grandfather served in the Civil War.
December 31, 2025 at 7:43 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"Amaze A Minute" by "Arnold," 1930-1941
November 5th, 1930 as seen in the Vermont Tribune
Informational comic strip "Amaze a Minute." Full text: "INVISIBLE GERMAN BOMBERS. Mysterious accuracy now revealed to have been accomplished by means of small highly-polished sub-gondolas suspended from above by wires dropped from cloud hidden zeppelin. The occupant of the gondola could manoeuver over several square miles using electric motor-driven propeller. FISH THAT SWALLOWS LARGER FISH. The Chiasmodon Niger, a deep sea fish can swallow other fish larger than itself. RAINMAKERS. With their chemical brews and smoking cannons have appeared again in the arid southwest scientists declare their claims false. That money paid to them is lost. THE HIGHEST WAVE. The highest wave of record wrenched a lighthouse bell hung 100 feet above the water on of the Scilly islands off the English Coast."
December 31, 2025 at 7:33 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"It Happens That Way Sometimes" by Oscar Hitt, 1930-1930
October 16th, 1930 as seen in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Single panel comic strip "It Happens That Way Sometimes." A boy and an old man compare watches, the boy's new watch already twenty minutes slow, unreliable quality these days.
December 31, 2025 at 7:26 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"Homer Hoopee" by Fred Locher, 1930-1961
March 16th, 1930 as seen in the Richmond Item
Comic strip "Homer Hoopee." Homer is given a secret mission from the company which requires him to stay a while at a fancy beach hotel. He's distressed when he's told he can't bring his wife.
December 31, 2025 at 7:17 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"Gloria" by Julian Ollendorff, 1930-1931
March 17th, 1930 as seen in the Jersey Journal
Comic strip "Gloria." A suitor asks Gloria to marry him. She states that she wants a career first, but when he insists, she says she loves him in a way. "Far away!"
December 31, 2025 at 7:12 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"An Absurdity a Day" by Aleyn Burtis, 1930-1931
September 21st, 1930 as seen in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Comic strip "An Absurdity a Day." Subtitled "The Killer." A man tries to kill a fly with bug spray. He finds smashing the bug with the sprayer more successful than the spray itself.
December 31, 2025 at 7:03 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"Colonel Gilfeather" by Dick Dorgan, 1930-1933
March 17th, 1930 as seen in the Los Angeles Evening Express
Single panel comic strip "Colonel Gilfeather." The titular Colonel Gilfeather and a cop named Otis leer at an attractive woman in expensive dress across the street. Caption reads "He has a keen eye for fair arrivals in town." Strip would be taken over by Al Capp in 1932, then Milton Cariff not long after.
December 31, 2025 at 6:55 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"Blondie" by Chic Young, 1930-present
September 8th, 1930 as seen in the Omaha Evening Bee-News
Comic strip "Blondie." Rich boy Dagwood Bumstead introduces his new flapper fiancee, Blondie Boopadoop, to his father. Dagwood's father is not impressed with her carefree attitude and lack of money.
December 31, 2025 at 6:45 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
Happy New Year! And with a new year comes a new batch of newspaper comic strips entering the public domain! Today we pay tribute to the works that began in 1930, and once the clock strikes twelve will belong to all of us.
A panel from the Mickey Mouse comic strip.
December 31, 2025 at 6:37 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"Katie's Wee Do Puzzle" by Barry Loncke and John Kloss, 1993-2001
April 13th, 1997 as seen in the Sunday Oregonian
Sunday activity comic strip "Katie's Wee Do Puzzle." Parents and children are encouraged to work together on three word scrambles related to taxes, which then provide the letters for something you can do that helps schools. Uncle Sam points at you. The titular Katie is Katie Loncke, the daughter of Barry Loncke, cartoonist and Sacramento Municipal Court judge.
December 28, 2025 at 6:14 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"According to Guinness" by Ross McWhirter, Norris McWhirter and Bill Hinds, 1975-1990
November 23rd, 1980 as seen in the News and Observer
Sunday edition of informational comic strip "According to Guinness," detailing world records. Full text: "LARGEST MAZE. The largest maze is at Longleat, near Warminster, Wiltshire, England, with 1.61 miles of paths flanked by 16,180 yew trees. SAILING RECORD. The longest day's run claimed by any sailing ship was one of 456 nautical miles in 23 hours 17 mins. by the 'Champion of the Seas' on her maiden voyage on December 11-12, 1854. She was on passage in the South Indian Ocean under Capt. Alex. Newlands, running before a northwesterly gale. She averages 19.97 knots. MOST EXPENSIVE ROOM. The world's costliest hotel accommodation is the Celestial Suite on the ninth floor of the Astrovillage Hotel, Houston, Texas, which is rented for $2,500 a day."
December 28, 2025 at 5:47 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"Bruce Gentry" by Ray Bailey, 1945-1951
September 10th, 1945 as seen in the Daily News
Serialized comic strip "Bruce Gentry." Aviation hero Bruce Gentry and his buddy Ohio have just finished putting some criminals behind bars, including a beautiful but dangerous woman named Tango. Gentry insists they'll be safe from women at his place, only to find a woman's negligee hanging from a line in his living room.
December 28, 2025 at 5:27 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"Home Sweet Home" by Jack Wilson, 1918-1922
March 18th, 1919 as seen in the Advocate-Messenger
Comic strip "Home Sweet Home." A boy asks his parents if they'll sign him up for dancing school. The parents are confused at first, then realize their son must have a crush on a girl there. The boy storms off, embarrassed as his parents laugh at him.
December 28, 2025 at 5:14 PM
forgottencomics.bsky.social
"O.U. Chump" by "Gosh," 1912-1913
February 11th, 1913 as seen in the Trenton Evening Times
Comic strip "O.U. Chump." Subtitled "Make Sure, Then Go Ahead, Chump." Chump was told by Horace that he's as pretty as a hippopotamus, but there's only problem - Chump doesn't know what a hippopotamus is. He goes to the zoo, and when he sees a hippo with his own eyes, he angrily rushes over to Horace's house and chases him outside.
December 28, 2025 at 4:39 PM