Sam's Strip by Jerry Dumas and Mort Walker is a gem. This 1961 comic strip is remarkable in that it's utter and complete meta-fiction. It's a comic strip about comic strips, self-referential and fourth-wall breaking in the extreme. Sam's Strip (you see the delightful first comic strip below) is famous now for featuring the non-authorized guest appearances of other comic strip characters such as Popeye, Dick Tracy, Little Orhpan Annie, Krazy Kat, The Yellow Kid, Snuffy Smith, the Peanuts gang, and many others. Here's a link which features several of the strips.
To read more about the origins of the strip read this by Jerry Dumas and this by Mort Walker. The Fantagrpahics collection is a typically solid production from them, very readable. The strip just lasted a few years finding critical acclaim but not much audience, and as far as I can tell all of the strips are here. I found my at Half-Price Books for small money, perhaps you can do the same.
Highly recommended.
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I read all of the ones online and I want to read more! I love anything that breaks the fourth wall.
ReplyDeleteOn an other note, I've never heard of Sam and Silo. Wonder how I've missed it.
I knew of Sam and Silo, but did not know this history until last year when I read of the Fantagraphics volume. I wanted one then, but the near twenty-five dollar price was too much. I found this one for about six, so it went down smoothly. It's a great volume for the right price.
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