Artfulness in the Funny Papers

To illustrate the artistic skill which often goes into comic strips, I have chosen one example.  The artist Jim Raymond drew this strip.  I have removed the text bubbles to focus attention on his expressive and true-to-life drawing ability.  In this frame, the woman on the right has everyone's attention, including the dog's, and is making an important point.  We know that, because everyone's gesture tells us so.  Dagwood is sitting on a hassock, his back straight, his eyes wide, his mouth ajar and smiling, his hands almost gripping the upholstered seat.  With all eyes on her, the speaker is primarily addressing her hostess, Blondie.  With both hands animated, she is obviously excited and delighted about what she has to tell the others.  The composition of the whole frame, adjusted to accommodate a large dialog balloon, is clear as well as expressive.

The second drawing I chose to examine, graphically depicts the reactions to an alarming, loud noise.  The dog's smile has vanished and her head turns sharply toward the source of the noise.  The couple freezes as Dagwood jerks his head up, his mouth small and tight, and Blondie's hand goes to her heart.



The reader is not usually consciously aware of these refinements of drawing, but they go a long way to further the story.

It wouldn't be fair of me not to show the strip in its entirety.