![]() Al Capp, Cartoonist PROfiles #37, March 1978 But I love Sterrett-he belongs someplace else. I love Herriman-he has his own special place. To think that a whole generation has grown up worshipping Picasso when the guy who did it far better was Sterrett! Far better than Picasso-and Herriman. Now, Sterrett-that's the guy who was the greatest. The comic was not only remarkable for its creation of a new subgenre and prototype, but also for its cubism-inspired graphics. Although Polly and Her Pals was highly influential, it was never a licensing success, and it lacked the spin-off books and merchandise generated by other contemporary comic strips. Polly and Her Pals was the first of several comic strips about flirting pretty girls, including Edgar Martin's Boots and Her Buddies, Chic Young's Blondie and Larry Whittington's Fritzi Ritz (which later spawned Nancy). The last Sunday page, still drawn by Sterrett, was published on June 15, 1958. During the 1930s, however, Sterrett's arthritis prompted him to assign work on the daily strips to assistants Paul Fung and Vernon Greene. Sterrett was initially the sole creator of the comic, producing both daily and Sunday strips. Starting on March 31, 1935, Belles and Wedding Bells alternated as the topper with a variant called And So They Were Never Married. ![]() Each episode began with a scene of pre-married bliss, followed by an "intermission" panel framed with wedding bells and an ominous caption: "And then they were married." The exact same scenario would then be re-enacted post-wedding by the now-jaded couple-with drastically different results. The strip played up the ironic contrasts between courtship and marriage. Unlike Dot and Dash, Belles (originally called Sweethearts and Wives) had dialogue, and a constantly changing cast made up of diverse romantic human couples. Highlighting Sterrett's panels were oddly stylized backgrounds (trees, houses, windows, staircases), occasionally drawn in a distorted, cubist style.īelles and Wedding Bells was another topper created by Sterrett, which ran from June 22, 1930, to 1943. Originally titled Damon and Pythias, about the antics of a cat and dog-they became two dogs in 1926. Kitty – An ever-present black housecat, who sometimes played a comic part in the strips.Īn accompanying topper strip, also drawn by Sterrett, was created to run above Polly on Sundays-a pantomime strip called Dot and Dash, which ran from February 21, 1926, to June 24, 1928.Neewah – The family's Japanese houseboy, who mostly did not understand what was going on (or pretended not to).Gertrude – Carrie's precocious, spoiled brat of a daughter.Carrie – Paw's sister-in-law, a constant house guest (and irritant).Ashur Earl Perkins – Staying with them was their dimwitted nephew Ash, a font of bad advice.Maw (aka Suzie) Perkins – Polly's headstrong mother was the one with common sense, who usually sided with Polly. ![]() Sam'l or Sambo) Perkins – Polly's excitable father, the main character and real star of the strip. Over time, the center of the action changed from Polly to those around her, and thus the title changed to Polly and Her Pals-though the "pals" were in fact members of her family: her parents and cousins. Polly Perkins – The nominal star of the strip was a pretty young girl, a flirtatious child of the Suffragette movement and a precursor of the Jazz Age 1920s flappers.The title changed to Polly and Her Pals on January 17, 1913. It debuted as Positive Polly on December 4, 1912, in William Randolph Hearst's newspapers, initially the New York Journal, and was later distributed by King Features Syndicate. It is regarded as one of the most graphically innovative strips of the 20th century. Polly and Her Pals is an American comic strip, created by cartoonist Cliff Sterrett, which ran from December 4, 1912, until December 7, 1958. 1912–1958 American newspaper comic strip Cliff Sterrett's Polly and Her Pals (July 27, 1952) ![]()
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