History EarlyInstallmentWeirdness / NewspaperComics

** Dinosaurs used to be drawn in a cartoony style like the rest of the strip, [[SomewhereAPaleontologistIsCrying with inaccurate anatomy and occasionally interacting with cavemen]]. After Watterson decided to research them for new story possibilities, [[ShownTheirWork he put in much greater effort in depicting them accurately]], [[ScienceMarchesOn for his time]]. They, and other fantasies, also [[ArtShift began to be drawn realistically]] in contrast to the strip's usual cartoony look.

** Garfield is well-known for [[IHateMondays loathing and dreading Mondays]] - but in one of the earlier strips, he actually says he ''loves'' Mondays!

*** Of course, given [[DeadpanSnarker the overall tone of the strip]], it's possible that Hobbes is just trying to be a wise guy.
**** In the 10th anniversary book, Watterson said he felt at the time that it was necessarry to explain how Calvin and Hobbes met, but later on decided it wasn't.

* ''{{ComicStrip/Peanuts}}'' had a very different art style, far lighter humor, and a mostly different cast of characters (Shermy and Patty, not to be confused with Peppermint Patty). Also, Snoopy was just a normal dog, and Linus and Lucy didn't exist. (And even when they ''were'' added, Linus was a super-smart little kid as opposed to an InnocentProdigy, and Lucy was a wide-eyed CloudCuckoolander toddler before becoming her JerkWithAHeartOfGold self.)

** Calvin was shown as a member of the Cub Scouts in a few early strips. Watterson originally thought this would provide plenty of interesting scenarios for storylines, but quickly dropped it after he realized Calvin was ''not'' the sort of kid who'd ever join up with the scouts.

* In the early ''{{Zits}}'' strips, the art was less polished, and some characters were different. Jeremy's band had a black drummer named Y.A., who [[FlatCharacter never really developed]] and [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome quit the band early on]]; he was replaced by Pierce, who quickly became an EnsembleDarkhorse. Jeremy's mom was supposed to be a child therapist, but it was only brought up a couple times. His older brother, Chad, was originally a "perfect" guy whose face was always blocked by word balloons, before being retooled into a more "normal" character (but still leaving Jeremy as TheUnfavorite).

* Susie Derkins asks Calvin to cheat and give her the answer to a test question in an early strip of ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes''. After this, she is depicted as serious student who resists Calvin's constant requests to help him cheat in any way.
** In the early strips with Susie's first appearances, Calvin and her both seem to internally acknowledge that they have crushes on each other underneath their insults and animosity. This soon changes with Susie switching her affection to Hobbes and Calvin panicking over even the thought that Susie likes him.

** The early strips' humor also relied more on wordplay and topical references. Jim Davis gradually stopped using both once the strip got popular, feeling that their removal would help make the strip more marketable in other countries.

** Calvin was shown as a member of the Boy Scouts in a few early strips. Watterson originally thought this would provide plenty of interesting scenarios for storylines, but quickly dropped it after he realized Calvin was ''not'' the sort of kid who'd ever join up with the scouts.

*** Dinosaurs used to be drawn in a cartoony style like the rest of the strip, [[SomewhereAPaleontologistIsCrying with inaccurate anatomy and occasionally interacting with cavemen]]. After Watterson decided to research them for new story possibilities, [[ShownTheirWork he put in much greater effort in depicting them accurately]], [[ScienceMarchesOn for his time]]. They, and other fantasies, also [[ArtShift began to be drawn realistically]] in contrast to the strip's usual cartoony look.

** One very early strip featured Garfield saying that he loves Mondays (because he doesn't have to go to work). This seems very odd indeed to those more familiar with the modern-day Garfield, who absolutely hates Mondays.

** The early strips' humor also relied more on wordplay and topical references. Jim Davis stopped using both once the strip got popular, feeling that their removal would help make the strip more marketable in other countries.

*** Dinosaurs used to be drawn in a cartoony style like the rest of the strip, [[SomewhereAPaleontologistIsCrying with inaccurate anatomy and occasionally interacting with cavemen]]. After Watterson decided to research them for new story possibilities, [[ShownTheirWork he put in much greater effort in depicting them accurately]], [[ScienceMarchesOn for his time]]. They, and other fantasies, also [[ArtShift began to be drawn realistically]] in contrast to the strips's usual cartoony look.

** The humor also relied more on wordplay and topical references. Jim Davis stopped using both once the strip got popular, feeling that their removal would help make the strip more marketable in other countries.

* Early on, ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'' was a lot more realistic and down-to-earth family strip. Throughout the 1990s, it began gradually shifting more and more toward a less reality-based strip with greater emphasis on "nerd" humor, pop culture references, and satire. The shift in tone coincided with the art going from a more detailed and sketchy style to the flatter, stiffer, more "cartoony" look it has now.

* ''{{ComicStrip/Peanuts}}'' had a very different art style, far lighter humor, and a mostly different cast of characters (Shermy and Patty, not to be confused with Peppermint Patty). Also, Snoopy was just a normal dog, and Linus and Lucy didn't exist. (And even when they ''were'' added, Linus was a super-smart little kid as opposed to an InnocentProdigy, and Lucy was a wide-eyed CloudCuckoolander before becoming her JerkWithAHeartOfGold self.)
* Early on, ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'' was a lot more realistic and down-to-earth family strip. Throughout the 1990s, it began gradually shifting more and more toward a less reality-based strip with greater emphasis on "nerd" humor, pop culture references, and satire. The shift in tone coincided with the art going from a more detailed and sketchy style to the flatter, stiffer, more "cartoony" look it has now.

* {{Garfield}}'s wildly different appearance in the early years of the strip: much fatter, more cat-like, and strictly quadrupedal. There's also Jon's claim to be a cartoonist in the very first strip, which is [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything rarely mentioned again]], and the character of Lyman (Jon's roommate and Odie's original owner) who slowly [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome vanishes entirely without explanation]].
* ''{{Dilbert}}'' was initially focused on the personal life of Dilbert and Dogbert, and was largely ''Garfield'' except with a dog who can talk. The office-based strips came a few months later and even then only occasionally appeared. They more or less took over a few years later.
* Thimble Theater used to be about Ham Gravy and his manager until they hired a certain sailor named {{Popeye}}.

* ''{{Peanuts}}'' had a very different art style, far lighter humor, and a mostly different cast of characters (Shermy and Patty, not to be confused with Peppermint Patty). Also, Snoopy was just a normal dog, and Linus and Lucy didn't exist. (And even when they ''were'' added, Linus was a super-smart little kid as opposed to an InnocentProdigy, and Lucy was a wide-eyed CloudCuckoolander before becoming her JerkWithAHeartOfGold self.)
* Early on, ''FoxTrot'' was a lot more realistic and down-to-earth family strip. Throughout the 1990s, it began gradually shifting more and more toward a less reality-based strip with greater emphasis on "nerd" humor, pop culture references, and satire. The shift in tone coincided with the art going from a more detailed and sketchy style to the flatter, stiffer, more "cartoony" look it has now.

* Early on, ''FoxTrot'' was a lot more realistic and down-to-earth family strip. Throughout the 1990s, it began gradually shifting more and more toward a less reality-based strip with "nerd" humor, pop culture references, and satire. The shift in tone coincided with the art going from a more detailed and sketchy style to the flatter, stiffer, more "cartoony" look it has now.

* Early on ,''FoxTrot'' was a lot more realistic and down-to-earth family strip. Throughout the 1990s, it began gradually shifting more and more toward "nerd" humor, pop culture references, and satire. The shift in tone coincided with the art going from a more detailed and sketchy style to the flatter, stiffer, more "cartoony" look it has now.

** And at least once in an early strip he said "I love Mondays" completely unironically.

* ''{{Peanuts}}'' had a very different art style, far lighter humor, and a mostly different cast of characters (Shermy and Patty, not to be confused with Peppermint Patty). Also, Snoopy was just a normal dog, and Linus and Lucy didn't exist. (And even when they ''were'' added, Linus was a super-smart little kid as opposed to an InnocentProdigy, and Lucy was a wide-eyed CloudCuckoolander before becoming her JerkWithAHeartOfGold self.)

* Rick O'Shay was a humor comic set in the 1950s and 60s until it transitioned to the 1860s and, while still having comedic elements, turned into more of a western adventure/drama strip with more realistic art.

* Susie Derkins asks Calvin to cheat and give her the answer to a test question in an early strip of ''CalvinAndHobbes''. After this, she is depicted as serious student who resists Calvin's constant requests to help him cheat in any way.