History Main / NewspaperComics

Compared to other media, newspaper comics can have incredibly [[LongRunners long tenures]]. New ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' strips appeared daily for over 49 years. ''ComicStrip/{{Doonesbury}}'' has been running since 1970 and ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' has been coming out since 1978. Neither show any signs of stopping. Even more impressively, ''ComicStrip/{{Blondie}}'' has run ''since 1930'', ''ComicStrip/GasolineAlley'' has run '''since 1918''', and ''ComicStrip/TheKatzenjammerKids'' ran for '''''109 years''''' (from 1897 to 2006)! While traditionally, a 10-year run was considered tremendous for a television show, when ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'', ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'' and ''ComicStrip/TheBoondocks'' each ended production after around a decade, it seemed far too soon (let alone ''ComicStrip/CulDeSac'', which ran for ''barely five years'').

Sometimes you'll hear the term [[UndergroundComics "Underground Comix"]]; in the USA, at least, this term refers to pen-and-ink comics not distributed by a syndicate and normally published in "alternative" papers, 'zines, etc. {{Webcomics}} and the consolidation of the [[InNameOnly supposedly "Alternative"]] newsweekly industry have put a dint in their circulation, but ''ComicBook/{{Cerebus}}'' and ''Webcomic/AmericanElf'' among others started out this way, and the latter still appears in alternative weeklies, or at least the one in the author's hometown.

* ComicStrip/{{Blondie}}

* ComicStrip/IceScream

Actually, one of the reasons why {{Webcomics}} have gotten a lead over Web-based indie music distribution (let alone non-corporate Web movies) is that "making it big" in sequential art has been traditionally defined as "being able to support a middle-class lifestyle without a day job". Actually, many top cartoonists got stinking rich (for instance, ''Bringing Up Father'''s George [=MacManus=] was able to make a fortune, lose it after the 1929 crash, and become even richer) and even reached ''stardom'' in some cases, at the same time keeping a degree of anonymity most celebs wouldn't dream of.

* ComicStrip/ApartmentThreeG

* ComicStrip/{{Elvis}}

* ComicStrip/BetweenTheLines

Compared to other media, newspaper comics can have incredibly [[LongRunners long tenures]]. New ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' strips appeared daily for over 49 years. ''ComicStrip/{{Doonesbury}}'' has been running since 1970 and ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' has been coming out since 1978. Neither show any signs of stopping. Even more impressively, ''ComicStrip/{{Blondie}}'' has run ''since 1930'', ''ComicStrip/GasolineAlley'' has run '''since 1918''', and most impressively of all ''ComicStrip/TheKatzenjammerKids'' ran for '''''109 years''''' (from 1897 to 2006)! While traditionally, a 10-year run was considered tremendous for a television show, when ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'', ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'' and ''ComicStrip/TheBoondocks'' each ended production after around a decade, it seemed far too soon (let alone ''ComicStrip/CulDeSac'', which ran for ''barely five years'').

Also, these have a very high chance of BreakingTheFourthWall, but ''only'' when they do a very common "[[AsideGlance look at the reader at some other person's comedy or comedy failure]]".

Comic strips can cover a wide range of formats, topics, characters and artistic styles. ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'' and ''ComicStrip/TheFamilyCircus'' are one-panel gag strips. ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'' and ''ComicStrip/{{Pogo}}'', while light-hearted on the surface, were thick with {{Story Arc}}s and [[StrawCharacter political commentary]]. Other strips, like ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' and ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', delightfully portray the experiences of childhood, and thus have broad, long-term appeal. There have been countless serialized adventure strips like ''ComicStrip/ThePhantom,'' ''ComicStrip/FlashGordon,'' ''ComicStrip/PrinceValiant'' and ''ComicStrip/DickTracy''; soap opera/slice-of-life strips like ''ComicStrip/GasolineAlley'' and ''Rex Morgan M.D.'', and strips that fall in between, like ''ComicStrip/LittleOrphanAnnie''.

* ComicStrip/WalalceTheBrave