The Golden Age of Newspaper Comics Quiz

Answer: 'The Yellow Kid'

Richard Outcault's 'Yellow Kid' first appeared in October, 1896 in the weekly comic supplement to the New York Journal newspaper. Outcault later went on to create the more successful 'Buster Brown'.

Answer: 'The Katzenjammer Kids'

The Katzenjammers, Hans and Fritz, along with the good Captain, the long-suffering mother, the Inspector and others, is the oldest comic strip still in syndication, nowadays drawn by Hy Eisman.

Answer: The 'rough-neck'

The genesis of the 'demon-child' began with the likes of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn through to the Yellow Kid and The Katzenjammers. Examples of the 'innocent' include such as Boob McNutt and Happy Hooligan. Buster Brown's dog, Tige, was a prime example of the 'humanized animal', progenitor to Snoopy, Disney characters and beyond.

Answer: Mutt

Created by sports cartoonist H. C. 'Bud' Fisher in 1907, the world's first regularly run strip was initially called 'A. Mutt', who gave comical horse racing tips and prospered or suffered the next day based on the results. Jeff arrived about five months later.

Answer: Little Nemo

'Little Nemo In Slumberland', the epitome of McKay's 'dream strips' including 'Midsummer Day Dreams' and 'Dream Of The Rarebit Fiend', began in 1905 and ran through 1914. McKay was also a pioneer in film annimation, creating the first animated cartoon, 'Gertie The Dinosaur', in 1909.

Answer: Rube Goldberg

Rube Goldberg originally drew for the campus newspaper at the University of California at Berkely. His longest-running strip was 'Boob McNutt', which ran, from start to finish as a Sunday only strip, from 1915 to 1934.

Answer: The Marx Brothers

Mager's 'monks' (short for 'monkeys') all had names like Braggo, Knocko, Nervo and detective Sherlocko. Their popularity inspired the stage names of the Marx's (Groucho, Chico, Harpo, Zeppo and Gummo).

Answer: 'Krazy Kat'

Herriman's strip about Krazy Kat and her unexplained affection for the brick-throwing Ignatz Mouse has been critically acclaimed worldwide from its start in 1911 till Herriman's death in 1944. One of the strip's greatest fans was its own publisher, newpaper magnate William Randolph Hearst.

Answer: 'Bringing Up Father'

Started in 1913, the tale of an Irish bricklayer-turned-millionaire and his domineering wife was the first of a long line of bickering couples.

Answer: Harold Gray

Harold Gray was a former assistant on Sidney Smith's strip, 'The Gumps'. 'Annie' inspired movie adaptations, a radio show and a hit Broadway musical.

Answer: Popeye

The spinach-eating sailor with the swollen arms was eventually saved by popular demand to become one of the most universally recognized comic characters of all time. Popeye is one of the few cartoon characters immortalized in sculpture and his image is aired somewhere in the world almost every minute. He is also still in strip syndication, drawn by 'Katzenjammer' artist Hy Eisman.

Answer: Snuffy Smith

The hillbilly Smith, his wife Loweezy and kids Jughaid and Tater, were introduced in 1942 shortly before DeBeck died. From there, assistant Fred Lasswell took over and so did the Smiths. Google was the subject of a hit song in the 1920's, 'Barney Google (With The Goo-Goo-Googly Eyes)'.

Answer: 'Gasoline Alley'

Frank King first created 'Gasoline Alley' in 1919 as part of readers fascination with a recent invention, the car. It became a family strip with the addition of Skeezix, who was found on Uncle Walt's doorstep in 1921. Walt's marriage to Phyllis Blossom and the birth of Corky further solidified the family lean.

Answer: Buck Rogers

'Buck Rogers In The 25th Century' began as a work of pulp fiction, 'Armageddon 2415' by Phil Nowlan. His writing and Dick Caulkin's art made 'Rogers' the first science-fiction comic strip in 1929. Alex Raymond's 'Flash' appeared five years later.

Answer: Dashiell Hammett

Hammett, author of 'The Thin Man' and 'The Maltese Falcon', began scripting in 1934 and lasted only a year, leaving after his contract expired and was replaced by Leslie Charteris, creator of 'The Saint'. Alex ('Flash Gordon') Raymond did the art.

Answer: Boopadoop

Murat Bernard 'Chic' Young's famous homage to married life began Sept. 8, 1930 as flapper Blondie Boopadoop chased and wooed playboy Dagwood Bumstead, son of railroad millionaire J. Bolling Bumstead, who disapproved of his son's latest girlfriend. Only after Dagwood's month-long hunger strike did he relent, but cut him off from his inheritence when they married in 1933.

Answer: Alexander

Alexander, who arrived first April 15, 1934, was nicknamed 'Baby Dumpling'. Daughter Cookie, who's name was chosen in a reader's contest, was born seven years later. The winner received 100 dollars. 'Blondie' became a series of very popular movies in the 1930's and '40's with Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake in the title roles.

Answer: Abner Yokum

Capp (real name Alfred Gerald Caplin) debuted 'Lil' Abner' in 1934 and it became hugely succesful, resulting in two movies, a hit Broadway musical and a theme amusement park near Harrison, Arkansas. The feud between Capp and Fisher became legendary, and may have led to Fisher's suicide in 1955. Capp retired 'Abner' in 1977 and died two years later.

Answer: Connie

'Terry And The Pirates', created in 1934, grew in popularity during World War II, mostly through the exotic women Caniff created...April Kane, Normandie Drake and, especially, the infamous Dragon Lady. Caniff left the strip in 1946 to create 'Steve Canyon'.

Answer: Beetle

'Spider' was the progenitor of 'Beetle Bailey', which began its run during the Korean conflict and was the last comic strip personally picked by King Features publisher William Randolph Hearst.

Answer: Bailey

Lois is the sister of Beetle Bailey. She was introduced in 1954 when Beetle and some of his Camp Swampy sidekicks visited her on furlough. 'Hi and Lois' was jointly created by 'Beetle' creator Mort Walker and Dik Browne (creator of 'Hagar The Horrible'). Nowadays their children, Brian and Greg Walker and Chance Browne, do the work.

Answer: 'Nancy

Nancy was the brainchild of Whittington's successor, Ernie Bushmiller. By 1938, Nancy's friend, Sluggo, arrived and the name was changed to 'Nancy'. Bushmiller died in 1982 and the strip is currently drawn by Guy Gilchrist.

Answer: 'Mandrake The Magician'

Created by Lee Faulk in 1934, Mandrake used his powers of hypnosis and illusion to fight evil, assisted by the giant Lothar and the beautiful Princess Narda. Faulk later created 'The Phantom'.

Answer: An Oppossum

Former Disney artist Walt Kelley began 'Pogo' in 1943 as a comic book before moving to the newspaper media in 1948. The strip was critically hailed for its political satire as much as its broad humor.

Answer: A fellow cartoonist

Specifically, the tribute was to fellow cartoonist Charles Shulz on news of his impending retirement from drawing his world-renouned strip 'Peanuts'. Each of the strips featured either a visual reference or mention of Schulz and his characters. Sadly, Schulz died Feb. 12, 2001, the day before his last new strip was printed for the final time.