Today in the history of the American comic strip: November 10

American cartoonists and writers may not have invented the comic strip, but some argue that the comics, as we know them today, are an American creation. Clearly, the United States has played an outsize role in the development of this underappreciated art form.

11.10.2003: Muslims complain about a B.C. strip that shows a character entering an outhouse at night. The outhouse door has a crescent moon cut-out (similar to an Islamic crescent). There’s also a crescent moon in the sky. Once inside, the character says: “Is it just me or does it stink in here?” Cartoonist Johnny Hart denied sending an Islamophobic message in the strip.

11.10.2006: Jack Williamson, a science fiction writer who penned the comic strip Beyond Mars (1952-1955), dies in Portales, New Mexico. He was 98 years old.

Most of the information listed here from one day to the next comes from two online sites -- Wikipedia, and Don Markstein's Toonopedia -- as well as 100 Years of American Newspaper Comics, edited by Maurice Horn. Note that my focus is on American newspaper comic strips (and the occasional foreign strip that gained popularity in the United States). Thus, comic books and exclusively online comics are not included here.