Today in the history of the American comic strip: November 9

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.

11.9.1921: Stan Drake is born in New York City. He co-created The Heart of Juliet Jones (1953-2000) and was the strip’s artist for most of its run. Drake received a Newspaper Comic Strip award from the National Cartoonists Society in 1969, 1970 and 1972.

11.9.1964: Johnny Hart and Brant Parker kick off The Wizard of Id, a strip set in a medieval kingdom.
 

The Wizard of Id

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.