The New Yorker covers: July 17, 1926

Most of the earth’s surface is covered in water, hence the planet’s nickname as the blue planet. Water, its uses and its relationship to land have held a special appeal for cover artists whose work has appeared in The New Yorker.

Stanley W. Reynolds
(covers untitled until February 1993) 

And now, a few words from . . . Jacques Cousteau

The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.

"What is art but a way of seeing?" Saul Bellow

"Apples, Ginger Pot and Plate on a Ledge," 1901, Piet Mondrian

Movie Posters, 1990: Two adults, please, and a large popcorn!

Today in the history of the American comic strip: April 25

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.

4.25.1924: Krazy Kat’s George Herriman, one of the true geniuses of the genre, dies in Los Angeles, California. He was 63.

4.25.1939: Nicole Hollander, the creator of Sylvia, is born in Chicago, Illinois. Her comic ran as a newspaper strip from 1981 to 2012.

4.25.1960: After hugging Snoopy, Linus says “happiness is a warm puppy” for the first time in Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts.

4.25.1987: The final Brick Bradford daily strip appears in print. The science fiction comic created by writer William Ritt and artist Clarence Gray began its run in 1933.

 

Sylvia

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.

The New Yorker covers: April 27, 2020

The first American case of COVID-19 was reported in January 2020. We all know what happened after that. Infections spiked. The death toll rose. Debates raged over lockdowns and vaccines. In the U.S., more than 103.4 million people have been diagnosed with the disease and more than 1.2 million have died.

Tomer Hanuka
"A Chorus of Thanks"

And now, a few words from . . . George Santayana

Only the dead have seen the end of war.

"What is art but a way of seeing?" Saul Bellow

"The Little Bridge, Pontoise," 1875, Camille Pissarro

Movie Posters, 1977: Two adults, please, and a large popcorn!