Today in the history of the American comic strip: May 20

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.

5.20.1929: Lester J. Maitland and Dick Calkins introduce Skyroads, an aviation-based comic strip than remained in print until 1942.

5.20.1930: Malcolm "Mal" Hancock is born. In addition to publishing cartoons in Playboy and other magazines, he drew many comic strips, including Nibbles (1961-63), Humphrey Hush (1963), Patrick (1965-69), The Fantastic Foster Fenwick (1968-72), Polly (1972-73), Fenwick (1977-79), The Lumpits (1970-78), Pig Newton (1983), Willie (1983-85), Malfunction Junction (1990-93), and Hi and Jinx (1991-93).

5.20.2012: Crock, launched by Bill Rechin and Brant Parker in 1975, ends its run. The strip was a parody of the French Foreign Legion classic, Beau Geste, a novel that triggered movie adaptations.

Crock

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.