Today in the history of the American comic strip: July 2

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.

7.2.1938: Bronc Peeler, a Western adventure strip that Fred Harman created in 1933, ceases publication. Harman also was the artist for Red Ryder, which he created with Stephen Slesinger.
 

7.2.1944: Johnny Hazard, the Frank Robbins strip that debuted as a daily in June 1944, adds a Sunday feature. The comic remained in syndication until 1977.

7.2.2004: John Cullen Murphy, who worked on Prince Valiant for three decades, dies in Cos Cob, Connecticut. He was 85.

7.2.2017: Tina’s Groove, a strip with a restaurant theme that Rina Piccolo launched in 2002, ends its run. The Tina of the title was a waitress at Pepper's Restaurant.

Tina's Groove

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.