A Smile With the Comic Artists

This Sunday newspaper page collects humorous sketches by multiple comic strip artists, showcasing the visual tricks that defined early 1900s comic art: exaggerated proportions, dynamic action sequences, and energetic linework. The strips feature recurring character types—bumbling figures, children, domestic scenarios—rendered through rapid pen work and bold contrast. By 1904, newspaper comics had developed the visual language of modern cartooning: sequential panels, varied perspectives, and expressive caricature. These pages, appearing alongside news and advertising, were the primary venue for comic storytelling before the comic book format emerged. Artists working in this period established panel composition, sight gags, and character design that would become foundational to the medium.