ComicBook Experience

From the exhibition

Alphonse and Gaston in Africa

· March 8, 1903

Alphonse and Gaston in Africa
This Sunday page follows Alphonse and Gaston, two characters defined by exaggerated politeness and mutual deference. The strip uses six sequential panels to build a visual narrative: the men encounter baby rhinoceroses, attempt to photograph one, flee when adults arrive, collide with each other and scattered debris, and end up in water. The artist employs recurring sight gags, speech balloons anchored to speakers, and panel borders to control action flow—visual conventions now standard in comics. Set against an African backdrop, the strip relies on slapstick chaos and character interaction to generate humor across the Sunday newspaper page format.

Public domain, restored and presented by comicbooks.com public-domain