Before the Flood

John B. Gruelle's comic strip captures a Sunday page tradition: anthropomorphic characters in domestic chaos. Here, two rival politicians meet at a meal and resort to physical comedy—the visual gag of escalating conflict told through sequential panels with speech balloons. The strip exemplifies early comics' invention of visual grammar: distinct panel layouts guide the eye through narrative sequence, while exaggerated character design and slapstick action drive humor. Published in newspaper Sunday supplements, such strips reached millions and established conventions—recurring characters, witty dialogue, sight gags—that became foundational to comic book storytelling. The crowded composition and dense action recall turn-of-the-century newspaper illustration's kinetic energy.