Bobby Make-Believe

This Sunday newspaper comic strip follows Bobby, a boy who pretends to be a lasso expert on the frontier. The strip's nine panels use sequential art to tell a complete gag: Bobby boasts of his skill, attempts to rope a horse, and faces real consequences when a genuine cowboy arrives. The artist employs speech balloons, panel borders, and physical comedy to propel the narrative. By 1915, the Sunday funnies had become a standard feature in American newspapers, with recurring child characters like Bobby allowing readers to follow ongoing personalities. The strip's visual economy—simple line work, clear action, readable expressions—made comics accessible to mass audiences and established conventions that would define the medium for decades.