Bringing Up Father — buf370915

Four panels track a domestic confrontation: a daughter pleads with her father not to ruin a Mr. Hatsemelf's career; the father counters that Hatsemelf tried to ruin his first. A second woman appeals to his mercy — his wife and the man's daughter will suffer. He softens slightly, calling her "a wee bit like your mother" with "a touch of the blarney." The final panel shows him plotting to buy the firm and fire the man anyway. George McManus launched *Bringing Up Father* in 1913, running it until his death in 1954. Its Irish-immigrant social climbers, Jiggs and Maggie, became globally syndicated archetypes. McManus's fluid brushwork, decorative Art Nouveau borders, and expressive balloon lettering helped standardize the visual language that daily strips handed directly to the first comic book editors.