Bringing Up Father — buf390415

Five panels follow Jiggs, the Irish-immigrant social climber created by George McManus, as a society acquaintance invites him to dinner—only for Jiggs to wriggle free with excuses about having no dates and bringing oranges, then wander hungry through the night before being intercepted by a butler who reports he is already committed to dine at 'Mr. Jiggs' house.' McManus's draftsmanship is unmistakable: Art Nouveau curlicues on wallpaper and dress hems, immaculate tuxedos, expressive silhouettes, and speech balloons whose casual run-on syntax captures live speech. Launched in 1913, *Bringing Up Father* ran in syndication for decades and reached millions of readers daily, making the recurring-character newspaper strip the direct ancestor of the comic book format that would crystallize by decade's end.