From the exhibition
Etta Kett
· circa 1925–1945

*Etta Kett* followed the adventures of a young flapper navigating courtship, social outings, and romantic mishaps. Created by Paul Robinson, the strip appeared in newspapers as both daily and Sunday installments, employing the visual conventions that defined early comic narrative: sequential panels, speech balloons, and recurring characters. Through four-panel gags and longer Sunday spreads, Robinson captured the rhythms of adolescent life and modern dating customs. The strip's reliance on readable linework and clear panel progression exemplified how newspaper comics developed the visual grammar—bordered frames, close-ups, and dialogue placement—that would become foundational to the emerging comic book medium.
Public domain, restored and presented by comicbooks.com public-domain