Happy Hooligan — 1901-11-03

Six panels track the tin-canned tramp Happy Hooligan near the Cattle Yards as he spots a small figure in danger, chases off a wild creature, wrestles a bull through a chaotic stampede, and survives an explosion — while his policeman friend absorbs every mishap instead. Opper's draftsmanship is assured and kinetic: bulging figures, expressive balloon lettering, and smoke-cloud sound effects propel the eye panel to panel. Happy Hooligan launched in Hearst papers in 1900 and ran for nearly three decades, helping establish the recurring-character Sunday page as a commercial and artistic institution. Opper, already a celebrated *Puck* cartoonist, brought professional illustration technique to the nascent form, refining the visual grammar — sequential panels, integrated speech balloons, consistent character design — that Sunday supplements were then inventing week by week.