ComicBook Experience

From the exhibition

How Do They Do It?

· February 24, 1917

How Do They Do It?
This Sunday comic strip employs the sequential panel structure that became standard in newspaper comics: a large establishing scene followed by smaller narrative beats that advance a joke or story. The strip follows a familiar formula—characters discuss how criminals or rogues operate, then demonstrate through visual gags and slapstick action. The artist uses speech balloons, varied panel sizes, and expressive line work to build momentum. Recurring character types and situational humor anchored readers to these weekly features, which formed the backbone of early twentieth-century comics before that term designated longer-form graphic narratives. Sunday pages like this, with their generous space and color capability, showcased the visual possibilities that would define the medium.

Public domain, restored and presented by comicbooks.com public-domain