Mutt and Jeff — 1909-11-22

Six panels follow the mismatched duo through a slow-burn gag: tall, lanky Mutt has written a one-act farce he insists is a scream, and hands it to the diminutive, top-hatted Jeff to read. Jeff works silently through the manuscript across four wordless panels — question marks floating above his head — while Mutt stands expectant. Jeff's verdict: a quiet "Um-hum," punctuated by the script landing on the ground. Bud Fisher's clean pen line, expressive silhouettes, and the strip's signature height contrast do all the comic work. *Mutt and Jeff*, launched in the *San Francisco Chronicle* in 1907, was among the first American daily comic strips built around recurring characters — a direct ancestor of the serialized comic book form.